1:72 Macchi M.39 'Schneider Trophy 1926'

Macchi M.39, Schneider Trophy 1926, a 1:72 Kit from SBS Model

A short-run kit of an Italian racing floatplane in 1:72 scale. The box is presented on the 1926 running of the Schneider Trophy race, the contest that in the 1920s pushed floatplane design to the limit of what was then possible. The real subject is among the icons of that period, and in 1:72 this is not a commonly available theme.

The real subject

The Macchi M.39 was a single-seat racing aircraft on two floats, built specially for the Schneider Trophy. The design is a low-wing monoplane with pronounced wire bracing and a liquid-cooled twelve-cylinder engine whose radiators were placed directly on the surfaces of the wings and the floats, so that they would create no drag. It was in the 1926 running that this type won the race. In its shapes it is a pure speed design: a long slender fuselage, a small wing area and the smallest possible frontal area.

Building and painting tips

Two things are crucial. First, the geometry of the floats: glue the struts onto an assembly put together dry and make sure that both floats lie in the same plane, otherwise the model will visibly sit crooked on its stand. Second, the bracing, which on this type makes up half of the look. Drill the holes for the wires before painting; fit the rigging wires themselves only after the paint and the decals. SBS Model makes a separate rigging set for this kit and separate beaching gear for pulling the aircraft ashore, both in the same scale. The color scheme tends to be a single glossy color, so the surface has to be free of score marks: bring the base up with a primer and spray the paint in thin coats.

Who the model is for

• for collectors of racing aircraft and floatplanes of the interwar period
• for modelers who want to try a build with wire bracing
• for more experienced builders, because short-run sets call for more work than an ordinary kit
• for a display case where a single model is to carry the theme on its own

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.