1/72 O' Mania!!!

Airfix Devastator during the painting process.  I used WEM's Colourcoats for the Navy Blue-Gray and Light Gray.  Masking was a combination of painter's tape and poster tack.

Looking good check. How do you find those paints. I have a few for my U-Boat kits but not used them yet.

Thanks, Bish.  I really like WEM's paints.  I've used them for all my ship models.  Also for the Fairey Battle in the Gift GB.  I've used them on the US Navy planes I've built in the last couple of years, both 1/700 and 1/72.  They airbrush really well; I thin them 50-50 with lacquer thinner, which means ya get double the paint for the money.

Only thing is, they're hard to come by in the States, since no will ship them overseas by air anymore.  You are fortunate to be in the UK!

That's nice to hear. Yes, shipping paints has become a bit of a problem. And I think Royal mail aren't helping the situation. I know they are not to popular with companies like Hannants. And the local post mistress did tell me I have to be more careful in what I put in parcels when sending abroad.  It does seem we have access to more stuff than you guys do. And its not as if someone like myself could send them over as they just get stopped and opened.

Nice to hear they are good paints. I only have their U-Boat colours, but I have a few other ships, might be worth having a look at what they have.

Here is the contents of the Academy P-40E box for kit# 1671 plus a decal sheet from a Roden LaGG-3 kit I hope to use.  Tonight I accomplished washing and drying the parts sprues and dipping the clear parts in Future and putting up to dry for 24 hours.

I have enjoyed reviewing the GB thread and seeing all the great work everyone has done.  I fear my efforts will pale in comparison.

I have built a couple of Academy kits this year and they have been nice builds. And I am sure your efforts will be absolutely fine.

Herodotus2go

I'm new here but would like to build an Academy P-40E for the GB.  I think I want to try an do it in a Russian winter scheme.

Hey Herodotus2go,

I just got an e-mail from tcepilot and he said he saw your request.  He asked me to tell you that you are more than welcome to join the GB and he will add you to the list as soon as he can.  He has been very busy, so he will add you soon.  Thanks for joining in and be sure to post pics of your build!

Eagle90

Thanks Eagle90,

Hope to make some progress tonight and post some pics.

Herodotus2go

No problem Herodotus2go.  Can't wait to see the pics!

Eagle90

 didn't make as much progress as I would have liked.  Some how after cutting the joystick off the sprue and painting it, it disappeared off my work table (I do have cats).  Spend some time searching for it but couldn't find it.  Finally had to get a replacement from the spares box.  Only got the interior green base coat done and some dry brushing on the instrument panel done.

The dreaded carpet monster strikes again. Its always handy to have spares. Looking good so far.

Carpet monster strikes again!  I always keep any spare parts from kits for that reason....you just never know!  

Great work on the instrument panel Herodotus2go!  These 1/72 panels can be a bear to detail, but yours looks great!

Eagle90

put a towel over your lap when working. i tend to lean back in my chair when sanding and the towel has caught numerous parts. it also keeps us guys from closing our legs together to catch sharp oblects

Yes the carpet monster is alive and well at my house.  Hope the joystick offering will keep the beast at bay for the rest of the build.

Assembled some masking tape seat belts and assembled the cockpit parts and did some painting on the side wall detail.  Still need to do a wash and some dry brushing to complete the "pit"  Hope to get that done tomorrow.

I am finding that participating here really helps me get motivated and get on the bench to do some work.

Am looking forward to seeing some more pictures of checkmateking02's Devastator.  Its looking good so far.

Nice cockpit, Herodotus.  It's always such a pity when these little gems disappear under the canopy!

checkmateking, you are so right on that. But one day I hope to do a model with an open canopy.  How's the Devastator coming along?

Very well, thank you!  It's another one of those planes that could benefit from an open canopy, but the kit pieces were too thick for that.  

About all that's left is the small pieces and painting the torpedo, and I need to mix up some brass/bronze paint for that.  

I hope to be finished up in a few days now.

Glad to hear that its going well CheckmateKing, looking forward to seeing your pictures.

I finished up the cockpit with an dark brown acrylic paint wash and  dry brushing with  zinc chromate yellow and silver paint dry brushing.

