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Hello and welcome to my build. I'll be working on Clear Prop's 1/48 scale Hawk H75N. This is a very nice looking kit from the Ukrainian manufacturer that is available in several boxings and I'm both 1/48 and 1/72 scales. The box I have has several options to build Thai and Royal Thai Air Force machines. It comes in one of those two piece boxes with a flip-top sub-lid that seems popular with Ukrainian manufacturers. The box art is quite pretty, and with the orange sides would really make it pop on store shelves, if your local hobby shop is cool enough to import interesting kits. Inside the box you get a kit molded in a fairly hard, but not brittle dark gray plastic, w And featuring very petite surface detail. There is plenty of detail for the engine and cockpit parts. Seperate control surfaces, and a small feet of etched details. The decal sheet looks nice enough, and the markings look thin. We'll see how they perform. Note that I have already glued a few parts together, but I feel I'm well under the 25% threshold. More on that in the next post.
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How about it? A Curtiss GB from the beginning to the end, everything and anything Curtiss?
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Airfix is to release in September 2016 a 1/48th Curtiss P-40B Warhawk kit - ref. A05130 Sources: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/curtiss-p-40b-1-48.html http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/p40b_and_b5n1_Meteor V.P.
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P-40F/L Warhawk ‘Desert Hawks with Merlin’ (SH72493) 1:72 Special Hobby First flying before the outbreak of WWII, the Curtiss Warhawk was a development of the P-36 Hawk, and although it was never the fastest fighter in the sky, it was a sturdy one that took part in the entirety of WWII in American and Allied hands, with large numbers used by Soviet pilots in their battles on the Eastern front. The various marks garnered different names such as Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, so it can get a mite confusing if you're not familiar with the type. It was unable to keep pace with the supercharged Bf.109, but was used to great effect in the Far East and Africa, which may have assisted in the feeling that it was a second-string aircraft of inferior design, when this actually wasn't the case – certainly not to the extent inferred. It was robust, cheap to make, and easy to repair, although its high-altitude performance dropped off somewhat with an Allison engine in front. The early marks were under-armed with just two .50 guns firing through the prop from the top of the engine cowling and a pair of .303s in the wings, but later models benefited from improved armament. The B model was a revision of the initial airframe with lessons learned from early production, self-sealing fuel tanks and armour in critical areas of the airframe, although this extra weight did have an impact on performance. The -D was a partial re-design, eliminating the nose guns, narrowing the fuselage and improving the cockpit layout and canopy. In British service it was known as the Kittyhawk Mk.I, but only a small number were made before the -E replaced it with a more powerful Allison engine, and an extra pair of .50cl machine guns in the wings bringing the total to six, but even that wasn’t sufficient to let it keep up with the opposition. It wasn't until the –F model that the Allison engine was replaced by a license-built Merlin that gave it better high-altitude performance and a sleeker chin. The -K was an Allison engine version with a shorter fuselage, retaining many of the earlier visual cues just to confuse us, known as the Kittyhawk Mk.III in British and Commonwealth service. The Kit This is a rebox of a 2008 tooling from Special Hobby with new parts to depict this variant, and it arrives in a red/white/grey themed top-opening box with a painting of the subject high over a desert landscape. Inside the box are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue that’s separately bagged, a decal sheet, and the A5 portrait instruction booklet printed on glossy paper in colour. Detail is good for the age, with engraved panel lines, raised and recessed details around the airframe and just a wisp of flash here and there. Construction begins with the pilot’s seat with PE four-point belts, mounting it on a frame on the aft bulkhead, gluing it to the cockpit floor with control column, rudder pedals and the front bulkhead, a process that is also shown from the opposite direction so that you can see the location of the optional styrene instrument panel, or the PE alternative that is backed by a sheet of acetate dials that you must paint white at the rear so the dials show through. The sidewall inserts are mated with the cockpit to create a tub, which is then sandwiched between the fuselage halves, along with the chin intake under the prop, adding PE detailing parts into the intake. Moving on to the wings, the full-span lower and separate upper halves are glued together, the ribbing that is moulded into the uppers providing detail in the bays. The elevators are each a single part that affix using the usual slot and tab method, with the rudder moulded into it, although you could quickly cut it away to deflect it if you wish. The main gear struts have separate scissor-links, which you can replace with PE parts if you prefer, and additional bracing legs are inserted as they are glued into the bay, adding doors to each side of the bays, and another smaller door on the inner sides. Two more doors are applied to the tail bay and a single part strut/wheel to complete the undercarriage, adding an insert to the keel under the fuselage behind the trailing edge of the wing. The three-bladed propeller is moulded as a single part that is trapped between a back-plate and spinner, with a short spindle on the back that slides into the hole in the front of the fuselage, inserting the exhaust stubs in the nose, one set per side. You then have a choice of mounting a fuel tank under the belly that is made from two halves plus four two-part braces for the fuel tanks, and has a central attachment lug. More PE actuators are fixed to the top and bottom of the trim tabs on the elevators and rudder, noting the correct location for accuracy. A gunsight is glued into the front of the cockpit, adding the windscreen, and the two side windows into the scalloped sections behind the canopy, followed by the sliding canopy, which can be posed open or closed as you prefer. A PE back-up ring-and-bead sight is fixed to the cowling in front of the windscreen, probably best done after painting, as are the trim-tab actuators, especially if you’re a bit clumsy like me. Markings There are three markings options available on the decal sheet, two US options and an Australian airframe for a bit of diversity. From the box you can build one of the following: P-40F-15-CU Warhawk 41-19745/X8-1 ‘Sweet Bets’, pilot Lt. Charles Jaslow, 87 FS, 79 FG, USAAF, Tunisia, March 1943 Kittyhawk Mk.II FS490/CV-V, No.3 Sqn., RAAF, pilot Sqn.Ldr. Brian Alexander Eaton, DSO & Bar, DFC, Tunisia, 1943 P-40L-5-CU Warhawk 42-10664/44 ‘Lighthouse Louie’, pilot Lt.Col. Gordon Harrison Austin, Mateur, Tunisia, 1943 The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The P-40 is an interesting and often overlooked aircraft that played some important roles in WWII, as evidenced by the number of notable pilots that gained their reputations in this doughty fighter. This is a nicely-detailed kit of a variant with the Rolls-Royce Merlin up front, and has some interesting decal options that make it an appealing prospect. