The reference documentation is:
- Ali d'Italia nº 18
- Images taken from the nomenclature catalog and assembly manual available on the CMPR website
- Aerial monographs: CANT Z.1007 / 1007bis Alcyone
And I'll start with the fuselage:
Centering the semi-fuselage of the kit in correspondence with the entrance door on the port side, which also positions the wing fairing substantially correctly, I observe that the lines towards the tail are substantially good but the same cannot be said for those which from from that point they continue towards the bow. In fact, we note that the semi-fuselage is 5.5mm shorter but this is a progressive shortening, not localized in a single point. The position of the turret, the cockpit canopy, which must also be raised, and the portion up to the bulkhead up to the central engine are set back from the drawing with gradually increasing dimensions. With the following image I hope you can see it better:
The red line, to which we must however attribute a possible discrepancy of 0.5 / 0.75mm for the thickness of the pencil, shows the outline of the part of the kit. To ensure that the profile of the semi-fuselage of the kit matches the drawing, multiple sections will be necessary in multiple points, both horizontally and vertically. Also notable is the need to considerably advance the pointer position and a correction of the profile of the rear defense position. I will insert the measures regarding these changes later. Already in the photo above and in the following one you can see how the profile of the vertical tail fins of the kit is decidedly exuberant:
The tail stem, which has a substantially correct profile, has the fairings for the horizontal planes in a decidedly advanced position compared to the drawings: about 5mm!!!
It will therefore be necessary to insert a thickness in front of the poppop and a shortening in the terminal part of the same size. Finally, the horizontal tail planes are decidedly undersized:
The moving parts will need to be modified accordingly.
The wing. I aligned the piece of the kit with the engine fairing which will have to be reduced in diameter:
It can be seen that the half wing is too short at the end by about 1mm but above all it is too short where it joins the half fuselage. Also the moving parts are completely wrong.
Finally, the engine cowlings appear to have a diameter larger than the drawings by approximately 2mm while they are correct in length.
So far the first observations but I am sure that, especially with respect to the general forms, further interventions will be necessary.
The intervention points on the fuselage have been identified...
I start cutting:
And for the moment, in a rough way, the front part of the half fuselages is arranged.
I would have liked to keep the 2mm wide profiles of the half fuselages that meet the canopy at the rear but due to a cutting error I eliminated them. Not bad.
The changes made:
- 5mm of plasticard has been added where the fuselages meet the rear part of the canopy. Without the above error, 3 would have been enough.
- A plasticard profile ranging from 2mm to 1mm from stern to bow was added on the horizontal edge where the half-fuselage and the canopy meet. In this way the lens will be more inclined towards the front as in the photo of the real aircraft.
- As per the previous photos, where the windshield begins, a vertical cut was made and 3mm of plasticard was added: in this way, an equal lengthening of the half fuselages is obtained up to this point.
- Considering the opening for the windshield, another vertical cut was made 1mm in front of it and another 3mm of plasticard was added.
The interventions carried out in this way allowed me to achieve the correct measurements compared to the original, reduced to 1/72nd, with progressive corrections (two cuts instead of just one). Overall the fuselage has been lengthened by 6mm. The invitation for the pointer transparent still needs to be corrected. Since this will have to be reprinted with acetate, the template will include a part of the fuselage in such a way that the joint is distanced from the lens itself: this will facilitate the sanding phase for the connection.
As previously mentioned, the horizontal tail planes are 5mm too far forward. To correct the error I cut the two semi-tails with an L-shaped cut so as not to damage the invitation shapes. After removing on the rear side 5mm from the pieces thus obtained, I reattached them to the corresponding parts.
Obviously the fitting between them will have to be refined:
The detail on the internal walls of the semi-fuselases begins with the closing of the wing fittings.
Rather than proceed with appropriately shaped plasticard and putty, I preferred to make resin castings:
Since the catalysis of the resin is an exothermic reaction, it produces heat, the casting was carried out in two steps on each valve.
Now, with the resin perfectly dry, sanding will be necessary to even everything out.
One of the two vertical empennages has been modified by reducing its thickness and shape:
For full symmetry it will be duplicated in resin. Furthermore, a 3mm thickness has been added behind the pointer housing:
Wanting instead to refine the internal surfaces of the fuselages, after the resin castings I used AK putty, the white Hard one: unfortunately the resin was evidently not yet completely dry (yes to the touch) and this prevented the drying of the putty which was left with a rubbery consistency, impossible to sand. I had to remove it almost completely:
Having finished thinning the internal surfaces of the half fuselages, in compliance with the thicknesses that will remain visible in correspondence with the windows and the access door, and leveled them as much as possible with a severe sanding job, I applied the structural ribs with 0.3x0 plastirods ,3mm. The floor of the various stations ranging from the cockpit to the lower defense machine gun station has also been extensively modified:
The structural bulkheads must now be built.
