R
Retired In Kalifornia
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The Caproni Vizzola F.6Z, FIAT G.55Z & Reggiane Re.2004 were designed to accommodate the 24-cylinder Isotta-Fraschini Zeta “X” inline air cooled engine to rely less on German designed 12-cylinder inline liquid-cooled ones powering Italy’s early-mid WWII Caproni Vizzola, Macchi, Reggiane & mid-war “Serie-5” FIAT, Macchi, Reggiane interceptor fighters.
Zeta development began in 1939 when Isotta Fraschini's design office decided to produce a high-powered engine competitive with contemporaneous 1000-plus hp Daimler Benz 600-series, Junkers Jumo 211-series, Rolls Royce Merlin liquid cooled V-12s. Coupling two 540 horsepower 12-cylinder Isotta Fraschini Gamma RC.15 inverted “V” engines gave rise to the 1,150 hp Zeta RC.35 intended to power the sole Caproni Vizzola F.6Z prototype flying for the first time in August 1943 on the eve of the Italian Armistice though supposedly by the slightly more powerful RC.45 variant – the only Zeta-powered aircraft known to have flown.
The Reggiane Re.2004 purportedly designed by Roberto Longhi was intended to be powered either by the 18-cylinder “M” or “W” Reggiane Re 103 (a.k.a. King 103, R.103) capable of 1,700 hp at take-off or the 1,250 hp Zeta R.C.24/60, the latter to be ready for installation by 1943. Amongst the most controversial wartime Italian aircraft development projects, according to Sergio Govi’s I REGGIANE dall’A alla Z - Descrizione tecnica degli aerei Reggiane Gruppo Caproni (Giorgio Apostolo Editore Milano 1985) the Re.2004 likely was never built, no authentic fabrication drawings of it surviving WWII in spite of supposed evidence of its development ala photos of a cowled Zeta engine mock-up mounted on the port wing of an Savoia-Marchetti S.79, profile drawings of the aircraft though drawn post WWII.
Construction
Most remarkably given the decades-old notoriety of this controversial WWII Italian “secret project” no model or parts conversion kits currently are on the market in any scale of Reggiane Re.2004, fortunately LF Models currently markets the Caproni Vizzola F.6Z (Kit 7281) & Reggiane Re.2005 (Kits 7208 & 7241) resins in 1/72 scale which could be “kit bashed” to produce a more-than-suitable Re.2004 model.
To accomplish the bash the complete nose of Kit 7281 was sawed-off, glued together, sanded & fitted to glue on the completed nosed sawed-off, glued together, sanded & fitted fuselage of Kit 7241 (Kit 7208 also works), the join being near perfectly aligned much to my eternal delight no other modifications being necessary other than spot sanding over & around the join.
The rest of construction & painting work was as for building the standard LF Models Re.2005 kit, i.e. Verde Anticorrosione fuselage interior, wheel wells & landing gear doors, cockpit painting with various Humbrol & Testors enamels. Given the Re.2004 likely was never built I’d chose to paint the entire model Testors Flat Aluminum, topside ailerons, tailplane & rudder moving surfaces Humbrol 91 Matt Black Green + 36% Testors Flat White replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2, undersides Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White enamels replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 ala the Reggiane Re.2001 prototype sans markings, the propeller blades painted a dark Testors Flat Black + White enamel mix. Given the brightness of the Flat Aluminum paint I’d chose not to overspray a clear lacquer seal out of concern of the model appearing too toy like.
