Stew Dapple Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 This will be my next build: the Airfix Curtiss P-40b: I got this for £3.99 from Aldi just before Christmas last year (in fact I got about three of them, it would have been rude not to at that price). I already built the subject of the starter set a couple of years ago and I'm sure I posted the finished result in RFI but I can't find the post anywhere... anyway obviously I didn't want to model the exact same aircraft again and fortunately I don't have to as the Kitsworld set for the P-40 contains markings for another 112 Squadron aircraft which was shot down near Tmimi, Libya, in December 1941, the pilot, New Zealander Sgt. William Earl Houston, was killed. In addition I have the Eduard canopy mask set and a set of microfabric seat harness to gussy up the cockpit a bit. For the colours I have the Phoenix Precision Paints Mid Stone and Dark Earth and a tin of the new Colourcoats Azure Blue which I have been itching to try and might be in part responsible for this build in the first place... sadly the photograph does not reproduce the subtleties of the colour very well but hopefully it will photograph better once it is on the kit... Cheers, Stew 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 I like the look of this Stew, you've given me an idea for one of my kits of this, I can see some of these decals coming my way, as I'm always keen to model a subject with a Kiwi connection if I can. I was interested though to see the other option on the sheet listing Neville Duke as being RAAF. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 I'll be following. Because it's a Tomahawk and I like the look of the Colourcoats Azure Blue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 I'm in (despite my Shark Mouth phobia building!) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 8 hours ago, CedB said: I'm in (despite my Shark Mouth phobia building!) Wonder how you got that Ced.... Stew is this to put up a fight against your little Italian? Rob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 16, 2016 Author Share Posted October 16, 2016 On 10/15/2016 at 7:14 AM, stevehnz said: I like the look of this Stew, you've given me an idea for one of my kits of this, I can see some of these decals coming my way, as I'm always keen to model a subject with a Kiwi connection if I can. I was interested though to see the other option on the sheet listing Neville Duke as being RAAF. Steve. Thanks Steve, the transfer set is Kits-World KW172051 - I'm not sure if it's still available, Hannants don't have it if that is any indication... On 10/15/2016 at 7:56 AM, Beard said: I'll be following. Because it's a Tomahawk and I like the look of the Colourcoats Azure Blue. Thanks Simon, nice to have you along mate On 10/15/2016 at 10:03 AM, CedB said: I'm in (despite my Shark Mouth phobia building!) Thanks Ced - I don't recall having a problem with the sharkmouth in the Airfix transfers so hopefully I will get away with it this time too and in doing so help cure you of your phobia too... 22 hours ago, rob85 said: Wonder how you got that Ced.... Stew is this to put up a fight against your little Italian? Rob Hi Rob - no, I hope to build a Vb for that if I get time... I've just been fiddling around a bit today while waiting for the varnish to cure on the Macchi; I drilled out the P-40's exhausts - just make a small dent with the point of a No.11 blade in the centre of each pipe and use that as a guide for the micro-drill... I did about half a dozen twists with a 0.3mm bit then three or four in the same hole with a 0.5mm bit - this is the process halfway done: It has a pretty low faff-quotient, it took me about 5 minutes per side and the time was well spent as it does make a difference when it is finished. I also masked the main canopy part using the Eduard mask set. I haven't done the quarterlights as they don't have a frame as such so it would be quite easy to accidentally glue the mask to the fuselage when fitting the windows - I'll mask the quarterlights after I have installed them and the glue has had a chance to dry: I got the joystick off the sprue without breaking it, and started assembling the cockpit interior: The last P-40 I built I painted the interior in Zinc Chromate Primer but have since read that it was more likely to have been ZCP with some black added, making a apple-ish green colour. I mixed some Colourcoats ZCP with their Zinc Chromate Green and got a rather lurid bilious green colour which will have to do... Hopefully I can get some more of the cockpit done before the end of the day. Cheers, Stew 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 44 minutes ago, Stew Dapple said: The last P-40 I built I painted the interior in Zinc Chromate Primer but have since read that it was more likely to have been ZCP with some black added, making a apple-ish green colour. I mixed some Colourcoats ZCP with their Zinc Chromate Green and got a rather lurid bilious green colour which will have to do... I used Humbrol US Interior Green on my recent Tomahawk, which is wrong (but I didn't care) but I've started work on a Sword Kittyhawk and, because they recommend Light Grey for the interior, I've been doing a bit of research. There's an interesting comment by Nick Hillman on this thread (which I wish I'd read before placing an order with Sovereign Hobbies): 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 16, 2016 Author Share Posted October 16, 2016 Thanks for the link Simon, I'm not sure if I feel better or worse about my colour choice for reading it I got the interior parts painted: ... the instrument panel transfer applied and the Eduard Microfabric Sutton Harness added: ... and the fuselage halves joined. I'm pretty happy with today's progress overall Cheers, Stew 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 3 hours ago, Stew Dapple said: Thanks Steve, the transfer set is Kits-World KW172051 - I'm not sure if it's still available, Hannants don't have it if that is any indication... Cheers, Stew Damn, just when I find something I really NEED. , its normally become unaffordium or unobtainium. Thanks for the heads up Stew, the googlesphere isn't showing a lot more in stock either. Oh well, I'm sure I've enough to be going on with. I shall just have to enjoy yours. