KIWI P-40 Kittyhawk (Academy 1-72)

[thorfinn]

This is Academy's 1/72 P-40M/-N done up as the well-known NZ3148 G/"Gloria Lyons"  on the strength of No. 4 Servicing Unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's Fighter Wing, operating through the Solomon Islands from October 1943.

 

 

Gloria Lyons was a 19-year old spinal tuberculosis patient in hospital in Christchurch who had become a pen-pal of several members of the squadron, and was 'adopted' as a mascot by the unit as a whole. This was the first of four aircraft that would be named in honor of Miss Lyons---(3) P-40s and an F4U Corsair---each earlier aircraft crashing, lost in action or otherwise being taken out of sevice. NZ3148 was damaged in crash landing at Torokina on Bougainville island on 09 February 1944; the engine failed just prior to landing and the aircraft missed the runway, hitting a mound of earth and somersaulting. Sergeant Pilot Charles Woods of No. 18 Squadron was unhurt. The airframe was written off the books in March of that year.
[For those who are curious...Miss Lyons herself eventually recovered, married, and moved to Australia; she had a long life, passing away in 1998.]

 

 

 

 

NZ3148 was a P-40N-1, similar to the earlier -M model, still with older-style canopy and six wing guns. Scheme was the factory-applied standard OD & neutral gray with Medium-green 'blotch' pattern on wing leading and trailing edges; white spinner, tail surfaces and fuselage bands were theater and unit markings.

 

 

 

 

The Academy kit itself is basic but cleanly-molded, and comes with the option for the older style canopy with quarterlights aft (which I used) or the cut-down aft fuselage with 'greenhouse' style canopy. Kit isn't 100% perfect---a few gaps and some shape issues here and there---but went together well with overall great fit. I used bits of both Eduard and Part etch sets, mainly to amp-up the simple kit cockpit (most of which is barely visible), and as a more-articulated option to the single-piece  cowling flap assembly beneath. Decals came from the excellent AeroMaster RNZAF set (SP72-10), and---as per my previous experience---were utterly trouble-free.

 

 

These birds were hard-used and at the end of a long and iffy supply chain, and photos show them heavily-weathered. I used a combination of washes, dry-brushing and pastel highlighting to try to make it look suitably 'bitty.'

I've always found the long-tail P-40 marks the most elegant-looking of the lot, and few were more attractively-marked than the Kiwi birds of the RNZAF. Hope you enjoy!

[Dazey]

That's a very nice model of a flying kiwi.

Thanks also for the background story on Gloria Lyons.

 

Regards,

David

[stevehnz]

Heck yes, I do like that. I think you've done a brilliant job with that, really top notch, it shows this off beautifully.

The Aeromaster RNZAF set captures the colours of the Kiwi marking really well to my understanding.

Steve

[F1xena]

Marvellous! I've got that kit and the markings for Gloria Lyons. If mine (when done eventually) comes out half as nice as yours, I'll be a very happy girl.

Thanks also for the background on the origin of the name. There are some very interesting stories out there.....

Great to see some more Kiwi birds appearing here. It's nice to remember we had a strike force once....our airforce now is pretty much restricted to transport and maritime surveillance.

Cheers

Tania

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great looking P-40  Great piece of history to go with it. 

[neil5208]

Very nice, good job

[LDSModeller]

Nice RNZAF P 40  - The last "Gloria Lyons" P 40 (NZ3220) returned to New Zealand In 1944, and was decorated with all the kills

from the previous aircraft which bore the name - Note NZ3220's airframe was repainted in NZ Foliage Green after arrival back in New Zealand

 

5 hours ago, thorfinn said:

These birds were hard-used and at the end of a long and iffy supply chain, and photos show them heavily-weathered.

Remember in WWII the RNZAF was attached to the USN, and while these P40's more often then not flew with the  USAAF on raids, the

RNZAF SU members had access to US equipment etc, through the US USN/USAAF Quarter Masters .

If you read book by the likes of Alex Horn (author of Wings Over the Pacific)and Bryan Cox (author Too Young To Die) who flew these aircraft,

they note some interesting interactions between RNZAF Servicemen and US personnel on the bases they shared in the SW Pacific Theatre.

 

Note these P 40 Swatches (from my Collection) either a M or N, note the OD colour and NG fading

 

RNZAF P 40 Swatches

 

Thanks for sharing your build with us

 

Regards

 

Alan

[thorfinn]

4 hours ago, LDSModeller said:

If you read book by the likes of Alex Horn (author of Wings Over the Pacific)and Bryan Cox (author Too Young To Die) who flew these aircraft,

they note some interesting interactions between RNZAF Servicemen and US personnel on the bases they shared in the SW Pacific Theatre.

I've read quite a number of those accounts over the years. Most seem to have involved the Yanks trading spare parts---which were in relatively-more-ample supply, for them---for certain essential 'fluid' supplies for which there was always an enthusiastic demand.

Thanks for your other info as well. I've read that NZ3220 is (or was) still in storage in NZ awaiting potential restoration all these years later.

 

Many thanks to all for taking the time to look or comment.

[Beard]

Not only is the finished article most excellent, the background story is fascinating.

[thorfinn]

36 minutes ago, Beard said:

Not only is the finished article most excellent, the background story is fascinating.

Thank you, my friend.

 

As a self-confessed history geek...as well as a modeler...I always find it interesting to be able to root out some of the stories behind the machines I'm drawn to build.

Thanks for taking time to reply!