Hi all,
So as you might know, I have been beyond excited for this release, and I pre-ordered two from Airfix back in August. I got them last week and cracked the boxes, but I haven't gotten far.
If you want my impressions, I did a little review on a side project I have that I just sort of mess around with as a distraction from my day job, but I posted an in-box and partial mock-up review here: https://modelsbybd.wordpress.com/home/reviews/review-148-airfix-p-40b-warhawk/
Anyway, here is the plane held together with tape, and I'm glad I got two.
So I got started by priming with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black, then sprayed Model Master Interior Green on the interior components.
I was hoping to use the kit seat and throw on some PE or HGW belts, but the detail just didn't cut it for me, so I ordered a pair of Ultracast replacements and got them last night.
The kit part is on the left in the photo above, then the Ultracast as it comes, then the modifications I made to make it fit the kit seat frame (right). The lower cross piece on my seat frame was broken already, but it isn't visible so not worth fixing. It's intact in the other kit, and Airfix does provide a separate seat frame for the other type. This one will be Welch's plane during the Pearl Harbor attack, and references show that those ones had the rounded seat, so I went with it.
I cut the center portion of the top of the seat frame with sprue cutters and removed it, so the joint will be where the straps meet it, and there will be no reason to make it extra smooth.
As for the resin piece, it was most likely made for the Trumpeter kit (appears it was done in 1999), so it is way too short for the Airfix kit, which does NOT have the shallow cockpit of the Trumpeter offering. I could have just extended the bottom, but the top of the frame misses being a perfect fit by about half a millimeter, and I didn't want to mess with trying to heat it and bend it.
Hopefully I can get some paint on it today.
-BD-