Italeri 1/72 AMX Ghibli Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The AMX was a joint design to replace the Fiat G.91 out of the ground attack role in the Italian AF and the MB.326 out of the Brazilian AF. In additon to the variety of guided and unguided weapons the type can carry, the AMX could carry a reconnaissance pod which also allowed the type to replace the RF-104G Starfighter. In addition to the air-to-ground weapons, the AMX can carry a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders on its wingtip rails and an M61 20mm cannon in the nose.

Here is Italeri's entry into te AMX market with this nice kit molded in gray styrene and presented on two trees plus oe small tree of clear cockpit transparencies. Among the features and options in this kit:

• Decent cockpit with decals provided for details on instrument faces
• Canopy can be posed open or closed
• Decent nose gear
• Decent main gearbays
• Wing stations must be drilled open to mount pylons
• Intake duct is open to the engine face
• Instructions (sort of) identify which parts are used for the various subversions
• Air refueling probe for the nose

External stores include:

• Litening pod for subject A
• Orpheus recon pod for subjects B-D
• A pair of external tanks
• A pair of laser-guided bombs
• A pair of AIM-9 Sidewiders

The kit provides four markings options:

• AMX ACOL, MM7178, 51-43, ISAF Mission, Herat AB, Afghanistan, 2011
• AMX, MM7196, 32-13, 32 Stormo, Amendota AB, 1997
• AMX Ghibli, MM7165, 51-32, 132 Gruppo/51 Stormo, Coltishall RAFB, 2000
• AMX Ghibli, MM7144, 51-03, 103 Gruppo/51 Stormo, Istrana AB, 2006

This is a new-tool kit from Italeri which does a nice job at representing the various configurations of the AMX in Italian service. Italeri has also released another version of this kit representing the AMX-T two-seat trainer, but so far, no luck finding the Brazilian versions.

Thanks to MRC for the review sample.