Any Suggestions for "Sky Captain" kits?

Hasegawa has just released a p-40, it is supossed to be the best ( check out www.hyperscale.com for a review)

Many thanks for the info, RemcoGrob. That was a very good, detailed review of the new Hasegawa P-40E kit. In fact, it's one of the best, most detailed kit reviews I've read in many years. This certainly must be the most accurate and detailed (1/48th) P-40E done to date--I almost feel like I've had a chance to open one up and examine all the kit parts before buying, what with all the close up photos posted with the write-up. It would be a great kit right out of the box to model a "plain" (without all those extra gizmos showing) Sky Captain pursuit ship.

Someone (on another Web modeling discussion board) suggested that because Sky Captain's fighter has a tandum jump seat and a more open canopy that using a P-40F "long tail" might be more appropriate. I'll have to study the DVD video captures I've made before finally making that determination. But at the same website you mention above, there are several reviews of the new(er) AMTech P-40F kits and their aftermarket detail sets. Either way I go, I now have the kits narrowed down to just a couple. Thanks again for the assist.

--Ken

I saw some previews of the DVD (haven't picked up the movie or seen it yet) show some B24s, I think. They looked do-able.

Yeah, you do see some B-24s on Sky Captain's island base--and either blimps or airships there, too, that could be easily built. (There are currently both card and balsa models of these early airships. And of course some vintage plastic kits of same, if you shop around the vendors listed in FSM.) The B-24s are "J" or later models, with their nose gun turrets--but 1939 is too early for them for them if this was Our World, whcih its not. "J" and later B-24s wern't seen until the third year of WWII. Academy or Minicraft has several very nice late-model (1/72nd) B-24s in their line--or did have not too long ago. But of course this is Sky Captain's alternate retro-future, where the world of Superscience, as seen in the 1930s sci-fi pulp magazines, reigns supreme. (Great stuff!)

Some other modeling possibilities: The Hindenbeurg III from the beginning of the film--Notice how you're not quite sure if the Nazi's have come to power in this reality, as the III's tailfins are obscurred, as are the photos in the newspaper scene montage. It's unclear as to who's running Germany in Caps world. Are they Nazis? Revell-Germany's Hindenburg kit is still available. And theire are also several card and balsa models available of her now,, too.

And then there are those huge British flying aircraft carriers with their dual-prop, "Buck Rodgers" amfibious fighters. Or how about those flying robiots over NYC, that in the air look just like the robots in the second Max Fleisher Superman cartoon from the 1940s.

I can only hope that some eneterprising "gartage kit" company might produce some of these examples in the future. Just how many Trek and Star Wars kits can we build before deja vu (and boredom) sets in?

--Ken

Those air-carriers where pretty sweet.

h.11.od

You may want to check out the extras on the DVD.

In one of the segments, they discuss the background of the film, concepts, etc. They cover the setting for the film (time/place), discuss the robots, the aerial platforms, etc. It's also interesting to hear the story behind the making of the film. Not too mention all the CGI that went into it. Simply amazing.

Check out the official website -- http://www.skycaptain.com -- and watch the three clips from Comicon 2004 (located under The Film > At Comicon).

That movie had so much potential but something about the story just "fell flat'. I been toying with the Idea of building one of those p-40's too. i only saw it in the theartre and the whole time I was watching It I was trying to figure out what color it was. Is it really dark dirty grey or some sort of flat black. i couldn't tell because of the grainy nature of the cinamatography...

I loved the fact that it was the RN that saved the day - well done Mateys !

The movie was shot in a way to make it appear to be made with older film. It's neat.

Yep, like a colorized black and white movie. It has a very 30's movie feel to it (rushed acting, bad lighting etc.) I rather liked it.
I think the British 'air carriers' would make an awsome modeling suject

QUOTE: h.11.od

Ever notice that scene where this reflects in the water to spell "Polly" ?

Hmmm. When you reflect that into water straight down it spells polly alright........mirrored.

Now if it were flying upside down....then it reads "polly"

:)

Well from what I remember of watching the extra stuff, it was like they removed the color and then applied various filters and colors back into it. It's really slick. It's amazing that everything was filmed against blue screen with only a bunch of props. Practically everything (aside from the actors) was CGI. The P-40 was only a bit of fuselage and a canopy.

