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General consensus on available 1/72 P-40 kits?


Rabbit Leader

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All,

This question has probably been asked many times before, however I cannot seem to locate a recent thread that will answer my query (Happy to be re-directed if one is out there).

So from all the current 1/72 P-40 Kittyhawk kits out there, which manufactuers produce the most accurate shaped P-40 E/M & N kits?

I've collected duplicate copies of both the Academy P-40E & P-40M/N kits over the years, however now that I've purchased the excellent DK decals sheet and getting stuck into the research side of things, it would appear that these nicely moulded kits are perhaps not as accurate (shapewise) as they should be.

I'm not too concerned over cockpit detail, so am happy to trade this for something that looks correct. I'm also keen to build more that one of each type, so do not want to really spend GBP15-20 (AUD30-40) for each kit.

Perhaps I'll answer my own query and suggest that the good old Hasegawa kits are still the best available, however is there anything else out there on the market (price-wise that can compete with these old kits?

Thanks for reading and/or answering my query.

Cheers .. Dave

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IMHO the Hasegawa are quite good - some of the moulds are getting old but otherwise that's all. The Academy kits mimic the layout of the Hasegawa kits but have inaccurate clear parts (canopies too deep and high) and bulbous spinners. If it was restricted to a choice between the two I'd go for Hasegawa.

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For build, the Academy kit is really fun, but it is not very accurate. I attempted to fix the kit with an AZ/Legato canopy, Quickboost spinner, and by reshaping the spine here. In my opinion, it's an improvement, but still doesn't look right compared to other kits. I think you're probably best off with the Hasegawa kit. The AZ/Legato kit also just looks right to me on the shelf, but it is kind of a pain to build.

Procopius built just about every 1/72 P-40 on the market in one go, here.

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Still Hasegawa for me too, although Revell's classic P-40E should be built out of the box by anyone contemplating a P-40 collection. It might be old and crude but the Spirit of the Warhawk breathes within it.

To slightly hi-jack the thread how do the Sword and AZ/Legato P-40s compare in terms of their buildability - not their accuracy but just how they go together?

Nick

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To slightly hi-jack the thread how do the Sword and Legato P-40s compare in terms of their buildability - not their accuracy but just how they go together?

The Sword kits are easy to build with no issues that I found. I have the Legato kit in The Stash. It looks very similar to the Sword kits and I don't foresee any problems.

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This question has probably been asked many times before, however I cannot seem to locate a recent thread that will answer my query (Happy to be re-directed if one is out there).

So from all the current 1/72 P-40 Kittyhawk kits out there, which manufactuers produce the most accurate shaped P-40 E/M & N kits?

I've collected duplicate copies of both the Academy P-40E & P-40M/N kits over the years, however now that I've purchased the excellent DK decals sheet and getting stuck into the research side of things, it would appear that these nicely moulded kits are perhaps not as accurate (shapewise) as they should be.

I'm not too concerned over cockpit detail, so am happy to trade this for something that looks correct. I'm also keen to build more that one of each type, so do not want to really spend GBP15-20 (AUD30-40) for each kit.

Perhaps I'll answer my own query and suggest that the good old Hasegawa kits are still the best available, however is there anything else out there on the market (price-wise that can compete with these old kits?

Thanks for reading and/or answering my query.

Cheers .. Dave

The AZ kits are fine for P40E ,Sword do double boxings of the P40K-1/5 and Kittyhawk MKIII( a late MKI being one of the options ) and a long Fuselage P40K-10/15 The Hasegawa Kits are still OK and at the moment the P40N is readily available on Ebay

Cheers

Terry McGrady

Edited by Terry McGrady
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To all respondents ..

Firstly thank you all for taking the time to respond and posting the various links, they are all very helpful.

I'll keep digging a little deeper, however I think you have all convinced me to go the Hasegawa way.

Cheers.. Dave (and to anyone who might be contemplating DK decals - you won't be disappointed).

Edited by Rabbit Leader
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To all respondents ..

Firstly thank you all for taking the time to respond and posting the various links, they are all very helpful.

I'll keep digging a little deeper, however I think you have all convinced me to go the Hasegawa way.

Cheers.. Dave (and to anyone who might be contemplating DK decals - you won't be disappointed).

