Savoia Marchetti S.79
In the box
The Classic Airframes 1/48
S.79
Kit No. 452
Approximately $47-$50 (USD)
Review by Mike Gawell
US-aircraft.com
There are just some kits you GOTTA have! No first impressions needed, it fills the niche in the kit collection, and most likely will even get built!
The new Classic Airframes S.79 is such a kit. This kit had been a rumor for many years, and for at least one and a half to two years a definite “it’s coming” thing. First was the Vintage Models 1/48 resin kit that had everything one needed, except the aspirin to make a very fine
S.79 rendition in the finer scale, but at a Whopping $169.00 (US) it was out of reach for all but the most avid of aviation modelers. (Not to brag, but I picked mine up for less than $100 very recently!)
The Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero was perhaps Italy’s most important, and definitely it’s most famous bomber of World War II. First establishing itself during the Spanish Civil War as a regular bomber, it proved faster than many of the Spanish Republican fighter craft fielded at that time. After Italy entered the war against the Allies, the S.79 continued I the traditional role as a level bomber, and proved to be the most successful anti-shipping/torpedo bomber of the entire war regardless of side or flag. The aircraft was bought and used by Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain, Iraq, Croatia, Romania, and Lebanon. It served on all fronts that Italy fought, and in the opening months of the war was able to hold it’s own against the British fighters such as the Gloster Gladiator at that time until they were replaced with more modern aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, and Curtiss Warhawk. After that the S.79 units were decimated. Throughout the conflict, the British navy had a begrudging respect for Il Gobbo or “The Damned Hunchback”.
The Kit
The Classic Airframes offering continues the revolution of limited run kits, and proves there is a market for such larger aircraft in 1/48 scale. This is not a kit for beginner modelers by any means. It contains 64 resin, 11 clear, 24 photo etch, and 55 plastic parts. My first impression is mainly that I thought this aircraft would have been bigger than it is. It appears to be about the size of a Heinkle He-111, where as the G4M Betty is much closer in size to a B-17. A bit of a surprise to me.
The plastic is molded in a medium gray plastic, and the feel of it reminds me very much of the Nichimo offering of the Kate torpedo bomber I put together a few years back. Not Tamiya, but a “Chunkier” heavier feel to the plastic. Not bad, just different. I believe perhaps the material is softer than your run of the mill Tamigawa/Revelogram offering.
The engraved panel lines are finely done, and the fabric on the control surfaces is incredibly delicate. One is going to have to take care when sanding seam lines on this kit. The plastic is also thicker, so care must be taken to fit, fit and fit again before actually gluing. Guess I will have to invest some cash into 3M and their sand paper business! The resin detail pieces on my offering are well produced, but suffer the same critique I have of all the classic airframe kits that have a lot of resin. The bagging of these parts is such that it invites breakage. I have noticed that both 12.7 mm machine gun barrels are broken off. For a limited run kit, the plastic pieces feature little flash, but sanding will be a must to ensure a good fit. Please note that there are no fit pins on this kit, and most of the injection points are decently hidden but there are a few that will have to be dealt with in a proper manner to hide them or eliminate them.
The biggest disappointments I have with the kit would have to be the choice of subject. The model features decals for early S.79s. 285 Squadregulia, 30 Gruppo, and 10 Squadregulia 8 Stormo from the Spanish civil War, and 193 Squadreglia, 87 Gruppo 30 Stormo based at Sciacca Sicily in 1940-41 (the Electric Man). I highly suggest that one try to pick up the Sky Models 1-48 aftermarket decal sheet for this aircraft if you want some wider selections. When I think of the S-79, I think of its role in the Med, and North African campaigns, not the Spanish Civil War. I am sure though that Classic Airframes most likely intends at some point to bring out a torpedo bomber version of the aircraft, or some aftermarket company will fill in the gap.
I am also a bit miffed that Classic airframes decided to delete the forward firing machine gun from the resin, and did not provide one for the waist position either. The door on the body is molded in the closed position, but can be cut out. There is a photo etch ladder provided for this option as well as a door. If you do this however, the interior is completely devoid of detail, and unless you happen to want to kit bash from the Vintage Models kit, you will be in the unenviable position of either scratch building the interior with all it’s tubing, or hoping someone produces an aftermarket interior.
The directions are well done, clear, concise, but leave certain details out that I would have liked to see. Step 23 calls for strips of styrene to be used as slides if the dorsal hump is modeled in the open position, but does not indicate what thickness to use, or length. (OK, so I’m a bit lazy!) Painting directions include color and FS 595 color call outs, and a few other tips that put Classic airframes exactly where they should be…the leader of the limited run kits! The decals on mine appear to be in scale, on registration, and are done by Microscale.
A quick test fit shows the usual issues as with any limited run kit in the usual places such as the wing root, so brush up on those basic skills!
All in all despite a few disappointments with it being the earlier version, it is possible to build the later versions with little effort, and I intend to do so. After all I need more brain damage by trying to do one of those Italian mottle schemes! I applaud Classic Airframes for putting out this kit, and most likely will begin very soon to build it. If by chance they put out multiple versions, as I am sure they will with a resin or even an extra sprue of additional plastic with the torpedo and carriage, I know I will get one of those too!
Highly recommended to the experienced modeler for a change of pace with a bit of challenge thrown in!
I also recommend that the modeler pick up the following reference books: Ali D’Italia #9, and #11, SIAI S.79 parts one and two by Cesare Gore from La Bancarella Aeronautica Publications (Appx $18-20 USD ea.), and Savoia Marchetti S.79 in Action (appx $9.95 USD) by Roberto Gentilli from Squadron Signal Publications.
Kit courtesy of my flying out of the driveway and through Denver Colorado traffic in my new 2002 Firebird Formula every morning in a futile attempt to get to work on time. Bought from Great Models Web store in Salt Lake City, UT USA. Home of the 2002 Winter Olympics.