building Azur Dewoitine d.371/372

The kit contains one plastic sprue with 30 pieces and the resin parts for the engine. 

Some detail added to the pilot's seat 

The shape of the fuselage seems correct. The surface seems excessively smooth considering the historic pictures of the aircraft, on which the panels are very evident. 

In order to reproduce the panels on the fuselage I will not use the scribing technique but the one illustrated in this example, in which I use masking tape, Mr. Surfacer 500, fine sanding paper and a "rivet maker". 

The fuselage is assembled and I applied the previously described technique in order to mimic some surface detail. Shading and weathering are yet to come. 

Time to implement the engine and its cowling. I made the supports for the propeller holder from stretched sprue and aligned them with the ribs on the cowling. 

The subject I want to model is the R-913 flown by the slovenian pilot Josip Križaj during the Spanish war. I decided to make the tail insigna with one decal printed by myself on a white decal sheet.  

In order to give to the wings a more dynamic look, I cut off the cut off the ailerons from the wings and build another pair from a thick styrene sheet 

The main parts of the kit are now assembled and painted. Some minor details are yet to be added and a coat of "future" to protect the paint during the final steps.  

Assembling the wing to the fuselage was challenging! I decided to use 0.6 mm brass rods for the bearing structure instead of the tiny and brittle plastic parts of the kit. 

Another step in the wing-fuselage assembly. Of course I will add some additional elements to the brass rods in order to make them look right. So far I'm satisfied with the strength of the structure. 

The single piece wheelspats provided in the kit are not very realistic. However there are in the kit also two wheels for the version without wheelspats. I will use them along with styrene foil (from a yoghurt pot) to scratch-build more realistic gears.