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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P-40K-1/5 Warhawk ‘Short Fuselage’ (SH72379) 1:72 Special Hobby First flying before the outbreak of WWII, the Warhawk was a development of the P-36 Hawk, and although it was never the fastest fighter in the sky, it was a sturdy one that took part in the whole of WWII in American and Allied hands, with large numbers used by Soviet pilots in their battles on the Eastern front. The various marks garnered different names such as Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, so it can get a mite confusing if you're not familiar with the type. It was unable to keep pace with the supercharged Bf.109, but was used to great effect in the Far East and Africa, which may have assisted in the feeling that it was a second-string aircraft of inferior design, when this actually wasn't the case – certainly not to the extent inferred. It was robust, cheap to make, and easy to repair, although its high-altitude performance dropped off somewhat. The early marks were under-armed with just two .50 guns firing through the prop from the top of the engine cowling and a pair of .303s in the wings, but later models benefited from improved armament. The B model was a revision of the initial airframe with lessons learned from early production, self-sealing fuel tanks and armour in critical parts of the airframe, although this extra weight did have an impact on performance. The -D was a partial re-design, eliminating the nose guns, narrowing the fuselage and improving the cockpit layout and canopy. In British service it was known as the Kittyhawk Mk.I, but only a small number were made before the -E replaced it with a more powerful Allison engine, and an extra pair of .50cl machine guns in the wings bringing the total to six, but even that wasn’t sufficient to let it keep up with the opposition. It wasn't until the –F model that the Allison engine was replaced by a license-built Merlin that gave it better high-altitude performance and a sleeker chin. The -K was an Allison engine version with a shorter fuselage, retaining many of the earlier visual cues just to confuse us, known at the Kittyhawk Mk.III in British and Commonwealth service. The Kit This is a rebox of a recent tooling from Special Hobby with new parts to depict this variant, and it arrives in a red/white/grey themed top-opening box with a painting of the subject after a successful engagement with a late mark Bf.109, which is banking away whilst trailing smoke from its engine. Inside the box are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue that’s separately bagged, a tiny bag of two grey resin parts, a wide decal sheet, and the A5 portrait instruction booklet printed on glossy paper in colour. Detail is good, with finely engraved panel lines, raised and recessed details around the airframe and a few spare parts that can stay on the sprues, which are marked with a red X on the sprue diagram. Construction begins with the pilot’s seat, mounting it on a frame, then it is attached to the bulkhead and given a set of four-point decal seatbelts, after which it is set aside for a few steps. The fuselage sides are fitted with sidewall inserts, with sections further forward painted silver as they form part of the air intake pathway, adding the core with three circular intakes inside, and the intake lip in front once the fuselage halves are together. The rear bulkhead with seat and the instrument panel with two decals for the dials are trapped between the two halves of the fuselage as it is closed. A small circular shape on the cockpit side is removed and smoothed over at this stage too. Moving on to the wings, the full-span lower has the perimeter around the bay openings painted, as are the side-walls that are glued in the recesses, and the roof that is moulded into the upper wing half, adding a landing light under the port wing from within. The cockpit floor is moulded into the centre of the upper wing, and that is also painted the same colour, so quite convenient while you have the paint out. The control column and another lever are inserted into the floor, then the wings can be joined to the fuselage, taking care not to knock the stick off as you do so. The elevators are each a single part that affix with the usual slot and tab method, with a separate rudder that can be posed deflected if you wish. The exhaust stubs are supplied as inserts with one per side, and are far too small to drill out unless you have the world’s steadiest hands. The last option involves selecting open or closed cooling gills behind the radiator housing, inserting a pitot probe in the port wingtip, and painting the moulded-in lights on each tip above and below the wing. The main gear struts have an additional bracing leg fixed at the top, then the tripod arrangements are inserted into the sockets in the bay, adding the two doors to each side of the bays, and another two that are linked by a cross-brace in the tail bay and a single part strut/wheel to complete the undercarriage. The three-bladed propeller is moulded as a single part that is trapped between a back-plate and spinner, with a short spindle on the back that slides into the hole in the front of the fuselage. You then have a choice of two loads under the centre of the fuselage, consisting of a fuel tank, or a bomb for ground-attack operations. Each option is made from two halves plus four braces for the fuel tanks, and two for the bomb. Flipping the model over allows the last step to be completed, fitting the coaming and gunsight into the cockpit, adding the windscreen with rear-view mirror, and the two side windows into the scalloped sections behind the canopy, followed by the sliding canopy, which can be posed open or closed