1/48 Classic Airframes P-43A Lancer

Gallery Article by Eric Hargett on Jan 18 2011

 

The P-43 Lancer was the progressive development of Seversky's P-35A to Republic's well known P-47 Thunderbolt. During 1938, the Seversky Aircraft Corporation began work on two redevelopments of the then obsolete P-35A, the AP-2 and AP-4. Both featured inward retracting landing gear and a Pratt and Whitney R-1830-19 radial engine though the AP-4 contained a turbo supercharger mounted in the fuselage aft of the cockpit. The AP-4 faired better than its counterpart in attracting production orders and in 1939, the USACC ordered thirteen of the test models under the designation YP-43. The YP-43 possessed the larger Pratt and Whitney R-1830-35 engine with two 0.5 inch machine guns in the engine cowling supplemented by a pair of 0.3 inch machine guns in the wings. The first YP-43s were delivered to the USACC in 1940 and by that time the Seversky company changed its name to Republic Aviation Corporation. However, it was realized by Republic that the Lancer was already outdated by rapid advances in air combat technology. Specifically, it suffered from poor maneuverability and climbing performance and lacked modern innovations as armor protection for the pilot and self-sealing fuel tanks - characteristics that would not fair well in combat over Europe. Republic acknowledged that a successor to the P-43 was needed to compete in the air war over Europe and in 1940 focused design and development on what was to become one of the most widely successful aircraft of World War II - the P-47 Thunderbolt. Unfortunately during the early years of World War II, insufficient numbers of Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines were available for the emerging P-47's. To keep Republic's factory lines busy, production of the P-43 continued well into 1941. Fifty-four examples of the P-43 and 80 units of the P-43A were eventually delivered to the USACC. The P-43A was similar to the earlier P-43 but differed in having the turbo supercharged Pratt and Whitney R-1830-49 and four 0.5 inch machine guns. 

The P-43 and P-43A's delivered to the USACC were stationed with the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan; the 55th Pursuit Group at Portland Field and the 14th Pursuit Group at March Field, California. Considered unfit for combat operations, all stateside Lancers were used strictly for advanced training. Some were eventually fitted cameras in the rear fuselage and served as photographic reconnaissance aircraft. The operational life of the Lancer stateside was brief and were quickly replaced by P-38's.

Some of the USACC Lancers were also delivered to Australia where they saw service as photographic reconnaissance aircraft with the RAAF in 1942-1943.

In 1941, 125 additional P-43A units were ordered and delivered to the Chinese Air Force under the Lend-Lease program, though again the primary purpose was to keep Republic's production lines running until the Thunderbolt was ready. Ultimately 108 of these aircraft were delivered to China where they saw some limited combat against the Japanese. [Source of information http://www.456fis.org].

My kit represents a P-43A with the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan in 1941.

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The Classic Airframes kit is a mix of polystyrene (injection and vacuformed), resin and photoetch parts. As typical with limited run kits, Classic Airframe's Lancer has its share of fit problems that will require liberal use of putty and sheet styrene followed by sanding and rescribing. Because my kit represented a stateside advanced trainer, weathering was kept to a minimum. I used a combination of pre-shading along with various tints and shades of olive drab, green drab, desert yellow and khaki drab for the dorsal surfaces and gunship gray and neutral gray for the ventral surfaces. Panels were highlighted with a pin wash of raw umber and/or flat black oils. Raw umber and flat black oils were used to simulate fuel and hydraulic leaks. Oil filters of raw umber, burnt umber and yellow ochre were also applied to selected panels. Combined, these techniques allowed me to break up the monochromatic olive drab paint scheme and create a more realistic finish.

With patience, Classic Airframe's Lancer builds into a fine representation of a rather unremarkable and nearly forgotten aircraft of World War II.

Eric Hargett

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Photos and text © by Eric Hargett