I’ve been scale modeling off & on since 1961. I’ve built hundreds of airplane kits (mostly 1/72nd scale) some armour, ships, cars & airfield service vehicles. My grand period of “good construction quality” kit building was between 1978 and 1992 but resumed in 2004 mostly constructing 1/72nd Regia Aeronautica Italia (RAI) subjects.
I remember when the only RAI 1/72nd kits you could get in the U.S.A. during the 1960s were the Airfix FIAT G.50, Savoia-Marchetti S.79, FROG (Air Lines) Macchi C.202, Revell C.200. I didn’t know about the Aliplast (Italeri) FIAT G.55 till after I’d “quit” the hobby early in 1969. The only “real for plastic modelers” hobby store where I’d lived at the time that might had stocked the Aliplast G.55 as an import but alas didn’t check to see.
I’ve built near everything RAI 1/72nd since 2006; it’s most fortunate a very good number of RAI subjects came on the market some years before then thank mostly to the Czechs. My goal is to build every available plastic or resin RAI kit that can lay my hands on before I turn 70, time runs fast so MUST get the one or multiplies of them built before then!
Those who specialized in building RAI subjects I’d like to hear from.
I retired in 2000 in large part to care for my late parents who both passed last year. I also lost my “baby brother” last month. I’d suspended model building late June last year to care for the folks up till they’d passed, resumed building in November. Building has provided me much needed solace. I’ve built 22 Regia Aeronautica Italia kits since c. December 19th last year; have two Italeri FIAT C.R.42s under construction right now, should be done with them early next month.
Don’t have a camera with close-up lenses to photograph my collection right now. In 1985 built 8 or so FROG Macchi C.202 Regia Aeronautica Italia kits “in one setting”, had them professionally photographed, cost a very pretty penny! Fine Scale Modeler published the photo, don’t have the magazine to say which issue it was in. They were “accurate” for the day but new research info along with Sky Model & Tauro decals rendered them out of date. They along with every model I’d constructed between 1984-87 gave away to the honcho who’d oversaw building - or rather finished building - Sacramento’s original 18.3 mile Light Rail system.
Welcome to the forums! I’ve been building since the early 90’s myself. While I have almost exclusively built 1/48 WWII aircraft, I’ve somehow managed to not build any Italian aircraft yet. a few German and Japanese planes, but mostly allied. Kind of weird now that I think about it. Anyway, welcome again. I look forward to seeing your future builds.
Welcome to the forum! I look forward to seeing your builds.
I went on an RAI kick a couple of summers ago, and picked up a bunch of 1/72 kits, all fighters. I’ve got mostly those older classic kits you mention from Airfix, Revell, Frog, and also Italeri, Supermodel and I think ESCI. I also have some comparatively newer kits, like Hasegawa.
I like the Italians’ designs. Their fighter designs remind me of the aesthetics of their car designs, too. And the camo patterns are also very interesting.
This is my G.50:
and my Italeri Re.2001:
I had to vacuform the windscreen for the G.50 using the smash-mold method, because the kit part was lost. I had to do it twice; I dropped the first one I made down through the cockpit. The model rattles if I shake it. It was also my first attempt at painting that kind of camo pattern. But they are fun little kits for quick builds.
I hope to see your builds posted soon!
Best regards,
Brad
PS–I hope those linked images show up. I’m at work right now, and our web filter is finicky. I don’t see those images, myself, from here.
I must say that being retired in California ain’t so bad . I was semi-retired there till the wife and I decided to travel . We found New Braunfels , Texas . I still miss the Delta and Bethel Island ! T.B.
Welcome Kalifornia! You must be in SoCal, home of the Kustom car judging by your spelling.
Just in case you don’t already know about this, there is an online hobby shop in Milan that specializes in Italian aircraft kits and accesories. I ran across their ad in a 2011 magazine yesterday.
Checked out Mister Kit, thanks. I live in “NorCal”, moved here from “SoCal” with family late 1963. Will be awhile till can submit photos, currently more interested seeing what others here have posted in way of RAI & Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana model photos compared to what I’ve built already. All my models are in custom made dustproof display cases, cost a lot to get them made but they’ll never get dusty.
Eyetalian Boids huh ? Well there’s bound to be someone who can help .I build ( when I build planes ) ( anybody’s thing with wings what floats ) I do know the Italian Air Force had some interesting planes . Can’t wait to so where you go with this . Tanker Builder P.S. Welcome Aboard ! !
Sorry for not posting over these many months. Since September 2016 have built several RAI 1/72 kits including:
Caproni 100 “Military” & 164, IMAM Ro.37, Ro.41, Ro.43 & Ro.44 biplanes using EZ Line threads of various thicknesses to replicate bracing wires (absolutely beats nylon fishing line!),
FIAT G.50 camouflaged prototype & G.50B twin-seat trainer,
I’ve built several others as well, including a “What If Libyan Desert Summer 1940” four fuselage-mounted machine gun FROG Macchi C.202 ala the real 1943 Macchi C.205N-1 in pre-WWII RAI markings complete with tricolor tail, to “relax” over - indeed it does get fatiguing building kits demanding authenticity!
Have recently completed an all-resin 1/72nd Planet Models (PM) Breda 88B; entire fuselage, tailplanes & engine nacelles is one solid piece of resin, quite heavy though landing gear parts are well casted & strong. Currently am building an all-plastic AML Breda 88B, should be done early next month. The PM 88B looks better aesthetically though minimal interior detail, AML 88B interior is good though no brass detail parts, definitely would had added viewing interest.
All this summer will be occupied building complete line of 1/72 Choroszy Modelbud Breda 25 & 28, Caproni 100 biplanes - 15 in all - already built the Breda 25 radial though erred mounting the tailplanes. These kits weren’t cheap so won’t bother a radial re-do, at least for now.
It still will be quite sometime till I can get any of my models photographed, for sure I don’t want to ‘cheat’ on lighting to hide mistakes particularly with the resins. Merlin-perfect kit builders do the impossible, I’m mere mortal though well-experienced building hundreds of 1/72 airplane models off & on over the last 55 years.
