Calling all Italian carrier RM Aquila ("Eagle") fans

[GMG4RWF]

I have a 2400 scale mini of her - haven't seen larger models (except on Internet search)

[MartinJQuinn]

Delphis made a 1/700 scale model of her. I've seen it, but don't have it. It was pretty nice, for a ship that was never completed.

[GMG4RWF]

She was basically complete - just not quite - got sabotaged by both sides - Allies first then when Italy rolled by the Germans - but she nearly made it out - I think very good (maybe one of the best) for a conversion carrier.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I built the Delphis kit of the Aquila way back in 2002. Still somewhat of a what-if in regards to camo scheme and bridge outfit.
Mixed the flight deck color and light blue aircraft colors from oils, and the other colors were from WEM Regia Marina colors. The resin was rather grainy and difficult to sand smooth, and many of the sextuple 20mm mounts and broken barrels, which were replaced with brass rods, and the flight deck overhand had a piece broken off, but otherwise the kit was received in good shape. The flight deck grooves are too deep, so lesson for next time is to sand it down a lot.
Added WEM Folgore and Falco aircraft and scratch built the prop spinners and landing gear, and added PE arresting gear. Added some regular Folgores in olive and desert camo schemes for fun (those were additional aircraft without arresting gear so would have been flown off and landed on airbases).
Looking back I really need to update the bridge to show more masts and platforms (ala the Littorio class BBs).
This model took first place in ships for IPMS Region Nine back in 2004.
I'll send some pics once I figure out how (this is my 1st post).

[MattFlegal]

41i9sbsr2fL._BO1,204,203,200_.jpg (14.46 KiB) Viewed 1861 times

Just to put out there that since thre does not seem to be a 1/350 kit on the horizon and I went searching for references to scratchbuild one; the book "Le portaeree italiane. Dai primi studi del 1912 al Cavour" is a treasure-trove of information. Double page plans of the Aquila including hull stations and cross-sections, and pages of photos of the carrier I've never seen before. Well worth the money if you're interested in the carrier.