This is my last completion of 2022, Monogram’s classic 1/48 early P-40. This one has been sidelined on my shelf of doom for so long that I don’t remember when I started it. A rough guess is that I started it sometime around twenty years ago, give or take a couple of years, and finished it up on New Years Eve, my last completion of the year. I used Cutting Edge decals for Tommy Haywood’s mount, American Volunteer Group, 3rd Pursuit Squadron, early 1942. Paints are Vallejo Model Air that are supposed to be close match for Du Pont colors used on export P-40’s. Personally, based on period color photos, I think that the Earth color is too light and has too much contrast with the Dark Green. I did do a bit of work to add some missing details in the wheel wells and cockpit, as well as some drilling out of muzzles and exhaust stacks. It could sure use a bit more work in the cockpit and wheel wells, but I wanted to get it finished by the end of the year. Not to mention going back and opening up the fuselage again.
Thank guys!
John, you’re right! I do need to get this in the “Show Your R/M Builds” thread! Thanks for the reminder.
Brandon, it’s hard beat the P-40 for looks and variety paint schemes. What better way to show that off than a family portrait?
Don, you are oh so right. For a time there back in the day, Monogram was setting the bar for standards in 1/48 aircraft. Even Tamiya and Hasegawa were not as well detailed at that point.
You and Don are certainly right about Monogram. Go back and look at some of Tamiya’s early releases (that you can still get these days for the low-ball price of roughly $10 US) and compare them to Monogram’s kits. Detail and construction were at least comparable, and in many cases, Monogram did beat Tamiya. When I got back into the hobby in the mid-90s, one of the first kits I bought was Tamiya’s big Lancaster bomber. That thing could easily have been a Monogram release akin to their fantastic B-17 or B-24, but it wouldn’t hold a candle to what Tamiya would likely produce now for a Lancaster. And the price tag would be prohibitively expensive.
First off, Happy New Year, everyone! Saw that this was a Stickpusher build of a Monogram classic and a personal favorite, the P-40. Carlos, as usual, you did a fantastic job! Love the look of that sharkmouth!!
Dave! Glad to see that you’re still around on here! It’s been awhile. Thanks for looking in and your kind words! What is there not to love about the classic Monogram P-40 in Flying Tiger colors.
