Italeri SM.79 Sparviero Build in 1/72 Scale Part III

The model was primed and any flaws got the fill-sand-fill routine until smooth, then the panel lines were restored. Given all the fit issues and filling I was surprised there weren’t more issues.

One of the places where the PE actually did come in handy were the engines. The PE fret has parts for the wiring harnesses and the cowling braces which make the engines look suitably busy.

One of the options for Italian torpedoes is an overall natural metal finish, although this was sometimes wiped down with grease.

After much deliberation, here are the colors I settled on. All were mixed with various amounts of white to lighten them up. The white fuselage stripe was masked off, the rest of the pattern was applied freehand. This scheme is interesting because the light gray was applied to the front of the aircraft in an attempt to blend in better with the sea haze when making low-level torpedo attacks.

Decals were from the kit and were applied over a gloss coat of Future. Strangely, the large decal on the fuselage has settled in well with Micro Scale products alone while the small weight stencil on the tail from the same sheet will need something stronger. Not everything works the same all the time!

Underside details with the torpedo in place. The mass balances and gear doors were added at the end of the build to reduce the chances of breakage. Gun barrels are CMK resin U.S. .50 caliber barrels, a type which has perforated jackets just like the Italian weapons. The kit guns were molded nicely by the way, and I will be saving them for use in more open positions on future builds where they can be better seen.

A view of the finished model. I like the SM.79 but this build fought me all the way, and there are some compromises I was obliged to make in the interest of getting done. I rarely give up on a build no matter how far sideways it goes, learning how to correct problems helps build confidence for the next project. Having said that this one is not very competitive and will not be going to the shows, but it will look okay in the case. If there ever is a new tool Sparviero released there are still some very interesting schemes to try so I’d be up to do another someday!

Construction part I here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/italeri-sm-79-sparviero-build-in-1-72-scale-part-i/

More completed photos here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2026/01/13/italeri-sm-79-sparviero-in-1-72-scale/