Afternoon all
Firstly, thanks to @Geoffers for suggesting this, even if I nearly missed it!
So discovering this GB came at a good time as, even before finishing the IAF Spitfire, I had decided that my next victim would be a P-40B of Pearl Harbour vintage.....even if I will struggle to finish it in time!
Although I have only ever built two US aircraft (F-51D and Corsair) this is something of a nostalgia build as one of the first ever military aircraft books I was bought as a child featured the P-40 in its Flying Tigers guise, and so I'm pretty sure it's the first US fighter I had heard of.
Whilst the P-40 gets a bad rep, it is perhaps a slightly unsung hero, given that it served throughout almost the entire war, in every theatre (that I can think of), in a variety of roles and was the third most produced US fighter of the war behind the P-51 and P-47, with almost 14,000 produced.
So some background on the plane, kit and my research so far***, just in case some of you are not familiar with it:
Obligatory introductory shots below!
ACW as usual.
ATB
Andrew
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Firstly, thanks to @Geoffers for suggesting this, even if I nearly missed it!
So discovering this GB came at a good time as, even before finishing the IAF Spitfire, I had decided that my next victim would be a P-40B of Pearl Harbour vintage.....even if I will struggle to finish it in time!
Although I have only ever built two US aircraft (F-51D and Corsair) this is something of a nostalgia build as one of the first ever military aircraft books I was bought as a child featured the P-40 in its Flying Tigers guise, and so I'm pretty sure it's the first US fighter I had heard of.
Whilst the P-40 gets a bad rep, it is perhaps a slightly unsung hero, given that it served throughout almost the entire war, in every theatre (that I can think of), in a variety of roles and was the third most produced US fighter of the war behind the P-51 and P-47, with almost 14,000 produced.
So some background on the plane, kit and my research so far***, just in case some of you are not familiar with it:
- Curtiss P-40B Warhawk (although I understand that us Brits called the P-40B the Tomahawk to make life complicated)
- Airfix No. A01003B - a 2021 reboxing of a 2011 tooling.
- Colours.....a very short version, as this is another 'right colour' rabbit hole if you're not careful: no. 41 Olive Drab (a darker and browner green than the later war USAAF OD) and Neutral Gray (a mid-tone grey e.g. darker than the mid-late war RAF greys we're used to)
- Generally looks good on the sprue, albeit some minor flash (but is a 2011 tooling), and the canopy looks nice and clear, and online reviews are positive, albeit the pilot is a bit blobby as usual for these earlier Airfix kits......but the kit cost me less than £7 so I can't really complain.
- Destructions....nice and simple.....only 3 A4 pages of them....and not too many decals! Happy am I
- However........Airfix would have you believe that the plane represented served with the 6th Pursuit Squadron, part of the 18th Pursuit Group. But I think they have it wrong, albeit I am awaiting confirmation. The 6th only flew P-36s as far as I have been able to find out. However, the 19th Pursuit Squadron (part of the same Group) were flying P-40s at the time of the attack. If I am right....happy to be proved wrong....then the markings are for a plane from the 19th that survived the attack and is still flying in the US (and previously flew at Duxford).
Obligatory introductory shots below!
ACW as usual.
ATB
Andrew
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