The internal structures have been completed although on the starboard side some will be added later to allow greater ease in detailing the interiors.
While the ribs were reproduced separately for each half-fuselage, the bulkheads are in a single piece.
The floor that goes from the pilot cabin to the tail gunner's position was extensively detailed after reproducing the individual sections for each position.
Obviously there have been countless dry tests up to this point, and will continue!!
After completing the internal structure I gave it a coat of Surfacer 1500 Black by Mr. Hobby.
Interior coloring: which color? Consulting the Vito Charts (https://www.stormomagazine.com/RegiaAer ... Charts.htm) the color proposed for the interiors is a very light green that is close to FS34516 with a hint of blue. Looking at the paint chip of the Federal Standard it is indeed a very light green tending towards blue. This color, however, left me somewhat perplexed when compared with what I had had the opportunity to analyze several years ago when I had the opportunity to enter inside the SM.79 preserved at the Caproni Museum in Trento. The color was original and everything appears to me except a very light blue-green.
As done in the past for other models, I therefore oriented myself towards Grigio Azzurro (equivalent to Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 of the CMPR volume). Even though the Vito Chart offers the FS36473 I chose the FS36231 from MIG. The shade of the color varies from manufacturer to manufacturer; e.g. that of the MIG is clearer than that of the AK RC247. The color of the MIG is already quite light on its own and with aging it will become even lighter, therefore approaching FS36473.
The color was obviously applied with an airbrush, allowing a glimpse of the black background near the reinforcement structures.
Subsequently, after a coat of Mr. Color GX100 transparent gloss, aging effect was carried out with the Tamiya Dark Brown Panel Liner and with Smoke, Dark Brown and Buff oil colors by Abteilung. The edges of the structures and the most illuminated areas were highlighted with oil white paint.
A coat of Ultra Matte AK sealed everything.
The interior detail starts from the pointer position.
Except for the instrument panel, everything needs to be scratch-built. I started from the bomb release command system with related support:
On the front bulkhead there are the tank and the pressure accumulator of the Magnaghi hydraulic system with related pipes.
In the following pictures the bomb release control system has been painted and fixed in position as well as the Venturi tube which was retractable; in the model it is therefore in the retracted position:
In the lower part there is the pointer instrument panel, which has been equipped with the illumination light, supplied in photo-etched by RCR set. However, this set does not provide, as we are now used to, the trasparent acetate sheet with the related instruments that I found from an old Reheat Models decal sheet.
The scratch-built continues with the Jozza pointing system that will be completed after painting:
I'm sorry for quality images but consider please how little are theese pieces....
The Jozza bombsight completed:
Due to its fragility, it will be positioned just before the pointer station is closed with the glass.
Continuing with the detail of the pointer/bomber station, on the starboard wall, at the top, there was the parachute located in its cage.
Since there were four in various positions of the aircraft, I proceeded to create one and then duplicate it in resin.
One was present in the pointer position while the other three were positioned one at the radio operator position, one at the ventral machine gun position and one above the entrance door. The pilots, however, always kept it on.
I then reproduced the "tub" of the pointer. It consisted of a fixed part and a mobile part, which could be lowered when the pointer moved into it. The bottom, via the handle also reproduced, could be released allowing rapid abandonment of the aircraft in case of need. On the port side there was the handwheel that allowed the pointer to act on the vertical tail rudders to correct the course. It was the pilot who allowed this possibility of maneuver near the target.
The pointer/bomber station is finally completed!
Obviously the aiming system will be positioned with the half fuselages closed only before adding the glazing.
On the starboard side, after having positioned the basket with the parachute, two handwheels were added which manually controlled, the one above, the inclination of the camera placed aft of the ventral machine gun and the other, the lower one, the opening of the bomb bay hatches in case of malfunction of the Magnaghi hydraulic system. Regarding this system, the color of the cylinders placed on the firewall has been corrected to Brown. In addition to a couple of junction boxes and related cables, the light khaki colored tubes of the intercom system were added: in this case the AN011 set from ANYZ came to my aid which, although dedicated to larger scales, in this case turned out to be perfectly adequate:
On the port side, after having positioned the "tank" of the pointer with the basket in retracted position, two cylinders were placed: one for the fire prevention system, in red, and one for the accumulation of compressed air, in white. A third cylinder, the smaller one still in white, was placed between the other two and acted as a compressed air accumulator for lowering or raising the pilot's basket:
The pilot seats. These are supplied by RCR set and look like this when assembled:
However, they have some errors. In fact, the pilots kept their parachutes worn in flight, so the backrest was made up, in the centre, of a soft covering (I don't know if it was leather or canvas) which favored sitting.