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 17 minutes ago, Stew Dapple said: Thanks for the link Simon, I'm not sure if I feel better or worse about my colour choice for reading it I got the interior parts painted: I'm pretty happy with today's progress overall Cheers, Stew I know what you mean about the interior colour, all I know is that the grey Sword would have you paint the interior in is wrong, I have no idea what colour to paint mine in. I think you have every right to be happy with your progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHead23 Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 Lovely little kit this Stew IMHO. I'm looking forward to see what you do with it. Regards Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 Thanks gent I dirtied up the insides a little: ... and got the lower wing attached to the fuselage: A test fit of the upper wings indicates that some filler will be needed at the starboard wing-root... Cheers, Stew 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Very nice, very neat work as always Stew - good job and looking good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 19, 2016 Author Share Posted October 19, 2016 Thanks Ced I added the upper wings and cowling/radiator parts and filled the resultant gaps with Perfect Plastic Putty, applied with a toothpick and the excess wiped off with a wet fingertip; no sanding required ... once that had a little time to set, I added the tailfeathers: Starting to look a bit P-40ish now Cheers, Stew 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 Very nice Stew. The cockpit colour looks good to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 Thanks Nigel I had a minor tragedy when I dropped the main cockpit canopy on the floor and, when standing up to find it, naturally I stood on it. Fortunately not only do I have two others of this kit in the stash but I also had a 'spare' mask set so I requisitioned these and attached them along with all the other parts apart from the main landing gear and the exhausts (the prop is just tacked in place with Blu-Tac for priming, hence the apparently poor fit): I've got the day off work so I hope to get the Azure Blue applied today... Cheers, Stew 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Something I've learnt the hard way too, not to shift feet till I figure where I can move them to safely. It occasions some interesting contortions. The Tomahawk is looking good Stew. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 ... and not to push back if you're sitting on a wheeled chair. Another smooth black basing Stew - are you 'sold' on that method now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 7 hours ago, stevehnz said: Something I've learnt the hard way too, not to shift feet till I figure where I can move them to safely. It occasions some interesting contortions. The Tomahawk is looking good Stew. Steve. Thanks Steve - sadly it was something I thought I had learned already, the canopy bounced to a position which should, in theory, have been impossible for it to reach 7 hours ago, CedB said: ... and not to push back if you're sitting on a wheeled chair. Another smooth black basing Stew - are you 'sold' on that method now? It appeals to me for a couple of reasons Ced, firstly I like the effect, though I accept it is not to everyone's taste, it confers all the (arguable) benefits of pre-shading without the concentration and most of the effort required; secondly I have one and a half bottles of Alclad Black Primer which now look like they might actually get used up Here is my progress so far today - the first layer done: ... and after the overspray: ...and once again, you can't see it. Or rather you possibly can see it, but you probably don't notice that you are seeing it. It looks better in real life. That's my story and I am sticking to it. Once that has had a chance to dry properly I will mask off the underside and start on the uppers... Cheers, Stew 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 I think the underside looks good, whether I can see the effect the black-basing or not. Is the paint the Colourcoats 'new' Azure Blue? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Another smooth result Stew and I can see the effect, subtle though it may be. Nice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 Thanks Simon - yes, it is the new Colourcoats Azure Blue. Incidentally I thought 'Azure' meant 'blue' anyway... Thanks Ced, the effect and the subtleties of the Azure Blue itself are rather lost on my camera I'm afraid; the pictures look awful if I use the flash and if I don't use the flash the pictures come out terrible unless I have the lamp pretty close above... it does take a reasonably clear photo but it is sort of pre-over-exposed... Cheers, Stew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Good morning Stew I missed the beginning of this buid and just catch up and you have done a very good job so far Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Merci encore Patrice I masked off the undersides and applied the Middle Stone: I will add the disruptive pattern of the Dark Earth by hand at my leisure... Cheers, Stew 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 That is some mega smooth paint work stew, I personally can see the effect of the black basing, it's subtle, but that's no bad thing! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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