Warbird Information Exchange

Is it just me or does that nose make the B model much better looking than all of the later model P-40's?

No it's not you. You're correct of course it is a hell of alot better looking. The E model looks pretty good but the N model missed it.

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Hang The Expense

Not to mention the lack of sharks teeth which makes it look even better.

Ryan

I love that plane and scheme. Earlier there were a few posts about matching colors, etc. I have had great luck taking the FS numbers to the hobby store and getting the Testors paints (I think it's the Model Master series) and then having the folks at the paint company blend directly from that. The modelers are really good at getting things like that right and when I needed RAF green rather than OD for Frenesi, it was right there. also the insignia yellows, reds and blues are in my view right on.

Try it on a model kit and see -- Jim

I'm glad to hear my models are the right colors I use Testors MM enamels...

I love the early P-40's and this one is drop dead gorgeous

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We have a lot to be thankful for in the scale models world. My job would be a lot harder without them!

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a point on the model to real aircraft colour thing, i'm not sure if aero modelers have noted the same thing but...
back 10 - 15 years ago in the local model railway scene here there was a guy who obtained a small pot of the actual paint used to repaint a restored steam loco and painted his HO (1:87) model with it. i'm told it looked way way too dark and he ended up having to strip and repaint it. i did read the reasoning behind this but have since forgotten, sorry. i'm belive all of the local modelrailway paint manifactures lighten thier paints to avoid this problem.

henry.

Speaking as a professional modeler: You're welcome.

It's nice to be appreciated! And Henry, what you're referring to is "scale effect"... basically, the color of an object will seem progressively lighter, the further away from it you are.

Cheers,

Lynn

I tried that Model Masters thing with Dark Sea Blue and a PBR can and it seemed too dark to me, compared to the real aircraft I have seen out on the circuit. I'm going to stop at the Hobby store tonight before band practice and look for some green paint. The green on this P-40 looks different though.

I am of the opinion that the B model is a different green than everyone's other favorite P-40...

Yes and no:

I think the underside of the nose looks much more sleek and aerodynamic.

But the topside looks terrible.

Just my opinion

Hey Django, I believe that is 42-9733 you have pictured. The tiger was replaced with, you guessed it, a shark's mouth. Here's what she looks like now (taken a few weeks ago). She sure was immaculate. I think you can eat right off the floor from Stallion 51's hangar. Very nice indeed.

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Life's a Pitts

Really? I thought I was posting a pic of the one on the cover of Warbird Digest a couple months ago. So there was another Aleutian tiger and it was just painted over? How sad...

The photo posted by Django does not show 42-9733... it's P-40M 43-5802, currently part of the Hangar 11 Collection.

Here's 42-9733 while she was still owned by Dick Thurman and still an 'Aleutian Tiger'...


Jim Woodrow photo


Fade to Black...

Django, there are more shades of olive green than you can shake a stick at! The earlier green drab is closer to FS 34086, while later OD came closer to 34087 (ANA 613 was the offical Air Corps spec for it, if I recall correctly). The fun part is that as these colors faded, they shifted dramatically... the earlier dark olive went greyish, while the later olive varied between greys and browns. And of course, the color and tone shifted dramatically darker if you waxed the aircraft- see the early P-47Cs of the 56th FG, for example.

Cheers,

Lynn