Classic Airframes 1/48 Fiat C.R.32
By Tom Cleaver
History
The two best biplane fighters to see actual combat after the First World War were the Fiat C.R.32 and the Polikarpov I-15, both destined to become immortal in the skies over Spain during the opening act of what would be the Second World War. The Fiat C.R.32 was the penultimate development of the classic World War I fighter: fast for a biplane, supremely maneuverable, well-armed with two .50 caliber machine guns. When the Regia Aeronautica took it into squadron service in the early 1930s, it was likely the best fighter airplane in the world.
The Kit
The decals are Propagteam, and can be problematic, since they are very thin and very sticky, likely to adhere anywhere and destroy themselves when you try to correct this. My solution has been to "float" them just off the backing in water, rub them lightly against the backing to remove excess glue, then cover the area where they're going with a lot of water; once in position, they can be blotted and - if necessary - setting solution can then be applied. Under no circumstances should the setting solution be waiting for them on the surface: they react far too quickly and absolutely cannot be moved once they have started to interact with it.
There are no positioning holes for the interplane struts, but their position is clearly marked. Set the struts into the fuselage and lower wing first, and be certain they are fully solid, then sand the upper join areas lightly to obtain a uniformly-flat surface for attaching the upper wing once the model has been painted. The Warren-truss girders that form the bracing struts do not require bracing wires, which makes this a good first advanced biplane model.
The two best biplane fighters to see actual combat after the First World War were the Fiat C.R.32 and the Polikarpov I-15, both destined to become immortal in the skies over Spain during the opening act of what would be the Second World War. The Fiat C.R.32 was the penultimate development of the classic World War I fighter: fast for a biplane, supremely maneuverable, well-armed with two .50 caliber machine guns. When the Regia Aeronautica took it into squadron service in the early 1930s, it was likely the best fighter airplane in the world.
When introduced into the air battles of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, it was the right airplane in the right war. Both Spanish and Italian pilots became aces in it; the airplane was the equal of the Polikarpov I-15 in maneuverability and speed, though its two .50 caliber machine guns did not put out the weight of fire of the I-15's four 7.62mm weapons. Had the C.R.32 only seen service in Spain, it would be one of the truly famous fighters of history. Unfortunately, it was forced to soldier on into the Second World War, where it was manifestly obsolete. But, in its day, the C.R.32 "Chirri" was great.
The Kit
In my experience, the quality of Classic Airframes releases varies from kit to kit. Fortunately, this looks like one of their best. It is not in the same universe with the ancient Artiplast/SMER 1/50 kit, which is the only other available kit close to 1/48. (There is an excellent SuperModel kit in 1/72, which is still more than acceptable despite it being 25 years old.) As to accuracy, it certainly looks good in the box, with petite surface detailing and a nice cast-resin cockpit. I was surprised to discover it is nearly as large as a Spitfire.
The decals are Propagteam, and can be problematic, since they are very thin and very sticky, likely to adhere anywhere and destroy themselves when you try to correct this. My solution has been to "float" them just off the backing in water, rub them lightly against the backing to remove excess glue, then cover the area where they're going with a lot of water; once in position, they can be blotted and - if necessary - setting solution can then be applied. Under no circumstances should the setting solution be waiting for them on the surface: they react far too quickly and absolutely cannot be moved once they have started to interact with it.
Modelers should note there are cast-resin covers for the gun barrels, which are not shown in the instructions. Their position is easily seen if you check the box art, and should present no problem.
There are no positioning holes for the interplane struts, but their position is clearly marked. Set the struts into the fuselage and lower wing first, and be certain they are fully solid, then sand the upper join areas lightly to obtain a uniformly-flat surface for attaching the upper wing once the model has been painted. The Warren-truss girders that form the bracing struts do not require bracing wires, which makes this a good first advanced biplane model.
I am really glad that Classic Airframes, almost alone among model manufacturers, is doing aircraft of the pre-war era. This C.R.32 will make a nice addition to my collection, sitting next to a Classic Airframes Heinkel He-51 in Spanish Civil War markings. Jules Bringuer has told me Classic Airframes is already working on an I-15 for release next Spring, so the two old adversaries will soon meet again.