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1/48 - Curtiss P-40B Warhawk & Tomahawk Mk.II by Airfix - released - new Tomahawk Mk.II boxing in June 2024


Homebee

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56 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

It looks like the vertical panel join in front of the exhausts is missing and needs adding as well.

 

One think that concerns me is the Dzus fasteners on the engine access panel  top edge in Jonners picture, look like the are too close to the panel line and have started to merge with it. Also the fasteners on the gun fairing appear bigger/deeper than the ones on the engine panels?

 

I might end up filling all those fasteners and get the beading tool out.

Yea there going to be some tweeks... but as early P-40's go this kit is a quantum leap from what we had before ..

 

Question ....can anyone get me or point me to a PDF of the instructions ?

 

Also can anyone one get me a real clean hi res scan of the decals ?

 

I want to see if they included these stencils (see below) anywhere on the sheet .. the are common for all RAF & AVG Tomahawks...

 

I know of no decal sheet in any scale in any kit or any aftermarket decal sheet that has them.. it a real pain 

p40Stencil%20unknown_zpsq5cz01ce.jpg

Edited by HBBates
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On 27/10/2016 at 0:21 AM, HBBates said:

 

Note: These cockpit photos shows both early and late details that would not be in the same cockpit at the same time.. that why two fire bottles.. so read the notes below 

Tomahawk%20Cockpit_zpsjmnloqfh.jpg

Hello Hume

have you noticed that this cockpit was originally a french cockpit?

 

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1 hour ago, BS_w said:

Hello Hume

have you noticed that this cockpit was originally a french cockpit?

 

Yes.. but in bits..this is something the uk put together as a cockpit guide so it has details from different versions note the fire extinguisher on the left-hand floor and also the right-hand wall.. the aircraft would have only one fire extinguisher that's just two different locations of two diffrent version for one fire extinguisher... there's 2 different styles of map pocket also ..this just show the one map pocket that use if the fire extinguishers is on right hand wall above it..the text below tell if a detail only applies to a specific range of aircraft

 

Here is the left cockpit wall.from IWM photo

large_000000.jpg

Here the left cockpit wall from the Tomahawk manual

curtiss008.jpg

Edited by HBBates
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Don't know if this helps at all, but I tape assembled my first P40 this morning.

 

Everything does actually fit well, but you do need to make sure the mating surfaces are clean and free of any minute flashy-ridges. - so please excuse gaps - its the tape!!

 

The one area I've found that's "interesting" is the undernose panel in front of the radiator intake.

 

B11BEA44-724B-472B-8C21-2AE616972A4F_zps

 

66C8A5C4-2DFD-4C91-8AA5-E3E6AF71C22A_zps

 

B5242EAC-F598-4294-8E89-EE91B554C3F0_zps

 

8E73AFC8-5915-47FA-B64F-94137D391F66_zps

 

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Now my question is, are other gluing and sticking communities wringing their hands and moaning that this kit is "Unbuildable and has compounded errors"? Or are they saying "Oh my this is the best one yet and with a couple of fills and re scribes it will assemble into a lovely kit?

 

I am just gutted mine is not here yet, my fault the day I go out to clock up some off road miles on the mountain bike the courier turned up on time for once. 

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9 hours ago, chuckb1 said:

Now my question is, are other gluing and sticking communities wringing their hands and moaning that this kit is "Unbuildable and has compounded errors"? Or are they saying "Oh my this is the best one yet and with a couple of fills and re scribes it will assemble into a lovely kit?

 

I am just gutted mine is not here yet, my fault the day I go out to clock up some off road miles on the mountain bike the courier turned up on time for once. 

 

It's the latter it's .. It has things that need to be fixed but I'm giving it a B+... I don't have the kit yet but I've seen the instructions on it now and quite frankly I think it's a little gem cockpit looks fantastic....

 

Understand this has gone from what was available in the past for early long nose P40 which was pure junk ...to a kit that's equal to your typical mainstream if not better ..its has the same amount of issues as other modern kits

 

To me it looks like a kit I would build even if it was a subject I had no interest in simply because it's such a nice model

 

And I'm saying that is probably the number one early P40 geek around

 

Airfix contacted me 2 years ago on this project and ask me for my opinion and I provided a lot of the earlier material to them so I've been living with his kit for a while.

 

Are there things I wish were different ..sure.. 

 

 but right now I see only one  "must fix: for the average model and that's that fuselage gun bay at firewall line and someone has already showing how simple that is to fix.

 

That doesn't mean that there isn't a bunch of little other things that can be done to improve it... but understand that's not a criticism saying it unbuildable ..these are things will make it better

 

A tweek list for model is common and is not a criticism saying something's unbuildable

 

Ive already stated on hyperscale I think this may be the best P40 of any version out there in 1/48 scale and that's including the Hasegawa 1/48 scale short nose P40..

 

Edited by HBBates
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I've preordered mine from the Big H for Telford - with the 10% discount and no postage I think that's comparable to other places that sell below MSRP.

