Category: Italian aircraft
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Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero – Part Three – Clearly…

I’ll bet you are the same as I – as you open any new kit box you approach the little sprue of clear plastic bits with fear and trembling. Trepidation. Horror and anxiety. It is the equivalent of meeting the computer date for the first time. You never know what you are going to get……
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Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero – Part Two – Parts On The Sprue

Looking at parts on a sprue is a two-edged thing…part of you applauds the precision of the moulding and part of you groans at the decision to break a structure into component parts when sometimes it is not necessary. The three engines seen in last post are positive things – they have enough detail that…
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Savoia Marchetti S.27 Sparviero – Part One – The Museum Repaint

The Savoia Marchetti museum in Italy has one of these aircraft on display. It has been repainted from the WW2 Italian version to a Lebanese Air Force scheme from the late 40’s. There are good colour photos of the plane in war service with Lebanon – it is a prime candidate for a special paint…
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Tail Feathers

I have always been curious about anything connected to the decoration of aircraft. Look out your picture book of WWII aircraft and turn to the RAF section. Note the insignia applied to the average fighter or bomber: a. Two upper wing roundels in red and blue – in some cases quite dark but quite large.…
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The Royal Ruritanian Army Air Force – Part Three – Build Up To Obscurity

As the war clouds darkened over Europe in the 1930’s, the government of Ruritania realised that the defence of the realm would require additional spending – both for ground and air forces. Fortunately the kingdom is entirely land-locked and has no need for a navy aside from Customs and Excise boats on the lakes to…
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Macchi MC 205 Veltro – Part Three – The Great Azure Blue Quest

I think I may claim a modest victory today. I pursued RAF Azure Blue paint and overtook it. The quest started with that RAF Digital colour chart I found on the net. It lists all the major paints used in WWII RAF aircraft, Shows them in a clear panel, and then gives the RGB and…
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Macchi MC 205 Veltro – Part Two – There We Was…

Well, Poo…I realised today that I published Part Four before Part Two and Part Three. You must have gotten a disjointed view of the process. Forgive me and read on today and tomorrow – you’ll get the rest of the story. Blame early mornings… There we was at the Men’s Shed session of the…
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Macchi MC 205 Veltro – Part Four – The Flying Fellah

Note to readers: This post went out in error several days ago – it was shelved and reopened today, to provide the final chapter. Wheter that makes any sense or not is debatable, but then this is me writing and you reading… See, I didn’t go mad after all. Or madder, if you want to…
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The Museum Approach

Go to your local museum – it doesn’t matter what type you choose; art, science, technology, cars, planes, boats, dolls. If you’ve got an interest, go spark it at the museum. While you are oohing and ahhing at the exhibits, look about you at the facilities. The architecture of a museum can be as interesting…

