P-40 Comparison Builds

[Ventora3300]

Dark Earth completed and now I'm doing a comparison for the Dark Green - the paint guide gives Humbrol 30 which I put on the tail surfaces and rudder. I have usually preferred Humbrol 116 for Dark Green and I put this on the starboard wing and fuselage. Another suggestion has been Humbrol 163, which I put on the port wing and fuselage. I can't see much difference between the 163 and the 116 but the 30 is definitely too bright a green - as many have said before.

 

 

The 116 and 163 versions of Dark Green are definitely closer to the paint guide and box art than the 30.

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ventora3300

[Ventora3300]

A bit more done on the 're-boxed original' P-40E - I made a stick from a plastic hairbrush 'bristle' and put a bend/shank in it under hot water. A primitive IP is in and the pilot followed. This pilot is a vast improvement on the original tooling undersized one but he is a biggie! Noticeably bigger than the one in the new tool Tomahawk.

 

The retaining collar on the prop shaft is bigger and heavier than on the original tooling and this actually has the effect of being a counterweight for the prop itself and helps it to spin freely in the hole in the front of the fuselage halves - I wonder if that was meant?

 

 

I've also added in small additional sections to the inner undercarriage doors on this one as the originals on this kit do not reflect them accurately at all.

 

 

[Ventora3300]

Progress on the Airfix new-tool Tomahawk IIB. All Dark Green is now Humbrol 116. The pilot is in.

 

Undercarriage is on - it looks like one of the wheels has dipped into the silver paint but that's just a reflection. Navigation lights dotted in underneath - there is a small bit of detail on the wing that was handy.

 

Navigation lights dotted in on the upper wings. From this angle, you can see the fairly large gap between the rudder and fin, hidden behind the elevators - there has been a bit of discussion if this reflects the real thing or is a mistake in molding. I'll have a look for some reference photos.

 

Did a bit of dry brushing of bronze on the exhaust stubs to give that heated/burnt look - keep trying! Canopy painting in progress and I read a very interesting previous post that revealed that the front frame for the bullet proof glass panel is actually inside the front perspex and indeed Airfix have molded it so. This section is painted in cockpit green rather than dark green so I'm interested to see what it looks like when the masking is removed. Reference pics I have seen of P-40's in flight make this front framing look as dark as the outside.

 

Fuel and oil filler caps are dotted in in red and yellow respectively. I've darkened down the gunmetal for the m/g's.

 

(My) brush painting always looks lumpy close up. Maybe a light touch with Micromesh before glossing for the transfers will improve things.

Where did that blue come from? Looks green in real life.

 

IP is still visible but there is a definite gap below the cockpit edge. I must check to see what it looks like in the reference pics.

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Ventora3300

[John]

Great idea.

 

Starting to collect Airfix kits in the late 1960s the P-40E was a must have. The striking artwork stood out on the Woolworths wall of kits and it had teeth!

 

I remember many of my friends having one, some even painted them but always in Humbrol gloss enamels - never matt. Some were 9 Tan and 10 Service Brown, while others were 7 Light Buff and Service Brown. Undersides would be either 47 Sea Blue or Mediterranean Blue. Don't think we appreciated what matt paint was 🙂

 

The Airfix mould also appears in some Heller boxings. I got some cheap bagged but unboxed Heller examples from Hannants a few years ago and was saddened to see the deterioration in the mould. Most had holes in the upper wing halves around the locating pin for the retracted wheel.

 

John

[Ventora3300]

On 22/01/2020 at 22:46, John said:

Great idea.

 

Starting to collect Airfix kits in the late 1960s the P-40E was a must have. The striking artwork stood out on the Woolworths wall of kits and it had teeth!

 

I remember many of my friends having one, some even painted them but always in Humbrol gloss enamels - never matt. Some were 9 Tan and 10 Service Brown, while others were 7 Light Buff and Service Brown. Undersides would be either 47 Sea Blue or Mediterranean Blue. Don't think we appreciated what matt paint was 🙂

 

The Airfix mould also appears in some Heller boxings. I got some cheap bagged but unboxed Heller examples from Hannants a few years ago and was saddened to see the deterioration in the mould. Most had holes in the upper wing halves around the locating pin for the retracted wheel.

 

John

You are right, John, the artwork certainly got you to buy the kit - it still does it for me! As for the Humbrol enamels, I always think the lower numbers hark back to the more simple range of colours available back then - blue was blue etc. and you could add a bit of white or black to vary the shades. 