as you like it by using a different part for each option. One decal option has a two-part resin D/F loop aerial and fairing added to the spine behind the cockpit, with its location shown during step 6 of the instructions. Markings There are four options available on the decal sheet, three US options having bright personalisations around the nose area, while the other option is a Lend/Lease airframe in Soviet service, replete with red stars. From the box you can build one of the following: P-40K-1 (42-46040) White #13, Pilot 1st Lt. Robert Johnson ‘Jay’ Overcash, 643FS, 57FG, Based at Hani Main, Tunisia, May 1943 P-40K White #23, Lt. Nikolai Federovich Kuznetsov, 436 Fighter Aviation Regiment, 239 IAD, 6 Air Army, Lake Seliger, North Western Front, Winter 1943 P-40K-5 (42-9768) White #255, Maj. Edward ‘Big Ed’ M Nollmeyer, CO of 26FS, 51FG, Kunming, China, December 1943 P-40K, White #15, 25FS, 51FG, Assam Valley, India 1944 The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The P-40 is an interesting and oft overlooked aircraft that played some important roles in WWII, as evidenced by the number of notable pilots that gained their reputation in this doughty fighter. This is a well-detailed kit of a later variant, and has some interesting decal options that make it an appealing prospect. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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P-40 Tomahawk & Kittyhawk in RAF Service – Europe & North Africa Photo Archive Number 24 ISBN: 9781908757388 Wingleader Publications First flying before the outbreak of WWII, the Warhawk was a development of the P-36 Hawk, and although it was never the fastest fighter in the sky, it was a sturdy one that took part in all of WWII in American and Allied hands, with large numbers used by Soviet pilots in their battles on the Eastern front. The various marks garnered different names such as Tomahawk for earlier marks and Kittyhawk later, so it can get a mite confusing if you're not familiar with the type, as can the merging of two types under one mark by those that decided these things. It was unable to keep pace with the supercharged Bf.109, but was used to great effect in the Far East and Africa, which may have assisted in the impression that it was a second-string aircraft of inferior design, when this actually wasn't the case – certainly not to the extent inferred. It was robust, cheap to make, and easy to repair, although its high-altitude performance dropped off somewhat. The early marks were under-armed with just two .50 guns firing through the prop from the top of the engine cowling and a pair of .303s in the wings, but later models benefited from improved armament. The B model was a revision of the initial airframe with lessons learned from early production, self-sealing fuel tanks and armour in critical parts of the airframe, although this extra weight did have an impact on performance. The -D was a partial re-design, eliminating the nose guns, narrowing the fuselage and improving the cockpit layout and canopy. In British service it was known as the Kittyhawk Mk.I, but only a small number were made before the -E replaced it with a more powerful Allison engine, and an extra pair of .50cal machine guns in the wings bringing the total to six, but even that wasn’t sufficient to let it keep up with the opposition. It wasn't until the –F model that the Allison engine was replaced by a license built Merlin that gave it better high altitude performance and a boxy “Lancasteresque” chin. The Kittyhawk Mk.IV was the British name for the -N, which had reverted to Allison engines and had been lightened, had the interior behind the pilot cut away to improve the view over the his shoulder, and had a lengthened rear fuselage to counter the torque of the new more powerful engine. Another weight-saving option on some airframes was the removal of one .50cal per wing, bringing the total back down to four, and although its punch had been weakened a little, the additional speed of up to 380mph improved the aircraft’s chances of getting guns-on behind the enemy. Complaints from aircrew brought back the missing guns for later batches, but the extra power and lightness gave the aircraft the ability to carry a substantial bomb load of up to 2,000lbs spread between wing mounts and a centreline pylon. This twenty-forth volume in the series covers the confusing array of names and nomenclature used in British service for the different P-40 variants that were bought and operated under the lend/lease agreement with America, from the earliest Tomahawks to the Kittyhawks that replaced them from Mk.I to Mk.IV, and the corresponding variants in US service, some of which amalgamated two variants into one in British service, which has sometimes led to the use of Mk.IIIA for example to aid in differentiating their capabilities. Surprisingly, the differences between the different variants were quite notable, including those that were re-engined with Packard-built Merlin engines that saw the distinctive chin intake replaced by one that more closely resembled the engine cowling of a Lancaster, including a large boxy chin intake and deletion of the carburettor intake over the nose. Some of the photos are staged of course, but there are also a large number of candid and air-to-air shots, a few of which are in colour, and some are of battle-damaged aircraft, mostly around the tail, but a few after crash-landing on or near the airfield after a nail-biting return from a mission where they took damage, suffered a mechanical failure or running short on fuel. There are also photos of the mechanics head-first in the guts of the machine, and engaging in grown-up model-making, taking a huge side-opening box that contains a complete 1:1 Kittyhawk, sometimes with actual decals, and excellent detail throughout, although some of the paint work is a little wobbly on occasion. Conclusion A visually impressive book with plenty of reading material into the bargain that will have you coming back to it again and again. I have a few P-40s in the stash, and after reading through this volume, I’m going to have to check my database to make sure I have enough different variants for my needs. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Kittyhawk Mk.IV Over the Mediterranean & Pacific (SH72484) 1:72 Special Hobby First flying before the outbreak of WWII, the Warhawk was a development of the P-36 Hawk, and although it was never the fastest fighter in the sky, it was a sturdy one that took part in the whole of WWII in American and Allied hands, with large numbers used by Soviet pilots in their battles on the Eastern front. The various marks garnered different names such as Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, so it can get a mite confusing if you're not familiar with the type. It was unable to keep pace with the supercharged Bf.109, but was used to great effect in the Far East and Africa, which may have assisted in the feeling that it was a second-string aircraft of inferior design, when this actually wasn't the case – certainly not to the extent inferred. It was robust, cheap to make, and easy to repair, although its high-altitude performance dropped off somewhat. The early marks were under-armed with just two .50 guns firing through the prop from the top of the engine cowling and a pair of .303s in the wings, but later models benefited from improved armament. The B model was a revision of the initial airframe with lessons learned from early production, self-sealing fuel tanks and armour in critical parts of the airframe, although this extra weight did have an impact on performance. The -D was a partial re-design, eliminating the nose guns, narrowing the fuselage and improving the cockpit layout and canopy. In British service it was known as the Kittyhawk Mk.I, but only a small number were made before the -E replaced it with a more powerful Allison engine, and an extra pair of .50cal machine guns in the wings bringing the total to six, but even that wasn’t sufficient to let it keep up with the opposition. It wasn't until the –F model that the Allison engine was replaced by a license built Merlin that gave it better high altitude performance and a sleeker chin. The Kittyhawk Mk.IV was the British name for the -N, which had been lightened, had the interior behind the pilot cut away to improve the view over the his shoulder, and had a lengthened rear fuselage to counter the torque of the new more powerful engine. Another weight-saving option on some airframes was the removal of one .50cal per wing, bringing the total back down to four, and although its punch had been weakened a little, the additional speed of up to 380mph improved the aircraft’s chances of getting guns-on behind the enemy. The Kit This is a rebox of a recent tooling from Special Hobby with new parts to depict this variant, and it arrives in a red/white/grey themed top-opening box with a painting of the subject flying over jungle terrain with his wingman. Inside the box are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue that’s separately bagged, decal sheet in another resealable bag, and the A5 portrait instruction booklet printed on satin paper in colour. Detail is good, with finely engraved panel lines, raised and recessed details around the airframe and a few spare parts that can stay on the sprues, which are marked with a red X on the sprue diagram. Construction begins with the pilot’s seat, which is mounted on an armoured panel with headrest, then attached to the bulkhead and given a set of four-point seatbelts from the decal sheet, after which it is set aside for a few steps. The fuselage sides are fitted with sidewall inserts, with sections further forward under the nose painted silver as they form part of the intake pathway, adding the core with three circular intakes inside, and the intake lip in front once the fuselage halves are together. The rear bulkhead with seat and the instrument panel with two decals for the dials are trapped between the two halves of the fuselage as it is closed, and a small circular shape on the cockpit side is removed and smoothed over at this stage too. Moving on to the wings, the full-span lower has the perimeter around the bay openings painted interior green, as are the side-walls that are glued in the recesses, and the roof that is moulded into the upper wing. The cockpit floor is moulded into the centre of the one-piece upper wing, and that is also painted the same colour, so quite convenient while you have the paint out. The control column and another lever are inserted into holes in the floor, then the wings can be joined to the fuselage whilst adding a landing light into the port lower wing from inside, taking care not to ping the stick off as you do so. The elevators are each a single parts that affix with the usual slot and tab method, plus a separate rudder that can be posed deflected if you wish. The exhaust stubs are supplied as a single insert per side, and are too small to drill out unless you have the world’s steadiest hands. Under the wing a pitot probe is inserted in the port wingtip, selecting open or closed cooling gills behind the chin intake by using one of two parts. The main gear struts have an additional bracing leg fixed at the top, then the tripod arrangement is inserted into the sockets in the bay, adding the two doors to each side of the bays, and another two with a cross-brace in the tail bay and a single part strut/wheel to complete the undercarriage. The three-bladed prop is moulded as a single part and is bracketed by the spinner and back-plate that slots into a hole in the nose, masking and painting the tips later. You then have a choice of three loads under the centre of the fuselage, consisting of two types of fuel tank, or a bomb for ground-attack operations. Each option is made from two halves plus four braces for the fuel tanks, and two for the bomb. Flipping the model over allows the last step to be completed, fitting the coaming and clear gunsight into the cockpit, adding the windscreen and the fixed rear portion behind the canopy, then a choice of two clear canopy parts which can be posed open or closed, as part H2 is moulded slightly wider. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, wearing very different schemes to add variety, and from the box you can build one of the following: Kittyhawk Mk.IV (USAAF S/n.42-106386) A29-575, HU-E, No.78 Sqn., RAAF Morotai, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), early 1945 Kittyhawk Mk.IV (USAAF S/n.43-23933) FX835, OK-D, No.450 (RAAF) Sqn., RAF, Italy, June to November 1944 The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The P-40 is an interesting aircraft, and played some important parts in WWII, as evidenced by the number of notable pilots that gained their reputation in this doughty fighter. This is a well-detailed kit of a British(ish) variant, and has two interesting decal options that make it an appealing prospect. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Can't keep a good GB builder down. at least for long. Today offering is Czech Models 1/48 S03C Seamew. A plane so bad the Navy scrapped it shortly after it entered fleet service and went back to the venerable OS2U Kingfisher, a 30's relic, until it could come up with something better. Having said that, let's what we've got to work with. Since this is a Czech Models kit, I'll probably have to fabricate a bit on some stuff. so Let the fun begin..... once more, ... with feeling.