QUOTE: Originally posted by BrianC. QUOTE: h.11.od Ever notice that scene where this reflects in the water to spell "Polly" ? Hmmm. When you reflect that into water straight down it spells polly alright........mirrored. Now if it were flying upside down....then it reads "polly" :)

If you were flying upside-down, I'd worry...

In my opinion it's a cheesy, kid oriented, film. But the renders rock. And the british planes/subs look cool.
I hope someone makes a good CGI powered war movie soon.
No more trucks dressed as shermans or F-5 flying as mig-28.

Trumpeter makes a P-40B in 1/32 and 1/48 scale but I don´t know if it's any good:
http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_message.asp?id=93
http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_message.asp?id=37#

I have that kit and it's excellent. But it's wrong for modeling Sky Captain's P-40, which I noted at the top of this thread is the later E or possibly F model.

I've now carefully studied the DVD (and the video captures made from it) making notes, and I can tell you that Sky Cap's P-40 is defintely a varying (mottled) gray color, even in the sunlight scenes--very boring, but what are you going to do? I'm going to finish my example as seen in the movie, using various drybrush and pastel blending techniques to achive that desired mottled effect.. I might also consider adding several drops of dark green to the paint mix, too, then seal it all with Testor's Dullcote other clear flat finish. (Yeah, this was probably once a black-painted airplane, but you know how sun and the elements and heavy use wear on aircraft finishes.) There are bare metal highlights seen on various parts of the airframe, top and bottom, too. I also plan on adding the machine gun hits taken from the persuing Totenkopf flying wings to add some visual interest--also exposing some bare metal.

In another post I'll share the scratchbuilt modifucations that will be needed once I've finished my research. (I've now got a partial list now)

By the way, the only markings that Cap's P-40 carries are his weatrhered/dirtied serial number (mentioned above). In lower case white letters (get out your Alps printers to run them off or prepare to hand paint them) it reads: ho-1-1od ( A long way to go for a joke, but it works for me.) Study the DVD carefully for sizing them properly and apply to both sides of the rear fuselage.

More later.

--Ken

QUOTE: Originally posted by SteelSnail In my opinion it's a cheesy, kid oriented, film. But the renders rock. And the british planes/subs look cool. I hope someone makes a good CGI powered war movie soon. No more trucks dressed as shermans or F-5 flying as mig-28. Trumpeter makes a P-40B in 1/32 and 1/48 scale but I don´t know if it's any good: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_message.asp?id=93 http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_message.asp?id=37#

In that case, you should see 'Saving Private Ryan'.

Ok,
My son finally found a decent pic of the plane and your best bet is to start with a P-40N as it has the correct cockpit

Actually, not to be confrontational here, the N model's "front office" isn't quite correct--the shape of the canopy's framing and plexiglas, plus the shape of the rear fuselage and rudder are different. The N also had a radio mast but not the E--or Sky Cap's P-40. I have very detailed drawings of an N from an old Bob Steinbrun P-40 build article in FineScale Modeler that confirms this. There are also many photos of the N model out on the Web. But I can certainly understand why you'd suggest it.

I've now studied every close up there is of Sky Cap's P-40 (via video capture printouts) from the DVD. It appears to me, after very close scrutiny, that the E is the best model to start with--but with modifications of course. You'll first have to open up the fuselage area immediately behind the pilot's seat to create the tub for the jump seat, both moving back and also trimming/reshaping the rear bulkhead to fit the new rear fueslage contour. In the process, you'll also have to remove those angled, concave rear-view sighting panels on both sides of fuselage. The E's canopy will then look correct with these modifications. Then, it's on to adding all the other interior cockpit details--like a pilot seat with a back that folds forward (like a coupe's bucket seat) to allow egress to the rear jump seat, and those additional controls--for all those unique gismos!--on the instrument panel.

But who knows? Thinking about it, since this _is_ a fictional, digitally rendered P-40, it could be argued that just about any model (E and later) could be used with the approriate modifications to get the "right " model. Only the film's computer animators know what model P-40 they based Sky Cap's fighter on. You know my educated guess!

--Ken

Have you decided wicth kit to use? Let us know if you decide to build the plane, submarine, err... whatever.