Airfix 1/48 P-40B

[AeroplaneDriver]

So I just announced my first build of the year as a USAF Tornado Wild Weasel...but that one is turning into one of those "Epic Build" kind of things, with me deciding to go with Revell's (allegedly) very nice 1/48 Tornado F.3 instead of the old Italeri kit in my stash.  The Italeri will end up being a donor and/or test bed for some potential mods to the Revell kit. 

Anyhoo, the upshot is, the Revell Tornado wont be here until Saturday afternoon, and with a rainy few days and a work schedule conducive to modeling this week I decided to start on a "quickie" build. 

I picked out this nice little Airfix P-40B that I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $18 with their ubiquitous 40% off coupon. 

I started yesterday afternoon and am up to having the fuselage glued together.  I must say the cockpit is a little gem.  Not quite Tamigawa quality in the plastic or molding detail, but I love the separately molded cockpit sidewall with lots of detail.  It's similar to the Airfix Sea Fury I did a few months ago in this respect.

So far it is all OOB with the addition of Eduard etched harnesses. 

Final scheme will come to me over the weekend...so far considering:

OOB RW Pearl Harbor USAAF
Experimental early WW2 low vis scheme (modern USAF grays and markings)
Retro early 30s yellow wing scheme for fictional USAAF display team

other ideas warmly welcomed as always. 


The progress so far...



The instructions call for assembling the sidewalls to the cockpit floor and ends, but it looked to me like the fit might be better if I attached the sidewall pieces to the fuselage first.  It worked out very nicely. 





It's been a while since I did two builds at once, but looking forward to a weekend with this and the Tornado!

[NARSES2]

That does look nice 

I've built a couple of their recent 1/72 P-40's and whilst you need to be a little careful in places, mainly to do with the type of plastic used, they to are nice kits.

[KiwiZac]

This kit is one where I kept smiling because I was having so much fun, and the design and engineering was so good. Great start!

[Paper Kosmonaut]

That looks nice indeed. Airfix has made a good recovery with all those new toolings.

[Old Wombat]

How about a "Soviet"/Russian version in a modern Arctic Winter scheme & Russian/Soviet markings?

Some examples;







OK, this one's Ukrainian but you get the drift;

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well she's done.  Ended up a RW build of a P-40C from the 54th Pursuit Squadron, USAAC, 1942.

Decals came from the Xtradelcal Early P-40s Part 2 sheet.  Paints are all Vallejo Model Air acrylics except the gear legs which are Testors Stainless Steel Metallizer from a rattle can.  Weathering with pastel dust and thinned Vallejo for oil streaking.  Testors Flat Clear from a rattle can finished it all off. 

Overall a nice little kit.  Not without a few fit issues around the forward wing/fuselage join, but overall nicely done.  Another good effort from Mr Airfix!  These run about $18 at the local HobbyLobby with the always available 40% off coupon, so I can see more in my future.  I liked Wombat's Russian ideas, but no Russian markings in the decal stash, and I wanted to get done so I can move on with my Tornado build, but next one could well be Russian! 

[Old Wombat]

You've done the old girl justice! She looks very, very good!

[zenrat]

Wrong scale and RW but yeah, great job.  It looks very good.

[NARSES2]

Appears to have been a nice, relaxing build ? Something we all need at times. Looks really good 

[Captain Canada]

That looks awesome Nick ! Very well done. I've been thinking that building a few 48th scale examples of my favourite aeroplanes would be a nice addition to any shelf in the house.

As for the WW F.3, can't wait to see that one. Lovely idea for a lovely aeroplane.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Thanks fellas!  It was very much a relaxing build.  I highly recommend the kit for the price. 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I'd go with the yellow wings idea, Nick.



Ian.

[TheChronicOne]

Very good!! I always say, I love a good Hawk!

[dumaniac]

very nice