Jump to content

RNZAF P-40e questions


Magua87

Recommended Posts

G'Day Alan,

 

Thanks for your reply! Like Magua I'm looking at 1/72. (I'd run out of space too quickly to consider anything larger!)

I have a hankering to do one of the new Special Hobby P40s, either an E-1 or the (short fuselage, i.e: NZ3108) K-1 as an RNZAF example in the forward areas in the NZ Blue Sea Grey, Foliage Green/Olive drab, Sky Grey/Duck Egg Blue scheme. (If it is appropriate for 3108 of course. A long fuselage K-10 or -15 would have to do otherwise, but I do like the look of the enlarged tailfin on the short Ks....)

I'm still in the planning stages and move rather slowly, so to avoid hijacking Magua's thread more than I have already I'll start a new thread when I finally get around to starting it.

In any case it looks like the Ventura decals with suitable modifications may be the go.

 

Thanks again!

 

Richard

Edited by Gazontipede
Only one P40K-1 in the RNZAF? Poor thing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Gazontipede said:

G'Day Alan,

 

Thanks for your reply! Like Magua I'm looking at 1/72. (I'd run out of space too quickly to consider anything larger!)

I have a hankering to do one of the new Special Hobby P40s, either an E-1 or the (short fuselage, i.e: NZ3108) K-1 as an RNZAF example in the forward areas in the NZ Blue Sea Grey, Foliage Green/Olive drab, Sky Grey/Duck Egg Blue scheme. (If it is appropriate for 3108 of course. A long fuselage K-10 or -15 would have to do otherwise, but I do like the look of the enlarged tailfin on the short Ks....)

I'm still in the planning stages and move rather slowly, so to avoid hijacking Magua's thread more than I have already I'll start a new thread when I finally get around to starting it.

In any case it looks like the Ventura decals with suitable modifications may be the go.

 

Thanks again!

 

Richard

Hi Richard,

 

RNZAF P40E-1 in forward areas wore RAF style  TLS in US manufactured colours,

being upper Dark Earth/Dark Green and Duck Egg Blue lower. They wore these colours

till arrival back in New Zealand.

 

NZ3108 - P40K-1 (only one) was also taken over from USAAF 68th PG Tonga, however

sorry to disappoint you, NZ3108's plumage was not so colourful, it was Standard

US OD/NG.

If you read through the following link, it gives a brief history summary and colours

NZ3108

 

Only  a small number of RNZAF K's (and possibly some M's) wore the RNZAF Pacific Scheme

of What I have come to determine as US Olive Drab /NZ Sea Blue Grey, with what I believe to

be NZ Duck Egg Blue lowers (K's were Long tailed)

To my knowledge NZ Foliage Green was never worn by Overseas P 40's, till after arrival back in

New Zealand early-mid 1944 (then only some).

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

 

Edited by LDSModeller
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/1/2019 at 5:57 PM, LDSModeller said:

ZAF K's (and possibly some M's) wore the RNZAF Pacific Scheme

 

Hi, Alan,

 

Was wondering if you could help with information for the Ohakea P-40 OTUs. The P-40E is just awaiting its flat coat, so I've got an Academy P-40M on order (and a replacement canopy too). 

 

I've built the Academy P-40M before as NZ3136 from the Ventura sheet V7207. I followed the instructions at the time, but noting your comments about dubious research, I'm not sure about the white stripes that almost cover the rear fuselage behind the letter 28 or the white bars to the roundels on the wings. In the few photos I've seen of the OTU aircraft in New Zealand, none had a white stripe that ran the full height of the fuselage like Ventura show below. 

 

A scan of the old Ventura instructions.

VMgRLlsh.jpg

 

There are two photos of 3136 in the Rukuhia P-40 pile here and here. I can't see the large white stripeon the rear of the fuselage or any bars to the roundels. It may be the case that these have worn off the airframe first? Or never existed as depicted by Ventura? The forward identification stripe is still visible and you can see a roundel under the wing in the first photo with no white bar to it. 

 

My other alternative is to model an aircraft which has period service photos, strangely enough from the Ventua website, NZ3081. What I'm wondering is if it's safe to assume this flew in olive drab and neutral gray? And I assume that stripe on the tail should be in red? I can use the Ventura sheet for this and bodge up a 1 instead of a 2 from some RAF red code letter decals. 

 

In fact you can see more photos of P-40Ms here and none have the full fuselage height white stripes.

http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/P-40-RNZAF-training.shtml


 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Magua87 said:

I've built the Academy P-40M before as NZ3136 from the Ventura sheet V7207. I followed the instructions at the time, but noting your comments about dubious research, I'm not sure about the white stripes that almost cover the rear fuselage behind the letter 28 or the white bars to the roundels on the wings. In the few photos I've seen of the OTU aircraft in New Zealand, none had a white stripe that ran the full height of the fuselage like Ventura show below. 

