Airfix Curtiss Hawk 81 - quick look in the box

[John]

Lightning fast service, as usual, from Hornby's online shop!

Remember that its late afternoon here and the parts were photographed in my kitchen with the sun getting low in the sky, so the light is coming at an angle

from the top of the sprue pics.

Just thought I'd mention it.

John

[Moofles]

ah crap...another kit i need to buy, looks ace.

[John]

I suspect we'll be seeing it in a range of boxings. A Pearl Harbor version will be released as a Dogfight Double with the new Zero, and we're bound to see an RAF version with maybe desert and Army Co-operation markings?

John

[occa]

Is it just me or are the panel lines are actually a bit finer with this?

Edited September 16, 2011 by occa

[keefr22]

Is it a trick of the light, or are parts of the transparencies 'smoked'? (I suspect the former....!!)

Keef

[Derwentsider]

That looks like six quid well spent.It would be rude not to,especially with those markings.

[Dave Fleming]

Most noticable thing missing is the machine gun bay access bay panels on the upper wing

[John]

I don't know a great deal about the AVG, but I'm surprised at how pale the blue in the national marking is.

John

[MANDRAKE68]

Looks the part to me!! I have already ordered two of these!

[Old Man]

I don't know a great deal about the AVG, but I'm surprised at how pale the blue in the national marking is.

John

It is actually a bit too light, Sir. According to Mr.Millman, this is the proper range:

But manufacturers often get the color wrong. On one hand, people over-estimate the fading, and on the other, the K.M.T. often referred to the sun on blue as representing 'the sun in the sky',which may have led some to infer a sky blue in the absence of other information.

[rotorheadtx]

Somebody please, please, tell me this doesn't have some weird dimensional goof-up like their MiG-15!

It looks absolutely gorgeous, and I think my other Chinese-made kits now have a solid date with the bin...

Cannot wait for them to get to the shops here in the States!

[Prop Duster]

The decal color aside, looks to be a great kit thanks for sharing

mumbling to self

Now I have to go out and buy another P40

[Nick Millman]

The colour chips posted by Old Man might benefit from the context that originally accompanied them:-

Although not defined by Nationalist law the colour was almost always represented in flags and markings as a dark to mid-toned blue with no "sky blue" or turquoise character whatsoever. The 'Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives' identifies the blue as being Pantone 301c (shown above), whilst Ian K Baker, drawing on the hand-painted colour chips of AVG researcher Terrill Clements, describes it as close to FS *5102, but slightly lighter, when new and reasonably close to *5177 when faded. The closest FS value to Pantone 301c is 25095 @ 1.87 and Munsell 5 PB 3/10 at 2.95.

All these colours seem a little bright and light to me. I have seen Kuomintang flags and commemoratives with a much darker blue than this, almost like a dark navy blue. There is no doubt that the blue paint faded badly with UV exposure but it tended towards a greyish blue rather than a turquoise or "sky blue". Very few decal sheets seem to get these colours right and a generic sheet of accurately coloured Chinese Air Force stars would be very welcome as there are so many diverse and interesting types of aircraft which they could be applied to.

[John]

My comment about the colour of the markings wasn't a criticism, just an observation. I suspect my take on the colour is probably influenced by the more modern version of the marking, which seems to be generally darker.

The last kit I actually built with Nationalist Chinese markings was a FROG P-38!

John

[Hypnobear]

Looks nice but its the Zero that Im eagerly waiting for

[Don McIntyre]

I would have thought 112 Squadron would have been the obvious choice if they wanted to do a "shark mouth."

[Test Graham]

Airfix already have a 112 Sq sharkmouth in their range - the Flying Tigers are rather better known worldwide than 112 Sq, and more closely associated with the early P-40. So that's three good reasons, but it is somewhat surprising that they are restricting themselves to a single subject for the markings.

[thx6667]

Series 1 kits tend to only have single markings now. 112 Sqn version is down in catalogue as being A55101 starter set, A50127 is the Pearl Harbor Dogfight Double with USAAC markings.

Edited September 16, 2011 by Jonathan Mock

[Dave Fleming]

Got one today - this is a step up from previous Airfix kits - I'll post in the other thread

[Kev1n]

.....we're bound to see an RAF version....

John

yesssssssssss

[Old Man]

My comment about the colour of the markings wasn't a criticism, just an observation. I suspect my take on the colour is probably influenced by the more modern version of the marking, which seems to be generally darker.

The last kit I actually built with Nationalist Chinese markings was a FROG P-38!

John

My posting of those chips, Sir, was certainly not meant to discourage people from buying the kit.The mistake is very common, and as someone with an abiding interest in Nationalist Chinese aircraft and operations up to the end of their civil war, I am always happy to see a model out with Chinese markings in any guise. Wider interest is the only way to get any increase in accuracy....

[Max Headroom]

Are those weighted wheels I see?

Trevor

[Dave Fleming]

Are those weighted wheels I see?

Trevor

yes

Interesting technique for the cockpit side wall detail - it's indented rather than raised ribs.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Dave Fleming

[James Venables]

yes

Interesting technique for the cockpit side wall detail - it's indented rather than raised ribs.

Huh? My eyes don't see that - the ribs and other detail looks raised to me.

[Work In Progress]

Huh? My eyes don't see that - the ribs and other detail looks raised to me.

However, that is what they've done.

Easier to see on Jonathan's picture here:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.p...st&p=856863