1.72 Monogram P40N Warhawk.

[TonyW]

I'm in. Just dug out a Monogram P40N builder kit that seems about right for the GB. It's small, not many bits and a simple enough colour scheme. What could possibly go wrong? The decals maybe. They look a bit cracked to me. A coat of clear might get me out of trouble but there must be a few spares knocking about here if needed. 

 

 

 

 

The kit itself came from the bargain bins on Tony James Comet Miniatures stand at Telford a few years ago. The same bins provided a few other contenders for the GB and if things go well, another build might get attempted. Nothing ventured and all that. The build will be box stock and done just for grins. Just the ticket on a very wet afternoon.

 

More as it happens...

 

 

Tony.

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Tony 

I have been wanting to build a Flying Tigers version for a long time.

Look forward to seeing you bring this one to life 

cheers Pat 

[TonyW]

Just gone eight as I write and the kit is falling together.

 

The fit of early Monogram models is a joy. There's not much in the way of instructions but then again, there's not much to be instructed about.

It would seem that a bit of 60's dancing would be in order during the build, if the bloke on the sheet is anything to go by, but I think toe tapping is as far as I'll go on this one. I suppose it beats the headbanging required with the Airfix Motorhead He111.

 

 

 

The airframe is pretty much all together and there won't be any filler required here, which is nice..

 

 

 

I might get a first coat of paint on tonight. If not, the morning will do.

 

Tony.

[TonyW]

Morning all,

 

Pictures with a clock in are a bit difficult at this end, I'm using a phone camera for the snaps, so no way of adding the phone to the pictures. Not to worry, the work so far this morning ran from about nine to a few minutes ago.

The plane got a first coat of Revell Aquacolour NATO olive. It looks very much like really faded olive drab to me. I'm using acrylics as far as possible because of the faster drying times. The undercarriage legs, doors and wheels have had a bit of paint added. The instructions call for three parts olive green to one part yellow here. I've used an old railway colour that looks about right instead. A bit of Tamiya clear yellow might get added later.

 

 

While that lot dried a bit, I made a quicky base for the model. I'm building a few of these for other builds at the moment, so slotting another into the line wasn't any hardship. An off cut of thick Greystock card got sprayed with a yellow primer filler, once dry enough a thick coat of Photomount was added along with a few rocks in one corner. Building sand was then added over that lot and then the loose stuff shaken off. A tiny bit of 2mm grass was added and that was it, one base done.

 

 

By then, the P40 was dry enough to pick up, so a first coat of grey was added to the undersides and the whole lot, plane and base, are now sat on the shed windowsill drying off. Give it an hour or so and I'll be back on its case.

 

 

It's now 10.40 and so far, so good.

 

Tony.

[TonyW]

I'm done. It turned into a slog in the end, but it's finished.

 

A second topcoat went on well enough, ditto undersides. I wanted a scruffy look and that's how the paint went on. Worn and faded was what I wanted.

Problems started with the transfers. Rock hard, didn't want to come off the backing paper and fragile as glass. Other than that they were fine. I got them all on in the end, which surprised me somewhat. It took a ton of solvent to get them anywhere near stuck down. Once I had them as best as I could get them, I covered the airframe with satin clear to try to keep things in place.

 

The canopy got masked and painted but I'm less than happy with the result. The triangular corner pieces of the frame look like badly painted corners to me but I'll live with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Once it was all assembled and sat on its base it started to look like a P40. It seems on the big side for 1.72, it's a fair bit longer than an Airfix P40 that I sat alongside for a check. It's of its time though, late fifties I think, and it will sit nicely with my other built Monogram kits.

 

 

Not a bad way to spend the weekend at all. I enjoyed the build, despite the hiccups along the way. Thanks organisers, it was fun.

 

Tony.

 

 

 

 

[Mike Dean]

Yup, that's definitely a P-40, sharks teeth and all! The boxart looks very toy-like, but the kit's turned out well. Top job 👍.