Yes those DK Decals seem very good I've have them in 72nd and 48th . Certainly a refreshing change

. Xtradecals also have some new sheets with Tomahawk and Kitty hawks on . The best on the sheets being CV*Z FX666, a Kittyhawk MKIV with the 3 RAAF Southern Cross on the Rudder I've had a photo of this A/C for years so at least I know this option is correct . There is also a Tomahawk of 40 SAAF on the 72nd scale sheet- WR*A Unfortunately the serial is incorrect .It is given as BV158,which in fact was the serial of a Hurricane IIA WR*D of the same unit

A Kittyhawk MKIII with the same markings as one of the options in the Sword kit -OK*<> is also on the sheet FR242. It has a 450 Squadron badge which on the photos I have of the Airframe was not present

Happy Modelling

Terry McGrady

Edited by Terry McGrady
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Still Hasegawa for me too, although Revell's classic P-40E should be built out of the box by anyone contemplating a P-40 collection. It might be old and crude but the Spirit of the Warhawk breathes within it.

To slightly hi-jack the thread how do the Sword and Legato P-40s compare in terms of their buildability - not their accuracy but just how they go together?

Nick

They're both short run kits, but very nice ones. I was able to build them with little experience in short run kits, and they may have spoiled me. The AZ/Legato has a too complicated radiator assembly under the nose, and it is almost impossible to assemble without a bunch of gaps. I found it difficult to get the correct dihedral with the wing to fuselage fit on the Sword kit.

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The Sword kits are easy to build with no issues that I found. I have the Legato kit in The Stash. It looks very similar to the Sword kits and I don't foresee any problems.

You may be more skilled than I am. I found them to be nightmares both.

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Thanks Dave... Good call to bring the P-40B/C into this thread.

I've got a sample of the Airfix kit and agree that it certainly looks the part.

Now for those who have the Hasaegawa kits, is there a common seam line at the rear of the fuse of both kits that one can use as a guide to cross kit both models into a M / early model N?.

And does anyone now why Hasegawa's E is not included in Hasegawa's current "White box" series making it not as readily available as the N?.. I know you can find the E pretty easily, however I cannot find it available from some of those bulk buy Asian mail outlets.

Cheers.. Dave.

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While there was no specific mention of the P-40F (Merlin engine), this was available from Special Hobby in both short and long tail boxings. Very typical SH kits, just looking at the parts in the boxes and the instructions, the landing gear look to require some care to complete.

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Now for those who have the Hasaegawa kits, is there a common seam line at the rear of the fuse of both kits that one can use as a guide to cross kit both models into a M / early model N?.

Yes, it is the vertical panel line immediately in front of the tailplanes. Airwaves used to make a resin conversion set for a long-tailed F that included a new fuselage tail insert. Basically you cut off the tail of the kit fuselage, added the insert then attached the kit fin and rudder (taken from the cut off bit).

To cross kit you just need to swap tails at that panel line. But you need to replace the E kit exhaust stubs with the fishtail type in the N kit as well. Ron's Resin (Australia via Red Roo?) used to sell a complete new plug in resin tail (to which the kit tailplanes could be fitted) and exhausts for an M.

I once made an early N long before any resin was available but decided that cutting out and fitting the E fuselage with side windows to the N would avoid the exhaust issue. It worked ok because the Hasegawa E and N are so well matched. The rear cockpit arrangement in the Hasegawa N also facilitates this.

Nick

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Nick,

Thanks for the detailed analysis regarding cross-kitting the Hasegawa kits and/or using other AM products.

Your solution to modify your N with parts from the E to make an M (does that make sense!) is another interesting option that I probably would not have thought about.

Looks like its time to move my Academy kits on and stock up on Hasegawa plastic.

Cheers,.. Dave

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I once made an early N long before any resin was available but decided that cutting out and fitting the E fuselage with side windows to the N would avoid the exhaust issue. It worked ok because the Hasegawa E and N are so well matched. The rear cockpit arrangement in the Hasegawa N also facilitates this.

Same here. My cutting was about the same as Academy insert. I changed also the rudder from the E as it has slightly better shape for some odd reason. And a wedge added between front fuselage lower air intake to get it slighly wider from the bottom to correct the front view of it. Then the wide blade prop from somewere...

Cheers,

AaCee

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Many moons ago I made a long-tail F by splicing the Hasegawa N empenage onto the E fuselage. I didn't have the Airwaves resin nose at the time, so I just did a bit of modification of the kit nose. I removed the upper carburetor intake and modified the cowl flaps, and used the N "fishtail" exhaust stacks. I also modified the inside of the chin intake, although I didn't reshape the outside, so it's still the (incorrect) P-40E shape. These are recent photos..the paint has cracked in a few spots in the 20-odd years since it was built.

