Fiat C.R. 32 Chirri 1:50 Artiplast – With some surgery
I like the spanish civil war as a modeling subject and recently I got an I-16. I thought that tere's would be great to add a C.R.32 next to it on the self. Well the I-16 is still in the box but these things always happens when someone building models 😀 So this is my attempt to have a decent CR 32 despite CA's excellent kit phased out the markets (and those rarely found on evilbay are ridicoulusly expensive for a tiny multimedia kit).
In (close to) quater scale currently the only game in town is Artiplast (now produced by Smer) very very old CR32 kit originally made in the '60s. This example is from evilbay for about 8-9 bucks (+P&P) and was in its original boxing, moulded in brown color. I had a Smer decal set in my stash and a fellow modeler from scalemates donated me some spare CA horizontal and a vertical stabilizers. As I saw the kit the outline has some issues and if You want a not toylike airplane from this kit You have to prepare some surgery but this is the fun, isn't it? 🙂
The first thing I wanted to make is the nose improvement - I thought this is the "deal breaker" if I succesful the rest is easy (hehehe big mistake!). The kit lacks the prominent cooling fins on the oil tank and the bulges from the cowling of the AS-12 engine aswell as the carburettor intakes from the top of the nose - the latter dictated that I had to cut oult the cowling to be able to work on it as a one piece effort. I cut the kit apart along the panel line and started to detailing the parts. I wanted to make a nice molded resin nose.
Surprisingly the new nose turned out quite well and my self-confidence grown a lot so I started to fabricate a new interior as the original doesn't match anything ever installed in a CR32. I carefully examined several photos and drawings and this was the result. I had to modify the fuselage behind the cockpit and the tail after compared with drawings and I began play Dr. Frankensteint and matced the donated CA parts (trimmed a bit to fit into the 1:50 scale) onto the Artiplast fuselage.
I made a brand new vertical fin durind this process because the original is totally wrong. The warren struts enginered in one pece in the kit for easy assemble (hehe again) but this way the originally beautiful struts look ugly. I cut them apart and made new attachment points for them (reinforced with wire) and made new center struts as the kit parts are all useless. This was a long and tedious tast with several errors, corrections and so - I guess You can imagine that.
Oh, yes nearly forgot but I reworked the surfaces - sanded down the overexaggerated ribbing from the wings and rescribed/riveted the fuselage and so on. I really suprised the fact that the kit has engraved panel lines on the fuselage (!) hovewer they quite ineven and on the wrong places but still engraved on a '60s kit - wow! After these making new wheel struts and some tiny bits to complete was a joyride.
I chose Antonio morato's plane from the Smer decal set and tried the Italeri acrilics for the painting - first time for me. The colors from their "Reggia Aeronautica" set I bought on an event earlier. I quite disliked the paints - they compare to Vallejo acrils (not the Air but the ordinary ones) and it's hard to make them good for airbrushing. I think I'd stay with Gunze in the future but somehow managed to use them.
I painted the camo free-hand. I used oils and enamels for the weathering and highlighted some areas with drybrushing. In the end I added some filter. This is an early experimentar camo and not everybody's like but very colorful.
Time for another beer! Cheers! 🙂
I'm built this kit When im 10 year old from ŠMER 1/50 isue.
In China markings.
P.k
10 years old..?! I don't think I could even buy tube glue when I was 10 years old. That sure doesn't look like the work of a 10 year-old! Although I've seen some stuff here that LOOKS like it was built by a 10 year old. That battleship I just did springs to mind. 🙁
By the way, I don't think I've ever seen a bi-plane with such a startling difference in wing lengths...small variations, yes, but not 10 or 15 feet...or whatever it is comparative to top-to-bottom wingspan. Nice job, sir.
That bottom photo looks familiar --? GOOD JOB !
We can always count on you keeping us entertained! Another lovely model of a somewhat obscure aircraft!
Thanks!
Magnus
This is what I consider true scale modeling! Using one's own skills and various techniques to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Very interesting photo build log as I picked up a few new techniques that I am sure I will use in the future. Outstanding work on a very obscure aircraft.
I had to read through the text a second time to pick up this is 1/50. Another addition to Gabor's New and Improved Obscure Air Force.
Interesting techniques and a wealth of modelling skills on show.
Thanks for posting.
Thank You All Gentlemen!
Sorry for my mistypings - i will correct them.
That is great work sir.
A very wonderfully re-built kit, nice pic log to.
Excellent surgery and great paint job!
Real dedication, well done, thank you for sharing it with us.
Another great addition Gábor!
Thank You Guys! 🙂
Your modelling is great art, Sir!
Wow! Amazing craftsmanship.
Thank You for Your kind comments.