Supermodels' old 1/72 scale
Savoia-Marchetti S.81

by Bob Aikens

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Perhaps this article might be called 'The Bat Returns", or 'A Kit From The Archives'- the SM-81 'Pipistrello' (Bat). Although not an aficionado of Italian WW II aircraft, I feel safe in saying that it was without doubt not designed by Johann Strauss Jr. Musical jokes aside, the design came from the Allesandro Marchetti Bureau, and the aircraft first appeared in 1935.

In the overall 'look' of this almost elegant (despite the 'trimotori' configuration) machine, one cannot help but see a hint of the dynamism of Marinetti and the post-war Italian Futurist art movement...and therein lies a tale.

If you look closely at the boxtop art, you can see the signature and year - Caruana '72. This kit had been in the stash for at least 7 or 8 years - a local modeler was liquidating his collection, and on a whim (who amongst us are not subject to these on occasion?) I snatched it up for ten Canadian dollars. And there it lay, waiting with that patience that only certain types of plastic seem to possess, for it's custodian to get inspired.

And here is the part of the story that is the most fun to tell!- the inspiration to get going on this old clunker came from HyperScale articles by Scott Battistoni and Mark Davies. Scott's model is a tour de force of modeling skill. If you haven't seen his article (13 March 2003), check it out. Mark's model is also a really neat build using an ESCI decal sheet.

My own model was built straight from the box, using the kit clear parts and decals- I carefully trimmed away the film from the Squadron numerals as it was quite yellowish .The discerning eye will eventually note the undersize 'fascies'
roundels-the kit ones didn't react well to Solvaset, so I snaffled a pair from the old SMER CR-32 Freccia, which has a neatly done set by Propagteam from 2001.

The only additions to the model were some pieces of strip styrene to simulate mostly unseen internal ribbing, and engine cowling bracing formed from stretched sprue.

The DF loop was replaced with an appropriately sized piece of photo-etch, and the antennae riggings are 1 kg. fishing line pulled to tautness through the fuselage.

The painting was done in acrylics- for the' Verde Chiaro' AeroMaster RLM Lichtgrun; for 'Verde Oliva Scuro' Tamiya Field Grey XF-65(really a darkish green). The undersides were done with Tamiya Sky Grey XF-19. The theatre band and the rudder crosses were done with MM Header White. You can see from the pics that the ailerons, elevators, rudder and the entry and emergency doors are all positionable-neat features on a very basic kit!

The model represents an Alfa Romeo 125-powered machine of Squadriglie 218, operating in the anti-shipping role from Sicily in early 1942. A kit-supplied torpedo is in place.

I am pleased to have added a third member to this HyperScale group. Do I sense some musical inspiration out there?
Anyone for a quartet?...."Play on".

Happy modeling!

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2005 by Bob Aikens
Page Created 20 July, 2005
Last Updated 20 July, 2005

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