CANT Z.1007bis Bideriva - Kit Supermodel 10-006

[Bruno P]

After closing the fuselage the next goal is to close all the openings to prevent dust from subsequent sanding from entering it.
I start with the glazing of the pointer/bomber and note that it is also incorrect. In fact, it has two bulges on the sides:



In reality there was only one located on the port side in correspondence with the targeting system. I then had to cut out the wrong part and insert an acetate cutout:





The pointing system finally finds its place in the pointer station:



And here the pain begins. The clear Squadron/RCR fits very badly, in fact it doesn't fit at all. I apologize for the quality of the images (evidently the camera was disgusting too): this is the situation I encountered







It requires a difficult job of closing the cracks with plasticard inserts both between the transparent and the fuselage and around the transparent itself to adapt and smooth everything. I really can't explain why there is a crack of more than a millimeter on one side given that the matching pins of the two semi-fuselages have entered their place. Then working on other areas too, I mounted the bomb bay panels which also left various cracks there: these were closed with plasticard inserts of different thicknesses:



Proceeding towards the tail I refined the lens of the ventral machine gun station. This isn't correct either (they didn't make one good that is one): in fact the lens has some frames that actually don't exist next to the hole from which the barrell of the machine gun came out:



The glazing was composed of two fixed parts on the sides and two sliding parts that went up internally to the first. I had already decided to represent these last two in an open position so I will eliminate the false frames.

The cockpit canopy.

Following the modifications made to the half-fuselages to correct the dimensions of the aircraft, it is not possible to use the transparent one proposed by the kit nor the one from Squadron/RCR which is a copy. Using the one from the kit as a base, it was modified to adapt it to the model after removing the reliefs that were intended to delimit the frames:





Then a new one was thermoformed from which the hatches for rapid evacuation had already been cut:

[Editor]

The job you did on these canopies is incredible, your work is exemplary - its really on another level.

I got an inquiry this week about the new Italeri 1/72 CANT Z.1007bis in their catalogue (see the link below), this is probably the Supermodel kit with PE. Do you know anything about this "new" Italeri kit? When you scroll down the link there's also a new mould 1/48 C.202 (this should be very interesting because it seems to be their own mould? not Hasegawa's), there's also a new 1/35 Basotto and a new gun for the Semovente 75/34 M - these are all exciting kits. I'm happy to see Italeri concentrating on Italian subjects.

Italeri Model Collection preview for 2025

[Bruno P]

Hi Vince!
Thanks for your kind words.
I have no first-hand news at the moment about the 1007 kit announced by Italeri but as you yourself noticed it does not specify "new mold" so it is assumed that it is the recycling of the old Supermodel. Some time ago (a couple of years) I had the opportunity to talk to a dealer who collaborated directly with Italeri and he told me that the owner, now elderly, did not invest as much as he should have done to compete with brands like i.e. ICM but preferred to buy the master molds and then market the kits with his own brand (in some cases with add-ons). I am therefore curious to read the first reviews about the 2025 "new molds" to see if there has been a change of direction or not.
Ciao

[Bruno P]

Wanting to detail the interior of the cockpit canopy as much as possible, proceeding in an unconventional way I proceeded to apply the masks in order to outline the frames; by doing so I will have the references for the details that I intend to add internally:





Where possible I used the PMask masks which however I had to correct as they were pre-cut for the kit's transparent part which forgets and simplifies several frames.

The details added inside the canopy include only a few handles and curtains made from shaped food-grade aluminum:





And finally the first pilot's instrument panel and compass find their place in the cockpit:



The last detail before gluing the canopy: the intercom connection for the first pilot that runs above the dashboard to the compass:



After the fine detail job on the fuselage interior comes the phase of heavy job on the exterior to better connect the transparents:





I had already mentioned the pointer/bomber one previously and here you can see how it is proceeding:



The tail was glued too, modified as previously described, and it was also connected to the fuselage with plasticard inserts:



I'm finally on the home stretch for the fuselage.

The latest additions are the grills on the engine panels made with recycled photo-etched parts:



and the simulation of the bottom of the pointer / bombardier station, in the retracted position, with a very thin brass sheet template:



And for the moment the fuselage can be put aside.

A long series of sanding and filling, which almost brought me to exasperation, lead to a satisfactory result. Smooth was mandatory in the various points where I had intervened with the modifications to the fuselage as well as the application of the transparent parts.

Fortunately, panel lines rescribed in negative are very few (the airplane was wooden made).