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Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2 built as a Tomahawk Mk. IIb


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This is the new Airfix Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2 finished as Tomahawk Mk. IIb AK457 GA-D of 112 Squadron based at Sidi Heneish, Egypt in September 1941. The kit is pretty easy to built with only a couple of mildly tricky areas (WIP thread is here) around the front of the wing-fuselage join and the undercarriage. Overall though it's a real pleasure to build and can be highly recommended. The model was primed with Alclad Grey Primer and finished with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics and Barracuda decals. I'm sorely tempted to pick up some more of these now I've seen the new Xtradecal sheet.

TomahawkIIb1.jpg

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TomahawkIIb6.jpg

TomahawkIIb7.jpg

TomahawkIIb8.jpg

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Well done Paul - good job there :thumbsup2:

Seeing the Tomahawk next to a Spitfire makes you realise how corpulent the Tomahawk is in comparison (mind you there's not much as svelte as a Spit).

Wez

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Very nice build there, I am in the process of building a Tomahawk in 26 Sqn markings using the Kits at War sheet and the old Ducimus Camouflage and Markings and I hope it comes out as well as yours. It is very nice little kit to build and I am tempted by more.

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Doesn't matter if they are called Kittyhawks, Warhawks or Tomahawks... they are all, to my eyes, superb looking aircraft. Cannot say I'll ever buy one - 1:72 is something I'll only ever venture into on the rarest of occassions - but I really like the look of this kit, and this model is quite superb, well done, Paul.

Ian

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That's a lovely little model Paul, very nice indeed!

Did you have any trouble with the wheel hubs? I just finished mine this afternoon & had the devil's own job getting the things into the wheels. I'd already had trouble getting the wheels onto the u/c legs due to a layer of paint on them, but when it came to the hubs, despite scraping any paint off them they just wouldn't fit until I sanded them to death with a coarse sanding stick & reamed out the recesses in the wheels with a scalpel blade. Took me nearly an hour to fit the bleedin' things....!! They were the only problem I had in the entire build!

Keef

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Thats a great model Paul and I love the scheme, but have you forgotten the eyes for the sharkmouth or were they not applied to the real aircraft? I`ve been following your WIP thread and the guns snapped off mine too and were lost to the carpet moster, a bit of a design flaw there me thinks?

All the best and well done again,

Tony O

Edited by tonyot
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Did you have any trouble with the wheel hubs? I just finished mine this afternoon & had the devil's own job getting the things into the wheels.

..ended up banging mine in with a hammer ! perfect fit !

lovely looking model Paul

although I don't think I managed to get the canopy seated quite as well on mine ( a problem I also had on the new Spitfire )

certainly looks like a Hawk :D

while I'm here, anyone know if the Finns used the Tomahawk - I've a feeling they did, but can't find any pics in my refs ...

Edited by FalkeEins
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Thanks for the kind words everyone :)

That's a lovely little model Paul, very nice indeed!

Did you have any trouble with the wheel hubs? I just finished mine this afternoon & had the devil's own job getting the things into the wheels. I'd already had trouble getting the wheels onto the u/c legs due to a layer of paint on them, but when it came to the hubs, despite scraping any paint off them they just wouldn't fit until I sanded them to death with a coarse sanding stick & reamed out the recesses in the wheels with a scalpel blade. Took me nearly an hour to fit the bleedin' things....!! They were the only problem I had in the entire build!

Keef

Thanks Keef, yes the wheel hubs were a very tight fit. Fortunately I fitted them before I fitted the wheels to the undercarriage legs. Let's just say no glue is needed to fit them, but a pair of pliers comes in very handy!

Thats a great model Paul and I love the scheme, but have you forgotten the eyes for the sharkmouth or were they not applied to the real aircraft?

Tony O

Thanks Tony. I've just checked the Barracuda sheet and this aircraft didn't have eyes painted on, so not guilty on that count!

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