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P-40D Warhawk/Kittyhawk Mk.I ‘Four Guns’ (SH72367) 1:72 Special Hobby First flying before the outbreak of WWII, the Warhawk was a development of the P-36 Hawk, and although it was never the fastest fighter in the sky, it was a sturdy one that took part in the whole of WWII in American and Allied hands, with large numbers used by Soviet pilots in their battles on the Eastern front. The various marks garnered different names such as Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, so it can get a mite confusing if you're not familiar with the type. It was unable to keep pace with the supercharged Bf.109, but was used to great effect in the Far East and Africa, which may have assisted in the feeling that it was a second-string aircraft of inferior design, when this actually wasn't the case – certainly not to the extent inferred. It was robust, cheap to make, and easy to repair, although its high-altitude performance dropped off somewhat. The early marks were under-armed with just two .50 guns firing through the prop from the top of the engine cowling and a pair of .303s in the wings, but later models benefited from improved armament. The B model was a revision of the initial airframe with lessons learned from early production, self-sealing fuel tanks and armour in critical parts of the airframe, although this extra weight did have an impact on performance. The -D was a partial re-design, eliminating the nose guns, narrowing the fuselage and improving the cockpit layout and canopy. In British service it was known as the Kittyhawk Mk.I, but only a small number were made before the -E replaced it with a more powerful Allison engine, and an extra pair of .50cl machine guns in the wings bringing the total to six, but even that wasn’t sufficient to let it keep up with the opposition. It wasn't until the –F model that the Allison engine was replaced by a license built Merlin that gave it better high altitude performance and a sleeker chin. The Kit This is a rebox of a recent tooling from Special Hobby with new parts to depict this variant, and it arrives in a red/white/grey themed top-opening box with a painting of the subject after a brief but successful tangle with an Italian Macchi that has since developed a smoking habit. Inside the box are two sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue that’s separately bagged, a tiny bag of two 3D printed parts, decal sheet with a small fret of PE in the same bag, and the A5 portrait instruction booklet printed on glossy paper in colour. Detail is good, with finely engraved panel lines, raised and recessed details around the airframe and a few spare parts that can stay on the sprues, which are marked with a red X on the sprue diagram. Construction begins with the pilot’s seat, which is mounted on a frame, then attached to the bulkhead and given a set of four-point decal seatbelts, after which it is set aside for a few steps. The fuselage sides are fitted with sidewall inserts, with sections further forward painted silver as they form part of the intake pathway, adding the core with three circular intakes inside, and the intake lip in front once the fuselage halves are together. The rear bulkhead with seat and the instrument panel with two decals for the dials are trapped between the two halves of the fuselage as it is closed, and for one decal option, the intake on the top of the cowling is shortened and the resultant hole should be filled with styrene strip or your filler of choice. A small triangular shape on the cockpit side is removed and smoothed over at this stage too. Moving on to the wings, the full-span lower has the perimeter around the bay openings painted, as are the side-walls that are glued in the recesses, and the roof that is moulded into the upper wing half. The cockpit floor is moulded into the centre of the upper wing, and that is also painted the same colour, so quite convenient while you have the paint out. The control column and another lever are inserted into the floor, then the wings can be joined to the fuselage, taking care not to ping the stick off as you do so. The wing-mounted machine guns will need some adjustment to correctly match the guns carried by the decal options, with three scrap diagrams showing the mixture of removal and/or addition that you will need to carry out for accuracy’s sake. The PE sheet will also see some action at this stage too, as it is used in the removal and reinstatement of a panel line in a different place to extend the gun bay panel lines. The elevators are each a single part that affix with the usual slot and tab method, with a separate rudder that can be posed deflected if you wish. The exhaust stubs are supplied as three paired inserts per side, and are far too small to drill out unless you have the world’s steadiest hands. There is more adjustment needed under the wing, filling the panel lines and spent brass chutes marked in red, and using another side of the template to scribe new panel lines as marked in blue. A raised section behind the ejection ports is sanded away and replaced by the 3D printed parts, but the adaptations don’t end there. There is a choice of two styles of pitot probe, the kit part used for just one, the other three requiring some alteration of the part. The end is cut away and a new L-shaped section is fabricated according to the measurements given in the scrap diagram, with all options inserted into the port wingtip. The last option is straight forward and involves selecting open or closed cooling gills behind the radiator housing. The main gear struts have an additional bracing leg fixed at the top, then the tripod arrangement is inserted into the sockets in the bay, adding the two doors to each side of the bays, and another two with a cross-brace in the tail bay and a single part strut/wheel to complete the undercarriage. You then have a choice of three loads under the centre of the fuselage, consisting of two types of fuel tank, or a bomb for ground-attack operations. Each option is made from two halves plus four braces for the fuel tanks, and two for the bomb. Flipping the model over allows the last step to be completed, fitting the coaming and gunsight into the cockpit and adding the windscreen