vppelt68 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Well, I decided to start my build thread even though I don't intend to start building yet. I've lived in a P-40 vacuum since I built a Revell AVG one in pre-teenage. Now I bought the first kit I found: the Academy E. Thanks to Cookenbacher I know the kits' organic flaws and I think it's a very doable one for my standards. But I won't use the kit decals. And I don't own a single aftermarket set for P-40:s. Edit: I just found out I can use SAAF decals left over from an Airfix Spitfire Vc. No sharkmouth but still in desert scheme. 100% historically correct? No, but good enough for me and I hope for the GB hosts too (please!). V-P EDIT: since I was shown green light and I noticed I have one month less time to finish this than the Macchi in Lesser Built AF GB, I must start this build now! I´ll use the above mentioned Airfix decals for a 2nd sqn SAAF Kittyhawk Ia DBoP. Yes, that´s a "P". V-P Edited April 4, 2015 by vppelt68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Don't see it'll be a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 Started! Here´s the obligatory box, sprue and instructions picture: I see a rather simple and unadventurous build ahead oops, should never say that! Anyway, here´s the adventure part as I should make a No. 2 Sqn SAAF Kittyhawk out of these decals: Yes, an Encore Beaufort kit, Airfix Spitfire Vc and the kit supplied decals are what I have at hand. The Airfix Il-2 decals are my getaway car if I decide to do a generic Soviet plane instead. I´m watching this with interest myself! Thanks to previous builds I knew some obstacles to avoid, i.e. trimming the IP a bit to make it fit. Suddenly I realized I´m doing dryfitting! I´m getting really (too) serious with my builds. That won´t happen again, I promise. But the IP fits nice. Finally, it was time to brush on some Hu 151 before I got to bed. Thanks for watching! V-P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 good start keep it going Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Looking good V-P! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Hi, just a minor update. Actually this, the only picture I took, doesn´t show all the progress made. I have added the tailwheel doors, landing gear doors and the tear shaped part under port wing - wonder what that is? As I got my favourite scale matt black (Hu 67) at hand I painted tires and everything the instructions showed in black with it. There´s a block of plastic cemented behind the cockpit rear wall to help secure fit and bond with the upper back plates in fuselage halves. As I get the radiator interior trimmed to fit inside I can join the fuselage. I like to add elevators/tailplanes/whatever to unjoined fuselagehalves as can be seen. I´m not sure that every detail has been painted in absolutely correct colour, sorry! And no, that´s not preshading... I´m not that serious . Regards, V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Vp you almost sound like it's fun. Go and sit in the corner and think about what you said 😁 seriously nice to see another good build progressing 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 It is fun! I have a few bad ideas that I´ll try with this kit but they shouldn´t ruin the overall experience. About these Kittyhawks, I feel I like them more and more, day by day. V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyverns4 Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 V-P, A belated welcome to the group build and I like your style! This one will certainly be one to watch. Christian the Married and exiled to africa... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Nice work V-P, i think the Academy P-40 is quite nice little kit I did build (well, started, not yet finished... ) two of their "M/N", so i m not sure if it does count for the "E" too, but i had a little problems with the air intake fit into the bottom wing - the air intake was like 0,5mm more wide on both sides. I know it does not sound too bad (trust me, i m not orthodox rivet counter ), but it is noticeable.. So just as an head up A bit of sandpaper and putty and it is gone Oh and the "grill" to the air intake also needed a bit of dry fitting, but i see you are way more advanced in the process then me All in all nice work V-P, cant wait to see it continuing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lloyd Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 If the Academy kit didn't exist we'd be screaming out for it. Keep having fun old bean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Thanks all! Here´s the daily update regarding Mr. Kittyhawk. I know planes are usually referred to as feminines but not if your first name is Curtiss. This picture is a fake! The fuselage has just been taped together to help me line up the cockpit and the IP that are there for good, cemented to just one fuselage half. Otherwise I´d be in trouble trying to insert the radiator intake through its opening... Some work was done underwing. I took more than half off the height of the (what are they?) bulges behind shell ejector chutes. They may still be incorrect. I will finish this without the drop tank but