Jump to content

HobbyBoss 1/72 Curtiss P-40B "AVG"

VMA131Marine
 Share

Recommended Posts

VMA131Marine Very Obsessed Member

VMA131Marine

Posted
Posted

Also completed today is the HobbyBoss EasyKit version of the Curtiss P-40B. This kit looks the part, mostly, but lacks some details: the cockpit is very simplified and there are no doors for the landing gear fairing. But, it makes for a quick build and I had fun with it. Brush painted with Vallejo Air and finished in the AVG markings of Greg "Pappy" Boyington of later "Baa Baa Blacksheep" fame using Print Scale decals.

 

IMG_20190405_1137337IMG_20190405_1137528IMG_20190405_1137528IMG_20190405_1137397IMG_20190405_1137143IMG_20190405_1137188IMG_20190405_1137252

 

  • Like 35
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jean Completely Obsessed Member

jean

Posted
Posted

Hi there,

I love AVG's P-40s, so you sure got my attention. It is extremely well made and painted. So congrats are in order!

I am curious: how do the Vallejo Air paints behave when used with a brush? Your model looks just right paint wise, so I suppose they must be OK, but I've got to ask!

Never used Vallejo, not that one can find them around here. Don't they have various types of paints? For airbrush, etc.?

 

Great show!

 

JR

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
VMA131Marine Very Obsessed Member

VMA131Marine

Posted
  • Author
Posted
8 minutes ago, jean said:

Hi there,

I love AVG's P-40s, so you sure got my attention. It is extremely well made and painted. So congrats are in order!

I am curious: how do the Vallejo Air paints behave when used with a brush? Your model looks just right paint wise, so I suppose they must be OK, but I've got to ask!

Never used Vallejo, not that one can find them around here. Don't they have various types of paints? For airbrush, etc.?

 

Great show!

 

JR

There's Vallejo Air, which is formulated for airbrushing, and Vallejo Color, which is for brush painting. I find that Vallejo Air is just the right consistency for brush painting and gives good coverage after 3 thin coats. I use Vallejo Color undiluted for detail painting, but its too thick to paint larger areas with and I thin it with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner. I like the way Vallejo Air airbrushes as well, but I thin it even more and add Vallejo Flow Improver which mostly stops it from drying and building up on the airbrush tip. Vallejo sells a set of paints specifically for USAAC aircraft in the CBI and it includes the Dupont colours used to approximate the RAF Temperate Land Scheme.

 

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/producto/hobby/sets/air-war-en/us-army-air-corps-china-burma-india-pacific-theather-cbi-wwii-71184-es/

 

US-Army-Air-Corps-China-Burma-India-Paci

US-Army-Air-Corps-China-Burma-India-Paci

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Winenut Very Obsessed Member

Winenut

Posted
Posted

A bit of a favourite for me and you've done a great job.

 

One thing I have come to know is I think the upper wing marking decals should be closer to the wingtips.

 

Worth keeping in mind and looking at for future builds.....they're so cool I know I'm keen on making another one ! :)

 

Cheers

 

 

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
VMA131Marine Very Obsessed Member

VMA131Marine

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
On 4/12/2019 at 9:37 PM, Mark Joyce said:

Nicely done for a quick build!  Is it my imagination or are some of the propeller blades silver/NMF?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

I read an article a while back that early P-40s had props painted aluminium/silver on the front and the back of the blades painted a sort of purple for anti-glare purposes. I'm not sure it's strictly correct for this aircraft, but it's certainly possible.

The same issue came up with the P-39s I built recently;  an image search quickly turned up period black and white photos with very light coloured blades, definitely not black.

Edited by VMA131Marine
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Troy Smith Blabber Mouth

Troy Smith

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, VMA131Marine said:

I read an article a while back that early P-40s had props painted aluminium/silver on the front and the back of the blades painted a sort of purple for anti-glare purposes. I'm not sure it's strictly correct for this aircraft, but it's certainly possible.

http://www.ascalecanadian.com/2015/09/maroon-19-and-usaac-and-usaaf.html

Quote

Some have asked why I included Maroon on the propeller blade of my recent P-40 (see previous two posts). 

Well, a U.S. Army Air Corps paint specification issued in May 1934 called for "propeller blade - flat surface when required" to be painted Maroon 18. For most of the 30s, glare from the propeller blades in flight was not much of an issue, as the blades were unpainted wood with a small metal fitting on the leading edge to prevent damage to the blade. However, with the introduction of metal blades, glare off the blades became a concern for the pilot. It is unknown why the USAAC chose Maroon as the colour, but specs stated as follows:
 

To prevent glare, the face side of the propeller blades may be coated with antiglare. This coating extends from the 18-inch, or 24-inch station, as necessary, to the tip. Maroon lacquer is preferred, but if not available, maroon enamel is used. (Technical Manual - Aircraft Propellers dated January 5, 1941.)

So, for any Army aircraft with a silver blade, the rear would be Maroon 18.  Sometime after December 1941, a directive was issued to paint the whole blade black. Oddly, aviation writer Dana Bell has stated it was done "to camouflage the spinning prop in flight, which is why it covered the entire prop blade." With this new directive, Maroon 18 ceased to exist for use in the U.S. Army Air Force. A colour chip of Maroon 18 can be seen below:

660b0a34a49e5bf1_large.jpeg

from @airjiml2  blog

 

Quote

ANA colour swatches from the Monogram book. Not sure how they will come out on-screen, so caveat emptor as they say.

PTECTPK.jpg&key=aa4b3b699cdf54460979550e

 

from

hope of interest

 

I note also Vallejo specify 'light grey' for the AVG P-40 undersides....   

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
VMA131Marine Very Obsessed Member

VMA131Marine

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

http://www.ascalecanadian.com/2015/09/maroon-19-and-usaac-and-usaaf.html

660b0a34a49e5bf1_large.jpeg

from @airjiml2  blog

 

PTECTPK.jpg&key=aa4b3b699cdf54460979550e

 

from

hope of interest

 

I note also Vallejo specify 'light grey' for the AVG P-40 undersides....   

This is the article I saw, thanks for digging it up. The instruction to paint the blades all black sometime after December 1941 certainly supports the idea that many AVG P-40s would have had the silver and maroon blades, at least initially.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
airjiml2 Obsessed Member

airjiml2

Posted
Posted
On 4/13/2019 at 9:17 AM, VMA131Marine said:

This is the article I saw, thanks for digging it up. The instruction to paint the blades all black sometime after December 1941 certainly supports the idea that many AVG P-40s would have had the silver and maroon blades, at least initially.

It is possible, but unlikely, if the AVG Hawks were indeed from RAF contracts.  You will notice in factory photos that the US birds have natural metal and maroon props and the RAF birds have black with yellow tips.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35963591@N00/4128855799/in/album-72157622864527612/

 

Jim

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
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
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...