P-40B pics.....finally!!!!!

kdog8

Please post your pics, when completed.......

footcav42

oh, by the way, nice pics! You really put some effort into that project and you should be proud!

Funny....I just got back into modeling a few months ago and the first model that I did was a Monogram P-40 B that I purchased at Wal Mart! I did some research into the P-40 Bs that were at Pearl Harbor on December 7th and though they supplied me with the right decals, I had to make a stencil and airbrush the aircraft ID number on the fuselage. Number 300 was one of the planes from the 18th pursuit group to take off that day. I fell in love with the P-40 and one day I found a re-issue AMTech 1:48 SCALE P-40 E kit at a hobbie shop which I plan to build soon. This kit has a spare fuselage so one can make a choice to build a British Kitty Hawk or American War Hawk! I will choose to build the USAAF P-40 from the 49th fighter group, 1942.......more on my project to come!

Thanks modelkid,

I used an Aztek 470........ But I have a Crescendo, now. Wish me luck!

footcav42

HEy footcav good model i like it a lot i did one about 5weeks ago and it did not turn out anything like yours realy bad so i just hid it and wasnt to bumed about it cause it ony cost me about 10$ to build the entier thing. What aztec did you use to paint it with it looks great.

didfal

One more thing I forgot to mention....... If you're building the Monogram 1/48 P-40B-C, which has flaws and overall poor fit ( lots of sanding, burnishing and priming, for me ), but is still the most accurate as far as fuselage shape, outline,and dihedral, etc. of available models...... I would suggest scratchbuilding the cockpit. I used a Cutting Edge detailed cockpit on the second Hawk I'm building.... The details are great, but it has some fit problems. First, the instrument panel is either too wide, or I didn't sand down the kit walls enough to accomodate the resin walls (most likely the case [Still learning!!!] ). Also, the cockpit floor underneath the instrument panel is too short to make room for the panel with the rudder pedal and frame attachment...... So you'll have to add a wedge-shaped 'shim' to the bottom of the sidewalls. If you use the Cutting Edge cockpit, add the pieces to the kit piecemeal ( sidewalls, aftwall, floor, instrument panel / rudder pedals, then forewall ) , DON'T follow the instructions and assemble the entire tub!!!

Obversely, there may be other detail sets available for the B-C, if that's what you're building........ I can't see where even PE ( if it exists ) would do any good because the kit cockpit is entirely wrong.

I guess I'm 'preaching to the choir' here, but despite being new to the hobby, I've come to expect poor fit and always dry fit everything before assembly.......

At any rate, the kit cockpit is the worst feature of the kit and resembles nothing of the item it attempts to reproduce.........

Not that I'm an expert....... Just trying to offer some help, and maybe save you some time and headache......

Regards,

footcav42

didfal

The unit is the 1st Pursuit or "Adam and Eve" Squadron
(Apple, serpent and two human figures).....

Photo link to the No.7 bird, of the same squadron is:

http://www.members.tripod.com/smref/p-40.htm

I was really torn between the "Hell's Angels" (3rd Pursuit )and "Adam and Eve", but finally decide to go with the latter..... I guess mainly because of the extant pics on the above website........ The 2nd Squadron, or "Panda Bears" markings are kind of boring compared to the other two........

EagleCals decals, EC#30, 31 &32, are available from Squadron ( I think they have only two of the three sets, now? )or:

http://www.eagle-editions.com/avgdecal.htm

I'm new to the hobby, so I can't say authoritatively, but the decals are a good buy and worked quite well for me. They are certainly better than the thick and out-of-scale decals in the kit......

Good luck, and I hope this helped......

footcav42

Looks great as far as I'm concerned. What is the squardron insignia? didn't recognize it. I've got one in the box waiting to be built.

Looks good. Thanks for posting the pics!! Me likes posts with pictures!!

Murray

Thanks...... I don't guess its too bad...... Considering its only my second model.......

footcav42

nice aircraft, looks great to me, i have built a P-40 too but yours is better congrats!

my best regards
Hector Reymundo

Thanks again for all of the approving comments......

For the antenna wires I used black nylon tailor's thread...... The kind you find at Walmart,etc. I strung up more than I would use on two rods attached as uprights to a 12" ruler with bluetak, and simply "drew" on it with the point of a silver Sharpie marker, covering the thread from all sides. After some drying, I lightly smoothed the marker paint out with pinched fingers and touched it up again, as necessary. After the wires were attached to the model, I used the "smoking match" technique to tighten the wires, and gently followed this with the marker for touch-ups..........

In all honesty, I intended on using something like Alclad for the silver color, but thought that airbrushing threads with it would be a waste of valuable lacquer...... The above mentioned technique worked well, although it probably offered fragile (indeed, in all likelihood no more fragile or less permanent than anything else)results...... But, antenna wires are fragile, anyway, right????

I used the black thread, so, if the silver paint chipped in the future, it wouldn't be as visible. I would be more concerned about the thread breaking than about chipping paint on the antenna wires.....

Good luck with it and, please, post your pics after model completion......

Regards,

footcav42

Excellent work, looks like a great paint job.

Great looking build! I may have to hold onto my Aztec a little bit longer...

demono69

wow footcav that looks great! i'm building the same ac right now though doing her up as the pearl harbor army plane. Mind if i asked what you used for the wires? looking forward to seeing more of your planes!

Yeah, I'm a little intimidated, but hope to be successful....... Besides, it should be easier with the Badger once I get it and practice.......

footcav42

You're a brave man to take on that early war French pattern! :)

Thanks for the positive comments......... Right now, I'm working on another P-40 of the same squadron for myself ( the no. 7 plane, with the flying tiger cartoon near the canopy )

http://www.members.tripod.com/smref/p-40.htm

The one in the pic was for my father-in-law...... Nice gift, huh!!!
He won't live forever, so I stand to get it back, HA HA........ Whether in one piece or not is the issue......

After that, a Tamiya Dewoitine, an Azur VG-33, a CA MS-406 ( all in French Camo) and a Tamiya BoB Emil......... After that, I don't know. At my building rate, these models should keep me busy until next summer!!!!!

thanks again,

footcav42

Good looking Tomahawk. What's next on your building agenda?

It would seem that you have a talent for working with what you have ! Great looking bird. So what are you gonna paint next when you get your new brush ?

It's the old 1/48 Monogram from the '70's with scratchbuilt cockpit and wheel wells......... Would you believe I painted it with an Aztek???? The model turned out decent (despite the airbrush!!!!!) but took entirely too long. But I do have a Crescendo on order]!!!!!!

The Aztek works pretty well, but is so unreliable....... I just never know what its going to do next! I've heard good things about the Crescendo and thought I would give it a try........

footcav42

Your P-40B looks great alot better then mine .What scale is it?