Fiat CR.42 AS

Italeri, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Italeri's 1/48 scale Fiat CR.42 AS will be available online from Squadron.com

Italeri's second release in their 1/48 scale Falco family is the Fiat CR.42 AS.

This kit comprises 68 parts in light grey coloured plastic, and a single part in clear for the windscreen.

Moulding quality is very good, and a high level of detail is evident, especially in the engine which includes fine pushrods and delicately detailed crank case. The engine cowl maye be cut open to display this attractive powerplant. The cockpit will also form a good basis for further detail. The general structures are there, but many modellers will want to enhance the flat instrument panel and decal harness straps.

Options include bombs, different styles of spinner and spatless main wheels.

Kit engineering is quite straightforward. The wings feature prominent holes for the struts, so locating and securing these parts should not be a problem. First-time biplane modellers will also be pleased to hear that rigging on the Fiat CR.42 was minimal.

Surface texture is a combination of recessed panel lines and fabric detail on the rear fuselage, wings and control surfaces. The fabric effect looks a little odd to me on the rear fuselage, but this could fairly effectively be dealt with using Mr Surfacer (or even Liquid Paper) to partially fill and level the shallow troughs. The raised fabric effect on the wings could use a few swipes with a sanding stick too.

The windscreen is the sole clear part. This has a raised gunsight lens moulded to the back of the part. This looks quite effective.

 Four colourful marking options are offered, one in Dark Yellow with Green smoke rings, and three in overall Dark Green with large brown spots. Decals are all in register and appear to be good quality, with a "flat" appearance.

The kit includes a 48 page, A5 sized booklet with history, technical details, original diagrams from Fiat's Spare Parts Catalogue and 20 pages of full colour walkaround photos. Very nice indeed!

Italeri's 1/48 scale Fiat CR.42 AS is a well detailed but relatively straightforward kit that will be a good candidate for a modeller wanting to make a first attempt at a biplane.

Recommended.

Thanks to Italeri for the review sample