Hmmmm......:hmmm::)

 

In the Charles Darby Book "RNZAF First Decade" , there are some photos of various

P40's belonging to various OTU's at different RNZAF bases (Ohakea/Gisborne/Woodbourne)

and all photos show different markings types.

Example:

The Gisborne OTU P40 (N) has the full rear fuselage vertical white bar, no red fin stripe, and

fuselage Roundel bars

Woodbourne has a couple of P40's one with no white ID stripes on fuselage, or fuselage Roundel bars,

but one behind has a Red Fin stripe

 

To Ohakea, in Darby's book  there is a good photo of NZ3061 FE-A (K) with 2 OTU which has

the short fuselage rear stripe, no fuselage Roundel bars, and appears to have no Wing Roundel

bars either, no Red fin stripe (Page 75) previous page (74) shows some of the "Tongan" P40E-1's

with  short fuselage rear stripe, and fuselage Roundel bars but no Wing Roundel bars.

 

Further Over page76, it has an aerial photo of NZ3072 (Waiarapa Wildcat) 4OTU Ohakea with

Short White Fuselage stripes no Fuselage/Wing Roundel bars, and Red Tail stripes.

As to the Ventura Sheet above in your post, I can only guess at what they were thinking.

 

Being fair to Ventura that appears to be an old production, and even a couple of decades ago there

were some pretty weird notions here in New Zealand, about RNZAF aircraft colours and markings or aircraft

in particular. (like our Corsair wings not being able to fold - We now know that's totally untrue)

1 hour ago, Magua87 said:

There are two photos of 3136 in the Rukuhia P-40 pile here and here. I can't see the large white stripe on the rear of the fuselage or any bars to the roundels. It may be the case that these have worn off the airframe first? Or never existed as depicted by Ventura? The forward identification stripe is still visible and you can see a roundel under the wing in the first photo with no white bar to it. 

To be fair, the two Rukuhia photos could be both, worn off or never existed, you can tell

by the weathering of the fuselage roundels of OD-28, the RNZAF painted Roundel has worn

away to expose the US Star underneath, so hard to be definitive on that one.

NZ3136 served with 4OTU, and IMHO you would be fine with the Short fuselage ID stripe

no fuselage bars and no Red tail ID (can't see anything on lower Horizontal stab in photo where

weathering not so extreme)

 

Hope that helps you?

 

Regards

 

Alan

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, LDSModeller said:

To be fair, the two Rukuhia photos could be both, worn off or never existed, you can tell

by the weathering of the fuselage roundels of OD-28, the RNZAF painted Roundel has worn

away to expose the US Star underneath, so hard to be definitive on that one.

NZ3136 served with 4OTU, and IMHO you would be fine with the Short fuselage ID stripe

no fuselage bars and no Red tail ID (can't see anything on lower Horizontal stab in photo where

weathering not so extreme)

 

Hope that helps you?

 

Regards

 

Alan

Thanks, Alan. Safe to assume these aircraft would be olive drab and neutral grey? Both 3136 and 3081 (both no.4 OTU)? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Magua87 said:

Thanks, Alan. Safe to assume these aircraft would be olive drab and neutral grey? Both 3136 and 3081 (both no.4 OTU)? 

In Darby's book he states that NZ3136 was painted in NZ Foliage Green/NZ Sky Grey.

Though the photo is at some distance, you can see that it has a more looking "Fresh" Paint scheme

as opposed to the worn weathered OD/NG

 

In the interim, I did mange to find a photo on the web of NZ3081

RNZAF P40M - NZ3081

 

From the above Photo my interpretation would be OD/NG. Given that NZ3081 didn't serve

overseas, the weathering in New Zealand's Climate (especially Ohakea/Bulls area) is not so extreme as

in the more Northern Pacific Island Operational areas.

 

These swatches are OD and NG - Yes weathered, but you can see the colours, off an RNZAF P40 M or N

c616df9d-8179-429c-a1c1-3aaba10e70a5.jpg

7f7bf385-dcb3-4fa0-97cc-80257a24472b.jpg

 

Regards

 

Alan

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LDSModeller said:

In Darby's book he states that NZ3136 was painted in NZ Foliage Green/NZ Sky Grey.

Though the photo is at some distance, you can see that it has a more looking "Fresh" Paint scheme

as opposed to the worn weathered OD/NG

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

Is there a picture of 3136 in his book? I think I need to visit my library. 

 

As with the P-40e, I assume the quarter panels would still be in OD rather than foliage green? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Magua87 said:

 

Is there a picture of 3136 in his book? I think I need to visit my library. 

 

As with the P-40e, I assume the quarter panels would still be in OD rather than foliage green? 

Aghhh.... Sorry,  I was looking at the picture of NZ3072 when making that comment -

That's what happens when you get distracted:fish:

 

Looking at the Photo of NZ3136 in the Graveyard, my take on it, looks to

be OD/NG - The quarter panels look the same as the fuselage paint which is

why I tend to OD/NG (also the lower Starboard wing looks darker which

leads me to think NG as opposed to NZ Sky Gray)

 

Sorry for the confusion

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...