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1/72 Ansaldo A-10 Antonio


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In November, 1934 during a midnight meeting on the next expansion of Grande Italia, Mussolini, Il Duce, got hungry (planning conquests always made him hungry). Finding the kitchen closed at that late hour, his aide ordered food delivered from the only all-night restaurant in Rome, Greg Foo-Yung's House of Chop Suey. Never having tried Chop Suey before, Il Duce was immediately hooked. Soon he was eating it morning, noon and night and proclaiming the wonders of Chop Suey:

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Eventually, Il Duce issued a decree making Chop Suey the national food of Italy:

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There was even a famous conference with Hitler in 1935 where Chop Suey was served:

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Unfortunately, der Führer preferred creme-filled pastries.

Finally, Il Duce changed the markings of the Regia Aeronautica:

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This was all too much for Colonello Dominic Domino, commander of the 20th Sqn. based just outside of Rome. In a fit of pique on the evening of March 11, 1936, "Dom" Domino had the fascist "chop suey" markings on his Ansaldo A-10 Antonio over-painted in more traditional Italian colors and took off to set things right.

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continued...

Bri2k

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Colonello "Dom" Domino flew straight for il Palazzo per le Persone Più Importante di Lei (Palace for People More Important than You), official residence of Il Duce. Using the Antonio's upper wing 20 m.m. cannon to great effect, the Colonello completely destroyed the third floor master bedroom and bath. At the time, Il Duce was "seated on the throne" as often happened after a Chop Suey binge and not even his snow peas survived. After this, "Dom" Domino vented the rest of his rage by strafing Greg Foo-Yung's House of Chop Suey on La strada di Generale Tso.

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Fearing reprisals by the Black-Shirts, the Colonello flew to Sardinia where he boarded an olive oil tanker headed for America, exclaiming "L'America, una terra libera dall'oppressione di Chop Suey! (America, a land free from Chop Suey oppression!)"

Without Il Duce to lead them, the fascists were tossed out of power, replaced by a small-town mayor and oenophile named Italo Bombolini and his Chianti party, known for their slogan, "In vino veritas" (In wine there is truth).

"Dom" Domino went on to open one of the first pizzerias in the U.S. which later grew into the famous Domino's Pizza chain, that to this day does not have Chop Suey on their menu. As for his Ansaldo A-10 Antonio, it was recovered from the Sardinian field where it had been abandoned and is now on display at the Museo di Aviazione in Rome, across the street from Won Hung Lo's Meatball Buffet.

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Bri2k

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This project began with a bunch of parts including a cast-off fuselage from a 1/72 Tony and the wings from a 1/72 KOR-1. The spats were vac-formed by my friend Jeffry Fontaine.

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A good day's work later, it looked like this:

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Decals were from the Italeri CR-42 and a Roundels of the World sheet. Guitar strings were used for the rigging and the model is brush-painted by hand with acrylics. I hope you enjoyed this little "could've-been" and are now aware of the great danger posed by Chop Suey.

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Bri2k

Edited by Bri2k
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