1/48 Hasegawa P-40N - RAAF A29-607 - John Lloyd Waddy

[Ozhawk40]

Hi All

A return to modelling after several year hiatus, it will be great to get into one of my favourite aircraft, the P-40.  I have selected the aircraft of John Lloyd Waddy, A29-607 BU-G which has been on my 'to do' list for many years.  His aircraft was held on the strength of 80 Squadron RAAF from late September 1944 until 17th March 1945.   To assist in this project I have a few accessories which I have listed below, including the Red Roo decals for this aircraft.  I may add some further bits, including resin wheels.

This is the first WIP thread I have done on this site, but I have previously posted on the WW2 Aircraft site, for those that may remember from there.  My previous build was the Spitfire of Pat Hughes X4009 AZ-Q back in 2015.  Time flys!

Rusty as heck, I'll get on with it.

Cheers

Peter

Name: Peter
Kit: Hasegawa P-40N JT88
Scale: 1/48th
Accessories: Ultracast Wide Blade Propeller 48244

                   Ultracast P-40N Seat with Harness 48169

                   Ultracast P-40E-N Flared Exhaust

                   Eduard P-40N Warhawk Canopy Masks EX113
                   Red Roo Decals RRD4810 "Waddy's Kitties"
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ozhawk40]

I started this build with some basic research, to understand as much about the aircraft as I can. 

 

A good place to search for information on aircraft operated by the RAAF is the Adf-Serials website that documents every airframe

From the adf-serials site the details for this aircraft have been listed as follows;

 

RAAF Serial      Type                     USAAF Serial        Delivered

A29-607           P-40N-20-CU        43-23542              15/02/1944

 

Aircraft History

Ordered on USAAF Contract AC34423: Lend Lease NEI; N-2040 Diversion 620 (Dutch)D-22#3, shipped Ex New York CV#?? One of 22 NEI a/c tfr to RAAF per RAAF HQ File#9/42/132 dated 28/12/43. Rec 1AD ex NEI 15/02/44. Re-numbered RAAF A29-607 14/02/44. Rec 14ARD Res Pool ex 1AD 25/04/44. Rec 15ARD RP ex 14ARD RP 15/05/44. Rec 22RSU ex 15ARD RP 18/09/44. Issued 80 Sqn RAAF ex 15ARD RP 19/09/44. Coded BU-G. Was flown by Sqn Ldr John Waddy and had his enemy claims under the front windscreen as well as "VE" his wife's initials. Rec 11RSU RP ex 80 Sqn RAAF 17/03/45. Rec 14RSU RP ex 11RSU RP 19/04/45. Rec 4 Sqn RAAF ex 14RSU 03/08/45. Issued 1RSU ex 4 Sqn RAAF 29/10/45. Rec 84 OBU ex 1RSU 10/01/46. Not fit to ferry. AMSE Approval to be destroyed by burning per AMSE File#73/21/1612 11/01/46.

 

I'll need to take a detailed look at this information and break it down a little further from other information sources.

 

To start the build, the most relevant piece of information is the Type designation and the USAAF serial.  It's from this information, along with knowledge of modifications made by the RAAF on erection of the airframe and in the field, enable the compilation of a list of things to look at.

The Hasegawa P-40N in 1/48 build to a fine model straight from the box, but I intend to go beyond that with this build.  The Hasegawa kit was modular so that the same sprues could be used for the many different models between P-40D and P-40N.  The breakdown suggests that the P-40F/L was not on the cards, but Hasegawa released P-40E,K,M,& N versions.  The P-40N boxing, whilst very good generally, does not have some of the very specific details that you should see on the P-40N-20-CU.  I may not be able (or want) to incorporate all of them, but I have listed what I think I will need to do.  Very happy for anybody to chime in on anything I have missed.

 

The list:

1. Wide Blade propeller for P-40N ....completed
2. Recognition lights – rear fuselage ....in progress
3. Alighting gear down indicators
4. Alighting gear modifications to P-40N-20 standard
5. Static ground
6. Bomb racks
7. British gunsight.  ....in progress
8. Oxygen system
9. Seat Armour side protection to be fitted ....in progress
10. Delete Hasegawa recognition light on wing root
11. Starter crank cover and stencil
12. 27in wheels with caps .... in progress
13. Fitment of SCR-522 VHF radio control in cockpit
14. Fitment of SCR-695 IFF Antenna
15. Fuel vent pipe
16. Main Alighting gear well canvas liner
17. Rear wheel retract mechanism canvas boot
18. Windscreen port side clear panel - window vent delete
19. Offset radio mast
20. Add additional cockpit fresh air intake on port side wing root.

