FIAT CR.32 der Kampflieger 1:48

**MichaelS** · #1 03-16-2018, 02:38 PM

"The Fiat CR.32 was an Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. It was compact, robust and highly manoeuvrable and gave impressive displays all over Europe in the hands of the Italian Pattuglie Acrobatiche. The CR.32 fought in North and East Africa, in Albania, and in the Mediterranean theatre. It saw service in the air forces of China, Austria, Hungary, Paraguay and Venezuela. Used extensively in the Spanish Civil War, it gained a reputation as one of the most outstanding fighter biplanes of all time. It was overtaken subsequently by more advanced monoplane designs and was obsolete by 1939"

Wikipedia

Mebbe a bit of Latin exaggeration in that "most outstanding fighter biplanes of all time" but that is what it says on the Internet so it must be true.

No fans & critics you did not misread that header line, this is in 1:48. In one of my former lives I was a plastic modeler and did mostly 1:48 until I fell prey to the siren call of 1:144. A week or so ago a fellow papermodeler in some sort of drunken stupor contacted me and said he really liked my builds here on the forum. He is a fan of the CR.32 and is apparently having problems with his build of this kit. I told him I would have a go.

This is another Roman Vasilyev creation and as soon as I looked at it I think I saw where he was having trouble. This must be an early kit of Roman's because he has not included any type of joiner pieces. My engineering gene kicked in and I marked in some additional joiners, etc. before grabbing my weapons of destruction. Compare the shots of the full sheets to see what I added.

Once I got into it I could not resist adding a few bells & whistles. The instrument panel has little dots of white glue added to replicate the dial covers. If you squint and hold yer tonque just right you can see them. Also replaced the flat control stick with a bit of round styrene. I know that I may be visited by the paper model mafia for such an egregious violation but really a flat control stick!!?? Then I just went crazy and made some paper & wire seat belts.

So here is what I have accomplished so far. Don't know if I will leave the 1:100 fold but I do still have the first two kits I bought a 1:33 Nieuport 11 and a Sopwith Pup so we shall see.

**Don Boose** · #2 03-16-2018, 03:13 PM

Nice work, Michael. I always appreciate your step-by-step images.

"Most outstanding" is, as you note, a slippery term, but the CR.32 certainly was a fine and good-looking airplane of historic significance.

I'm glad to see Roman's models being built.

Don

**YOAVHOZMI** · #3 03-17-2018, 12:23 AM

good start

YOAV

**MichaelS** · #4 03-17-2018, 08:28 AM

Some more WIP on the FIAT. Never have done one like this with a segmented fuselage but it seems to be OK so far. Added backing pieces on each of the segments. Also did my edge coloring in a slightly lighter color. Seems to help the seams from standing out so much. I guess you have "made it" in this hobby when you have a he!! of a time finding your own seams! This plane has "slab" sides so the shaping is a little bit fiddly.

**Don Boose** · #5 03-17-2018, 04:02 PM

Looks like you got the segmented fuselage under control.

Don

**alzictorini** · #6 03-18-2018, 04:53 AM

Michael

Are you thinking of adding rigging wires to the wings?

Good start

Enjoy

**MichaelS** · #7 03-18-2018, 06:31 AM

Yes but from what I can discover the only rigging was an "X" between the outer interplane struts. Please advise if Iam wrong in that.

**MichaelS** · #8 03-18-2018, 09:06 AM

Quite a bit more progress. This is a very well engineered kit but the nose has very complex curves and shapes. Took a lot of looking at Ms. Google images, etc. to figure out what those Italians were going for in the shape. Ithink I got it close. Very happy with stuffing the wings like a high school girl going to the prom. Really fills them out and supports them nicely (the wings not the high school girls). Working on the Peeza Nosera Mero on the top wing demanded by the Italian pilots to aid in finding a town with good pizza when they flew over. Most of the engine troubles by these aircraft was attributable to the sensitivity of this probiscus.

**Texman** · #9 03-18-2018, 09:32 AM

Are you edge coloring with the super markers? I hardly notice any bleed into the parts.

**AgaPablo** · #10 03-18-2018, 09:46 AM

You are correct, and the then the tail-planes are rigged to the rudder with a single wire.
The original Fiat technical specifications indicate another wire running from the upper wingtips to the rudder, but this seems to have been seldom used operationally.
BTW: The markings in the model are not correct, there should be 3 black stripes in both the upper side of the top wing and the underside of the lower wing.

Good luck with the assembly!