1/48 Eduard P-400

[modelling minion]

Right then, despite not having finished my F-105 (nowhere near finished!) I am going to commit myself with my entry to this STGB  with an example of Eduards excellent P-39 range of kits, but not actually a P-39, no I'm going to build a P-400. Now I'm sure you all already know that that P-400 is the designation given to P-39's  which were built for export to Britain but were subsequently taken over by the USAAF as they needed everything they could get their hands on to help stem the tide of the Japanese advance across the Pacific, but if you didn't you do now!

Still not 100% sure which airframe to go with as the option I would really like to do (from the 67th FS with a big shark mouth design) isn't included in the options for this boxing so I'm not sure whether to go aftermarket for decals or masks or just build one of the ones from the kit, and then get another with the correct markings, anyway here are the ubiquitous box and contents shots....

 

 

 

As you can see everything is still sealed tightly in it's original packing, and has a masking set on the other side of the bag with the clear sprue in it. Here are the two marking options given in this boxing;

 

My second choice is the one on the right which is also the subject of the box art, still wearing it's RAF camouflage scheme but with US Army markings and a nice shark mouth design. Now I know that the P-400's retained a lot of British equipment but does anyone know if they still had RAF Sutton harness' or if they used American ones?

 

Thanks for looking in and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received.

 

Craig.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Craig @modelling minion This wouldnt by chance by the markings you are referring to ? If so these are a great set of markings. 

This is an old Monogram P-400 i did 27 years ago. Its the first kit i ever airbrushed that survived. Its so old its the seams are popping. 

 

Dennis

[modelling minion]

Thats the one Dennis!

Good job on your P-400, looks excellent.

[trickyrich]

welcome aboard Craig, I was wondering when you'd show up. 

 

Gee those sprue look soooo familiar.  I think for the first time ever a 1/48th scale model is going to be the most popular model in a GB and an Eduard one to boot! But it is such a nice model, it'd have to be one of their best, model wise.

 

You've also got the first 400 in the build as well. I like the scheme you've gone for, nice and colourful.

 

Well good luk with this build, it should be way easier than the F-105, I do look forward to seeing her in the gallery.

[modelling minion]

8 minutes ago, trickyrich said:

welcome aboard Craig, I was wondering when you'd show up. 

 

Gee those sprue look soooo familiar.  I think for the first time ever a 1/48th scale model is going to be the most popular model in a GB and an Eduard one to boot! But it is such a nice model, it'd have to be one of their best, model wise.

 

You've also got the first 400 in the build as well. I like the scheme you've gone for, nice and colourful.

 

Well good luk with this build, it should be way easier than the F-105, I do look forward to seeing her in the gallery.

Cheers Rich,

 

Yeah looks like the Eduard kit is going to be a popular choice, and rightly so.

Might be little time before I get started as I've just ordered an Eduard etch set for the cockpit, might make a start on the undercarriage in the mean time.

[modelling minion]

After putting a request up for the decals I wanted in the buy/sell area I had a nagging doubt about what else was on a sheet I used some years ago to build an Italian P-39 so I retrieved the decal bank and had a good look through it and look what I found;

 

So here is a close up of the aircraft I will be building;

 

There is a certain amount of controversy regarding the markings on the aircraft. Some now believe that the aircraft's name "HellsBells" should in fact be "HellsBell" being a reference to the aircraft manufacturer, an easy one to fix with a scalpel but still not sure which version of the name to go with. The other one regards the national markings, namely should it still have the red dot in the centre or not, now I know that the order to remove the red dots was issued by the time the 67th FS was sent to Guadalcanal but there is some documentary and photographic evidence showing aircraft with red dots and/or with dots which had been overpainted but still showed through, bit trickier to solve this one! If anyone knows either way then please feel free to post info here.

 

I couldn't resist making a small start and have started on the wings. I have painted and added the coolers which fit in the leading edge of the wings, and a very nice fir they are too;

 

I gave their interiors a rough coat of sky before fitting them. Now the one area of the Eduard kit which needs some attention is the trailing edge of the wings, they are thick, really thick! So after a fair amount of scraping, sanding, more scraping, more sanding I managed to get something which, to my eye at least, looks a bit better, here's the lower wing trailing edge;

 

And one of the upper wings:

 

Now that these are done I can get the wing halves joined together.

Hopefully my etched set will arrive soon so I can get cracking on the cockpit too.

 

Well thats it for now, thanks for looking and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received.

