Macchi M-5

[Dave Brewer]

"Yachts of the air"-very apt Stephen.Some years ago there was video of the maiden flight of a homebuilt reproduction of an early flying boat,I can't remember if it was an M-5 and unfortunately lost it in one of my epic computer crashes,but it certainly was an amazing thing to see.Interesting that full length sheets of plywood were being produced during WW1,beats scarfing and glueing shorter sheets for ease and speed of construction.

[Alexis]

Now that turned out super Mike !


Terri

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
Thanks.
Just the red and green stripes to airbrush and a few bits of details to paint.
Then weather and onto the rest of the model,

Mike

[RAGIII]

Absolutely agree that it looks better than the original wood decal. Your white base for the roundels has worked well!
RAGIII

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi Mike,
I'm always happy if my infos may help a modeller to reach a better goal.
Everytime I post my WIPs or completed models I hope that if someone see errors he let me know, no one of us have all the truth in hand and "from modeller to modellers" is one of my favourite motto.
Coming back to your Macchi, now is really beautiful, almost perfect.
Great compliments,
Roberto

Hi Roberto,
The 'dome' on the decking just in front of the pilot's windscreen?
It's been suggested to me that this could be a binnacle mount for a compass.
Similar to those that are sometimes fitted to wooden boats.
Apparently a hole the diameter of the compass cylinder is cut and the assembly drops in and is secured to the deck with screws through a flange at the base of the dome.
In the rear of the dome is a window that allows you to view the compass floating inside.
The picture below is similar but this example has a flip-up half-shell cover rather than a full metal dome with a window.

What do you think - could the dome have been a compass binnacle?

Mike

[AndRoby67]

Hi Mike!
I'm sorry but this time I have no idea about the "dome" in front of the cockpit. First it was not standard feature, as you sure note. I think you have the "more close to reality" answer to this. I was thinking about a counter for the Vickers bullets, but this was a feature that I never saw on our planes, so I think compass can be the right suggestion. I don't want to say stupid things without proofs.
About red/green striping on fuselage you are right. 7288 and 7292 are close in Macchi's line production, the M.5 left factory with serial number, fuselage roundels and red/green sections under the wings and on rudder too. Striping on fuselage was added in the hangars, as personal insignia (on floats too), number inside Squadriglia and (as 7292) roundels under the lower wings. The last was NOT a standard feature. Official bulletin from our Ministry of War ordered that roundels under lower wings on flying boats must be painted INSIDE color section on wingtips, with color reversed to see the roundels. So, green outer color of roundel in the red section and viceversa. You may noted this in photos of first L.1 delivered by Macchi, L.101, copy of the Lohner L40. But this rule was soon abandonated and some pilots asked for roundels outside of color sections.
I'm sure you not forgot, in next steps, to paint natural metal the sheet where Vickers fires out of the bow.
Hope useful again!
Roberto
 

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi Roberto,
Once again thanks.
Unless anyone can throw light as to what the 'dome' actually is, then I think I'll go with a compass binnacle.
It makes sense as the pilot's would have been operating over the sea for most of the time and as such did not have land reference points for navigation.
A compass would have been a good instrument to have fitted, even if it was a option rather than a standard fit.
Interesting information about the reversed colours for roundels painted over the red and green colours on the wings - something I didn't know.
That said, as you pointed out, M. 7288 did not have under wing rounds so that's not a problem for this model.
Yes I still have the stripes to paint as well as the metal finish on the gun ports and rigging plates.

Mike

[RLWP]

Binnacle - now, there's a word

Richard

[pepperman42]

...I'm old enough to have barnacles.....

Steve

[Alexis]

Toooo much info Steve .....



Terri

[AndRoby67]

Hi Mike,
I want to add something to your/my suggestions: as a pilot, I think I would add a compass clearly visible (the dashboard of the M.5 was in a dark position, also with the "light holes" above). On the other side, again as a pilot, my range of war missions is clearly visible from the high, from Venice to Pola by air was only 136 km with many points used as references in the middle, as all the cities on italian/croatian coasts.
It was really difficult to lose your way home. Maybe night missions?
I know that mine are only speculations, the only thing I want to point out is that Adriatic see was a really out of "standards" as war frontline.
But, again, no things better than a compass came to my mind to help you.
My two cents, this time at 100%.
Roberto

[RLWP]

...I'm old enough to have barnacles.....

Steve

You should get your bottom scraped

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi Mike,
I want to add something to your/my suggestions: as a pilot, I think I would add a compass clearly visible (the dashboard of the M.5 was in a dark position, also with the "light holes" above). On the other side, again as a pilot, my range of war missions is clearly visible from the high, from Venice to Pola by air was only 136 km with many points used as references in the middle, as all the cities on italian/croatian coasts.
It was really difficult to lose your way home. Maybe night missions?
I know that mine are only speculations, the only thing I want to point out is that Adriatic see was a really out of "standards" as war frontline.
But, again, no things better than a compass came to my mind to help you.
My two cents, this time at 100%.
Roberto

Hi Roberto,
Thanks - I've added this information into my build log.
I'm going with a binnacle housing and compass as being the most probable.
I'm going to try to represent a binnacle housing with glass window, rather than a 'solid' dome.
I've cut and shaped the housing and hopefully fix it over a compass decal then infill the 'glass'.
We'll see,

Mike

[AndRoby67]

Oh yes!
Great idea to realize a binnacle housing with glass window. I agree 100%.
Maybe a complete glass covering, like a "snow ball"?
In the photo of left side the light reflection on the "dome" is the same as on the windscreen, this is the source of my doubt.
Now I shut up myself and continue to follow your fantastic work!
Roberto

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
I still have weathering, nail lines and the green fuselage stripes (waiting for paint to arrive) to do.

However I have:
Painted the gun ports and rigging panels ('Mr. Colour' Stainless Steel).
Painted the engine support strut mountings ('Mr. Colour' Aluminium).
Fitted gun barrels (0.7 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Mr. Colour' Iron.
Gun Sight (0.3mm and 0.5 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Tamiya' Rubber Black (XF85)..
Compass binnacle (modified sprue with a compass decal and clear 'window').
Windscreen ('Alclad' Duralumin) - clear area treated with 'Pledge' Floor care.   

Mike