P-40F01.jpg

P-40F02.jpg

I still prefer the Hasegawa P-40s over Academy. The Academy kits are better detailed, but the too-tall canopy and aft fuselage makes them look like caricatures to me. One thing, if you're going to try to do an M using the Hasegawa kits, you'll need to splice the tail and engine from the N onto the E fuselage, as the M and N had the later fishtail exhausts, and the perforated vent panel in front of the exhaust stacks.

Cheers!

Steve

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  • 6 years later...
5 hours ago, Madalo said:

Any suggestions on the best kit for a P-40D (Kittyhawk Mk I)?

 

Seeing as how time has moved along since this thread began in 2015, I'll suggest Special Hobby's recent P-40E as the best starting point for a P-40D.  You'll need to remove two of the wing guns.  For my money, Special Hobby's newish P-40 series is the best starting point for any serious P-40 model in 1/72, barring of course the early B/C and Merlin-engined F/L variants.  Not the cheapest option, but easy to build, beautifully detailed, plenty of aftermarket support if you find the kit under-detailed, and free of the shape defects of its predecessors.  The only niggle is the overstated panel lines; I can live with that.  I'm gazing lovingly at a big stack of them as I type this.  😍

 

If you've both Hasegawa and Academy kits lying around unbuilt, the Hasegawa props and transparencies are much better shaped than the Academy parts, and fit close to perfectly onto the superior Academy fuselage bits.  Or the Academy kit can be vastly improved with a Quickboost prop and a vac canopy intended for the Hasegawa kits.  The nose vents on the M/N variants are much better represented on the Academy plastic; Hasegawa tooled the holes out of alignment (which is fixable, I've done it, but consumes time better spent elsewhere).  The Hasegawa kits are too shallow under the cockpit: I can't not see that now that I know about it.  Both Academy and Hasegawa moulded the gaps between the empennage and rudder as indentations but they should be open.  Some time spent opening them up with a micro drill and 2mm chisel or modelling knife greatly improves the look.

 

 

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Very late to the party- how did I miss your post, Dave? @Rabbit Leader What the others have said about the Academy and Hasegawa Kittyhawk kits is absolutely right- I would add this caveat regarding the Hasegawa E/N kits: there is a stupid seam that runs across the inboard section of the wing flaps on the underside that is a real PITA to eliminate; (Ask me how I know!) the cockpit is simplified and not correct, (Easy to either rob cockpit parts from a better kit, detail set, or scratchbuild.) the prop blades look a little too thin in chord, but are acceptable; you have to be VERY careful cleaning up around the guns- wish they had molded them as an insert, but that wasn't Hasegawa's style at the time. If you have the Hasegawa kits in abundance like I do, you can get an M easily as the others have stated, by combining an E fuselage with the rear section out of the N- you just have to model the auxiliary carb intake  that the M and N shared in front of the exhausts by carefully drilling out or indenting the holes. (If memory serves, there is a photoetched set that has these grilles- you just attach them to the exterior of the nose.) If you have an Academy M, you can just make the corrections already  listed- replace the canopy and spinner and reshape the spine. The Hasegawa kit wheel bays are too shallow, but are easy to fix by removing the floor molded to the lower wing half- if you add the canvas covers, they will box in the resulting gap between the upper and lower wings, and Bob's your uncle- well not mine; my uncle is Jim!.

 

That being said, I think the new-tool Special Hobby kits are the best overall, but are  more expensive than the Hasegawa kits, which can still be had very cheaply. SH  are about to release the M, and have done the E/F/K/N already. Kind of a trivial detail, but the N's replaced the 30" diameter mainwheels with 27" diameter  ones early on in the production run to save weight- SBS make resin ones. 

 

As for the Tomahawk/P-40B/C; the Airfix kit is very good, with the exception of the Matchbox-like panel lines. I also have the Trumpeter kit, and it is very good, with the exception that the nose is 3" too short, but easily corrected by cutting the cowling forward of the wing and adding a plasticard   spacer- not really apparent, though,  unless you compare it to accurate drawings or park it next to the Airfix kit. (Avoid the Academy Tomahawk- it is based on the old Frog kit with scribed panel lines and better transparencies!)

 

With a little extra effort and  modeling skills, which I have seen you already have, Dave- ain't nuthin' wrong with the Hasxegawa kits- as stated, they look like P-40's when they're finished!

Hope we have helped!

Mike (Texan by birth- Aussie by inclination!) :giggle:

 

 

Edited by 72modeler
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