The Italian flying boat Macci M.5 was an Italian double winged flight boat for one person. It was used in the 1st worldwar since 1917 and was built in high numbers.

The wonderful kit from HPH Models is consisting of several fine resin parts, photo etched parts, lasered wooden parts, lasered seatbelts, decals and more.

It has great details, but still some space for adding some own details, specially the engine which is very good visible later.


I have started with the engine, some first resin parts, some etchedp arts. Two plastic parts which I will remove and replace with a thinner one. Then some further parts follow, then a lot of wire and other stuff








The one-piece hull... some putty was necessary at the cockpit area and at the rear....





Cheers
Micha

Hello,

the engine is completed. I have added lot of wire in different sizes, plastic stripes and pipes and some parts of other finished models, some etched parts and some resin parts.

The carriers of the engine were mounted on the fuselage with tape before gluing the engine hull to it. The cooler received some etched mesh and details and was added. Some sanding still necessary.





















The engine will be painted in black, next in Alu/iron color, then the details will be brush painted.
Micha

Michael, very nice job and a lot of inspiration, as I am currently building a Felixtowe.

I'll follow your posts, keep me updated :-)

Hello,

the engine is completed and painted in black. Then I have used several polishing colors from AK Interacite. Iron, Aluminium, Silver, Dark Iron, Brass and Copper to paint the engine. Once dry I have polished several areas more others less to keep some variety.
A little bit of weathering with dark brwon oil washing follows. I want to keep the engine nearly clean this time.

The interior was also primered in black, then prushed in a light beige. The wood grain was added with dark brown oil colors and a stiff brush Some metal areas were polished with metal pigments after the painting.

After that the interior was inserted into the painted and completed fuselage. Some putty and sanding will be necessary here.

Once the cockpit was completed I have added some wiring for the gauges...





















Cheers
Micha

Hello,

Once the cockpit was finished and glued inside the fuselage I have added some wiring at the display.
On the sides of the installed floor plate I had to work with some putty and sanding to get a smooth surface with the fuselage.
The rear wings were addded as well. I have drilled some holes in the fuselage and in the wings and glued some wire inside to get a stronger bonding.
After a first layer of Valleyo Primer I had to start once again with putty and sanding as the surface wasn't that smooth as it should be.
Also some etched parts were added.
Now one more layer with grey primer follows, hopefully the surface will be ok now.













Cheers
Micha

Looks fantastic! I think I might need to add one to my wish list.
The Macchi flying boat fighters were great looking aeroplanes. Looking forward to seeing your build completed.

Hello,

once the grey primer was 100% dry I have painted the white base color with matt white from Lifecolor. This is covering well and is good for masking on it.









After several days of drying I will mask the white areas next, then spray the wooden areas in a beige color, then immedialty add the wooden color and wood grain with oil colors, before removing the masking tape. Then it needs longer time to dry, before covering everything with glossy clear coat and decals ...

Cheers
Micha

Hello,

I continued with the painting of the fuselage of the Macci. I have masked the areas which will remain in white color before painting the wooden areas in a darker beige with the airbrush. After that I have added the wood grain with dark oil colors and an old paint brush.
After that I have removed the masking tape immediately to keep the risk of damaging the white base color as small as possible. Everything went fine finally, no damages in the white puh
Now the fuselage will remain in a closed carton for some days until the oil color has fully dried before adding a layer of glossy clear coat on it, adding the decals and finishing the fuselage with several layers of shiny clear coat.













In the meantime I have glued to two halfes of the upper wings together, drilled some holes in both halfes and glued some wire inside, to give it a bit more strength. After some putty and sanding under water a first layer of beige followed.







Cheers
Micha

Micha,

I am excited for your next posting. Great looking model.

Hello,

the oil color is dry and I have fixed it with a layer of glossy clear coat as a base for the decals which followed next.
The decals were also fixed with two thin layers of clear coat to fix it and to make a shiny surface of the fuselage.









The engine testfitted. The base was painted in aluminium and polished with different shades of metal pigments. Some wire and leaking oil follows.







The painted and weathered struds under the wings. The metal parts will get some polishing with pigments later.



Cheers
Micha

The wings were painted in beige, then painted the rips with a pencil in black before spraying beige once again in a thin layer on the top side of the wings. The under sides were painted in white at the center, green and red on the outsides.
After that the decals were added. Next step a layer of matt clear coat before some light weathering.

The engine and the engine mounts were installed on the hull. I have inserted some wire to glue it in drilled holes for a better fitting. Some wiring will follow.

The airplane is standing on its trolly which is unpainted yet (it is lasered wood)















Cheers
Micha

Hi Micha

It's looking absolutely gorgeous! I'm not jealous at all...

All the best

Rowan

Hello,

what a drama ... The wings are both fixed....! Finally....!
First mounted the lower wings, which were pinned with wire in the fuselage, aligned and glued. In the meantime the outer struts were installed to the upper wings, also pinned with wire to it.
Once the glue was dry I have glued the upper wing with the outer struts on the lower wing, using some plastic profile as suppoert till the glue was dry - otherwise the upper wing would lie on the top of the engine.
At the same time I have installed the inner struts as well, which were going from the engine to the upper wing.
Once everything was in place, glued, aligned, glue dried .... then I have added the frame on the outside of each wing. I have used wire for that which was cut in the correct lenght and glued in place, silver painted when dry.
Now time for some rigging
















Cheers
Micha

Hello,

finally .... it is done

Please find some pictures of my finished Macchi M.5 in 1/32 scale by HPH Models in the following.

I hope that you like it!
































I hope that you like the final result. It is a great kit of HPH, although it was not easy (specially the mounting of the upper wing).

Cheers
Micha