 

Q. to those who have both a kit and good reference material: where would you say is the problem with the lower keel line: is the radiator fairing too deep or is the centre keel fairing too shallow? If it's the radiator then perhaps an aftermarket replacement part can fix that (raising detail levels in this area at the same time). But replacing the centre keel would be too much effort I think...

 

J

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HB Bates if you are saying that is the best P-40 out there then it is. Now when I pick mine up tomorrow night the question is do I do it as George Welch's aircraft or a flying tiger and do Tex Hill?

 

Quandary for me and the decals to decide  

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3 hours ago, JeffreyK said:

Q. to those who have both a kit and good reference material: where would you say is the problem with the lower keel line: is the radiator fairing too deep or is the centre keel fairing too shallow?.

 

J

8" 9/32 (4,38mm) aft the sta 1(firewall), the depth of keel fairing fwd measured from wing surface is given at 7.88" (4,17mm)
you can make a jig with plastic card, cut a notch, wide 12,3mm, high 4,17mm, you will know if the keel fairing is right at this place.

Data from Curtiss blue print

Edited by BS_w
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4 hours ago, BS_w said:

8" 9/32 (4,38mm) aft the sta 1(firewall), the depth of keel fairing fwd measured from wing surface is given at 7.88" (4,17mm)
you can make a jig with plastic card, cut a notch, wide 12,3mm, high 4,17mm, you will know if the keel fairing is right at this place.

Data from Curtiss blue print

Perfect! hard data for people that have the kit.. thanks my  friend

Im hoping to have one by next week.. and intend to remove the nose at firewall to get a clean crossview of fuslage to wing top and bottom relation so i will check this also... we will then have hard idea if any of this is off.. I'm inclined to believe everything is actually correct in the actual Keel Fairing and wing fuselage  relationship at sta 1 ( I know they had the actual blueprints because I gave it to them)  and it's just an upsweep of the radiator outlet part that i know is off and I have good idea of simple fix..( no blueprints for that part).. they did copy this kit off one of the restored examples and that's area on the restored is off .. the kit seem to follow that same thing on the restored example

 

Bottom line once in hand no more guestimates if it got hard data

 

Fyi another area I want to check is the framing around rear glass..i hate  how they did the rear glass

Edited by HBBates
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6 hours ago, chuckb1 said:

HB Bates if you are saying that is the best P-40 out there then it is. Now when I pick mine up tomorrow night the question is do I do it as George Welch's aircraft or a flying tiger and do Tex Hill?

 

Quandary for me and the decals to decide  

 

Easy, get another one and do both :)

 

I'm not sure what scheme to go for yet, I want to do a VVS and an RAF one, but I've fancy maybe doing a Turkish one as well.

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Understand..  The Airfix kit is cleanly is the best early P-40 out there by far...I can say that because I know how bad the other early P-40 are.. so the bar was very low.

 

It may ( I do not have the kit yet to check) be the best 1/48 P-40 of an version (hasegawa is the other)...

 

But that does not meant it is perfect.. far from it.. it has thing that clearly need to be fixed.. but even in the worse case I see no deal breakers.. and that including if the belly is off... any thing is fixable but how much work is needed to fix..

 

Look for people sweating the keel fairing ..from web 2 back (per the blue prints ) its the same shape on both early and late P-40  

Grab a Hasegawa 1/48 P-40  and compare to Airfix 1/48 P-40 then grab your other reference then pick who is best..

 

If the Hasegawa keel fairing is best to you.. and you got problem with Airfix.. then cast a copy of Hasegawa's.. how simple is that fix for aftermarket, you dont not even need to master the part..or are they both close enough for you? 

 

I personally think it the radiator outlet part that need the main fix (an I believe it a simple fix for and modeler but I will know when I get the kit)

 

But want ever it needs in not a "sky is falling" or "screw the pooch"  level.. you got a gem of a kit here... just give some time see what tweekes and fixed may on my not be needed

 

Any belly issues are way way oven blown by some at hyperscale.. you could replace whole belly ( really not that hard)..you could even be missing the whole belly faring and you would be miles ahead of any othe early P-40 out there.. (I wish they had made that keel fairing separate to attach to the bottom of the wing.. just like the really aircraft, then people would just view any issue, if found, as a simple tweek or replacement part)

 

The problem on the other kits early P40 kits, hobbly craft, trumpeter is the wing location not the belly faring .. .. and that why you have never seen simple belly replacement that even fix the problem with the other kits

 

Again you got a gem of a kit here.. relax, enjoy ..and wait for a hard tweek list if you want

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 30/10/2016 at 6:51 PM, Tbolt said:

 

Easy, get another one and do both :)

 

I'm not sure what scheme to go for yet, I want to do a VVS and an RAF one, but I've fancy maybe doing a Turkish one as well.

 

 

I have and I did, ordered another one last night. One of each, could not resist.

 

Jujst need to find the time to build both. :D

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Wel im looking at doing a US P40cu,with original tail wheel doors , a B with doors removed and a  C with extended doors

then an RAF Tomahawk I and RAF Tomahawk II, and 2 AVG Tomahawk.. early and the later when absorbed into the USAF.with the dark neutral Grey belly repaint and of course a couple different Russia Tomahawks

 

Then do some P 36, hawk 75 conversion  R1830 and R 1820....and the fixed gear China demonstrated

Edited by HBBates
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Starting the build tomorrow. The seat belts have now arrived from Eduard. Will post up a thread at some point.

