Yet Another AVG Hawk 81-A-2 (but in a slightly different guise)

[clive_t]

Hi all, as part of my first tandem build (see WIP thread here ) I present here the first of the partakers, the 1:72 Airfix Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2, bedecked in the markings of Greg Boyington, 1st Pursuit Squadron, AVG. As others will no doubt attest it's a nice enough kit without that many unpleasant surprises. Most of the problems were of my own making, including (but not limited to) chopping up the canopy part and replacing the sliding section with my own offering, merely to satisfy my evident obsession with portraying aircraft with open canopies!

 

Anyway I will on this occasion spare you the lengthy background story (although Boyington's story is a fascinating one), and cut straight to the chase with some pics of the finished article:

 

 

Any and all comments welcome

 

N.B. The second half of this tandem build has its own RFI here 

 

[Cookenbacher]

I don't think I've ever seen Boyington's AVG aircraft modeled before, very cool. Off to see the WIP.

[clive_t]

Thanks Mr Cookie, much appreciated

 

[jean]

Hi Clive,

 

like Cookie before me, it is a first as far as seeing Pappy's AVG P-40.

You sure gave it the full weathering treatment!!! Quite plausible considering where it operated.

Bottom line, I really like it!

Super well done!

 

JR

[clive_t]

Thanks JR for your most kind comment

 

[Cloudman1961]

This is nice work. Aside from anything else you have to admire the detail in such a small subject.

 

i’m going to show a lot of ignorance now. This Is a Flying Tiger? I always thought they were P40’s rather than 81 hawks? Clearly not...

 

 

 

[clive_t]

Thanks Mr Cloudman, I would profess to a certain ignorance on the matter of Curtiss Hawks myself - one of the things that I found confusing was the different terminology for the aircraft: Hawk, Warhawk, Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, and so on! As I understand it, the reference 81-A-2 was the manufacturer's designation. One order of these aircraft was placed by the French (who kept that as their military designation) prior to the invasion by Germany. Once they were invaded, however, the aircraft were diverted to the British, who earmarked some of those to be sent on to the AVG in China. The US military designation for these aircraft was P-40B (sometimes P-40C). I would imagine that the AVG pilots and ground crew would have more likely referred to them as 'P-40s' rather than 'Hawk 81-A-2s'!

 

There is, however, no doubt that this aircraft was one of the so-called Flying Tigers, portrayed as prior to the adoption of the Disney-designed 'winged tiger' motif.

 

Obviously I stand to be corrected in any or all of the above!

 

[Kitchen Modeller]

1 hour ago, clive_t said:

There is, however, no doubt that this aircraft was one of the so-called Flying Tigers, portrayed as prior to the adoption of the Disney-designed 'winged tiger' motif.

I thought as much - thanks for the explainer - always found the p40 naming convention confusing! Great job on the model - you’re telling a real story with the weathering- can totally see this on a dusty runway in southern China... or Burma. Great work

[ArmouredSprue]

Really nicely made. Very well done mate

[Mark Joyce]

Nicely done, Clive!  Boyington's story is fascinating; quite a number of adventures.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Excellent P-40.  ... Im sure Boyington himself would be proud of that tiger. 

[clive_t]

Many thanks Kitchen Modeller, Paulo, Mark and CorsairF4U for your very kind words

[azureglo]

Nicely done Clive!

[RJBud1]

Very nice! Were the wirings made from stretched sprue?

RJ

[clive_t]

Thanks Anil, and RJ. The aerial wires are EZ-Line, split in two lengthways to make the line even thinner than normal.

[Cloudman1961]

On 2/20/2019 at 10:39 PM, clive_t said:

Thanks Mr Cloudman....

 

Obviously I stand to be corrected in any or all of the above!

 

Please don’t read any criticism into my comments, I was speaking from a genuine lack of knowledge!

 

I’ve done a little digging into the Flying Tigers on the internet, where everything can of course be taken as the absolute truth... my knowledge up to this point was limited to Commando comic books way back when, etc. 

 

Interesting story. For example I didn’t realise that by the time all the red tape had been cut through, etc, Pearl Harbour had been attacked and US was already at war. Two MoH’s as well. More digging required.

 

You’ve inspired me to build one myself at some point.😉

[clive_t]

Fully understand, Mr Cloudman - no offence taken I assure you

 

I've been looking at whether or not there's been a film made of the exploits of the AVG. The 'original' Flying Tigers film was made back in 1942 whilst the war in the Pacific was still raging, and the US military ordered that no real names or events should be used in the story - they even tried to block the use of the P40 aircraft in the combat scenes! Interestingly, the actual plot centred around the internal conflict between the group leader and the maverick new guy - which could have been an oblique reference to the somewhat fractured relationship between Chennault and Boyington.