1/48 Airfix P-40B AVG 1st Pursuit Squadron "Robert Neale" (FINISHED)

Another nice start, and good to see more Airfix being built.

I got the 72nd B-1 last year, great looking kit and i am waiting out on the B-2/R-2. It used to be i would not touch them, now i look forward to every new release.

That pit is nice to put together, isn't it? The IP decal fit like perfection and has beautiful detail. The inclusion of the pilot in my build meant a lot of the pit can't be seen, but that IP shines through, fortunately lol.

I understand your choice with the radiators, I gave mine a little effort, but you really have to look deep to see them. I'm glad they were added to the kit and I like knowing they're there, but they are difficult to see from more then head on.

Ive made notes in my build log of the next few trouble spots once the wings are on. None of them are very troublesome. Just a little putty and you're good to go.  :)

I've got mine on hold so I'm quite interested to see how yours will turn out.

That pit looks fantastic.  I can't believe it's OOB!

Toshi

Have you built one of the new Airfix kits yet Toshi? They have made serious strides with new technologies to be top competitors for our hard earned monies.

You really would like them.  :)

Awesome sauce!!

BK

With regard to the scallops; I've been researching my P-40s for some time now and I have a source that states they were painted both ways with no rules stating that they had to be one way or another. So, some were interior cockpit color while others were exterior colors. You can't really tell in BW photos and the color ones that you can find are usually of restored AC. So it's basically builder's choice. I will have one with cockpit color and one with camo color. I prefer the look of the camo myself. I'm still looking for the source I found that info. As soon as I do I'll post it up.

BK

Edit: Here is the color source.

 http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/02/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us_part2.htm

And another source with some good pics.  

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1999/09/stuff_eng_p40.htm

Interesting. So all models from the D onward could have been either pit color or camo, but early models such as the B and C were most likely (but not exclusively) pit color?

That's got me thinking... 

M. Brindos

Interesting. So all models from the D onward could have been either pit color or camo, but early models such as the B and C were most likely (but not exclusively) pit color?

That's got me thinking... 

 

BK

Hi Mike ... I'm researching for a P-40B from the flying tigers and the pictures I've seen show the area to be painted to follow the camouflage colors... So even that early you can see both .

I've been pondering this. Logically, I would think that the rear window panels would be painted whatever color the aircraft was originally ordered in.

If there were any field modifications to the factory paint scheme then that area would remain the original factory color.

I'm referring to B and C models, of course.

So far in the pictures I've seen of pre-war P-40's the area is O.D. 

I assume that the AVG aircraft, being ordered from the factory in Brittish camouflage, would likely be painted in camouflage behind the glass panels as well. Since the camo patterns were not field applied.

So I suppose it is up to us as the artists to research the subject, as per the norm, and determine how we choose to paint the subject.

I think it would safe to assume that not too many of these planes were left with the pit color behind the rear panels. But that's just my opinion based on my own understanding of the article provided.

I also like the camo being behind the rear panel and not pit color so I don't think I'll be painting that area pit color anymore.

In my research for my -E I discovered that it was orginally painted OD over NG and shipped to China where it was given a British camo scheme on the upper surface and assigned to the AVG. Then later on when it was reassigned to the USAAF it was again repainted to darker browns and greens over NG. So, the thought that they all left the factory with OD in the cutouts is sound, but some planes were painted in the field to British Camo as there is a photo of the # 106 -E  AVG model undergoing a color change in its camo in the field.

BK

lawdog114

  

P-40 Gurus, real quick, the scalloped area behind the pit should be camoflage color correct? Thanks in advance for the input. 

I have never seen anything but camo in this area, except bare medel P-40s.

Thanks for the input and compliments guys.  Great discussion.  Here's what I found regarding pics of the area.  It should answer some questions.  

These are camo colored..

Then theres this one......interior color.

I guess it could be either.   

I have to agree with you. The pictures certainly suggest that it could be either.

Great start, Lawdog.  She'll be another stellar addition to your collection.

