1/50 Smer Reggiane RE-2000 

 conversion  

by Massimo La Civita

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From May 9th, 1942, the Reggiane RE-2000 fighter coded MM8281, converted into catapultable version, was successfully tested in a series of launches from RN Miraglia, flown by Capt. Giulio Reiner. This project was started in order to provide the Italian fleet of close air protection, since the Italian navy had no aircraft carriers at that time. During the following months, several RE-2000 cat. saw service on many of the main Italian battleships.

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As you know if you've read my previous submissions, I get satisfaction from trying to turn ugly kits into decent models, with no help from aftermarket products. This old SMER kit needed total scratchbuilding of the interiors, total sanding and rescribing, homemade canopy, heavy reshaping of the rear fuselage in order to achieve the proper round section, and so on. The catapult is scratchbuilt as well. Any comment welcome. Cheers from Italy.

Massimo 

Photos and text © by Massimo La Civita