I put the braces on, although they are very much too thick. Last but not least, the gear bays got some "canvas", that´s ordinary household masking tape cut to shape and painted with Hu 72 Khaki drill. Good enough for me! Regards, V-P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 still looking great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Yep looking good that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Your canvas turned out much better than my mine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 And now he's buttoned up! The radiator piece needed good trimming to fit but thanks to your Aleutian Tiger 🐯 build, mr. Cookenbacher, I knew what to expect. This is definitely my first and definitely not my last Academy P-40 😊. Pics later, I'm just on my Lumia now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 I had a busy weekend doing everything else but building mr. Kittyhawk. Well almost that. I do have a can of Hu 157 Azure Blue but that´s one of the "bad" ones from a few years ago so I didn´t want to use it. Checking my other cans of blue paint I found Hu 47 and decided to try it regardless of how incorrect that may be. It´s blue. I´m not that serious, remember :-D. V-P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Nice work looking good Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Looks OK to me when you allow for scale it'll be about right anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) Thanks guys. Spent a while last night trying to correct the Academy canopy height issue. I had already sanded the spineline lower just behind the canopy, not much but it seems I have managed to at least give a hint of curvature to it. Next I sanded close to 2mm away from the windshield base. I also managed to destroy its shape so that I need to use some gap filler when I add the parts together. Then I trimmed the sliding canopy piece height to fit between the windshield and spineline. It think that looks pretty good? The wing to cowling fit seems to need some attention too... I thought that lowering these parts would be a smart move but it was also a stupid move. I should know that trimming height from tapered shapes will also make them narrower. So the windshield is now both narrow and short, and the sliding piece is narrow. Fortunately that piece also grew longer as it was trimmed. I needed to cut about 0,5mm from the forward edge of its recess in the fuselage, which also helped to correct the windshield position forward. So, viewed too close this improvement is not an improvement at all, and I recommend using aftermarket canopy or leftovers from other kits instead . I think this shape looks a bit more like a Kittyhawk now. The picture quality is fortunately very forgiving . See the Hu 47 "Super Enamel" lid? I can´t remember when that can was bought but I´m pretty sure it was opened for the first time last week. As you can see that lid was tight! Likewise, compare the colour of the lid to colour of the model: not that perfect match! I´m trying a method where I first paint the wing halves and then join them, if it needs touchups at seams we´ll see. That´s why there are no upper wing halves present yet. Thanks for watching, V-P Edited March 3, 2015 by vppelt68 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Whoa, that's some complicated surgery VP! It does look more P-40ish to me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Nice job so far. I like where you're going with this. I recently tried a Hasegawa P-40N canopy in place on an Academy M/N model & it was a near perfect fit, especially around the windscreen recess & spine, the N already having the wrong part of the spine cut away so I think you would find the forward part of an earlier P-40 (E-M) canopy would fit your hole, maybe a vac one. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lloyd Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 A correction well worth trying I think. Thanks for attempting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 Alive and kicking . I´ve been busy in 1:1 scale life lately and Mr. Kittyhawk hasn´t progressed too much but fortunately not stalled. The basic camouflage colours (Hu 225, Hu 29 and Hu 47) are brushed on but need retouching. The radiator housing and wing roots need some putty, sanding and then paint. Yes the colour demarcation line will be lower down too. The aerial is also gone and not by accident, but growth of knowledge of the prototype. The spinner is just there to make it look better in this picture. Looks like I need to check the port wingtip... But the next Academy P-40E or M/N kit that I see comes home with me. That´s for sure. I´m happy the hobby shop I bought this from didn´t have the Airfix Tomahawk when I searched for a P-40 for this GB. I like the looks of a Kittyhawk better than a Tomahawk and the Academy kit is in my opinion better than people say. I think most of those people have never built one . V-P 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 That's looking great V-P! I have to say that I really enjoyed building the Academy kit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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