 

The kit parts in the re-boxing of the original tool P-40E Kittyhawk in this thread are in very good condition, I think, with just the softer 'new plastic' being used in the mold as opposed to the harder old style stuff. The fit issues at the wings and fuselage seams are the same for both the original and re-boxed kits, with the softer plastic in this re-box more easily warped - I need to get some stronger clamps for putting these old tool kits together.

 

I had a look at Scalemates and I can see what you mean about an offshoot (maybe molds copied/sold or loaned out?) for some Heller boxings (in 1996?) but this Airfix 2012 re-boxing definitely does not have the same problems as you describe.

 

Happy modelling. All the best. Mike

[Ventora3300]

I've got the 're-boxed original' P-40E assembled now and got the same gaps and steps in the wing to fuselage joints and fuselage seams - all filled and sanded now. I painted over with white to check for any last filling required, (there was).

 

The prop blades are definitely too short, by 2mm as I measure (nearly 6" in full scale). I'm considering getting some aftermarket to correct that as I think the kit deserves it.

 

I decided to use the acrylic paints provided with this kit so added some white to the 96 RAF Blue provided to give me Azure (hopefully). Must check back on the previous discussion thread on this shade. Plenty time to re-coat.....

Edited January 27, 2020 by Ventora3300

[Ventora3300]

Canopy framing painted now and masking removed. I'm pleased how the 'internal' framing of the bullet-proof panel at the front came out. Before I fit the canopy, I'd like to have a look at what is required in the way of a gunsight - nothing provided in this new tool kit. There also appears to be very little in the way of cockpit coaming behind the windshield on the Tomahawk on which to mount a gunsight - very different from the old tool Kittyhawk which has a large area. 

 

Transfers in progress, using @stevehnz hints for diluted KOE applied on top of the paint and under the individual decals - works a treat on these new Airfix ones.

 

 

 

[Ventora3300]

With regards to the gunsight for the Tomahawk IIB, I managed to source some background info from 'All Aero':

 

France, already a major customer for the radial-engined Hawk 75A, ordered 140 Model 81-Als (similar to the P-40), but France had fallen before these could be delivered. They went instead to the RAF, operational with No 2 Squadron in August 1941. These aircraft were given the RAF name of Tomahawk I/IA/IB, equipped with four 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Browning machine-guns (two in the cowling, one in each wing), and used for low-level tactical reconnaissance. The next US production version was the P-40B, of which 131 were built for the USAAF, having the same powerplant as the P-40 but with an additional 0.30-in (7.62-mm) gun in each wing, the calibre of the two nose guns increased to 0.3-in (12.7-mm), and armour protection for the pilot. The RAF received the 110 similar Model 81-A2s of this type intended for France, naming them Tomahawk IIAs. Variant P-40C followed, being similar to the P-40B but with a further 0.30-in (7.62-mm) gun in each wing and improved self-sealing fuel tanks. The first flight took place on April 10, 1941, and 193 were built for the USAAF. Again an order intended for France, for 635 similar Model 81-A3s, went instead to the RAF, these becoming the Tomahawk IIB. A further 295 of this version, supplied to the RAF, were passed on to China (100) and the USSR (195) under the Lend-Lease programme.

 

And from Osprey Publishing, a table (which I can't seem to copy) shows that the Hawk 81-A2's and A-3's (Tomahawk IIB's) had only a ring and bead gunsight.

 

As usual, lots of info on BM about this, namely from @72modeler (thanks):

 

So, it looks like I can stop fussing, get the canopy on and think about how to scratch a ring and bead gunsight (without resorting to PE).

[Ventora3300]

Continuing with the acrylic paints supplied with the Old Tool P40E, it is now Humbrol 93 Desert Yellow. Looks good to me. 29 Dark Earth to go on next.

 

[alt-92]

 

Maybe these can help?

P-40C & H-75

 

 

[Ventora3300]

All transfers are on the new tool Tomahawk IIB now - except for all the small stencils - I tried the first one but it just looked like a small mark on the paintwork - far too small.

 

 

I'm not a big fan of the two-tone blue flash through the fuselage roundels but heigh-ho. Gunsight next, aerial wires and matt cote to finish off

 

 

[Ventora3300]

The re-boxed old tool P-40E has the Dark Earth on now and spinner in red - research indicates that RAF 112 Squadron always had red spinners and the box art showing DE is probably to reflect the acrylic colour pots provided.

 

Fuel and oil tank caps dotted in - generous size! Wing nav lights also dotted in - trying to match positions actually molded on the Tomahawk IIB.

