Hello everyone,

Two days ago I began my P-40E, from Hasegawa. Since there are a lot Hasegawa P-40s to be built, I should first warn you people:

ATTENTION: DO NOT FOLLOW HASEGAWA'S INSTRUCTIONS TO ASSEMBLE THE FUSELAGE!!!

As you might know, Hasegawa intented to make the most of a single P-40 kit and tried to use it as a basis to build all variants. This means the fuselage, the tail and the part of the perplex glasses are all separate. The instructions tell you to assemble fuselage halves first, then assemble the tail and attach it. Then assemble the perplex glasses and put it on. DON'T! If you do, you'll see the panel lines will not match each other, the tail won't fit properly and you'll lose a lot of time sanding and puttying your crooked model.

Here's how to do it in a better way, courtesy of many articles I read over the web on assembling a Hasegawa P-40.

First, we'll need to completely build the fuselage parts in two halves. We'll attach the tail halves to the body half and put the perplex canopy thingie over it as well, like this:



Now, you realize the fit is not perfect. I preferred to match the panel lines of the parts, so I wouldn't have to rescribe. This means I'll have to sand the parts smooth and to their true shape. You can easily see the problematic fit.



I first apply putty to fill the gaps in the connection areas.


Then sand everything smooth,careful not to lose the line details. I went over the panel lines with a knife to make them a bit deeper.



While the putty was drying, I also assembled cockpit elements and added some parts from Eduard's Zoom set. I decided to use Hasegawa's own instrument panel rather than Eduard's.



More to follow. Tonight I plan to mate the fuselage halves and see what happens. I might even attach the wings.

Emre: WOW! thanks for the insight on the fuselage assembly and your business office is looking good.

Bob

I test fit mine together this afternoon and most if not all that detail in the engine compartment will be unseen. Oh well. I guess I don't need to go into a detailed weathering exercise now. Parts fit is good. I had to hog out the mounting holes for the engine bearers a little bit, but otherwise everything fit like it should. Currently working on getting the office finished up and weathered. Pics to follow soon. "Q"

I had glossed up the engine in preparation for weathering etc, but since it won't be visible.....a flat coat will soon follow. I need to dress the exhaust stacks up a bit as I see some small seams/cracks in them. Also need to detail the IP and side walls, and paint the seat. The fit of everything into the fuselage is really good. There are positive locating sockets that make sure things go where they are supposed to go which takes the guess work out of the equation. More to follow soon. Thanks, "Q"

Bob,

120 Sqn {Dutch} was moved to Borneo in early '45 to assist in air operations with the RAAF, when at war's end they returned to the East Indies.

Emre,

I've been assembling Hasegawa P-40 fuselages in the same way since their release, makes for a better line to work with instead of the 2 part instruction assemblies.

Fuselage progress on this bird is moving along, to the painting stage.

Emre, you had me scared there for a moment. Dove straight for the box to confirm your suggestion... OH, I'm building in 1/70tooth Hasegawa P-40E, it has a standard side to side fuselage split with the engine compartment, cockpit rear and rudder in the normal locations,

Sorry Mark, I just realized I didn't say anything about scale...

Rob, if you make a quick search about Hasegawa's 1/48th P-40s, everyone warns about the same issue... but still, people try to follow the instructions. I've been trying to warn as many as I could

Good advice Emre, and it applies to the 1/32 Hasegawa kit as well. I will be following this method when I get started on my build.

Great work so far guys, I'm sorely tempted to get started but I have a couple of other builds to tidy up first.

Well today I had one of those unfortunate coincidences that sometimes happen. Today was my son Joshua's 9th birthday, and it just so happens that the Avalon International Airshow is on as well !! Now I have very little interest in such things but as a caring and unselfish father I thought I would take Josh along for a look. He just loves planes.

One of the aircraft on display was this unit . .



It took off and did a few circuits and some manouevres in formation with a CA-13 Boomerang, a Spitfire, a P-51 and a Sea Fury.

Obviously I barely paid any attention, and only took these photo's (and about 150 more) to share with you guys.

Cheers, D

Damian, i saw that P40 a few days ago when they were towing it back to Hangar #1 (i work in that great big ugly Hangar #6 at Avalon). It was the only thing that got my attention all week... all that modern crap is a waste of space and the fuel used to fly them in my opinion.

Andrew

Damian and Andrew are unlucky fellows to have to endure such intrusions on their airfield. I bet Josh loved dad for taking time out to take him to the show. Andrew I use to work for a fellow (I was a carpenter) who had a couple of a/c and we built a hangar for them and some businesses also. Loved looking at airplanes all day while working, you have it nice. D. is the front exhaust new on the P-40.

Bob

D. Thanks for sharing the photos, Lucky for us you're such a dedicated dad that you would sacrifice your day for your son in this manner.

Bob, I'm guessing that the exhaust stacks are 'new', Probably hard to keep an airworthiness cert with 70 yo exhaust system parts. OTOH, they do look like the fishtail exhausts used on later mark P-40's. Maybe there's a market for 1:1 AM exhaust stacks too.

I'd like to join in with the old 1/72 Monogram P-36A. I'll be doing it as NMF in pre-war markings.

Aaron, welcome aboard and nice kit choice. I remember it as being pretty decent.

Bob

Thanks, it is a very basic kit, but looks decent, particularly for a kit of its age (late 60s?). It actually has a seperate seat which is pretty advanced from the typical pilot with a hole and peg in the cockpit arrangement of the time.

I just hope it is all there, it has been rattling around the box so long most of the parts have come off the sprues. I'll post a photo and get started tonight.

Ok, the P-36



It says it is a P-36A, but it is actually a P-36C because it has wing guns. It doesn't look like much of an issue to remove them.

Aaron, I still remember that box on the shelf along with the P-51B, & F8F at my LHS way back ( not telling my age )

Bob

I've got one of those under the desk, in what looks like the original Monogram wrapper. I'm afraid to open it....

Here is an updated spread sheet with (35) enlisted out of 39 interested. Check me to see if I am correct.


REMEMBER: there must be some WIPs during the campaign for Vanize's ribbon.

Bob

The kit is stamped 1967, which makes it 43 years old. If this particular kit is really that old it has held up well, based on the box it is an early issue.

Nice thing with these kits is progress comes fast, just a few hours and it looks like a plane. It looks like all the parts are there, and the fit is pretty good, just needed a little putty on the underside.

I snipped off the wing guns and filled the ejection chutes to make it a correct A model.






Next step is making it shiny.

Hi All,

Some interesting builds here, I've got the P-40 sitting on it's wheels after the camo had been applied and letting set before the gloss coat prior to applying the decals.






It was not just the 'Cobra Head' that made me decide on this bird, but also that it has a yellow spinner. As most are Red, Black, Olive Drab, or Brown on the French subjects.

A little more progress... I've completely assembled the business office of the pilot. I also put together the fuselage, but no photos of that yet, I'll let the glue cure first.

Great Pics D !!

That little beast looks familiar (and I have the kit decals too ).





This will be the one I do - a nice 1/48 P-40M

Cheers

Paul

@ Aaron: it feels good just to have a kit give some satisfaction without any hickups. Kinda good for the soul after a hard day, glad to see you have an enjoying build.

@ Rob: Wow! you are on some strong caffine HUH! This is a speed build and it is looking good so far.

@ Emre: I like the seat belts, are they aftermarket?

@ Paul: glad to see you could make it and another nice photo to boot.

Bob

Yes, they are Eduard's colored photo-etch. I used the colored zoom set, the pilot's seat, seat belts and some various tid-bits are all Eduard's parts.

Hi all
I've started..Yay!


Just the box art and decals
not much of a start I know.

I've just undercoated the pit and now need to figure out scratch building a harness.(maybe I can use a resin seat and harness from an aborted P-51 build...
thinks to self no-one will know.)

more to follow.

Chris