Smer 1/72 P-40k
This is SMER's P-40K, I started this build while still working on my first build last year (Revell P-40E) hoping to have a quick build but that did not happen. This kit fought me a bit but this was probably more me than the kit. The wing to body did not line up, I had to build up the inner upper wings and sand down the rear wing roots (wing to body fairings) to have it look matched. I was not able to use the kit's main canopy because mine will not fit so I had to cut it and only use the front section (windshield). I took the sliding canopy from the Academy P-40E and displayed it open. This kit came with nice decals, very thin but they did not rip on me, plus the colors are solid. I chose markings from the 64th FS, 57th FG, 9th Airforce. And last I used the old Revell P-40E propeller, I did not like what came with the kit, blades were too thin looking. When done I was okay with this kit, my very first K and I included two shots comparing my Smer P-40K to my Revell P-40E. I've read somewhere that this P-40K is the Revell kit updated but it is not, it really matches more to Heller's P-40E, just my 2 cents. My next P-40K build I will probably give the Sword kit a try.
This is a truly beautiful work, out of the very challenging SMER kit, my friend @v1pro!
This kit looks like it was first issued by KS in 1993, with Revell indeed reboxing it in 1995!
Lately it is issued by Mistercraft!
Looks like a nice, solid kit; pity it is plagued with fit issues.
Your job is wonderful, though, fooling the scale.
Congratulations!
You definitely won the fight over this kit, Bob.
Great looking in the end.
Especially since this is just 1/72.
Well done.
The K is my favorite P-40 variant. Well done!
A nice looking Desert Hawk! Well done.
Nice work. Since SMER never ever did a kit of their own, this is highly likely to be the Heller kit as you surmised, with a change in the forward fin.
You did a great job on it!
Hey guys, thank you. This kit is not the best P-40K out there but it is really not bad. I should have dry fitted the parts more thoroughly instead of rushing into this build. This would have cleared up most of my issues. I did picked this up at almost 1/4 the price of the Sword P-40K, I guess this is why I still have one Smer and Mistercraft in my stash. I hope to have them all built in the future and then post them.
I've done the Revell and Vista 'K' and they look like the same kit. Which some say was derived from their old 'E' kit. A tell tail sign of the Revell connection is the tell tale donut tires seen in some their earlier kits. Vista 'K' lt. Revell 'E' rt.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
I do agree with you but to a point, please hear my out. In regards to the landing gears Heller P-40E goes together the same way, (hubcap, donut tires and strut), Heller gear doors are almost the same as Vista/Smer. I've built all three so when I was building the Smer P-40K and later while restoring my Heller's P-40E, I got to see the similarities. In regards to the Vista vs. old Revell; Vista pretty much took from the old Revell the following: the installation of the propeller, landing gear, bombs/fuel tank, how the wings combined with the cowl flaps are installed and very similar radiator/oil coolers. But the overall shape is almost all Heller. The shots I loaded compares the three, olive drab is the old Revell, white is the Vista/Smer and grey is Heller.
4 attached images. Click to enlarge.
1. grey-Heller, white - Vista/Smer, olive drab - old revell.
1. grey-Heller, white - Vista/Smer, olive drab - old revell.
1. grey-Heller, white - Vista/Smer, olive drab - old revell.
1. Heller - Main landing gears and doors
Interesting points, either way they are fun to build.