Last year after building the
Trumpeter F4U-1D I thought to myself how do I top this great kit, so off to the
old hobby shop I ran? I have always had a fascination with the AVG flying tigers
so when I saw my next subject I thought this is going to be a fun one. The P-40
in 1/32nd scale was and has always been a fun kit to build, and it had been a
long time coming to really see a quality kit like the Trumpeter kit. For this is
not anything like the old Revell kit of years gone by.
The recessed panel lines and detail of the P-40 was outstanding as a matter of
fact the entire kit with the exception of the cockpit is well done. The kit
cockpit it seems in most of the Trumpeter kits that I have seen are lacking on
the details that are required to keep up with the same price Japanese kits like
Hasegawa or Tamiya.
I also thought that this kit should have had rubber tires like Trumpeters F4U
kit that I had built last year.
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I had intentions of
building this kit out of box, but with the shallowness of the cockpit and lack
of detail I decided to scrap the kit cockpit and pull out the builder’s sheet
of evergreen plastic. With some really great pictures of P-40 cockpits on the
internet and reference information from P-40’s in action book I started to
fabricate a complete new cockpit with the correct depth and detail. I did use
the kit rear bulkhead with modifications made to it, also the kit seat with
additions of new seat rails. In addition
to the newly fabricated cockpit, cast resin production style weighted wheels
were added. I wanted to and additional detail to the engine, tubing and lines
were constructed out of brass and copper wire. I had decided to remove all the
engine access panels and I did so, but after completion of the engine and
assembly of the fuselage I was not satisfied with the aesthetic look of the
completed hull so out came the glue and back on with the panels hiding all the
hours of detail and work to the engine, but hey I had the fun of doing it and I
have the pictures too.
With the completion of the model
kit construction, I turned my attention to color scheme of the model as I said I
like the American Volunteer Group the AVG were a group of young men to be
admired fighting in conditions that were to say the least barebones with a
shortage of spare parts and against heavy Japanese odds these men were the true
hero’s of days and wars gone by.
To that end I had decided to order some great limited edition flying tiger
decals from Cutting Edge if you have never used there product just let me say
they are great, no other decal I have ever used has ever worked better in my
opinion. So I chose to replicate one of the P-40’s from the 3rd Pursuit
Squadron, China 1942.
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I like to paint, I really like to
crank on the old airbrush to me this is the best part of the whole hobby, I use
a Thayer and Chandler Professional airbrush made by Badger. Cutting Edge
describes the paint scheme as DuPont 71-065 dark brown, DuPont 71-013 dark green
and aircraft gray. I have always used Testors Model Masters Acrylic paint I like
it the most out of all the paint I have ever used to me it is just the old
standard I have come to know best. I mixed up the shade as represented in the
Cutting Edge decal paint chip description preshaded the aircraft and starting
with the underside of the aircraft applied the shades of gray. I like to paint
inside the panel’s first then pull back a bit and mist over the entire
underbelly of the kit.
After the gray has dried and cured I masked off the underside and applied the
base brown color to that I started spraying the green camouflage onto the kit.
Some people like the hard edge camouflage I have never I have worked on military
aircraft for the last twenty five years and have seen a number of them painted
so I believe most are always paint soft edge so that is my choice.
After the base coats are dry, I mixed in white to the base shade paint to do
some fadeout of the initial color, this adds a layer of realism to the model
after achieving the desired shading, and the model is allowed to dry cure over
night. In the morning I started to apply the black-brownish enamel wash over the
recessed details of the kit, allowed this to dry completely and using cotton
swabs and small amounts of thinner streaked the wash in the direction of the
airflow, this will highlight and subdue the entire paint job. I like to strive
for realism in all my models so I really never have a pristine painted model.
Decals are applied with solvaset solution and allowed to dry.
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The last portion is a weather
process that I always follow exhaust streaking, gun residue and paint wear.
Exhaust streaking I accomplish with a mix of black, brown, white and tan pastel
oil chalk applied with a dry brushing. Gun streaking is applied with black only
in the same manner. And the last weathering is applying paint wear with a silver
pencil and dry brushing with silver paint.
The model is then covered with a final coat of dull coat to seal over the
weathering and to give the decals the all important painted on sheen.
I hope everyone likes this kit I enjoyed sharing it with all of you.
Damian &
Tim
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