Wednesday 21 March 2012

Regia Aeronautica Italiana

Look upon my air force and despair.  Especially if it's on your side in a game.  From humble beginnings, my 1/144 scale RAI has managed to expand to fifteen models.  But I can stop anytime....
The humble beginnings.  Air support for my much maligned Italian troops began about 14 years ago with this disreputable looking trio.  The Fiat G.50 (left) was converted from a Minicraft 'Zero', the SM.79 began life as a Mitsubishi 'Betty' and the MC.205 used to be a Minicraft Ki.61 'Frank'.
'Proper' aircraft at last - a trio of Fiat biplanes built and painted by Wg Cdr Luddite.  The green specimen at the back is a CR-32, the others are CR.42s.
The Wg Cdr also dealt with these Sweet Kits Macchi Mc.200s.
Macchi Mc.205s - a pair of F-Toys (pre-painted) examples sneer at my earlier effort.
An Eduard plastic kit of a Ju-87 - also by the Wg Cdr.
The most recent addition - a die-cast SM.79.  A proper bomber at last!
The whole lot cowering in their box.

13 comments:

Don M said...

Viva Italia! Well they look pretty
at least...)

Paul said...

Huzzah! The air trembles with the onslaught of hard Italiano Steel!

Your conversion effort are resplendent and it was worth the wait to see the Frank/Macchi.

Why do I feel like some pizza to eat?

AlFront said...

These are first class. And don't depreciate your early efforts - they fooled me!

Tim Gow said...

Don M
Looking pretty is their core activity!

Tim Gow said...

Paul
The air is the only thing trembling when this lot appear. Glad you like the dodgy conversions. Pizza eh? Now I'm hungry.

Tim Gow said...

AIFront
I am very emotionally attached to the early conversions!

Peter Douglas said...

They do look purdy!

PD

west1871 said...

The Italians one of my favourites mate, great work sir!

Tim Gow said...

Peter Douglas
Working on the 'if you don't have enough guns then at least look good' principle?

Tim Gow said...

West1871
Some of my favourite 1930s aircraft are Italian. Shame they had to put up with them in the 1940s too...

Chris Kemp said...

Actually, your earlier efforts are nicer than the F-toys (by my definition of 'nice'). I had spotted the possibilities of the zero conversion, but not the Frank, brilliant!

Tim Gow said...

Chris Kemp
Praise indeed from a master bodger!

Chris Kemp said...

Hmmm - I should have done my homework more thoroughly, I had forgotten how many toys you had! :-)

Regards, Chris