RS Models 1/72 Reggiane Re-2007

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

History

Italy got a big boost in jet airplane technology by being associated with Germany during the Second World War, and the Re-2007 started its life as an airframe designed around the Jumo 004. Started in 1943, the design came to a halt in 1944 due to the lack of firm detailed information on critical components of the Jumo engine. Production continued on the wings, rear fuselage, and undercarriage while several key people tried to get the necessary information from the German authorities. The Allied invasion of Italy and slow progression north forced the move of the Re-2007 along with the Re-2006 to the Caproni plant at Taliedo. Two Jumo engines had been supplied to the Re-2007 program, but with the fall of German forces in Italy, the engines were scrapped before reaching the Re-2007 team.

The Kit

The RS Models kit of this rather obscure plane is molded in tan resin, with a vacuformed canopy. The moldings are crisp and feature recessed panel lines throughout. The kit is broken down into fuselage halves, two wings, a vertical tail, and the horizontal stabilizers. The landing gear is very petite and might not be up to the weight of the model, especially after you add weight in the nose to keep it from sitting on its tail.

The cockpit is very basic, being little more than a tub and a seat. A rear bulkhead and an instrument panel is provided, as is a control stick, but there is no detail on these other than the basic shape. Instruments will have to be added, as well as seatbelts and any other detailing you would want to add. With this being such a rare plane to begin with, I doubt that there are any photos showing what the actual cockpit looked like, so some generic detailing should take care of that area.

The construction is straightforward, with the fuselage halves trapping the cockpit and nose wheel well, as well as the nose intake splitter plate. The stabilizers rest on top of the fuselage, with the vertical tail being placed on top of that. Getting all of that aligned just right will be a challenge, but using some pins to keep everything aligned will help considerably, especially if you run the pins from the rudder through to the fuselage.

The wings will benefit from pinning as well, as according to the drawings included they have a slight anhedral. Once that is taken care of, all that’s left is to paint it and decal it. The paint scheme given is one of dark green over blue gray, with a white fuselage band and the standard Italian fasces roundels. The decals provided are for an Re-2003, but the size is the same for the Re-2007 so they will work. They are thin and fairly well printed, although the boxtop artwork shows the upper wing roundels as being black and white, while the kit decals are just black.

Conclusions

Before this kit came across my desk I didn’t know there was such a thing as the Re-2007. Now I have a kit that will go alongside the Supermodel Re-2000/2001 kits and show the progression of the Reggiane design house. While this kit is not for the beginning modeler, it would make for a good first resin kit for those who are wanting to make that plunge.

Available from Aviation Usk for only $24.95.