1/48 Classic Airframe Fiat G.55 Centauro

Gallery Article by Paul R. Miles "Huey Gunner" on Sept 14 2009

 

This is my build of this limited run kit. It was built totally oob (including decals) and scratch. Challenging and fun. The kit comes with a resin cockpit (without a gun sight), wheel wells with zero detail and a small pe fret. This part 2 of 3 of my "It's the economy stupid!" builds. Where I do not allow my self to purchase any am goodies or paint. All colors were mixed using what MM enamels I had on hand.

Underside-French Light Blue+Gull Grey. Sand- Gulf Armor Sand+Euro Grey+White. Red Brown- Testors (little square bottle)+Yellow+White. Olive- French Khaki+Yellow+White. The anti collision light are Tamiya clear red for port side and a 50/50 mix of Tamiya clear blue and clear green for the starboard side. Most of all the panel lines were filled with paint (they were faint to begin with) so I just drew them in with a Derwent water color pencil.

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Fit was ok at best. The only major issue was, to be able to assemble the wing halves and the wheel wells, everything had to sanded to an almost transparent state. The cockpit walls were about the same scale thickness as M-4 Sherman armor. So they got the same treatment. Wheel well details, gun sight and tail wheel details and doors were made from scratch. I also wanted to pose the canopy open. Using the best walk around photo gallery I have ever seen, I scratched out the mechanism using styrene, brass wire and white glue for the knobs. The super charger intake and under wing scoop are screened with 1/72 scale .30 caliber machine gun cooling jackets. Knew I'd find a use for them one day.

The cowl gun guns were pretty sad. So I drilled out the openings and used brass tubing for barrels. I drilled out the barrel muzzles of the wing guns then puttied and sanded them flush with the leading edges. The pitot tube is brass wire that I drilled out the center of. The radio mast  is made from scratch because I broke the kit one. (Of course) The main wheels were detailed with a twist drill, axle nuts made with my Waldron punch and die set and wire for brake lines.

I primed with Tamiya Lacquer in the rattle can. Painted, mask, painted then masked some more and so on. Covered with Future, decaled, few more coats of Future, weathered with 2 different colors of oil wash and pastels. I wanted a really dull coat finish. I mixed MM acryl clear flat and Tamiya flat base to get what I wanted. Monofilament thread for an aerial wire and voila!! Silver Bullet time!

Paul R. Miles "Huey Gunner"

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Photos and text © by Paul R. Miles "Huey Gunner"