Hi!
I’m building an old ERTL P40K kit (horrible fit…have had to do some major surgery to it) and had a few questions as I near my painting stage. Was hoping someone out there has some knowledge as I can’t find many refrence photos from this campaign.
1- Did the AAF paint the aircraft serial number on the plane for this campaign?
2- Where does the antenna enter the fuselage of the aircraft? I beleive that the Torch P40 had only one HF antenna from the tail to the center fuselage mast but i have no idea where it enters to connect to the radio sets.
3- What color are the landing struts? Metal or airfcarft underside color?
4- I’m going to have her canopy open…but there is no guide rail external to the cockpit…did the P40K have one? where?
Thanks guys!!![:)]
—ken
Hi Ken,
Too bad about the horrible fit; I’ve got two AMT/ERTL P-40K’s in the wings and was hoping to turn them into nice-looking birds! Hopefully another manufacturer (AMtech, are you listening?) will come out with a “modern” P-40K.
I’ll try to answer your questions, but for starters I don’t believe any P-40K’s were used in Operation Torch. It appears only P-40F’s were used; what few P-40K’s that ended up in the MTO were replacement aircraft.
Unfortunately, it also appears that photos of the aircraft during the campaign are rare. My GUESS (emphasized) is that the serial numbers were painted on the tails; that many P-40K’s had no antenna mast, and the antenna wire itself entered the fuselage just behind the canopy, generally where a mast would be; and the landing struts are metal-colored. And I’m not sure about the guide rail.
Sorry I don’t have more information[:(]. Hopefully someone else has definitive answers.
What few Torch P-40 photos I have are in Carl Molesworth’s “P-40 Warhawk Aces of the MTO.” There are a couple good color P-40K photos in Jeff Ethell’s “P-40 Warhawk in WWII Color”; unfortunately it’s a CBI bird.
Mark
Thanks Mark!
You are right…might fat fingers confused the K key with the F key. It’s a P40F kit. I’ve only found one picture…of a stuffed pocket carrier flight deck preping them for take off and the detail is horrible. Will go with what I got and post a picture when she is ready for takeoff! [:D] I used the RAF azure blue for the belly but it looks too “blueish”…must be my Army blood wanting to see more green on such a handsome aircraft. [:)] But as i weather her down I’m sure it will fade out some.
Such a great historical moment…Army planes flying from Navy carriers (a Joint OP!) and evolving the AAC into the fledging/future USAF doctrine of “controling the skys”. Too bad there isn’t more historical information out there.
–ken
Hi guys!
On a side note, I didn’t think the Ertl kit was all that bad fit-wise. I built it up doing nothing special with it and entered it in several contests. Took a second place in the diorama category and a “best finish” plaque. I’ve had worse kits.
Eric
If you have access to the old Aircam series of publications, the book on the P-40 in US Service had several photos of Torch P-40s, in addition to the photo you described.