1/48 Hasegawa P-40N

Gallery Article by Burt Gustafson on Sept 11 2009

 

For your viewing pleasure, here are some photos of my 1/48 scale Curtiss P-40N. Curtiss P-40s saw action as a fighter and ground attack aircraft in every theater of WW II and was used by air forces of 28 nations. When P-40 production ceased in 1944, 13,738 had been built. My model here depicts a P-40N, the most produced P-40 version, with over 5,200 rolling off the assembly lines.

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About the kit: Overall, assembly of this kit was relatively easy, OOB. The parts fit was pretty good except for the tail unit to fuselage assembly. There were some serious gaps that required filling and sanding. Because I wanted pin-washed panel lines, I re-scribed all the panel lines. 

For painting I airbrushed MM Neutral Gray enamel for the bottom of the fuselage and the wings, and MM Olive Drab enamel for the top. The cockpit interior was painted with MM enamels according to the painting instructions. The tail assembly called for flat white, but I chose to go with Olive Drab. After painting, a coat of Future and then a pin-wash to enhance the panel lines a rivets. 

Typically, I mask canopies with Parafilm, but with this model I decided to use a P-40N die-cut paint mask from Eduard. It was my first experience with a store bought canopy mask, and I must say, I was impressed. The masks were easy to apply and the fit perfectly.

 Decal references provided for two aircraft. I chose to go with the Kansas City Kiddie III decals. The decals were excellent; they snuggled down tightly with a little Micro Sol. I finished the model with a mixture of MM Semi Gloss and Flat Clear Laquer Finish.

All in all, I am pleased with the finished model, an enjoyable project.

Burt Gustafson

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Photos and text © by Burt Gustafson