I therefore removed the photo-etched backrest to create one in plasticard with an almost oval recess. The soft cover was made with a scrap of foil (that from wine bottles is often excellent) appropriately shaped which will be applied to the rear. On the front, the padding present on the edges of the backrest was simulated rounding the shape edges and with the addition of Mr. Surfacer putty (it will appear in the photos to come). The armrests, however, were not made since they only appear in the photo above but not in several others. The seat has also been modified by rounding it to rise at the rear and adding a strip of adhesive aluminum on the contour after creating a space between the pilot legs:
The photo also shows the pilot flyers that I have already started to scratchbuilt.
The pedals. They are scratchbuilt since neither the kit nor the RCR set include them. Protections were mounted on the first pilot's pedals to protect the pointer/bomber; these were made with aluminum sheet and the padding is made of Mr. Surfacer putty:
The main instrument panel instead is that of the RCR set. Since the back of this panel remains perfectly visible from the pointer/bomber's position, it was used as a mask on a piece of transparent acetate. The photo-etched side was given a coat of white so that the instrument decals could then be applied. Plastirod segments were affixed to the rear to simulate the body of the instruments; everything will be airbrushed in black after adding the cavers:
The control panel located to the left of the pilots' positions also comes from the RCR set. It was improved with the addition of copper wire levers on the heads of which the knobs were simulated with vinyl glue:
Some parts of the cockpit have been completed.
The seats were enriched with belts (fabric) and buckles from an old Reheat Models set since the photo-etched RCR ones were too coarse and difficult to position with natural folds:
The command chains were added to the flyers with a very thin silvered copper wire wrapped around itself and wetted with Tamiya PL:
The first pilot's instrument panel.
On the back, the bodies of the individual instruments with their associated caves were created as showed above; after having applied a coat of NATO Black, a drybrush was done with light gray oil taking into account that the light source comes from the window of the pointer / bomber, therefore from below:
The RCR photoetched panel has been enriched with some details not present:
and this is the final result. The single instruments were obtained from an old Reheat Models decal sheet while the glass of the instruments was simulated by sandwiching a piece of transparent film obtained from the cellophane used to package my favorite cigarillos between the photoetched panel and the back part:
The creation of the co-pilot's instrument panel follows the same path as that of the lead pilot to which, however, the rear body must be added since it was practically "boxed":
Modifications were also necessary for it to correct the RCR photoetched part. The compass, mounted on its top, was made and duplicated in resin since another will be mounted above the lead pilot's instrument panel.
The cockpit can therefore be considered 90% complete given that the lead pilot's instrument panel and some parts on the starboard side will be added at half-fuselages joined. The pedals of the two pilots are deliberately in a non-neutral position given that the mobile vertical rudders will be mounted in the same position:
Practically in the pilots' cockpit, at the co-pilot's height, the two tank control panels (Televel) are positioned. With plasticard and spare photoetched I created one which was then duplicated in resin:
They have been appropriately positioned:
In this last image you can also see some cables and the folding seat of the engineer. In this station, on the port side, the engine control panel was added (obviously all scratch-built) placed almost on the floor, in a rather bizarre position; the control panel for regulating the oxygen for high altitudes has been placed next to it:
Finally, while I am proceeding with the scratch-build of the final details of the engineer's station, I started to work on that of the radio operator by creating the metal structure on which the radio equipment was installed:
An expansion tank belonging to the fuel circuit has been added to the engineer's station and is located on the starboard side on a reinforcement rib. The two spotlights, one on the right and one on the left, which illuminated the Televels were also added:
Radio telegraph equipment.
I made use of the volume History of radio in aviation (referred to italian Air Force) by Giuseppe Pesce, published by the Historical Office of the Air Force Headquarter.
The following were installed on the CANT Z.1007:
- RA.320 ter transmitter (which is not the one that appears in the photos of the aircraft manuals)
- AR8 receiver or the AR18
- M.37S radio direction indicator, of which however I was unable to find a photo and therefore relied on those in the aircraft manuals
A booster and a voltage regulator were mounted behind the transmitter and receiver (which cannot be seen in the following pictures; I will soon remedy).
This is the final result, where the control system of the aerial antenna that was left free (when needed) under the belly of the aircraft is still missing, in which you can also see the oxygen cylinders for breathing at high altitude in Azzurro Savoia with white bands:
