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Curtiss P-40E Warhawk
Fighter

No. 2 Flying Training Squadron Badge Royal Air Force

No. 57
Captain George Edward Kiser
49th Fighter Group / 8th Fighter Squadron
United States Army Air Force
Australia, 1942


MPC

This model added to kgwings.com December 30, 2020

Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. It served in many Allied air forces in World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter during World War II, after the P-51 and P-47, with 13,738 completed when production ended in 1944.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
In order to reduce development time and get the aircraft into operational service as quickly as possible, the P-40 was modified from the existing Curtiss P-36 Hawk. It was durable and relatively cheap to build so it remained in production long after it was obsolete as a fighter in the European theater.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
The Warhawk was not equipped for high-altitude combat so it wasn't suitable for fighting Luftwaffe aircraft, but in North Africa, Southwest Pacific and China it performed well as an air superiority fighter, bomber escort and fighter-bomber. Over 200 Allied fighter pilots (US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and the Soviet Union) became aces flying the P-40.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk

The P-40E was armed with 6 x .5 inch (12.7 mm) guns in the wings. The distinctive large chin airscoop was needed to cool the upgraded Allison engine.

Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
This is a simple kit, easy to build and with enough detail to look nice when completed.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
Lining up wings and struts is usually a fight, but this kit didn't fuss at all, everything went right into place.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
Panel line and rivet detail is very nicely done on this kit, and parts fit together very well. A bit of filler was used to fill in the upper wing roots, liquid glue was enough to cover everything else.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
I used pastel chaulk to create the exhaust stains and I'm not entirely happy with how it turned out. I think next time I'll spray a thin transparent smoke color.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
The canopy is very clear but thick enough to distort any view of the cockpit, a vacform canopy would be really nice on this model.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk

I haven't built a WWII fighter in over a decade so this was a nice change of pace. It inspired me to finish up the Mustang, Hurricane and Typhoon I started years ago, no idea why I stalled on them.

Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
I haven't built a WWII fighter in over a decade so this was a nice change of pace. It inspired me to finish up the Mustang, Hurricane and Typhoon I started years ago, no idea why I stalled on them.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
I think I went a bit overboard on the paint chipping at the wing roots, I would dial it back a notch if I were to do it again.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
The underside details of the kit are not bad, I'm just now noticing that I neglected to plug the holes for the external fuel tank which I decided not to attach.
Academy Curtis P-40E Warhawk
I took this photo to mess with people and to entertain myself. Every modeler knows of course that this type of Aerospace Ground Equipment was painted yellow in 1942. Begin arguments now.


Academy Model 1671 P-40E Warhawk
MPC


Kit:
Academy #1671
Originally released 1999
1/72 scale


Scale: 1/72
Value:

At the time of writing this kit ranges around 12.00(US) which is a bargain for just about any model anymore.

The Kit:

Approximately 43 parts molded in light gray plastic.
Approximately 5 parts molded in transparent plastic.

Instruction sheet is black and white, 8 pages, with exploded view illustrations and painting/decaling indications.

Decals are provided to make:
  USAAF P-40E, 11th FS/343rd FG, Aluetians, 1942
  USAAF P-40E flown by First Lt. John D. Landers, 9th FS/49th FG, New Guinea, 1942

Assembly:

Assembly starts in the cockpit which includes a basic seat, foot pedals, control sticks and instrument panel, and side panel detail. The canopy is a bit thick and can only be assembled in the closed position so not much of the cockpit is visible once in place.

Fit is very good overall, hardly any filler was required on my kit.

External fuel tank and bomb options are provided.

This was a very easy kit to assemble, no problems at all.

Aftermarket Decals:

SuperScale Decal # 72-675.

Decals to make 5 aircraft from the 49th FG (5th FS, 8th FS, 9th FS)

Decals are printed in register, opaque and on a nice thin carrier.

There are a few accuracy problems with this decal sheet, The real "Tarheel" aircraft had a dragon on one side which is missing on this sheet. The real "Dollye" aircraft had a nude pinup on both sides instead of the pegasus horse provided. The lion on "No. 57" which I modeled is much larger than it is supposed to be, it just barely fits on this kit.

Custom Modifications:

Seat harnesses made using masking tape.

Recommendation:

This kit is cheap, it's very easy to build and looks reasonably accurate at a glance. Any fan of WWII fighter aircraft should have a good time with this one.


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