with optional rear-view mirror, and the two side windows into the scalloped sections behind the canopy, which can be posed open or closed as you like it. Markings There are four options available on the decal sheet, two of which are British desert standard schemes, the other two are out of the ordinary. From the box you can build one of the following: Kittyhawk Mk.I AK578/GA-V, No.112 Sqn. RAF, North Africa, January 1942 Kittyhawk Mk.I AK51/CV-J, No.3 Sqn. RAF, North Africa, January 1942 P-40D Warhawk, Captured by the Japanese Army at Malaybalay base, Mindanao Island, Philippines, 1942 P-40D Warhawk, 79th Pursuit Sqn., 20th Pursuit Group, Hamilton Field, USA, Autumn 1941 in temporary wargames markings. The decals appear to be printed by the same process that Eduard use, and are in good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. I mention Eduard because from 2021, the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The P-40 is an interesting aircraft, and played some important parts in WWII, as evidenced by the number of notable pilots that gained their reputation in this doughty fighter. This is a well-detailed kit of a short-lived variant, and has some interesting decal options that make it an appealing prospect, bearing in mind that for improved accuracy, you’ll need to make a few minor amendments to the plastic. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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This is an idea I've been kicking around a while, and this seems a good opportunity to take a shot at it. The original P-6 resembled the eventual P-6E only in the way all Curtiss Hawk biplane fighters had major components in common. Everything from the original P-1 pursuit to the final Hawk III export fighter shared a common basic structure. A variety of engines, both vee and radial were employed. The basic girder structure of the fuselage did not change as it was variously fleshed out with stringers. Undercarriage arrangements varied, little variations in the tail assembly were rung. The wing structure remained the same (with the disastrous exception of the 'metallized' BF2C) throughout.. Here's a couple of pictures of the original P-6: The P-6D was basically this machine, fitted with an early turbo-charger: So, I'll be starting out with this: I will need to scratch a fuselage, and details, but wings and tail will certainly be from the kit....
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This is a marker, I can't get started on this till next weekend. Still.... The three 'yellow wings' Monogram kits are among the best vintage kits ever made. This 'Goshawk' must be a contender for some 'shortest service life' distinction, as within a few months it was modified into the BFC-2. I expect to detail this a bit, but won't be directly using the Starfighter resin. Metalwork on this should be lacquered aluminum, not grey. Recently Mr. Dana Bell discovered a letter from the Navy to Curtiss saying that since the change would go into effect soon, the company should just use the new finish on these.
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Having watched the entertaining Top Gun [not Gear] Maverick last week (and going to see it again tomorrow!) its time to consider an earlier Hollywood blockbuster about the US Navy. DIVE BOMBER - watch as Errol Flynn smokes, dive bombs, smokes, crashes, smokes, dive bombs and smokes again. But seriously another great and entertaining movie, with colourful biplanes plunging through the air! Okay from memory the biplanes are fairly transitory as it was the change to monoplanes, and the USN repainted or provided older colour scheme "Golden Wings" aircraft to help with continuity. See the trailer here! The USN was a big proponent of dive bombing as the only way to accurately deliver a killer aerial blow on a moving naval target. Ernst Udet whilst in the US saw demonstrations and enthused the early Luftwaffe with the technique. The Curtiss SBC-4 was the final incarnation of the Navy biplane dive bomber, subsequent aircraft would be monoplanes. I picked up this kit at a show, somewhere along its previous 30+ odd years it had lost the front windscreen - though unlike many secondhand kits it still had the stand, is there a black market in purloined stands? Never fear, after an appeal on here @Marklo kindly posted me one of his vacforms to save the day! Why so late starting? I am trying to do one kit at a time but completing my latest one-a-month 370z kit had dragged out for three months, so will I make it? I have this week off so there's a good chance by Sunday. Here's the parts prepared: Subsequently I have drilled for rigging (likely Prym elastic thread, I am not mad enough to do double wires at 1/72 though) and primed. Tonight I plan to paint the interior and can then assemble the fuselage. Cheers Will
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Hi, I have to confess, that I have not heard about this machine until I saw Pavla kit in a model shop.... This is Curtiss observation airplane, O-52 Owl. One can read more about this US countrpartner to Lysander on wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_O-52_Owl. So, 203 were build, out of that number some about 20 were flying in Soviet army within a Lend-Lease project. Markings are taken from profile in wing palette web page, presents airplane belonging to 42nd OKAE (Independend Observation Squadron) 7th (Soviet) Air Army bsed near Segezha in May 1943. Comments welcome Regards Jerzy-Wojtek
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Whilst starting into my Matchbox Bipe Triple build, I also concluded that it was time I finally finished up the last few details on a few other kits. One of them is the Airfix 1/72 P-40B, finished as a P-40C operating in the Panama Canal Zone, as seen below. Most of you will already know this, but the Airfix kit builds reasonably well. My biggest gripe with it is attaching the intakes on the nose of the fuselage, as I have yet to pull off doing so without also needing some filler. In any case, I think that my final result is acceptable. Next up will either be a Swedish Avro 504K or a Chinese Gladiator 1. Additionally, I have finally returned to armor modelling after picking up a UMMT 1/72 T1 Combat Car, which should be up in WIP soon. Thanks all, Stay safe, Tweener