Reggiane Re.2004 & Caproni Vizzola F.6Z
Specifications
Crew: One
Length: 8.35 m (27 ft, 5 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft, 1 in)
Height: 3.15 m (10 ft, 4 in)
Wing area: 20.4 m2 (220 sq ft)
Max takeoff weight: 3,282 kg (7,236 lb)
Powerplant: Isotta-Fraschini Zeta R.C.24/60 X-24 liquid-cooled piston engine, 930 kW (1,250 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 620 km/h (385 mph; 335 kn)
Range: 1,000 km (621 mi; 540 nmi)
Armament
3 × MG 151/20 cannons
2 × 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs
References
- Wikimedia Commons Reggiane aircraft
- Prato, Piero, The Caproni-Reggiane fighters, 1938-1945: I Caccia Caproni-Reggiane (Intyrama 1968)
Zeta development began in 1939 when Isotta Fraschini's design office decided to produce a high-powered engine competitive with contemporaneous 1000-plus hp Daimler Benz 600-series, Junkers Jumo 211-series, Rolls Royce Merlin liquid cooled V-12s. Coupling two 540 horsepower 12-cylinder Isotta Fraschini Gamma RC.15 inverted “V” engines gave rise to the 1,150 hp Zeta RC.35 intended to power the sole Caproni Vizzola F.6Z prototype flying for the first time in August 1943 on the eve of the Italian Armistice though supposedly by the slightly more powerful RC.45 variant – the only Zeta-powered aircraft known to have flown.
The Reggiane Re.2004 purportedly designed by Roberto Longhi was intended to be powered either by the 18-cylinder “M” or “W” Reggiane Re 103 (a.k.a. King 103, R.103) capable of 1,700 hp at take-off or the 1,250 hp Zeta R.C.24/60, the latter to be ready for installation by 1943. Amongst the most controversial wartime Italian aircraft development projects, according to Sergio Govi’s I REGGIANE dall’A alla Z - Descrizione tecnica degli aerei Reggiane Gruppo Caproni (Giorgio Apostolo Editore Milano 1985) the Re.2004 likely was never built, no authentic fabrication drawings of it surviving WWII in spite of supposed evidence of its development ala photos of a cowled Zeta engine mock-up mounted on the port wing of an Savoia-Marchetti S.79, profile drawings of the aircraft though drawn post WWII.
Construction
Most remarkably given the decades-old notoriety of this controversial WWII Italian “secret project” no model or parts conversion kits currently are on the market in any scale of Reggiane Re.2004, fortunately LF Models currently markets the Caproni Vizzola F.6Z (Kit 7281) & Reggiane Re.2005 (Kits 7208 & 7241) resins in 1/72 scale which could be “kit bashed” to produce a more-than-suitable Re.2004 model.
To accomplish the bash the complete nose of Kit 7281 was sawed-off, glued together, sanded & fitted to glue on the completed nosed sawed-off, glued together, sanded & fitted fuselage of Kit 7241 (Kit 7208 also works), the join being near perfectly aligned much to my eternal delight no other modifications being necessary other than spot sanding over & around the join.
The rest of construction & painting work was as for building the standard LF Models Re.2005 kit, i.e. Verde Anticorrosione fuselage interior, wheel wells & landing gear doors, cockpit painting with various Humbrol & Testors enamels. Given the Re.2004 likely was never built I’d chose to paint the entire model Testors Flat Aluminum, topside ailerons, tailplane & rudder moving surfaces Humbrol 91 Matt Black Green + 36% Testors Flat White replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2, undersides Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White enamels replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 ala the Reggiane Re.2001 prototype sans markings, the propeller blades painted a dark Testors Flat Black + White enamel mix. Given the brightness of the Flat Aluminum paint I’d chose not to overspray a clear lacquer seal out of concern of the model appearing too toy like.
Reggiane Re.2004 & Caproni Vizzola F.6Z
Specifications
Crew: One
Length: 8.35 m (27 ft, 5 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft, 1 in)
Height: 3.15 m (10 ft, 4 in)
Wing area: 20.4 m2 (220 sq ft)
Max takeoff weight: 3,282 kg (7,236 lb)
Powerplant: Isotta-Fraschini Zeta R.C.24/60 X-24 liquid-cooled piston engine, 930 kW (1,250 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 620 km/h (385 mph; 335 kn)
Range: 1,000 km (621 mi; 540 nmi)
Armament
3 × MG 151/20 cannons
2 × 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs
References
- Wikimedia Commons Reggiane aircraft
- Prato, Piero, The Caproni-Reggiane fighters, 1938-1945: I Caccia Caproni-Reggiane (Intyrama 1968)
