|
Cunardmodel 1/72 Macchi C.207 Final Development by Richard Mendes |
|
Click the STORMO! Eagle to return to the Gallery |
|
The Aeronautica Macchi C.207 was the final design development of Mario Castoldi’s (1888-1968)
line of fighters commencing with the 1937-vintage radial engine C.200. An
enlarged version of the three-cannon, two machine gun-armed 1,475hp Daimler-Benz DB 605A V-12
inline-powered C.206 under construction by time of the September 8, 1943 Italian Armistice
though in bomb-damaged condition the four-cannon armed C.207 (the 12.7mm fuselage mounted
guns being removed) also under construction though
none were known to have been completed and was to have been powered by a 1,750hp DB 603A-1 V-12.
The Regia Aeronautica beforehand attempting to obtain a production license to build
the DB 603, several having been delivered from Germany before the armistice. Following the
armistice the Repubblica Sociale Italiana attempted to get into production license-built
DB 603-powered FIAT G.56s, Macchi C.207s and Reggiane Re.2006s, known as the "Serie 6" aircraft.
FIAT was able to get two porotypes of the G.56 into the air in 1944, Reggiane completing the
sole Re.2006 prototype by war's end while the C.207 remained in the construction phase.
Interestingly, in the C.207 the twin-cylindrical oil coolers, that worked so well on the C.205V
were dropped in favor of a single rectangular one similar to the one used in the C.202. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The mid 2000s-vintage 1/72 scale Cunardmodel CM 7216 Macchi C.207 all resin kit with vacuform clear canopy is the only one available in any scale, no kit of the C.206 currently being available. The kit assembly instructions were basic, no parts accounting other than an exploded diagram of them and then not all, kit did include an excellent diagram of the real DB 603 engine proving useful whilst assembling the kit one.
Well detailed and molded the kit lacked Pitot and Venturi tubes, mainwing fuselage landing gear wheel well covers and retraction arms, ventral fuselage radio D/F ring well as other parts these being provided from spare model kit parts well as fabricated from sheet styrene plastic. The kit did feature a beautifully detailed though oversized Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine and bearers designed to attach on the fuselage engine firewall, not possible with the engine air supercharger “snail” attached my belatedly discovering this fact after assembling the engine! The kit nonetheless was built allowing the engine to be mounted on the fuselage firewall or the engine cowling; unable to mount the engine the cowling was glued on with cyanoacrylic glue though can be pried off.
Assembling the well-detailed pilot cockpit was straightforward though had to fabricate seat belts from sprayed-on and hand painted Scotch Magic Mending Tape strips, reflecting gunsight mirror from cut clear styrene sheet plastic. The kit comes with a plain one-piece clear vacuform cockpit canopy, unsatisfied with it employed a Squadron 9514 Macchi C.202/205 vacuform one instead belatedly discovering it was too small subsequently employing the Cunarmodel one instead. Engine cowling and fuselage halve assemblies, fuselage-mainwing, rudder-sail and tailplane joins were straightforward though good deal of seam puttying, filing and sanding was necessary. Assembling the mainwing landing gear entailed shaping risers fabricated from circular scrap plastic pieces to mount the wheel struts on they being way too short, nightmarish work it was gluing them on the risers! Painting the model was straightforward Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green replicating Verde Anticorrosione employed for fuselage and mainwing wheel well interiors, various Testors enamels for detailing. Though not constructed the Macchi C.207 if had survived WWII could had been finished in Aeronautica Militare Italiana “silverbird” livery similar to post-war C.205Vs sans cockades, Testors Flat Black and White “special mix” enamels employed to spray on anti-glare forward dorsal fuselage and mainwing walkway strips, Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 reference photos as guides to hand paint on electric, compressed air and pilot oxygen, SKY Models 72-014 Macchi C.202 water decals fuel and oil receptacle points, not wanting the model to appear toy-like no lacquer clear coat was sprayed over it. |
Aircraft: Macchi C.207 Manufacturer: Aeronautica Macchi S.p.A. Type: Fighter Year: 1945 Engine: Daimler Benz DB 603A, 12-cylinder V, liquid cooled, 1,750hp Wingspan: 36 ft 10 29/32 in (11.25m) Length: 31 ft 3 15/16 in (9.549 m) Height: 10 ft 7 15/16 in (3.25 m) Weight: 8,364 lb (3,794 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 450+ mph (725+ km/h) Ceiling: 40,000+ ft (12,000+ m) Range: 600+ miles (1,000+ km) Armament: 4 x 20 mm cannons Crew: 1
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
April, 2020 STORMO! © 2020 |