WiP +++ 1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; Fuerza Aérea Argentina; Malvinas, April 1982

[Dizzyfugu]

The kit and its assembly:
This relatively simple what-if model (no hardware mods, just a fictional livery and story for it) was originally inspired by a Claveworks Graphics profile, found while browsing the web. It depicted an Argentinian G.91, painted like a Pucará from the Falklands war – and, in hindsight, a blunt transfer, because it used the livery of an ex-earmarked-for-Mauretania aircraft which had its desert camouflage overpainted with pale green and brown, and with the desert color showing through on the nose (due to wear) and the fin (because there were no ladders/platforms high enough at Port Stanley where the newly arrived Pucarás had hastily been painted over.
That concept had been lingering in the back of my mind for years, and now I was "in the mood" to pull a Revell Gina out and start building a respective interpretation of the inspiring profile.

The Revell kit is nice and goes together well, and thankfully it is a variant (the Portuguese Tiger Meet aircraft) that allows to build an R/4 OOB. The only changes I made are dropped flaps, some different blade antennae and a plausible offensive ordnance, consisting of a pair of LAU-130/A 2.75" unguided missile launchers (left over from an Italeri AH-1) and a pair of ubiquitous 500 lb Mk. 82 bombs with "Snake Eye" tail retarding devices for low-altitude deployment (from an Airfix A-4, I think).


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More to come soon. 

[PR19_Kit]

It comes moulded in YELLOW?    [That says 'Yellow' but you can't see it in colour.

Is it an old M'box kit still in its old colours?

[DogfighterZen]

 

[kitbasher]

It comes moulded in YELLOW?    [That says 'Yellow' but you can't see it in colour.

Is it an old M'box kit still in its old colours?

Matchbox did a G.91Y, IIRC the 'Yellow Peril' is a Revell original.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, that's an original Revell mold, and it's a single-engine variant with parts for an R/1 and R/3. There's an alternative boxing for a German Gina, too. Together with the Meng kit IMHO the best mono-engine G.91 around, while Matchbox' Yankee has two engines and a longer fuselage (from the trainers, just with a single seat). IIRC the only IP kit of that type, even though there are resin kits/fuselage sets.
The yellow plastic is blinding bright, though. But the decal sheet comes with all black stripes for the Tiger Meet aircraft the boxing represents - but I am not certain how well these can be applied... 

Nevertheless, more things to show from the Malvinas/Falklands:

Painting and markings:
The more challenging part, because I wanted the model to "tell the story" of being hastily transferred into a combat zone and then receiving an improvised and not perfect tactical camouflage on top of the original peacetime livery. For the latter I settled upon an all-over light grey scheme, inspired by some Portuguese Ginas.


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


To create the overpainted finish (and to cover the kit's bright yellow plastic!) the model first received an overall coat with Revell 374 (RAL 7000). The landing gear bays as well as the cockpit tub were painted in slightly darker US Neutral Grey (FS 36251), while the air intake and the landing gear struts became dull aluminum (Humbrol 56).


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The camouflage on the upper surfaces was added on top of that, and – with a very good paint reference about the FAA's Pucarás during the Falklands conflict – I settled for mixed tones, because that was the same case in 1982: anything was used and stretched, resulting in a wide range of shades of green and brown, often very pale, and sometimes not properly applied (see my comment about the Claveworks profile above). For the green I mixed Humbrol 78 (RAF Cockpit Green) with90 (Sky) to create a pale lichen green. The brown was to be rather reddish, and I mixed Modelmaster 1701 (US Army Earth Red, FS30117) with Humbrol 168 (Hemp) to soften and dull the tone down.


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


An unevenness of the single colors was accepted to underline the makeshift character of the paint scheme. Furthermore, areas where original roundels and tactical markings would "shine through" were spared or so thin that the original grey underneath would be visible, too. For the same reason the canopy frames remained partly grey and spotty. In contrast to that the yellow ID bands were created with decal sheet material and applied as "solid" markings.

The decals came from an Airfix Pucará sheet, but the tactical code was modified. Stencils were taken from the Revell kit and an Argentinian Mirage III.


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Fiat G.91R/4; 'A-252, Grupo 3 de Ataque, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentinian Air Force); Port Stanley (Malvinas/Falklands Islands), April 1982 (What-if/Revell kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The model received a black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, supporting the shaggy look. Soot stains around the guns were done with graphite, and finally everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.

Next stop: the Falklands in 1982. 

[DogfighterZen]

Looks very good in that camo, Dizzy.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, it works surprisingly well. 

[Pellson]

I have one of those as well, (hideous plastic colour, but the model itself seems to be rather nice. At least when compared to the old Airfix offering.. 

Looks in Argie colours too. 

[NARSES2]

Looks in Argie colours too. 

Does, it suits them