Backround
The Fiat G.50 Freccia (Arrow) was Italy's first all-metal single-seat monoplane with a retractable undercarriage and, initially, one that also boasted an enclosed cockpit. The latter feature was soon replaced due to problems and its unpopularity among conservative members of the Regia Aeronautica, but the G.50 nevertheless represented a major step forward in bringing Italy's fighter force up to date.
While the Freccia possessed excellent manoeuvrability, it was hamstrung from the start by being underpowered and lightly armed, and it was completely outclassed by contemporary foreign fighters by the start of WWII. When Italy entered the conflict in the autumn of 1940, the G.50 proved incapable of combatting RAF fighters and bombers, and its armament of a pair of synchronised 12.7mm machine guns was totally inadequate against aircraft with armour protection.
As the war progressed, the G.50 became increasingly obsolescent as a fighter, but the Regia Aeronautica still found it useful in the ground attack role and it was fitted with bomb racks under each wing. It was also considered as a fighter to operate from the aircraft carrier Aquila, but the project only reached the prototype stage because the ship was still incomplete by the time of the Italian Armistice in 1943. Sources I've found differ on whether a single- or two-seat version was tested.
The Kit
Special Hobby's latest release of their 1:32 Fiat G.50 includes new parts to model the ground attack version and a single-seat naval experiment. It kit arrives in an attractive and sturdy top-opening box, with the main parts and accessories bagged separately.
The kit comprises:
71 x grey styrene parts (plus 6 not needed)
4 x clear styrene part
69 x grey resin parts
12 x 3D-printed parts
29 x photo-etched brass parts + a printed clear film
10 x die-cut vinyl stickers
Decals for 2 x colour schemes
Special Hobby's model of the Fiat G.50 first appeared back in 2013 when the company was starting to move aware from it's earlier "short-run" manufacturing. That means the main styrene parts represent the pinnacle of the old type of production and are accompanied by high quality resin parts for many of the fine details. Despite the term "short-run", the moulds have clearly held up very well over the 10+ years since the kit first appeared, and there is no sign of significant flash or other issues in the sample model. It does have a number of raised ejection pin marks that will need tackling, one of which is poorly placed in the cockpit and will be tricky to remove.
As is typical with Special Hobby kits from this era the surface finish comprises finely engraved panel lines and a few fasteners, plus a very subtle depiction of the fabric-covered control surfaces. In many ways I actually prefer the latter to most modern mainstream kits, where there is a tendency to exaggerate fabric surfaces with overscale ribs and rib-tapes. The exterior or the parts feels very slightly gritty, but a quick pass with a fine sanding pad brings up a polished shine that's actually smoother than many modern mainstream kits.
Test Fit
I dry-assembled the main parts of the airframe and was impressed by the general fit. I did have to do a little preparation first, though, trimming away a few of the ejection pin marks that would otherwise get in the way.
The fuselage halves line up precisely despite not having any locating pins. I sanded the mating surfaces of the wings lightly to ensure a good fit and found the trailing edges are nice and thin. The fuselage/wing joint needed a little adjustment, but the wing panels are a good match for the roots and will fit well when cemented. The stabilisers slotted in without any fuss and confirmed my good opinion of the basic fit.
Overall, this isn't a kit that will "build itself", but it shouldn't present any problems for modellers with a bit of experience.
A Few Details
The cockpit is nicely detailed with 50 parts in a mix of styrene, resin and photoetched. The instrument panel and consoles on the sidewalls are embellished with etched levers, and a highpoint is the elaborate Italian seat harness made up of individual photoetched straps and chains.
The 2-part instrument panel is neatly moulded with detail in the bezels, but it's a bit disappointing that decals for the instruments aren't included, or better still a photoetched alternative. As it is, I'll use some of Airscale's excellent instrument decals to detail the panels.
Overall, the "office" should look very impressive when it's completed, and extra care devoted to it will be worthwhile because it will all be easily visible thanks to the G.50's open cockpit.
The 29-part resin engine is a real highlight of the kit. The detail on the crankcase and individual cylinders is beautifully done, and a nice touch is that Special Hobby provide a couple of spare exhausts in case of mishaps. The instructions give dimensions to cut push rods from wire (not supplied) and the finished engine should look a real gem if you add some pipework and ignition cables. Everything is rounded off with a large horse-shoe exhaust with hollowed-out ends.
Two alternative cowlings are included for the land-based and naval versions. The one for the naval aircraft has the positions marked for 28 tiny resin teardrop blisters over the cylinder heads. These blisters were missing in the sample kit, but with a little ingenuity it shouldn't be too hard to create replacements - it's just the sheer number that will be time-consuming to attach, however you tackle them. Nicely detailed conventional and dust-filtered carburettor intakes are provided as resin parts to attach under the cowling.
Along with the cowlings, there are two alternative propeller spinners. The naval variant features a small cone over an exposed hub, all moulded in styrene, whereas the fighter bomber sports a fully enclosed resin unit. In each case the propeller comprises individual styrene blades, so it will be worth constructing a simple jig to ensure they are set at a consistent angle.
Modelling the naval variant involves some minor surgery, and it also features strengthened panels on the fuselage sides and bottom for the catapult attachments and arrestor hook. These are rather cleverly done; rather than requiring the builder to scribe panel lines, Special Hobby have provided die-cut self-adhesive vinyl panels to attach. These should work very well in representing the applique panels - just be sure to thoroughly clean off any moulding release agent with isopropyl alcohol or detergent to ensure they adhere firmly.