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Good day! Recently, I was approached by a man with a request to paint his model. In addition to painting, it also had to be finalized. After almost complete disassembly of the model, improvements were made. Modified the cockpit, drilled machine guns, exhaust pipes. All identification marks, serial number and mouth are completely handmade paint mask. Prototype Complete model Azure blue - AKAN Dark earth - Gunze Middle stone - Tamiya Dull Red - AK Real Colour Roundal blue - AKAN Yellow - AKAN White - RealColour Interiour green - AKAN Lacquer - Alcad II Wash - AK
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Curtiss P-40B Warhawk (A01003B) 1:72 Airfix The Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2, known in US Army Air Corps service as the P-40B Warhawk and in RAF service as the Tomahawk Mk. IIA, was a single seat fighter based on the radial engined P-36 Hawk and first flown in 1938. The P-40 series went on to be amongst the most produced US fighters of the war, with more than 13,000 rolling off the production line. A popular aircraft with its pilots, the P-40 earned a reputation as a manoeuvrable yet tough aircraft. The Kit This was a new tool for Airfix back in 2011. The kits 47 parts are split across 2 light grey sprues and one small transparent sprue. The quality of the mouldings looks very nice indeed; as you would expect from a newer tool there is no flash present and there are no sink marks. The panel lines are crisply rendered and, although they are quite deeply engraved, they are certainly not too broad or ‘trench like’ and I imagine the majority of modellers will be very satisfied with them. The surface of the plastic is also smooth and glossy as opposed to the slightly textured finish that has featured on some recent kits from Airfix. From the layout of the sprues it would appear that slide mould technology has been used to create the hollow intake on top of the engine cowling too. Cockpit detail is comprised of a floor, instrument panel, seat and control column. The instrument panel is devoid of raised detail as a decal is provided to represent the instruments instead. The cockpit sidewalls feature convincing detail, the majority of which is embossed into the sides of the fuselage rather than standing proud. The lower wing is moulded in one piece and the main gear wheel wells are moulded with convincing depth and detail. Two different main gear wheels are provided – a pair of nicely weighted wheels for the undercarriage down option and a pair of thinned wheels for the undercarriage up version. The tail wheel is moulded in one piece and the fabric cover for its bay is very nicely represented. Two types of radiator flaps are provided, giving the modeller the choice to pose them open or closed. The tail planes are perhaps the one area of the kit where the panel lines are too pronounced, but by happy coincidence this would be the easiest area to rectify should you so wish. The rudder is moulded separately to the tail and can be posed in a deflected position – a nice touch for a relatively simple series one kit. The exhausts are moulded separately to the fuselage and can be dropped in at the end of the build, which will make painting these parts much easier. The transparent parts are beautifully thin and clear, so much so that it’s a shame that the sliding canopy is moulded in one piece with the windscreen as it can’t be posed open without some surgery. Decals A small decal sheet from Cartograf (so you know the quality is there) provides decals for aircraft only. 284 from the 6th Pursuit Sqn, 18th Pursuit Group Wheeler Field, Hawaii December 7th 1941 Conclusion As with other recent releases from Airfix, this is a great looking kit that features nice details and a host of clever little touches. If the fit and engineering of this kit is up to the same standard as their other recent kits then this will be a very buildable little model indeed. This kit can be firmly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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Mikromir is to release a 1/48th Curtiss Robin kit - ref. Source: https://www.facebook.com/mikro.mir.dnepr/posts/3084263231651392 3D renders V.P.
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Here is the Aeroplast Mi-2 which is my last completion. I have to start out and say overall the kit is great but there are a couple odd things about it, namely that there are no real clues to any colors. The instructions are great with that exception. They have a very nice table with colors at the front of the instructions but no further references to this. The other falt I have is that there are no decals for the instruments and no raised detail on them if you chose to paint them. Given that the decals for the kit are great and you have a large number of options this one addition would have been great. Otherwise a great kit and a great addition to any helicopter collection. This particular chopper flew out of Krakow, Poland in the late 1990's. The reason I did this version is I believe all the Mi-2's were built under contract in Poland so it had to be Polish and I have been to Krakow and it is one of my favorite cities, just a lovely place to go. And I thought I would include a couple shots to see the relative size: in 1/48 is the Special Hobby Mi-1, the Aeroplast Mi-2 (these two are virtually the same size) and the Monogram Mi-24. It is astonishing how large the Mi-24 is .
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Here is another one of my lockdown builds, which now that I have taken pictures I realize I need to add the wires from the end of the wings to the antenna mast. No model is ever perfect so it is probably not the only mistake that I have made but at least it is something I can easily add after the fact. The kit itself was somewhat of a struggle as the resin wheels were of no use and did not fit and it was difficult to determine part locations. I used Testor 1110 enamel paint in the little square bottles for the blue as I could not find anything else that seemed closer to the color. This particular aircraft was flying out of Wheeler Field in Hawaii in 1937. Thanks for taking a look!
