Hi,

I usually build armour, but recently built a He-162 for the anything goes campaign and now I got the itch to build something else with wings.

I'm leaning towards a 1/32 Hasegawa P-40E in aftermarket RAAF markings. Anything to look out for with this kit? Is the Trumpeter 1/32 p-40B worth looking into? Most of the reviews I read said the Hasegawa was better. Is it an appropriate kit for someone at the beginner end of aircraft modelling?

Thanks for your time

Jeff

I build the Hase P40 a couple of months ago, very nice kit, no surpises building it. Just take your time and don't rush it;-)

Well, I've only built Hasegawa's 1:48 scale P-40M, but since the construction of the 1:32 scale P-40s looks quite similar, I feel it's pretty safe to give a few general hints.

Be careful with the separately moulded fuselage and wing inserts. Some of them (probably) land on actual panel lines, while some don't. It's good to keep an eye on some references when building, so you can blend in those inserts needing to be blended in when it's most convenient. E.g. get the fuselage assembled and insert seams finished before gluing in the wing, stabilizers and other bits.

Some inserts in the 1:48 scale kit needed some trimming, putty, plastic shims, and rescribing of panel lines to blend in (the separate tail and the portion of fuselage behind the cockpit, to be exact), but it seems Hasegawa has much improved those parts, as I don't remember hearing those area to have caused issues in the 1:32 scale version.

Decide before painting stage if you want to use the separately moulded clear navigation lights. If you use them (which I recommend, they look so much better than grey styrene painted to look like transparent parts), you need to cut off the moulded-in lights and drill holes for attaching the clear parts. That's better done before you have any paint on the model to worry about when cutting and drilling. Naturally, it's best you paint the navigation lights separately and add them during final assembly.

Hi Jeff,

I look forward to your updates on the P-40: my favorite WW2 fighter.

Despite my best intentions I have never even bought the 1/32 Hasegawa P-40. However, FWIW, here is a detailed thread of my build of the 1/48 model. Perhaps it can steer you away from some trials and tribulations. Because Eetu and Harald have more recent experience, I'd listen to them.

https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/forums/55766