Airfix P40E queries

[johnd]

Hi all! I'm currently away on holiday and have nabbed an Airfix 1/72 P40E starter set from a charity shop at a good price, despite being the old tool. This depicts AK772 (GA-Y). As I'm a Kittyhawk ignoramus, I'd like to ask a few questions...

1. The prop looks quite lacking in diameter - is this the case and if so how big should it be?

2. The instructions show a dark earth spinner but red seems more appropriate for a mid 1942 desert scheme. Was there something different about this individual aircraft?

3. It has Hu96 supplied for the underneath, is this meant to represent Azure Blue or another shade?

TIA,

John.

[Work In Progress]

The spinner should be red.

For some other comments on the kit see this recent thread:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234942672-the-curtiss-p-40e-in-172-whats-the-current-favourite/

[johnd]

Thanks WiP, I was hoping red was the one.

I spotted that thread but there's not much on the Airfix effort. Trouble is, there's no phone signal and patchy WiFi here so surfing is tricky.

[Work In Progress]

The Curtiss Electric prop on the P-40E is 11" in diameter, a bit bigger than you get on an Allison Mustang. Call it (*oops, corrected*) 46 or 47mm diameter in 1/72. They do tend to look small because of the massive spinner. I can't say anything useful about the Airfix kit prop because I don't have the kit.

The subject of the underside colour is one of those religious things that I dare not go near, as is the matching of various model paints to MAP Azure. There's a who separate thread on that somewhere. Personally I will be continuing to use up my Xtracrylics stock.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Work In Progress

[Test Graham]

Yes the underside was meant to be Azure Blue. I understand that Humbrol are to release a new version of Azure Blue, so I think that tells you enough about how right HU96 is - but it was a genuine attempt not just any old tin out of the range.

[johnd]

Thanks for the info, fellas. That's kept the process flowing nicely.

I made the prop diameter 45mm and 11' turns out to be just over 46mm so I've stopped worrying.

I bought ten 6ml tubes of acrylic paint from a pound shop so I'll try mixing some white and ultramarine in with the Hu96. Well, I'm on holiday, it's supposed to be fun...

John.

[stevehnz]

Re the underside colour of GA-Y, I asked this question a couple of years ago & there is some discussion that photos exist that appear to show it with a darker than azure blue underside, perhaps Dark Mediterranean Blue or Deep Sky. In which case Hu96 is in the ball park, at least as close as you'll get from their current range.

Steve.

[Work In Progress]

Can't believe I screwed up my arithmetic above. Edited now to avoid confusing later readers.

[Eric Mc]

I also recently built that old P-40 as a holiday project. It was fun but it is a piece of polystyrene history these days.