The Little World

We have an aircraft – not just parts in a box.

The wing fit of the Italeri SM.81 was darned near perfect – a few scrapes of a modelling knife on the internal bearing surfaces of both wings and there was hardly a gap to be seen. It gave excellent purchase for a slightly thicker form of styrene cement to weld the big structures together. Since the moment of force that is exerted as a plane sits down on the landing gear is of such an angle as to split fuselages and separate wings, it is as well to get as much weld surface as you can.

Prior to this stage all seams were scraped and sanded. The nose rings of both the fuselage engine and the wing-mounts were cemented in place to further seal the structures. Italeri provide longer and shorter cones depending upon which version of the plane you are depicting – I shall opt for the long-cowling design of the pre-war period as it also has a streamlined crankcase housing that can take a contrasting colour. As the plane is in the service of Ruritania there is no need to skimp.

Note that I have learned from bitter experience to paint wheels at an early stage of the build and to enclose them in streamlined housings – you can hardly do otherwise – but to make sure the housing itself is painted well before you assemble it. If you forget you are left with the miserable job of trying to mask the tyres to paint the underside of the aircraft and there is always overspray on what should be grey rubber.

You may be wondering at the blanked-off turret positions – the plane is to be a general transport type with ” especial duties “. The bomb bay doors are to be left undisturbed and the area above them modified to take aerial still and cine cameras. It worked for Sydney Cotton and it will work for Ruritania…