P-40 M/n Nightfighter

[cthulhu77]

Anyone have pics of that?

[Eddie M.]

I just had to try the red/black zebra stripes.  
  Eddie

[cthulhu77]

Hmmm...will have to think about that.  Did manage to get the shrouds for the exhausts made and installed:

[Brian da Basher]

Love the exhaust shrouds, Greg! They give this bird a nice, streamlined look!

Brian da Basher

[elmayerle]

Anyone have pics of that?

The black and white "Zebra" scheme on an Allison-powered P-51?  I know a side profile was in the old Aircam book on the P-51 and I think there's either been a kit released with that option or decals released for it.  ISTR that it was flown by the 111th Photo Rcon Squadron in North Africa, but memory may be faulty since it's been a while since I've looked it up.

[cthulhu77]

Looks I'll be doing some research!  Did get a wild hair, and remove the upper nose piece...it just looked to bulky with it on:

[Brian da Basher]

I agree Greg! Removing that upper air intake really makes this bird look sleek! It never ceases to amaze me how a small mod can really change the look of an aircraft.

I can't wait to see what you do next!

Brian da Basher

[cthulhu77]

I'm ready for camo, but have hit some sort of an imaginative brick wall...none of the schemes seem to work.

  Help!

[aerofile83]

I'm ready for camo, but have hit some sort of an imaginative brick wall...none of the schemes seem to work.

  Help!

Brickwall?! that could be awesome. I could see brick camo looking realy cool! three or four shades of red.....

Casey

[matrixone]

Nightfighter camo...for a P-40?  How about a base coat of light earth, large mottles of green with a scribble of medium gray over that with dark gray undersurfaces.
Or light earth base coat with black smoke ring camo (like Macchi C 202 and 205s used) on the topsides and matt black undersurfaces.

Matrixone

[John Howling Mouse]

Mottled shades of varying gun metal!
Not completely glossy but the kind that glints in the moonlight like the barrel of a well-oiled firearm.
Not stealthy, maybe, but it should pick up light just right for photos here!

[cthulhu77]

I am going to airbrush today, come hell or highwater...still haven't made up my mind yet, though I would like to stick with the "red" theme. The metal idea is interesting.  I doubt they would have camo'd the craft too much, these were female pilots in russia, after all...the brick house might be appropriate !  
  Hmmm. Dang it.

[Mossie]

JHM's idea sounds like a good one, how about the tiger stripes in those kind of colours, something like this?



If you didn't want to go with mellatics, you could do something similar with flat shades.

[elmayerle]

How about a deep, dark red, say a dark maroon, and black for a night-fighter scheme?

[upnorth]

I should have come here earlier. nice to see my old Nighthawk still gets remembered.

As for the paint scheme, have you thought about doing a black and gray version of the "synthetic haze, scheme that was put on photo recce P-38s? I have a feeling it would be particularly effective for nightfighting on overcast nights, you'd mix right in with the clouds.