|
Omega Models 1/72 Caproni Ca.335/SABCA S.47 Maestrale (Mistral) by Richard Mendes |
|
Click the STORMO! Eagle to return to the Gallery |
|
The Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (Mistral, lit. Masterful Wind) was an Italian designed and built single-engined two-seat fighter-bomber/reconnaissance aircraft. In October 1937 the Belgian aircraft manufacturer Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA) signed a marketing agreement with Società Italiana Caproni SABCA to sell the Belgian Air Force its Ca.135bis, Ca.310 and Ca.312 military aircraft re-designating them as the S.45bis, S.46 and S.48, as part of this agreement Caproni developed the Ca.335 monoplane replacement for the Belgian Air Force's obsolete Fairey Fox biplanes as the S.47. Designed by Cesare Pallavicino (1893-1976) the Ca.335 broadly based on the 1934-vintage Caproni Bergamaschi AP.1 ground attack aircraft was a low-winged cantilever monoplane powered by a 860hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs 12-cylinder inline engine with a metal skinned steel-tube fuselage, wood + fabric wings and retractable landing gear. The pilot and observer/rear gunner sat in widely separated cockpits latter firing a single .30 caliber Fabrique Nationale Herstal FN30 (M1919 Browning) machine gun former, a 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 canon through the propeller hub plus two wing-mounted FM30s, a small fuselage bomb bay housing two 110lb bombs + ten 22 pounders hung under the wings.
The Ca.335 prototype built at Caproni Ponte San Pietro made its maiden flight on February 16, 1939, dismantled then sent by rail to SABCA at Brussels after reassembly flying again on September 19th as the S.47. Initial testing was successful resulting in SABCA purchasing a manufacturing license to build 24 aircraft, busy building 41 French-designed Breguet 693 ground attack aircraft for Belgium and France, 10 Dutch-design Koolhoven F.K.58 for France as well as delays by Belgian government officials in placing formal construction orders none were built. On March 14, 1940 the S.47 was flight demonstrated to French Armee de l'Air officials at Orléans when it was damaged in a landing accident, not repaired by the time the Germans invaded France early in May on June 13th presumably whilst still at Orléans it was seized subsequent attempts by Caproni to reclaim it going unsuccessful it remaining in France till 1943 when it was scrapped. |
|
|
|
|
|
The early 2010s-vintage 1/72 scale Omega Models 72291 Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale model kit with resin and clear vacuform plastic parts is the only one available in any scale of this one-of-a-kind Italian aircraft designed and intend for foreign licensed production. Adequately molded with adequate scribing detail the kit was easy to build though lacked aileron actuators and pitot tube, former fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, later taken from the spare parts bin, the propeller blades being undersized well as no armament having been provided, latter understandable given available Internet photographs of the Real McCoy show it armed with just the nose-mounted 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon. No flight crew seat straps were provided, fabricated them from sprayed-over and cut to size Scotch Magic Mending Tap strips, etc., no joystick and rudder control bars were either, fabricated them from styrene sheet plastic.
The high main wing dihedrals are undesired consequences of faulty fuselage wing root moldings, not realizing that till after the main wings had been glued on slicing them off, filing and sanding them lower wasn't possible without breaking the wings and/or fuselage, leaving them alone being the only sane option despite not being accurate. The cockpit and observer/rear gunner canopies aren't accurate either, the former's "long" canopy appearing whilst SABCA was reassembling the aircraft in Belgium, lacking materials to covert the model kit fuselage cockpit and canopy to Caproni Ca.335 "short" canopy livery thought it best leaving them alone as well. The observer/rear gunner canopy despite being inaccurately shaped let itself to being cut in two making the aft part semi-slidable by adding glued on styrene sheet plastic shims, was able to do that without too much difficulty. Painting the Ca.335 involved base spraying fuselage, canopy frames, main wing flaps and wheel wells interiors with Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White scale shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosine, all model upper sides Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green enamels + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Mimetico 3 (VM3), all undersides Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico.
Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3 (GM3) were sprayed on in Schema D1B mottling over the VM3, careful analysis of available period photos of the Maestrale indicate Marrone Mimetico was accent sprayed on adjacent to the GM3 mottles, Testors Model Master 2009 British Crimson + Humbrol 118 U.S. Matt Tan 20:5 mix + 36% replicating Marrone Mimetico 2 being employed per the STORMO Magazine Color Guide for Caproni aircraft.
Landing gear, propellers, interior and several exterior kit parts, were spray and hand painted on with an assortment of Testors enamel colors the entire model over sprayed with Testors Clear Semi-Gloss Lacquer. Not taken on charge by the Regia Aeronautica Italiana the Ca.335 was test flown in Italy with no identification markings other than those of the propeller manufacturer - the only Italian aircraft model in my collection that actually was built and flown lacking any. |
Aircraft: Caproni-Bergamasca Ca.335/SABCA S.47 Manufacturer: Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca Type: Fighter/Reconnaissance Year: 1939 Engine: One Hispano-Suiza 12 Ycrs, 12-cylinder vee, liquid-cooled, 860 hp Wingspan: 43 ft 3 in (13.2 m) Length: 34 ft 9 in (10.6 m) Height: 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m) Weight: 6,545 lb (2,969 kg) Maximum speed:311 mph (501 km/h) at 13,780 ft (4,200 m) Ceiling: 32,800 ft (10,000 m) Range: 978 miles (1,575 km) Armament: 1 x 20mm canon (hub); 2 x 7.7mm machine guns (wings); 1 rear-firing MG Crew: 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March, 2020 STORMO! © 2020 |