Although being presented in January, the 312 B2 debuted only at the third round in Monaco, followed by the Dutch Grand Prix success for Ickx. However the B2 suffered with handling problems: the combination of the innovative rear suspension and the new Firestone tyres gave severe vibrations when driven close to the limit. Ferrari ultimately came second in the Constructors Championship, as Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell dominated the season.

In 1972 Ferrari fielded a revised B2 with a more conventional rear suspension, but could not keep up with the progress of the competition, dropping to fourth at the end of the year. Ickx won the 1972 German Grand Prix at his favorite track, the Nürburgring, but this was to be his last GP win. The sports cars season was a success for Ferrari though, with the Ferrari 312PB based on the F1 car.

This particular kit is one of many FDS kits I bought in the mid-1980s. Over the years I have built several and can tell you that they are not difficult to build. Perhaps not as detailed as modern resin multimedia kits of today, but still well worth seeking as they look nice on the shelf.

In line with other FDS kits, this one has a full upper body with a flat underside section. Some of these sorts of kits screw together, but not FDS. One is supplied with a rear wing section, front and rear suspension compnents, a rear view mirror, engine section, chrome wheels, nice tires (which I think are supposed to be vinyl, but these seem pretty hard), along with inserts. The velocity stack/cylinder head pieces are also chrome. The wire is for the rear suspension support pieces. A vacuformed windscreen completes the kit.

Instructions are an exploded diagram with basic painting information in several languages. I am not sure just which race this is supposed to be for, but you get names for three drivers so it allows one to do some research. The decal sheet has yellowed over the years so I am hoping that the place from whence I got the replacement decals for an earlier Ferrari 156/85 build will have them for this kit as well. While I'm sure they will work well enough even after all these years, it would be best to have fresh ones.

Now for a bit of a problem. The box states it is a 312B1. The kit is a 312B2. Fortunately, the decals are for both though the instructions are for a 312B1. The main differences between the two can be seen by the enclosed fairing leading up to the rear wing and the somewhat flattened and wedge shape of the body.

Despite what is probably a factory glitch in terms of the difference in type of kit and decals, there are more than enough images out there to allow one to build this kit as the rather unsuccessful 312B2 Ferrari.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_312B

August 2016

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