Thank you, Brian (@brithebuilder)!

Work has proceeded although not as fast as I would like it to. However, the Southwest is gripped by a heat wave that encourages staying inside, so I have gotten back to the bench.

I am using Quickboost Resin Exhausts (QB32159) with this kit. They are quite nice and add something over the kit parts.

The rear canopy comes in two halves. For me, the best way to assemble them was to carefully sand the join line on each side to make sure they were flat, then temporarily tape them in place and wick some Tamiya Extra Thin Cement into the joint and allowing it to dry overnight. The result was a very sturdy part that can be handled for sanding, masking, etc.

Having studied dozens of photos of P-40’s, I have come to the conclusion that the area under the rear canopy windows was Interior Green. It always appears to be a lighter shade that the Olive Drab paint. I know that different types of black & white film (panchromatic, orthochromatic, etc.) and filters used by photographers can create a possibly incorrect impression, thus I could be wrong. I have seen no photographs of Col. Scott’s “Old Exterminator” showing that area, so I will go ahead with Interior Green.

My favorite primer is Tamiya Surface Primer in the spray can. I usually apply it outside on the patio to avoid the strong lacquer smell in the house. I did so to the model this morning at about 10 o’clock. It was already 108, not that bad but a bit warm. Well, that was a mistake, as the primer dried very quickly, some of it before it hit the model. There was a little grit as a result. This was easily polished away with a bit of Scotch-Brite Scouring Pad. I should have seen that one coming.

So, I am ready for painting and finishing now.

4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thank you, Spiros (@fiveten). Painting and weathering coming up!

Matt - the color under the rear window is the exterior camo color! It looks "lighter" because you are seeing it through glass.

You will note that the rear canopy doesn't fit to the fuselage on panel lines - you need to carefully seal those joins with CA glue, let it dry normally, which will let it conform better to the surface, then carefully sand down (you might want to mask the glass area), and then rescribe the panel lines. This is actually the hardest part of the project.

Looking great, Matt (@matthewfdyer). I have been having the same problem painting outside, just not quite as bad. We have been getting up to 108 here in central Texas, but it a little cooler in the garage. I sprayed some clear yesterday in the garage and it went on fine and then baked quickly to a solid finish. I am not an expert on P-40s, but I have always painted the panel under the rear glass the same color as the exterior. I don't know what they do if the exterior is natural metal. Trying to determine colors from a black and white photo is very difficult.

I can't disagree with you, George (@gblair), and I have previously painted the area under the rear canopy o.d. myself. There are two sitting on my shelf right now that were painted that way. But the more photos I looked at the more I wondered. The "color" photos I have seen were almost always colorized many decades after the fact. With this one, it just struck me as the thing to do. In wartime with tight production schedules, what would have been the easiest thing to do? Take off the canopy, mask the windows and paint it while the rear area was painted o.d. and put it back on? Or, just mask the windows and get the aircraft completed? If only Kodachrome had been in general distribution sooner, we would have the evidence that is sometimes lacking. Thank you for your comment. Stay cool!

I am sure it is. Take a look at Bert Kinzey's "P-40 Warhawk In Detail, Part 2, Vol. 62" (Detail & Scale, Inc., 1999) for some contemporary color photos of P-40E's.