1/48th Hasegawa P-40N
Built pretty much out of the box except for seat belts and TD wheels, this P-40N was a smooth, trouble-free build. After-market decals were used to mark the plane as one flown by the 8th FS Commander Ernie Harris. He scored 10 kills in that Warhawk and was the first one to do so in a P-40. The model represents the plane as it was on Guadalcanal in 1943. It's airbrushed in Model Master OD over neutral gray with a clear flat over spray.
4 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Craig Abrahamson said on January 4, 2018
Good to see you back on the site, Jim...been a while. š
I like your P-40, too.
Jim Sullivan said on January 4, 2018
Thanks Craig, it's my part of the ongoing Charlotte Scale Modelers club build. I'm sort of partial to the blue planes with bent wings but I occasionally do make exceptions.
Craig Abrahamson said on January 4, 2018
Yeah...I must admit I was a little surprised to see something off your bench painted OD... š
John Ferdico said on January 4, 2018
Hi Jim, great build. Iām surprised Harris was first to 10 kills in a P-40; I would have guessed Tex Hill or sombody from RAF 112 Squadron. Are they not counting Tomahawks, mercenaries, or Brits do you think?
Jim Sullivan said on January 4, 2018
Hello John...thanks for the build compliment. As for the statement about Ernie Harris being the first to achieve the 10 kill mark in a P-40, I was a bit dubious about that too and it may well be incorrect. If so I am guilty of passing along information stated on the write up on the decal sheet. Perhaps Tom Cleaver or someone more familiar with the P-40 can set the record straight.
John Ferdico said on January 5, 2018
Harris may well have been the first USAAF pilot with 10 in the P-40, seeing that Hill and a few others (Scott?) started their scores with the AVG. It will be fun to see if anyone can clarify for us.
Louis Gardner said on January 4, 2018
Beautiful work Jim. I have always had a soft spot for the P-40. My first model kit ever was the old Revell 1/32 "Flying Tiger" version... and I was 8 years old. Talk about a little slice of heaven...
Looks great ! Thanks for posting.
Jim Sullivan said on January 4, 2018
Thanks Louis and quite a coincidence as my first plastic model was the old Aurora kit of the P-40.
Bernard E. Hackett, Jr. said on January 4, 2018
Jim, so was mine! The wings were solid plastic, in them days, not the halves later on. Been stuck on the old War Hatchet ever since.
Jim Sullivan said on January 4, 2018
Bernard...Oh yes, I remember those solid wings and the fuselage halves with the pilot head and shoulders molded on. Perhaps a dozen parts in that kit. Ah, the good ole days !
George Williams said on January 4, 2018
The P-40 is obviously a very popular choice with you guys, and this one looks great.
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Thanks George, it was a fun build and a fine kit to work with.
Terry Schuler said on January 5, 2018
Jim, very cool !, I always enjoy a nice P-40. I don't recall every seeing this scheme. Very attractive !
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Thanks Terry, I picked the Carolina Belle markings for two reasons...I'm a native North Carolinian and I thought those markings were neat. Like yourself, I had never seen them before either.
Jeff Bailey said on January 5, 2018
VERY well done, Jim. And it doesn't look like an F4U!
Beautifully done, my friend. Great looking aircraft - I'd be proud to have flown the original! The P-40 is such an icon of US fighters. Not really the best at anything (though not far off) but there at the right time when sorely needed! As shown by Ernie Harris & some others, it can get the job done.
Bravo!
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Thanks Jeff. Indeed the P-40 was a workhorse and like the P-39 it had its limitations but was in the thick of the fight and contributing to the war effort.
Jeff Bailey said on January 5, 2018
Right you are, Sir! The P-39 is also one of my very favourites. I guess I really can say I am a fan of the "underdog" so to speak! There are many aircraft which - especially at the first of the war - were not the very best, but could do the job needed and were available in sufficient quantities at the times they were required, until better ones were available.
For the US, the P-40 pretty much lead the USAAF. In the Navy, it was the Wildcat.
Bernard E. Hackett, Jr. said on January 6, 2018
The "foot-in-the-door" fighters, holding the line until the US could gear up for war production, and get the newer planes and the later, combat ready variations out to the troops. Article I read on the P-39 said they didn't have enough cannon for the nose early on, so there was a plate added to balance the aircraft. After Pearl Harbor, that changed. Lots of shortages, and the peacetime attitude, plus just coming off the Depression.
Tom Bebout said on January 5, 2018
OD? No bent wings? That is a change for you Jim. Nicely done and I like the scheme you used. But who doesn't like P40's, as they really held the line until more improved A/C could be produced. I believe it's the only fighter that was used at both the beginning as well as the end of the war.
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Hello Tom...I have ventured across the 'blue line' before but I do plead guilty to my preference of USN/USMC birds. However the graceful lines of the P-40 can not be denied...Curtiss did well with that bird.
Anthony Conway said on January 5, 2018
Nice lookin P40 Jim.
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Thank you Anthony.
Greg Kittinger said on January 5, 2018
Great-looking Warhawk - I love those white-tailed birds - did one myself!
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Thanks Greg and I share your enthusiasm about the white markings.
Robert Royes said on January 5, 2018
Real nice, Jim. You could always do a what ifer p-40 by attaching a tail hook and painting it blue?
Robert Royes said on January 5, 2018
Real nice!, Jim. You could always do a what ifer p-40, painting it blue and attaching a tailhook? One of my first kits was the old Revell 1/72 P-40.
Jim Sullivan said on January 5, 2018
Hmmmmm, now that's a thought...thanks Robert
Drew Tarter said on January 5, 2018
Incredible work, Jim! Your painting and weathering are just superb.
Jim Sullivan said on January 6, 2018
Thanks Drew, I appreciate that.
Morne Meyer said on January 6, 2018
Hi Jim. Love this one. The P 40 is one of my favourite WW II fighters. Once spoke to a SAAF Veteran who flew the P 40 in North Africa and he preferred the P 40 over the Spitfire due to its ruggedness and the fact that it brought him home more than 5 times after sustaining heavy battle damage that would have killed a Spitfire. Beautiful build!
Jim Sullivan said on January 6, 2018
Thank you and the P-40 was a fine warbird indeed and certainly made its contribution to the war effort.
Tom Cleaver said on January 6, 2018
Very nice work on the model. A very realistic result. However, the 49th Fighter Group was never on Guadalcanal - New Guinea only. A very minor glitch.
Jim Sullivan said on January 6, 2018
Thanks Tom, I appreciate your comments as well as the location correction.
Clark Cook said on January 8, 2018
Nice work Jim. Great paint job with the faded OD. I sure hope that is one of the MM keeper colors. Best, Clark
Jim Sullivan said on January 8, 2018
Thanks Clark, I join you in hoping MM maintains as many colors as possible. They have certainly dropped a lot of colors already. Fingers crossed that they don't hang it up entirely.
Louis Gardner said on January 8, 2018
This is a sad truth... I have heard that Testor's was purchased by Rustoleum paints. They have already slashed a lot of the current colors available... I'm starting to spray out some color cards to have on hand just in case... So I can mix and match various colors to make the ones that have been cancelled...
Jim Sullivan said on January 8, 2018
Hello Louis...that's an excellent idea.