The Reggiane 2001 detective

Started by Kyle Koppos · 13 · 3 weeks ago
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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    I decided to build the Sword 1/48 Reggiane Re.2001, but as you know, nothing can be simple (in more ways than one).

    For markings, I wanted to do Salvatore Teja's aircraft, who was a documented ace (or close to one according to some) on the machine with around five victories. His aircraft appears to be "152-4". Frequently, when you see a 2001 built, it is in his markings. Both the base Sword kit and Stormo Magazine have included it in their decal sheets.

    I've learned to trust but verify. Before starting any project, one must do their homework. There is an article on Teja: https://dalmatitaliani.org/2022/02/02/salvatore-teja-ti-contro-nu-nu-contro-ti/. There are scant photos of him and his machine, including the iconic one with him lying on his Reggiane's nose above his emblem. In the article, there is also a post-war photo of him and a model... with the aircraft as "152-2."

    Hmm...

    A mystery! The hunt is on. More digging. I find another, the starboard side apparently of his aircraft. I can tell it is his because, Ah!, his emblem is on the nose. This proves the emblem was on both sides of the cowling, but unfortunately, the number is obscured. There is a crash photo, it is aircraft #4! I can't tell if the emblem is on the nose due to glare, but I don't think so.

    But suddenly, I find it, aircraft #2! (this is going to sound crazy, bare with me)

    It's disassembled, the cowling is removed. I can't match up the emblem with #2-- wait! Zoom! Enhance! In the background! It's a cowling, but in the place where the emblem might be is a black blotch. Hope might be at an end, until I realize the Savoy crest on the rudder has also been blacked out by the same kind of blotch. Was this wartime censors? Is this a coincidence? Am I crazy? Desperate? For me, this is enough proof, I will model the aircraft as #2.

    8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    The Sword kit I chose to purchase and replace it over the Classic Airframes 2001 already in my collection. The CA has some shape issues, which the Sword 'kind of' fixes. Oddly, the Sword has less detail, like less panel lines on the wings and detail in the cockpit, but this can be more easily fixed.

    The Sword kit's fit was rather poor. The cockpit had to be whittled with plentiful shaving and cursing. The wing roots had significant gaps and misalignment, and needed much fenangling to get to an appropriate level. Remember, from what I can see, the 2001 didn't have much dihedral, so resist the urge to tape the wings up to remove the gaps.

    The lower chin shape in the Sword kit is wrong: it's too wide and fat. More chipping, whittling, sanding, and cursing is needed to get it to a semblance of normalcy. It still isn't enough, but the plastic became too thin: I even poked a hole in it it was too thin, so this is the best I can get.

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    The Italian torture device/Seat harness is a PE bit from a Brengun set (for the Re.2000). The gunsight is barebones/nothing and got some scratched detail. The blast tubes are drilled out, and the various little intakes around the nose are opened. A little scoop needs to be added on the port side, as well as two bumps at the base of the rudder. The wing lights are added before painting, as the tips will be masked with a drop of white glue and the rest painted as the main top color.

    6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    Excellent entry and really great research, my friend @kopperhed! Surely you will come up with an excellent result from the challenging Sword kit!

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    The biggest smallest issue with the kit is the wing root panel line being in the wrong place. As this seam was completely obliterated from all of the wing root filling anyways, it's something that one might as well tackle regardless.

    The whole area is filled and the original line removed. The new line is masked, a pencil is used for a guide, and then with (avoidable) frustration and tested patience, the new line is scribed with a scalpel blade. One day I will invest in a real scriber.

    Ready for paint

    5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 5 days ago:

    Jump ahead a little, as my painting is straight forward. I didn't have a decal for my #2, so I masked it and attempted to dry brush it, as I am too lazy to bother cleaning an airbrush.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 weeks, 4 days ago:

    This is super job, my friend @kopperhed!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 weeks, 4 days ago:

    A wonderful entry and ditto progress, Kyle @kopperhed

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 2 days ago:

    Photos of the 2001 show a lot of wear on the wingroots. Riveting there made convex divots, and scuffing left a distinct look, and i tried to replicate it at first with chipping fluid but it didn’t work with the dry brushing.

    I resorted to hand painting the “spots,” with many layers of dry brushing on top. I think it turned out acceptable

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Kyle Koppos said 3 weeks, 2 days ago:

    The canopy frames need fixing. It had sliding portions on the lower panes and Sword molded them as a solid 4x4 window arrangement on either side. I simply scraped down this frame to replicate the sliding portions

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 weeks, 2 days ago:

    Excellent job, my friend @kopperhed! Looks awesome at the headlines!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 weeks, 1 day ago:

    Very nicely done, Kyle @kopperhed
    The headline article is well deserved.

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 weeks, 1 day ago:

    This plane really looks a lot larger than I thought it was, Kyle (@kopperhed). Nice work on creating the markings that you need. I am the same way about cleaning the airbrush, and I am willing to do a lot of hand painting rather than clean the airbrush. Your drybrush markings came out great.