The undercarriage is sturdy and pretty straightforward. The mainwheel legs are neatly detailed with separate retraction arms, and the forks are split to allow the wheels to be inserted. So long as you're careful, you could try shortening the lugs and build the forks prior to adding the wheels, but there's always the chance of the joints failing under the strain, so it's probably just as easy to go with the method shown in the instructions and hide the seams afterwards.
The wheels themselves are pretty good, with crisply moulded hubs, but Special Hobby offer superior versions as aftermarket parts (see below). The mainwheel well is deep, but completely empty. Logically, you'd imagine there must have been some sign of its construction visible in the real thing, but I haven't found any photos to confirm this. So, whether you add some Shep Paine style "gizmology", or go by the motto "When in doubt, leave it out" is up to you.
3D-printed parts are provided for the catapult gear, arrestor hook and a pair of bombs and underwing racks. The detail is fantastic and whichever option you go for will look great. Take extra care freeing the parts from their "cage" because, although most of them are only attached to the base, the arrestor hook is joined at both the top and the bottom - so, plan ahead to avoid overstressing it.
The G.50's standard armament comprised a pair of 12.7mm guns mounted ahead of the cockpit and synchronised to fire through the propeller. These are supplied as nicely detailed resin barrels with styrene blister-fairings.
Rounding everything off is a crystal clear windscreen with side-panels that was fitted to the G.50 in place of a fully enclosed canopy that pilots complained caused a build-up of exhaust fumes in the cockpit and hampered visibility due to its poor quality.
Instructions & Decals
The assembly guide is printed in colour on high quality stock as a 12-page booklet. Construction is broken down into 20 very manageable stages with clear illustrations and a logical sequence. Colour matches are provided for Gunze Sangyo paints, and original Italian paint names are given for the camouflage so you should have no trouble finding suitable alternatives if you so desire.
Decals are included for two aircraft, a navalised prototype and a standard fighter-bomber, each presenting an interesting challenge with their differently mottled upper surfaces:
A. Fiat G.50bis/N, s/n MM.5988, Stabilimento Construzioni Aeronautiche, Guidonia, 1942
B. Fiat G.50bis, 165-12, 165a Squadriglia, 12° Gruppo Autonomo d'Assalto, Tripoli, July 1942
The decals appear to be excellent quality, very thin and glossy, with precise registration. The carrier film is slightly prominent on the sheet because it extends around the designs, but experience using Special Hobby's decals shows it snuggles down beautifully and disappears on a gloss surface with standard softening and setting solutions.
Conclusion
Special Hobby's Fiat G.50bis is a very good kit of an important WWII fighter that tends to be rather overlooked, and this latest boxing offers a pair of neat twists that give fresh appeal. The navalised prototype is perfect for anyone who likes to build unusual variants that will catch the eye in any collection, and the addition of bombs gives the Freccia some much needed extra "teeth" and opens up some interesting possibilities for servicing vignettes.
While it's not a suitable kit for beginner modellers due to its use of mixed media parts, anyone used to working with resin, photoetched and 3D-printed items should have no problems. Despite nominally being a "short-run" kit, it's massively more straightforward than older kits in that genre, and I think the high quality and good fit of the core parts makes Special Hobby's G.50bis ideal for someone with a bit of experience who wants to step away from mainstream for the first time.
Item #SH32089 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 52.30 Euros
Aftermarket Accessories
To complement their Freccia, Special Hobby have released a number of accessories and upgrades:
Resin Wheels
Although the kit's wheels are perfectly acceptable, they are eclipsed by these resin replacements. The new parts feature better detail, especially in the tyres' treads and sidewalls - the latter now having raised text and numerals. The resin wheels are direct replacements for the originals, so no surgery is needed to use them. Clean-up should be straightforward as the casting point is positioned slightly offset from centre to keep clear of the tread details. Unusually for resin wheels, they are "unweighted", but it will be easy enough to file small flats if you wish.
Item #Q32168 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 8.00 Euros
Seated Pilot Figure
Few people seem to build model aircraft posed in flight these days, so sitting pilot figures are something of a rarity, all the more so in 1:32, and they're virtually unheard of for Regia Aeronautica subjects. So, it's really welcome to see Special Hobby provide one for the G.50 as part of their CMK range.
The figure is very nicely sculpted with some excellent crisp details, and the casting is flawless in the review sample. The pilot is cast integrally with his seat, which will make life a lot easier, and the arms are separate so the hands can be positioned on the controls, and the head can be turned to add extra life. The figure is clad in what appears to be a one-piece summer flying suit with large map pouches on the knees, and the complex seat and parachute harness is well defined.
The set comes complete with simple instructions with call-outs for the colours required. The G.50 is an ideal subject to display with a pilot figure, because the open cockpit will show it off perfectly. Skilled figure painters will really enjoy tackling this - and it's a great opportunity for someone like me who's always wanted to learn to paint figures to make a start.
Item #F32315 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 16.70 Euros
Painting Masks
Ready-made painting masks certainly aren't an essential upgrade for a kit, but they can be a big time-saver, even on simple subjects. The Special Mask set for the G.50 includes masks for the canopy and wheels - and, yes, before you ask, they fit the kit wheels and the resin replacements equally well. Different sized masks are included for the inside and outside of the windscreen and side panels - a nice touch because the inner face of the framing will be very visible with open cockpit.
The masks are die-cut washi tape, which I consider the ideal medium because it's strong yet flexible enough to cope with tight convex and concave shapes.
Item #M32007 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 8.00 Euros
Many thanks to Special Hobby for providing the samples for review.
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