The Donkey & The Stork

Giorgio Beltrammi

The Fiat BR 20 is an important Italian subject, but unfortunately only few models of this aircraft can be seen in the modelling conventions.
Italeri issued this kit over 20 years ago, but thanks to the high quality of the mould it is possible to obtain an excellent replica.
The kit offers two options, BR 20 and BR 20M, with all the necessary parts included in the box. Since my aim was to have both of them, I decided to build two models.

First of all I had to look for all the differences between the two versions I intended to build, BR 20 and the improved BR 20M. The M version featured a lengthened fuselage, it had a thinner stern, the rear-landing wheel was faired and finally the glass nose had a different shape compared to the
former BR 20.
As usual my work started from the cockpit interior, to which I added only the basic details, since I choose to represent my subjects with a closed canopy and almost nothing can be seen from the outside.
The kit has raised panel lines, so I sanded flat the entire outer surface, which was then scribed with a needle.
To obtain the correct fuselage length of the M version, I added a 1mm. strip of plasticard in front of the canopy and a further 3mm.strip before the tailplanes.

BR 20

BR 20 BR 20

BR 20

In any case on both kits the second port window from the nose section has to be deleted and moved forward, and as a consequence the D.C. generator together with its location need to be scratch built and repositioned.
It took me two weeks to cure the surfaces with putty and sandpaper. Finally a coat of grey primer was sprayed prior to the painting work.

In both subjects the camouflage pattern has a Giallo Mimetico 4 base with thick little blotches of Verde Mimetico 1 and Marrone Mimetico; undersurfaces are painted with Grigio Mimetico.
Pre-war strips in the three colours of the Italian flag were painted on the vertical fins of the BR 20 instead of the wartime white Savoy crosses.
On both kits the squadron insignia come from 72-513 Tauro Model decal sheet: BR 20 MM 21274 belonged to 5^ Squadriglia, 43° Gruppo, 13° Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre, whilst BR 20M (MM 277...? of 277^ Squadriglia, 116° Gruppo, 37° Stormo, based on Lecce airfield in 1941) had a white fuselage band with yellow engine cowlings. This aircraft had a different gun turret, which I obtained thermoforming a piece of surgical PVC blister.
The BR 20 was then placed on a little diorama that I obtained from a shaped piece of polystyrene foam. On its surface I spread a thin coat of modelling paste (DAS) that I textured with a small brush.

BR 20

BR 20 BR 20 BR 20

When the coat was dry, I painted it with acrylic brown, then I added a little bit of synthetic grass and a small dry root to complete the diorama.
A nice touch comes from the little donkey (Atlantic) that I painted with oil-colours.
I spent about 75 days in building both models, but in the end I found myself very, very satisfied.

BR 20