 

Craig.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Craig i might have a photo of this aircraft in my pile of Bell research. I personally think its “Hellsbells.” However Let me take a quick look tonight when i get my office before you hack away at the decal. If im wrong you can hack away tomorrow or whenever. If im correct it might save you some trouble. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello again i looked through my sources. I have 3-4 photos of P-400’s from the 67th Fg., sadly none are Hellsbell(s). I would just go with whichever you feel is the best option. Sorry couldnt help on this Craig.

 

Dennis

[trickyrich]

I know how hard it is to not want to start this building, it's a great model (I'm trying to resist until I have a couple of other builds out of the way).

 

I like the new scheme you have for her, if i get time today I'll try and read up on the markings (am stuck in the office all day...soooo bored!).

[Greg B]

I'm keeping an eye on this build. There is a P-400 just down the road from me at the moment that is very sadly, slowly rotting away. Its one I want to do in the future in its better days. 

 

[modelling minion]

17 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello again i looked through my sources. I have 3-4 photos of P-400’s from the 67th Fg., sadly none are Hellsbell(s). I would just go with whichever you feel is the best option. Sorry couldnt help on this Craig.

 

Dennis

Cheers Dennis, thanks for looking through your photos.

Finding photographic evidence of how particular aircraft looked from Guadalcanal at this time period is quite difficult, its almost as if taking pictures wasn't their top priority, how weird is that!?

16 hours ago, trickyrich said:

I know how hard it is to not want to start this building, it's a great model (I'm trying to resist until I have a couple of other builds out of the way).

 

I like the new scheme you have for her, if i get time today I'll try and read up on the markings (am stuck in the office all day...soooo bored!).

Resistance is futile, as they say. I will plug away a little bit at a time. Thanks for reading up on the markings, much appreciated.

15 hours ago, Greg B said:

I'm keeping an eye on this build. There is a P-400 just down the road from me at the moment that is very sadly, slowly rotting away. Its one I want to do in the future in its better days. 

 

Glad to have you aboard Greg.

Nice to have 1:1 reference material, shame it's in such a bad state.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

44 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

its almost as if taking pictures wasn't their top priority, how weird is that!?

How Rude of them not to consider the future modeler. 😉

[PlaStix]

Hi Craig. Looks like you are off to a good start with your P-400.

Great to meet you today. Hope you had a great time too. I got loads of photos and then I also managed to get a bargain on the Classic Kits stand - Dragon's M4A2 Sherman 'Tarawa' for £25! He was asking £30 but I'd only got the £25 left. If I get time and it’s suitable I may make it in the Pacific At Wat GB.

And I will try to keep up in future!

Kind regards,

Stix

[Hewy]

Ah, your over here i see, taking a break from that thunderchief? Nice looking choice for this gb craig, 

Glynn 

[modelling minion]

1 hour ago, PlaStix said:

Hi Craig. Looks like you are off to a good start with your P-400.

Great to meet you today. Hope you had a great time too. I got loads of photos and then I also managed to get a bargain on the Classic Kits stand - Dragon's M4A2 Sherman 'Tarawa' for £25! He was asking £30 but I'd only got the £25 left. If I get time and it’s suitable I may make it in the Pacific At Wat GB.

And I will try to keep up in future!

Kind regards,

Stix

Hi Stix, yes it was great to meet you today and yes we had a great time at the show and really liked the P-47.

Good find with the M4A2, I was a good boy and didn't bring any extra plastic home with me, can't remember the last time that happened! Would like to see your Sherman in the Pacific At War GB, I'm signed up for it myself but that will mean I will have 3 builds on the go.

3 minutes ago, Hewy said:

Ah, your over here i see, taking a break from that thunderchief? Nice looking choice for this gb craig, 

Glynn 

Ah you've found me! And yes guilty of having a bit of a break from the Thud, good for the modelling mojo.

[SleeperService]

Good start to the build mm. If you haven't got the wings together look at the leading edge as well. It seems much blunter and deeper than the photos in the D&S book indicate. The Italian monograph I'm using picks up on this too. 

 

Like you I've done the trailing edges and just cleared up the mess when I noticed the other bit......

 

Anything has got to be easier than a F-105 (not a plane that has had much success at my hands).

[modelling minion]

Thanks, unfortunately I didn't do the leading edges too, I should have done as they don't look quite right, as you say. i will have to add some filler and try to get the shape better.

 

You're right about the F-105, leaving it alone for a while!