F.M.A.20 "El Boyero", 72Topia resin, 1/72nd scale

 

 

This exquisite little gem from the works of a one-man-in-a-room enterprise in Argentina is a refreshing and beautiful piece of the local aviation history.

With a super-clean cast, delicately mastered parts, and fine detail, it is up there with the best in resin releases, and no doubt a product at the very top of cottage industry.

If you compare this resin kit with most of what you see in the market (and I have built -and still have in the stash- many), you may feel the urge to trash some of the ones lurking in your stash, which compare extremely unfavorably with this one.

The kit portrays a small training plane built in quite large numbers -that is for a country with an aviation industry that had its ups and downs-, that went into the civil and military market, being provided to the local aeroclubs as a way to encourage aviation by the government.

It started as a pre-war endeavor, but had to wait until the 50's to be built in series.

It still flies today, in some remarkable numbers, which says something about the design and construction, especially given the constrictions many times suffered by South American countries.

This is not a kit for the beginner, and it's better if you have built a couple of simpler resins before, but it's a very noble kit, that requires of course care, a delicate touch, and some skill (as the kit box itself states).

This release offers alternate parts and decals for four different machines. The decals are home-made and can be used, but Arctic Decals has printed a more professional set.

I found no defects, whatsoever, in any part. Some of the detail parts are tiny and require mindful handling. The engineering is very sound and the approach intelligent.

It took only a few days to build it, even in parallel with several other projects, but it's a build that you don't want to rush, given the delicate detail and small parts.

It made for a short and pleasurable build, as you can see in the building article:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2020/01/72topia-fma-iae20-boyero-172nd-superb.html

I wish other cottage industry manufacturers will take the hint and up their game. This kit demonstrates what skill, care and love for the hobby can do, even in less than ideal conditions for the maker. So next time you get one of those resin blobs, with pinholes, bent parts and dubious (if any) detail, here is a bar to compare against. 

Waiting now for the next kits that are soon to be released by this able, dedicated and meticulous manufacturer.

Fantastically done, 72Topia!