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RS Models 1/72 Reggiane Re.2006

By Don Joy

This is a new 1/72nd kit from RS Models. I don’t recall seeing an Re.2006 from RS in resin, but I guess they must have done one since here it is in injection.

The Re.2006 fighter would be an Regia Aeronautica Italiana ‘44 kit (as opposed to Luftwaffe ’46…).  The plan was to fit German DB603 engines to the Re.2005 airframe and two aircraft were detailed to undergo the conversion. The first aircraft was completed but not flown before the armistice. The prototype was handed over to the Allies, but it was broken up and never evaluated.

Instructions

The instruction sheet is clear and the assembly is shown with detail drawings in 14 steps. The instructions are complete and very detailed, including directions for tailplane alignment.  This is a much more complex kit than the FL-1 Airobonita and the instructions are laid out  very well  and are clear and concise. As with other RS kits, the back of the box provides 3 view color profiles of the different aircraft.

Markings

Back of box with pain schemes

The decal sheet provides marking for 3 operational aircraft: Italian, Swedish and Hungarian. The decals look thin with good registration. The roundels look properly centered.  The 3 nationalities are, of course, the operators of the Re.2000/2001/2002 aircraft.  Since this is all hypothetical, the camouflage patterns shown on the box should be considered optional and any “standard” Italian paint scheme (they had like 70 defined!) could be used for the kit.  I do like the Swedish and Hungarian markings – smaller air forces are usually overlooked. It is nice to see them included in a new kit issue. And, of course, using German markings would not be out of line either.

Kit

The kit has 62 parts molded in gray plastic with no flashing. The plastic looks and feels like that used in Heller kits. This makes it softer than is generally used in plastic models. This is NOT a problem. I find the Heller plastic very easy to work with and it assembles very well with any liquid “welding” cement.

Exterior parts have finely engraved detail.  There are two spinners and props, so this could be built as an RE.2005 by using the correct spinner/prop combination.  The DB603 combo looks very like those on an Me 109G

This kit pays a lot of attention to the wheel wells.  There are 3 wing frames and a cannon barrel that must be assemble before the wings are put together. Landing gear have main struts, support struts, with separate wheels and doors.  Instructions included exploded drawings of these assemblies so you are sure how it all goes together.  I did notice some ejector pin stubs that will need to be removed from the insides of the wings before they can be assembled.

The interior looks great for a 1/72^nd kit. Side detail is molded into the fuselage halves. The instrument panel is highly detailed and can be easily painted to “pop” and includes a separate gunsight (you will need to scratch the reflector for it).  There is a bulkhead for behind the seat and the parts include oxygen bottles that mount there.  The only shortcoming I see is the lack of a harness engraved in the seat.

The only clear part is the canopy. It is very clear injection plastic. Canopy framing is well defined and finer than the FL-1 canopy if you read that review.  With the detailed interior, you may want to do the extra work to cut it apart so it can be displayed in the open position.

Comments

This is an excellent example of the modeler’s art. RS has shown a great attention to detail without making the kit needlessly complex. For instance, there is a bulkhead for the tail wheel so you can’t see back into the empty fuselage. This is a nice addition (particularly if an IPMS judge is going to be looking at it –LOL) that most companies don’t think about. I did find the occasional ejector pin stub, but these are on the interior walls of parts and easily cleaned up.

In conclusion, I can’t really say enough nice things about this kit.  Everything about it looks crisp and clean, just waiting to be assembled.  If the fit of the parts is as good as the detailing (and it is – I’ve seen Matt’s Re.2005 under construction…), this will make an excellent addition to anyone’s collection.

Thanks to RS Models for the review sample.