Author Topic: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb  (Read 5012 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

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1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« on: July 26, 2018, 05:50:38 AM »
Ok well with a week to go, I think I found something that might be fun, the Airfix Curtiss Hawk 81/P-40B/C:



That's some killer box art. The new Airfix has really upped their game here. Now I wish they'd go back to boxes with real lids.

The back of the box is no slouch either and has a great paint guide.



Of course, I totally ignored any directions or suggestions from Airfix when I built this up a few years back as the Curtiss Canada Kingbird:



The intervening years have not been kind. The model was dropped a few times and the prop was recycled...somewhere.



I was going to part out the remains, but this seems like a better use even if I have to source a new prop and port side window panel.
At least I should be set for decals. These came to me as a bonus in a Heller Hawk 75/P-36 from a re-seller:



They even give you a nice map:



I'm leaning towards going with the Escadrille Lafayette Indian head style squadron insignia. We'll see how those old Heller Hawk-75/P-36 decals work.



I've never seen an Armée de l'Air early P-40 and I don't think they actually flew them even though they had some on order when the Third Republic fell.

Now I need to decide if I'm going to go to town and sand off the old markings on the model or just try to paint over them.

Stay tuned.

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 26, 2018, 05:59:29 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2018, 09:31:16 PM »
Get em off Brian !

Err ......  I'll rephrase that

Remove them Brian !

Despite all the trouble I had getting the markings off of Gerti it was worth it, i think I would still be loading paint on the Wellington to make the transfers dissappear.

Agree with you about Airfix upping their game,  I've just completed the new tooling Hurricane 1 without using any filler at all.

If you could work in the Indian Head insignia  that would be cool

Mog
>^-.-^<
« Last Edit: July 27, 2018, 04:32:32 AM by Robomog »
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2018, 05:04:49 AM »
Thanks for the tip, Mog! I'll be using the Indian Head insignia. I've got spares from P-36s in case the fancy ones go south on me.

I ended out only sanding off the fuselage markings. The wing roundels seem thin enough for me to get away with over-painting them.



Speaking of paint, the first two colors of the 3-color scheme is on the uppers. This was done with the old hairy stick and acrylics, Model Masters Euro Green and German FeldGrau (I love doing kinky stuff like this).



I sanded down the nose a bit to fit a prop from the Big Bag O' Props. I got lucky and found a spare set of side windows too.

Updates as they happen,

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 28, 2018, 09:47:16 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2018, 06:11:53 AM »
I got the last of the major painting done.





Model Masters Dark Earth acrylic made up the final tone of the 3 color camo.



I covered the underside with Polly Scale SP Lettering Gray.



I also got the rudder re-painted in blue and white. Hopefully I'll get the custom red right when I work on this again.

After I took these shots, I glued on the side window panels and I'm waiting for them to dry.

More to follow soon,
Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 28, 2018, 06:15:34 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline elmayerle

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2018, 01:16:56 PM »
Looking nice!!

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2018, 07:56:14 AM »
I made some progress on the French P-40.



I somehow managed to save those tiny wing guns that snapped off. They're glued back on now and the exhausts (from another Airfix P-40) are slotted in.



I got the canopy and side windows on without too much trouble.  The prop, a refugee from a Hasegawa P-40E, is also glued in place,



The rudder's attached now too after earning its stripes.



All the painting is done and it's on to decals next.

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 30, 2018, 08:04:21 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2018, 04:52:32 AM »
The decals went on today.



The roundels are from a Moraine MS.230 and have to be at least 40 years old.





The after-market squadron insignia and numbers are probably from about the same vintage.



I'm always amazed when decals so old work so well.



This project reminded me that I have trouble matching decal colors for the rudder stripes. I think I came close on the red, but for the blue, I ended up just over-painting the center dot on the roundels.



Before I forget, here's a couple of "money shots" (U.S. penny for scale):





I had a blast on this refurb and now I'm looking at some other old models with a view to "giving them the treatment".





I'd like to thank Volkodav for moderating this GB and the rest of you who are playing along or just stopping by to take a look.





Brian da Basher

« Last Edit: July 31, 2018, 05:10:00 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2018, 05:58:16 AM »
Very nice Brian, very nice indeed

Indian head motive look's really cool.

Mog
>^-.-^<

Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2018, 10:10:48 PM »
I really like that! Nice! Very Nice! 8) :smiley:
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2018, 04:12:25 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2018, 07:46:27 AM »
Very tasty refurb, indeed.

Offline Volkodav

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2018, 06:26:26 PM »
very nice!

Offline Camthalion

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2018, 03:27:53 PM »
nice work

Offline apophenia

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Re: 1/72 Airfix P-40 Refurb
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2018, 06:54:27 AM »
Love that scheme  :-*
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