I have just finished reading Charles R. Bond, Jr.'s "A Flying Tiger's Diary" which gives a good account of the day to day happenings of the AVG.  For reference, the tiger emblems from Walt Disney did not show up until after March 13. Just a bit of trivia.

Gary

M. Brindos

I have to agree with you. The pictures certainly suggest that it could be either.

 

Indeed Mike.  Maybe I can find a pic of white 7 to see which.  Thanks for following a fellow P-40 fanatic. 

Thanks Gary.  I might have to check that book out. I've seen Bond's markings somewhere but I can't remember where.  I just finished watching this.  I loved this series...good stuff...

Brandon, is #106 the one you are doing as part of your P-40 pair?  

M. Brindos

Have you built one of the new Airfix kits yet Toshi? They have made serious strides with new technologies to be top competitors for our hard earned monies.

You really would like them.  :)

 

I have not built any yet, but i have a few of their new 72nd ones. And from what i have seen, i will second that.

lawdog114

Thanks Gary.  I might have to check that book out. I've seen Bond's markings somewhere but I can't remember where.  I just finished watching this.  I loved this series...good stuff. 

That was a great series, and I heartily recommend the book. Bond acted as the groups "operations officer" (so to speak) so his diary contains a lot of incidental information.  Bond flew number "5", which was destroyed in a Japanese strafing attack on April 10th (although he says in his diary that it should be repaired in a day or two).

richs26

Brandon, is #106 the one you are doing as part of your P-40 pair?  

 

BK

I'm back in the saddle with this turkey.  Maybe it's me, but this thing has been laughing at me a little.  I initially thought the nose inserts fit well.  I was wrong and had to sand flush, scribe and re-rivet them both. Perhaps it was operator error somehow, or maybe me being OCD.  The wing to fuselage joint was sort of lousy too.  Sand, scribe, repeat as needed, and its a curved line to complicate things.  I'm sort of scratching my head with the separate wing root fillets.  Alot can go wrong here and almost did.  The landing gear "knuckles" and nearby wingroot area (below) didnt fit well and needed putty.  Again, some of this may have been my doing but alot of it is certainly stupid design.

The prop two piece hub is somewhat dumb, so I grabbed a new ultracast replacement.  Perhaps this is why Ultracast made a new one?  Time to check seams.  I also drilled out the nose fifties (the wings will get Quickboost replacements as the kit's are atrocious).  

Not bad.  A few areas needed touched up.  Overall? Wow...it does look like a Hawk 81 to me.  I'm ready for paint.

I sprayed the white fuse band for the 1st Pursuit Squadron and taped it off.  AVG bound Tomahawks were done in American equivalent to the RAF colors of Dark Earth and Dark Green over....well.....some say the underside should be grey, others say sky.  I came up with my own mix of XF-19 Sky Grey and XF-2 Flat White.  I lightened the fabric control surfaces by adding more XF-2.  I then decided to mix some panel fading with streaking to experiment. I then went back with straight XF-19 and dusted it on, a reverse basing if you will.  After a postshading I was happy with the results.  I'll probably dirty it up more later.  

  Almost time for the camo....   

I had a little trouble in all of those areas you mention, but not as much. Biggest problem area for me was the gear knuckles. That's where I had to putty and rescribe.

Still a lot less work than the Monovell.

I love the paint this far. I'm probably going to try and copy that on mine. :)

Looks great! I'm watching as I'll be doing this kit soon'ish

I'm at the sand, fill, rinse and repeat stage with mine. Those knuckles at the front of the landing gear... ugh. You definitely have me considering the Ultracast prop for mine now.

Your paint work is gorgeous so far. Keep it up!

Joe, 

Following your build as is my usual want. Your works in progress always seem to be useful to me in addition to watching your masterly finishing techniques. 

Today I noticed (undoubtedly temporarily) that when I clicked on your pictures of the office Photobucket was down. I have left some images on that site simply because I'm too lazy to upload everything I have there to Flickr which, IMHO, is much more reliable and hasn't, so far, given me any of the headaches I've experienced with Photobucket.  Just a small rant about PB and its poor user experience from me.