Jackson Duvalier Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 There are many like it, but this one is mine. Another of my unduly protracted "OOTB+" construction projects, this one was started in 2015 I think, and substantially completed in late December, but I still haven't added aerial wires or the ring-and-bead sight. This bloody thing fought me every step of the way. It was the first of several new-tool Airfix Tomahawks I've built, and I didn't yet know how to fettle the main parts to fit nicely, so filling and sanding was required. After laying fallow for some years, I was off on a P-40 kick and started it up again. I used Vallejo paints for the Curtiss/DuPont RAF equivalent colours. They look nice but don't stick well. Much repainting was down to the Vallejo chipping and peeling. I used an AML masking set for the camouflage, which didn't fit or work well, so there was a lot of repainting to adjust the contours of the camo pattern. The wing gun barrels broke off almost immediately, so replacements were fabricated from Albion tubing. The .50-calibre nose guns were "taped over" to keep out debris. It was a simple task to drill the exhausts out; the kit parts are quite adequate IMHO, no need for AM resin. After I'd applied the Kuomintang roundels to the wing tops, I took a look at some photos of the real Number 68. The real markings were significantly farther outboard than the Airfix profile indicated. Out came the airbrush for a repaint. I must say the kit decals by Cartograf behaved in a most civilised manner, and were easily hidden under fresh paint. This wouldn't be the last time I was glad to have a backup set of markings. A rectangle of berry-box plastic was used to replicate the windscreen armour after I'd gotten the canopy painted (which took four tries and two canopy castings). The little rudder control horn was made from plasticard to replace the blobby moulded-in unit. The red tail band went down far more easily than feared, I expected to be forced to paint it. The shark mouth decals went down perfectly, contrary to expectations. I'd gotten that far when I re-read @opus999's build log, wherein he points out the blue paint above the red tongue. Out came the airbrush again, blue paint was applied (I could've gone lighter, TBH), and a second set of decals was applied. While I was at it, I applied a darker blue to the wheel hub design as I reasoned it'd be less faded than the wingtip roundels. The starboard side "Hell's Angel" was applied facing forwards in accordance with the box profile. This was wrong. A bit more repainting and a second decal set got that sorted. I noted in the famous photos of Number 68 the Disney "Flying Tiger" appliqué was applied over a base of fresh green paint, so one decal was applied as a reference mark. Green paint was then laid down, and a second decal was stuck on top. I figured that since this was becoming such a recurrent theme, I might as well turn it to my aid. I wanted to apply a fresher, less-faded looking Kuomintang roundel to the wing undersurfaces. I had several options to choose from, and I'd never before realised the lack of standardisation in their design on various decal sheets. No two center circles were the same diameter and no triangles matched. The closest I had were some from Print Scale that @Rakovica had sent me, so down they went. Many wingtip marker lights were created with UV-setting glue on a scrap of vinyl sticker backing, where the best were coloured and then applied to the wingtips. All in all it was a ridiculous and protracted struggle to finish a mostly-OOTB pocket-money kit, but it's over now and many lessons in what not to do were learnt. Despite the overlong landing gear legs (which I simply can't be bothered to give a toss about at this point) I'm quite happy with the model. I think it might even deserve a proper base to show it off on. Thanks for looking and bearing with my tedious tale of woe. 😎 35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus999 Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Despite all the difficulties, I think it looks marvelous! Great catch on the fresh green paint behind the flying tiger graphic... I wish I'd caught that detail when I was building it. Also... good catch on the location of the roundels atop the wings. I only caught that after I'd applied them. 😠 I was lucky enough to know what to expect after reading several build logs, so I enjoyed my build... so much so I bought two more. I'm happy to hear that you are happy with it, because I think it looks terrific! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 I appreciate the kudos, Opus. Your lovely P-40 was a motivator to finish this one up even though it's a minor violation of my "American Markings" rule. They are fun kits once you figure out the quirks-- I've got another on the ways and almost ready for paint as an early P-40CU, and if the latest care package from Hannant's ever arrives I'll have the goodies to do an open cockpit -C model with an auxiliary fuel tank and the engine and guns and radio compartments all opened up. 🤩 I don't know if relocating your roundels would be worth the work, but putting green paint over the tiger and adding another tiger would take five minute of effort (not including drying time). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 In spite of painting and repainting and decaling and decaling again, the finished model is very impressive and one you can be most proud of. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swralph Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Nice one.😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky Keg Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Airfix should buy this kit from you and then display it in the main lobby at their headquarters. Your patience and attention to detail produced an award winner!!!! Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Did the original aircraft not have yellow prop tips? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 I've had similar fights with quite a few of Airfix's new tool 'supposed to be simple' OOTB builds. But the satisfaction is all the greater when you win through in the end, and you've got a cracking P-40 there. Very nice indeed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 This is a gorgeous model, and well worth the perseverance! I'm just hoping my Tomahawk turns out half as well! Kind regards, Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Excellent modelling ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Thank you all for the compliments. The struggle was real, but worth it in the end. 9 hours ago, dogsbody said: Did the original aircraft not have yellow prop tips? Contemporary photos I found of Number 68 showed prop blades black from hub to tip; Airfix depict yellow tips on the box profile but then they also put the Kuomintang roundel in the wrong spots. While yellow tips were ubiquitous later in the war many early Tomahawks did not have them. As an aside, the B-25s used in the Doolittle Raid also lacked yellow tips. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 12 hours ago, Jackson Duvalier said: As an aside, the B-25s used in the Doolittle Raid also lacked yellow tips. Wow! After all these decades of looking at WW2 aircraft photos, I never noticed that before. Thanks for that bit of intel. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 On 1/31/2021 at 1:35 PM, dogsbody said: Wow! After all these decades of looking at WW2 aircraft photos, I never noticed that before. Thanks for that bit of intel. No worries, Chris. Part of any art form is to depict what is there, rather than what you think is there; it's one of those trite-sounding too-simple lessons that one must constantly re-learn as the autonomic brain tries to filter out as extraneous any information contrary to its preconceptions. The brain knows prop tips are yellow and the brain knows interiors were Interior Green, and it will actively fool you into not noticing obvious details. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 This is an excellent representation of Chuck Older's #68. I have rarely seen such a nice model of it. All the research and tireless re-modelling shows off in the pictures. @opus999 The color 'under' the Flying Tiger appeared green, but "The artwork ... was actually an adhesive decal that was printed in the United States and sent to China. Initial flights with the decals revealed that they peeled off in the airstream ... Once applied a varnish was brushed over the entire decal to permenantly affix it to the aircraft. The procedure resulted in a dark patch surrounding the marking..." From 'Tigers of China' by Thomas A. Tullis (Eagle Files EF#4), the best book in my view about AVG camouflage and markings with many rare pictures, also of #68. Cheers, Michael 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 5 hours ago, Toryu said: Once applied a varnish was brushed over the entire decal to permenantly affix it to the aircraft. The procedure resulted in a dark patch surrounding the marking..." Like this? Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Great looking Hawk, really nice work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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