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Ozhawk40
Added additional items 18, 19, 20

[Ozhawk40]

Wide blade propellers were introduced on P-40's sometime prior to the P-40M model.  For P-40M and onward, including the P-40N-20-CU they were standard factory fitment.  For earlier models, the wider blades could be retro-fitted, and that includes the Merlin engine examples P-40F, and P-40L.

To my knowledge there were only two blade types fitted across all P-40 models, namely 89301-3 ('thin' type) and 89303-24W (wide type).

 

Details regarding fitment of propellers for USAAC aircraft can be found in the document "List of Propellers and Governors for Service Aircraft" T.O. NO. 03-20-1.  You can find it on SCRIBD.

 

 

 

The right propeller makes such a difference to the look of the later P-40's, and so I obtained the Ultracast resin version.  I think it was well worth the extra couple of dollars and is a drop in fit for the Hasegawa.

 

Here is the comparison between the two.  Hasegawa have modelled the thin type of blade, and this same prop is in every boxing, including the P-40N JT88.

 

 

Here is the prop assembled and painted. 

 

 

Cheers.

[Ozhawk40]

Recognition Lights - Rear Fuselage

 

The P-40, along with most allied aircraft had downward and upward recognition lights.  The P-40K-10 had a single light on the lower wing fair filler panel, starboard side.  Later models, (excluding the P-40N-1CU, which had none), had an arrangement of three downward recognition lights in colours of red, green, and amber on the lower rear fuselage.  The recognition light changes are laid out in an RAAF Technical Order  "Kittyhawk Instruction No.12".  There happens to be a copy in the National Australian Archives, which is useful in understanding all the various changes from one model to the next.   This is page 6, with the information.

 

 

 

The next thing is to find a picture of a P-40N-5CU or above.  Unfortunately I could not find a period picture that showed this feature clearly.  Here is a photo of a modern warbird P-40 that has these lights.

 

 

Hasegawa in producing the P-40N used a "universal" wing that uses the single recognition light feature from a P-40E-1.  So this needs to be removed from the model and replaced with the three lights as described.  I purchased a set of drawing of the P-40 in the form of a publication called TopDrawings, from Kagero publications.  I was not satisfied with this product as there are many errors in the drawings, with several features absent or incorrectly drawn, so caution required in their use.  An example of this is the absence of the red recognition light position, and the drawing of the green and amber lights on the wrong side of the lower fuselage.  They are definitely on the port side, not the starboard side as drawn by Kagero.  I have compared the N-10 with the N-20, and they are the same, but I have used the N-10 drawing to illustrate the point as it is in 1/48 scale. The drawings for the -20 are supplied in 1/32.

 

 

The next step is to mark the locations of the green and amber recognition lights.

 

 

And next drill out the lens area for with the overall diameter of the lights being about 2.0mm, but I have drilled out 1.6mm at this stage, and will finish off filling and colouring  at a later stage of the build.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers for now.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Ozhawk40

[TonyJ86]

This is my kind of build thread, the P-40 is my favourite. I've seen your other builds so I'll be happily following along with this. Everything is looking great so far. I used those Ultracast props on a recent build as well, they add so much to the overall look.

[Ozhawk40]

Cheers Tony, all

The next task is to modify the seat to include the armour "wings" that was a feature on most p-40N aircraft.

The reference material  I have for this is the P-40N Erection and Maintenance Manual and the Parts Catalogue.    There were three different seats that could be fitted to a p-40N aircraft, depending on the serial number.  For aircraft 42-104829 and subsequent (that includes A29-607) the seat was a non adjustable (by the pilot) plywood seat.  It was only adjustable when on the ground by unbolting the mounts and moving the seat up or down and then re-bolting the seat.

Here it is:

 

The introduction of this style of seat was concurrent with the introduction of side armour for the pilot.  The side armour was bolted to the armour plate behind the pilot.

 

To enhance the cockpit to include a little more detail, I have replaced the included seat with one from Ultracast - part number 48169. This resin seat is a copy of the specific seat for this model.  The resin includes the seat, rear armour plate and seat harness.  A great improvement in itself, but this upgrade does not include the side armour for the pilot.  Hasegawa does not either, it must be said, just because with the cockpit side wall are a bit tight for space in this scale.  I understand that the 1/32 scale version of the Hasegawa P-40n does have them.

 

 

 

I have the Curtiss drawing for the side armour and a good detail picture, so I'll have a good go at adding this into the cockpit.

The Curtiss drawing which I used as a reference to cut out the armour from polystyrene sheet.




A good picture found on a facebook page ( I'm sorry I did not record which page) of the armour, and because the wings blocked visibility of the cockpit sides, placards for the operation of landing gear and harness were placed on them also.



Here is the seat with the side armour additions.  Next is to work out how to squeeze that into the space available!

 

Cheers for now.

 

Peter

Edited April 18, 2022 by Ozhawk40
Corrected detail on Ultracast part number