1:72 Macchi M 33 'Schneider Trophy'

Macchi M.33 Schneider Trophy 1:72 — an SBS Model kit

A short-run kit of the Italian Macchi M.33 racing flying boat in 1:72 scale from the Hungarian brand SBS Model, which builds its aircraft models in resin. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted and is intended rather for experienced modelers: resin parts are not glued with ordinary cement for polystyrene but with cyanoacrylate glue, and the casting blocks have to be cut off before the build. The reward is a subject you will not find in the ordinary range of plastic kits.

The real subject

The Macchi M.33 was an Italian racing machine built for the Schneider Trophy of the mid-1920s — a competition of seaplanes that at the time drove aviation development forward faster than military orders. The M.33 was conceived as a flying boat with a hull sitting directly on the water and with a high wing carried above the hull, with a water-cooled engine and a tractor propeller mounted above the hull. The pursuit of the lowest possible drag is visible in the shape at first glance: a small area, a clean hull and a minimum of protruding features.

Building and painting tips

First wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with detergent so that the remains of the mold release agent disappear — without that the paint will not hold. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a cutter, never snap them off, and sand under water or with respiratory protection; resin dust must not be breathed in. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue, ideally the gel version, which gives time to fine-tune the position. Try the parts dry and reckon with fitting work. Seat the wing on its struts only after the hull has dried and help yourself during the build with a jig or modeling clay, so that the angles are right. Paint over a primer; racing schemes tend to be glossy, so the final gloss varnish is not only a base under the decals but the finished surface as well.

Who the model is for

• Experienced modelers who have already built from resin
• Collectors of racing aircraft and seaplanes of the interwar period
• Display cases focused on the Italian school of aircraft design
• Modelers looking for a subject outside the ordinary range

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted as a short-run kit. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.