 

I have been wondering what the mysterious fairing is below the starboard wing beside the wheel well -I found a pic showing it as a gun camera pod. I'll dot in a lens on the front face. Canvas wheel well liners still to go in then transfers on.

 

Spinner on although it would have fitted better if put on before the fuselage closed together to set the prop blade distance within the slots.

 

This kit really needs the prop blades made the correct length so some goodies have arrived - includes ring and bead gunsights.

Edited February 8, 2020 by Ventora3300

[Ventora3300]

Here are the components of the replacement prop blades and spinner on the reboxed P-40E - I used a sanding block to remove the waste resin on the rear face of the spinner as I wasn't confident of holding the cone steady while sawing off the unwanted piece. The prop blades basically snapped off the forming block. Excellent tool to set the blades at the right angle (and the right way round) included.

 

 

Cut off the original blades - you can see the difference in length compared with the longer new blades (allowing for the long end which goes into the spinner. My first thought was just to fit the new blades to the hub and re-use the original spinner but the new spinner has an engraved line in front of the blades and looks pretty good. Also, the original spinner has long slots in it to let it slide over the prop blades, which doesn't really represent the real thing.

 

Blades and spinner painted and assembled using superglue and the blade setting tool. The rear needed to be drilled out to 6mm to slip over the original hub and now on the P-40E - spins a treat so a very worthwhile modification. Undercarriage on as well.

 

Some touching up required and I thought my camo lines were a bit straight and sweeping so I added in a few smaller scale curves to to to make it more realistic. Canopy masking next.

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by Ventora3300

[Ventora3300]

Decided to go with aftermarket rather than try to scratch build a tiny, tiny 1/72 ring and bead gunsight for the Tomahawk IIB - the instructions said to drill 0.3mm holes - smallest drill I had was 0.5mm and these invisible items seemed to be falling into a massive sink hole when I looked at it through a magnifier. After losing a few bits, I eventually got something on tacked on.

 

 

Matt cote now on and I've decided the only aerial wire that is required to be put on is one from the aerial mast to the radio compartment.

[Ventora3300]

Side canopy frames painted and on and main canopy masking and painting in progress.

 

 

Transfers going on - no major issues other than the teeth at the front. Helpfully, in this kit, each side is supplied in two pieces to reduce the number of curved surfaces in progress simultaneously. You will also be aware that the background to the serial number has been coloured green to represent the previous camo colours before re-painting for the desert - a bit too bright a green to my eye. I was also surprised that the fuselage roundels and squadron codes seemed to be all in one piece on the backing but separate when taking off. It all helps to position these  letters

 

Matt cote is on, still drying on the spinner. Ring and bead gunsight also put on plus the pitot tube changed to an 'L' head rather than the bayonet type supplied with the kit - both fiddly nerve-wracking jobs. The more observant will notice that I now have the wheels round the right way now with the flat sides with four securing bolt heads outermost - a bit of extra detail added in this re-boxed kit.

 

Got a flying visit from the first old tool P-40E to make a few comparisons - I like the Desert Yellow rather than the Mid Stone in the camouflage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ventora3300]

Aerial wire is now on behind the mast on the Airfix Tomahawk IIB and it is finished. (The superglue got out of hand and I damaged the starboard fuselage 'flash' across the roundel but I'll repair that another day by overlaying a replacement transfer. A tiny bit of smoke staining at the shell ejection ports was all I ventured on this one.

 

A lovely kit to build and I've got another two in the alternative 'Desert' scheme and one in the 'Pearl Harbour' set which I'll come back to another day. This is only the second of the 'new tool' modern Airfix kits I have built (where have you been, ya fossil?) and it was mightily enjoyable. Time to set this one aside now.

 

 

 

[Ventora3300]

The modern 'Starter Kit' re-box of the P40E is finished now, canopy framing painted and on and aerial wires fitted. I did a small amount of sooting around the gun ports and behind the exhausts.

 

 

Maybe a little more matt cote required and I think I'll add the black wing walkways sometime later. The main canopy sits a bit low at the back - I imagine it should just be above the fuselage immediately behind to allow it to be slid back.

 

Bringing in the original tool P40E again, I think the addition of the prop blade and spinner upgrade and alteration of the undercarriage doors makes a big difference. I like the 'Desert Sand' in the camouflage rather than the 'Mid Stone' The pitot tube on the original became detached during this photo shoot but I found it again.

 

Bringing the P40's (so far) together... I've really enjoyed building them all!