Then I put a lot of effort into carefully painting the radiator parts bronze, silver and zinc chromate green.  and gluing into place.  I discovered that once the fuselage is closed  you now need a 10,000 candle power spotlight to see any of it . Put in the instrument panel.  Closing up the fuselage went pretty well.  One thing I like about this kit is that you can drop the cockpit assembly in from the under side, so no fiddling with getting it glued into place before closing up the fuselage.  Assembled the wings and glued into place.

Hoping to be able to find some time to keep working tomorrow.

That's coming on nicely. Soon have some paint on that.

Thanks Bish,  I hope to soon get to painting.

Part of my inspiration for this project was this absolutely fascinating interview with Leonid Sergeevich Kulakov, Here - http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/kulakov/index.htm .  Kalakov was a P-40E (Kittyhawk) pilot with the Russian Air Force.  I was amazed that the first time he flew a P-40 was once he reached his unit!

Kulakov states in the interview, "The planes which we received at Ivanovo were of sand color and they had some spots. The bellies were white or blue. We were told that these planes came from Iran."

This is born out by this photograph

The question this generated for me: Was the P-40s painted with the American equivalents of Dark Green, Dark Earth, and Sky Gray or Medium Green, Sand, and Azure Blue like "Texas Longhorn" from Squadron/Signal Pubs aircraft No. 26 Curtiss P-40 in action?

I'm thinking that these P-40Es may have originally been part of a British Lend-Lease order that got sent to Russia. So right now I'm going with the Dark Green, Dark Earth and Sky Gray like this scheme from the Cybermodel website.

But I also want to do a winter scheme and hope to end up with the P-40 looking something like this LaGG-3

Well enough about all this for now.  See ya'll back here soon.

Hey Hero,

Looks great so far!  Good looking front office you have there!

Eagle90

Interesting to see there is no star on the LaGG rudder. Maybe the fabric was replaced.

Theuns

Eagle90, Thanks, I build mostly out of  the box with the exception of the masking tape seat belts but was trying to see what I can do to detail the cockpit  with washes and dry brushing.  I'm cheap I guess.

Theuns,  Good eye! You are correct the caption for the photo states that the rudder was replaced.

Nice work so far, Herodotus.  If it's not too late for you, here's a website about US planes slated for the RAF.  Might be helpful, if the P-40 was intended for the UK before it was sent on to the USSR.

amair4raf.blogspot.com/.../welcome-to-amair4raf.html

Checkmateking,

thanks for the Aircraft for the RAF blog.  A lot of info to process.  I didn't know the depth of controversy about the underside color on P-40s (sky gray, sky blue, duck egg blue, sky type s, etc...)  Based on a quick read through my instinct is to go with a light blue shade on the underside (maybe Model Master RLM 65 Hellblau or Humbrol 65 Aircraft Blue).  

I didn't even see the caption! LOL

I an an aircraft tach specializing in fabric, that is why my eye was drawn to it  .....

Theuns

Theuns, Sorry, I meant the caption in the book (Squadron/Signal LaGG-3 in Action), I didn't include the caption in my post.

Herodotus2go

Eagle90, Thanks, I build mostly out of  the box with the exception of the masking tape seat belts but was trying to see what I can do to detail the cockpit  with washes and dry brushing.  I'm cheap I guess.

Theuns,  Good eye! You are correct the caption for the photo states that the rudder was replaced.

Nothing wrong with that at all!  Cheap?!  come on, with the prices of some of this aftermarket stuff, I certainly don't blame you for doing that!  I will! 

Eagle90

Engine, cowling and prop for the Devastator.

Decals are from Starfighter Decal's recent Coral Sea sheet.  Painting them would have been a chore, and these went on very nicely.

I used a thin black wash over the prop hub.

The Devastator's torpedo.  I tried Humbrol's Brass first, but didn't like the color, so I repainted with Humbrol's Fiery Bronze.  For the business end, I used MM's Flat Gull Gray and then a very thin spray of MM's Camouflage Gray lightly sprayed to lighted the nose.  I don't think it is very apparent, though.

Last, I put a thin black wash around the fins and propeller assembly at the rear.

This is just about the last thing to do, except for attaching all the final fiddly parts.  I hope to finish up soon now.

Thanks for looking.