1/48 Airfix P-40B Flying Tigers / Hells Angels, R.T. Smith, Kunming, June 1942 (Complete)
I've been looking forward to this kit in my stash for a while and decided it was time to build it.
The Airfix P-40B kit received positive reviews and I've always liked the camo and the Flying Tigers markings. I chose White 47 of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron, piloted by Robert T Smith, the "Hell's Angels" squadron flight leader.
R.T. Smith joined Colonel Claire Lee Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a "soldier of fortune" with the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. in July 1941. The Flying Tigers, as they were soon to be called, were in Burma training in Curtiss P-40s when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Smith was credited with shooting down a total of 9 Japanese planes, and was twice decorated by the Chinese government.
I've added the Eduard seat belts and Master gun barrels and sights as well as the Eduard masks for the canopy. I'm using Mr. Color paints for the main camo.
The cockpit is nicely detailed and the build is relatively straightforward.
The surface detail isn't at the level of Eduard's or Tamiya's latest kits with rivets and panel lines but I think the fabric control surface rendering is really good.
I primed with Mr. Surfacer, which always serves as a nice canvas for the main camo.
The main camo was painted with plenty of fading and shading. From the photos of the plane, the camo is particularly hard edged, so I used masking tape for the masks between colors. Gloss coat was Mr. Color GX100 - good stuff.
Time for decals. Thanks for looking.