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Kit - Airfix Paint - All enamels & AML vinyl camouflage masks. Decals - Academy, Kits World 48058, Kit & spares. Extras - None Curtiss Warhawk 81A-2 Sq. Ldr. John Van Kuren Newkirk 2nd Pursuit Squadron (Panda Bears) American Volunteer Group Burma, early 1942 One of those subjects that I've wanted in the cabinet for so long. When Airfix brought this kit out - like the B-25 - I ordered it directly and may have been one of the first folks here in NZ to get my dirty paws on it. Long-story short, it wasn't an easy build, all the locating tabs and pins needed to be removed from the wings in order to get a proper-looking dihedral, and even now I think it's too shallow, there was also a fair amount of chamfering needed where the root meets the top of the wing. No matter it's all done now and I'm really pleased with it. I found the AML camouflage masks by accident in the Hannants catalogue and bought them without hesitation - d*mn glad I did, because getting the Curtiss factory applied pattern would have been quite tricky. If you haven't tried them for your more complicated camo patterns, I'd say give them a go, they worked great for me - your experience however, may differ. Also first time using Kits World decals... won't be the last, they are superb, reminded me very much of the much-missed Eagle Strike sheets in the way they performed, clarity, register etc. Not much else to say, other than the wing-fit issues, it's a delight, cannot see me doing another 'Curtiss', but along with the (already built) Defiant, Hurricane and Mk.V Spit, this is a superb addition to the Airfix 1:48 range, looking forward to the next one, (don't tell Frau, but I bought the (early) P-51D this morning aswell). Next from me will be a (very) 'Old Skool' Airfix build, which has already consumed more filler and sheets of wet'n dry than my last six builds combined. Best from NZ, AFN Ian.
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Old Heller model, well known to all of you. But nothing is thrown at me but everything is made. They said only aftermarket. Here's the picture.
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Hello All, I'm new here. I hope that this is a reasonable topic for this forum. I'm working on a 3d-printable model of a classic aeroengine--basically an (intermittently) working prototype from the early history of aircraft. This is the Curtiss No. 3, which famously powered Silver Dart, Cygnet II, and various other experimental craft created of the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) that included Alexander Graham Bell, Glenn Curtiss, and others. The engine first ran on 23 October, 1908 and was used by the AEA through at least February 1909. It was later used in a small fishing boat in Nova Scotia, which sank. The engine was later recovered and now sits in a display case at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM) in Ottawa. The good people at CASM made a scan of it for me a month or two ago. I've been using that scan as the basis for a printable model. Here's a rough 1/8 version FDM printed version in primer: Here's a 1/25 version in UV-cured resin that I've painted up:
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The well known and loved by all Special Hobby's kit is well worth the manufacturer's brand. Special in every aspect: quality of the molds, fit, level of details, accuracy. And isn't our hobby (inter alia) a struggle against the efforts of producers, how to do something wrong, if it could be good. So everything is all right. If you are interested in details and have strong nerves, please look for the workshop thread. The construction process was marked by numerous problems, caused by myself. First the fuselage broke twice where it was connected to the engine cowling, then after assembling the airframe and painting, I dropped it on the desk and the instrument panel inside fell off ... reinstalling it perfectly did not succeed, poor access, but I didn't want to make such a large step back and brake the fuselage into halves. Decals were too transparent, had to overpaint them. I broke one leg of the landing gear, lost one gear leg cover (the one in the front of the gear nacelle, finally I made them both of an aluminium sheet obtained from a tin of Felix peanuts), I lost the fuel filler cap too, replaced with a scratch-built one. At the end I unfortunately grabbed it with dirty fingers and the marks had to be removed ... But finally, here it is. Here it is and it proves that even with medium abilities and skills in the use of putty and file, this model can be put together. And this is probably the most important thing. Few things added: rivets, missing panel lines, modification of armament in the wings, antenna mountings on the wings, vertical stabilizer and fuselage, 0.2 mm Uschi van der Rosten antenna cables with insulators made of hygienic stick stretched over fire (does anyone use them for any other purpose, btw?), wheel well covers from CMK resin, barrels from Master. The rest - straight from the box. Painted with MRP Paints. Colors according to the AJ-Press monograph: old leaves - early US Olive Drab, young leaves - early US Medium Green, underside of wings and horizontal fins painted silver, with upper surface color over the leading edge. In combination with the orange markings (Dutch Decals DDS003 R.Netherlands East Indies Air Force) - it looks very nice and different, I think. Hope you like it :). Best regards and Happy New Year! Hubert
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LukGraph is to release in 2019 1/32nd - ref. 32-16 - Curtiss F6C-1 U.S. Navy Fighter - http://www.lukgraph.pl/?p=1182 - ref. 32-17 - Curtiss F6C-2/3 U.S. Navy Float - http://www.lukgraph.pl/?p=1185 - ref. 32-20 - Curtiss F6C-3 float - http://www.lukgraph.pl/?p=1219 - ref. 32-21 - Curtiss F6C-4 US Marine Corps - https://www.lukgraph.pl/?p=1333 Also sources: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2135392270108168 https://www.facebook.com/lukgraph/posts/2020420451374642 V.P.
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French H75C-1, has been restored to flying condition by The Fighter Collection at Duxford, United Kingdom. It is flown in French camouflage with markings on either side, for the same example (n°82) at two different periods in its career. Pics by Mark Mills Pics by Martin Lawrence