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  • 2 weeks later...
15 hours ago, Homebee said:

 

Do you call that a REVIEW ? Having the model on my workbench, I should call that pure " Advertisement ".

 

" At long last we have a worthy 1/48 scale Curtiss P-40B.

Detail is good, surface textures are Airfix's best yet, parts breakdown is sensible, and the kit is generally very accurate.

There is still the issue with the shape of the raised ventral fairing but this is hardly a fatal flaw.

Airfix has now undoubtedly produced the best P-40B/C/Hawk 81 kit in 1/48 scale. There's nothing stopping you now! "

 

Oh, I forgot the one that is killing me ! " Crisp recessed panel lines... "

 

Yes,  on some places as deep and as wide as these horrible WWI trenches, and on some other places a pure product of imagination !

 

Details are indeed very soft also, not crisp at all !

 

This kit is really a step backward for AIRFIX.  No matter what I read, I still have eyes to look and compare.

 

If you want to look at AIRFIX at his best, have a look at  this old Spitfire 22 from 1996 or at the XIX from 2013 and you'll see what I mean.

 

Madcop

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28 minutes ago, madcop said:

 

Do you call that a REVIEW ? Having the model on my workbench, I should call that pure " Advertisement ".

 

" At long last we have a worthy 1/48 scale Curtiss P-40B.

Detail is good, surface textures are Airfix's best yet, parts breakdown is sensible, and the kit is generally very accurate.

There is still the issue with the shape of the raised ventral fairing but this is hardly a fatal flaw.

Airfix has now undoubtedly produced the best P-40B/C/Hawk 81 kit in 1/48 scale. There's nothing stopping you now! "

 

Oh, I forgot the one that is killing me ! " Crisp recessed panel lines... "

 

Yes,  on some places as deep and as wide as these horrible WWI trenches, and on some other places a pure product of imagination !

 

Details are indeed very soft also, not crisp at all !

 

This kit is really a step backward for AIRFIX.  No matter what I read, I still have eyes to look and compare.

 

If you want to look at AIRFIX at his best, have a look at  this old Spitfire 22 from 1996 or at the XIX from 2013 and you'll see what I mean.

 

Madcop

 

XIX? That wasn't Airfix at their best, sure the molding on the 22 was great, though not as much detail as we have now.

 

The XIX has soft wider panel lines, the P-40 is better moulding with finer panel lines (about the same as Tamiya Spitfire)  though some of the details are not so great, such as the fastener holes that merge into the panel lines, but some of it is an improvement.

Edited by Tbolt
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Ultracast dedicated sets

ULTRACAST

1/48   Curtiss P-40B/C Tubular Exhausts (fits Airfix kit #A05130 and similar)

http://www.ultracast.ca/products/48/266/default.htm

 

Ultracast_48266_Installed.jpg


1/48   Early P-40B Hollow Steel Prop & Spinner, Curtiss 11' dia, Blade 614-1C1.5-12 (fits Airfix kit #A05130 and similar)

http://www.ultracast.ca/products/48/267/default.htm

 

Ultracast_48267_Contents.jpg


1/48   P-40B Aluminum Prop & Spinner, Curtiss 11' dia, Blade 89301-3 (fits Airfix kit #A05130 and similar)

http://www.ultracast.ca/products/48/268/default.htm

 

Ultracast_48268_Contents.jpg

 

V.P.

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Lone Star Models dedicated sets

http://www.lonestarmodels.com/conversions-1-48.html

 

- ref. LSM 40619 - Replacement keel and part B05 Oil cooler air outlet for new Airfix P-40 kit 

 

conversions-1-48~~element712~~0.JPG conversions-1-48~~element713~~0.JPG

 

- ref. LSM 40620 - Replacement wheel set for new Airfix P-40.. Can be used on other kits of course

 

conversions-1-48~~element720~~0.JPG conversions-1-48~~element721~~0.JPG

 

- ref. LSM 40621 - Replacement Props and spinner for new Airfix kit. Blades are keyed to spinner, but a jig is also provided.

 

conversions-1-48~~element722~~0.JPG conversions-1-48~~element723~~0.JPG conversions-1-48~~element724~~0.JPG

 

V.P.

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After the Warhawk, Airfix is to release in Q3 2017 a 1/48th Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.II kit - ref. A05133

Source: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2017/curtiss-tomahawk-mk-iib-1-48.html

  • Scheme 1 - Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.IIA AH893 RM-D 26 Squadron Gatwick late 1941 
  • Scheme 2 - Tomahawk Mk. IIB AK457 / GA O, Sgt William Earl Houston, 112 Squadron 1941

 

a05133.6.jpgCurtiss Tomahawk MK.IIB 1:48 Curtiss Tomahawk MK.IIB 1:48 

 

Curtiss Tomahawk MK.IIB 1:48Curtiss Tomahawk MK.IIB 1:48Curtiss Tomahawk MK.IIB 1:48

 

V.P.

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