Any AVG/Flying Tiger historians here?
Did the Flying Tigers get any P-40E variants before being changed to the 23rd ?
I’m looking for a camoflaged one that used the Chinese National insignia.
Remember the box art painting of the old Revell P-40E in 1/32 scale? I’m looking to do one like that but I’m curious if this scheme is correct? I have also seen a model made up as Tex Hill’s P-40E (#108) in camoflage and Chinese markings with a red fuselage stripe. I have seen pictures of Robert L. Scott’s P-40E in olive drab but with U.S. markings applied and have seen P-40K’s with camoflage but again with U.S. stars.
Reason I’m asking is that I can’t seem to find any clear pictures of AVG P-40Es Chinese markings.
Any ideas? I would appreciate any help you can offer.
Thanks! Steven
The AVG recieved some P-40E’s in early 1942, shortly before it was decommissioned in July, 1942. They had the sharkmouths, but were painted in the standard USAAF OD 41 over NG 43. The National Insignia were painted out with dark green & Chinese insignia were added in the usual 4 positions. Some retained the " US ARMY " designator under the wing & some had the Disney Flying Tiger decal applied.
In Daniel Ford’s Flying Tigers the first mention of a Kittyhawk is 22 March 1942. Four arrived from North Africa at Kunming. His passge (refer to page 277) specifically states that the Chinese Star replaced the US National insignia. He also mentions that at 8 April 42 there were two E’s @ Kunming, but were unarmed. Interesting modelling option.
As I understand sometime after Christmas of '41 Lauchlin Currie notified Chenault that Roosevelt was impressed and grateful and there were as many as 12 E models on the way. They would be delivered to West Africa (modern Ghana) and then flown to India. This however did not work out and Chenault detailed six pilots to ferry the aircraft, RT Smith being one of those pilots.
These E’s seemed to have come direct from the States. I believe at this juncture of the war an OD upper service an neutral grey underside would be correct. Then again, like planes in the ETO the Brit equivalent, i.e. Dark RAF Green and a medium sea grey would work. I do not have any greater detail that would indicate a disruptive pattern was applied.
Best of luck…Please post your progress…hope this was helpful…
I built Trumpeter’s P-40B last year and used Eagle Editions AVG decals on it. Here Is A Link to my page and at the bottom there are several reference links. You can probably find some pictures at some of them.
Just as a side note, the original lot of P-40s for the AVG was supposed to number 100. When the P-40Es started arriving, they were given sequential fuselage numbers beginning with 101.
Greg
The first 6 P-40Es were ferried from Takoradi, African Gold Coast to India to China with the US insignia, (White Star on blue circle with red circle in the middle) on both sides of the aft fuselage and both lower wing surfaces and no shark mouth. There were single digit numbers 1 thru 6 crudly hand painted on the fuselage sides, just ahead of the star. #4 also had a much smaller #38 ahead of the 4. The plane RT Smith ferried in had a #1 on the fuselage (at least on the left) with “R.T.” between the 1 and the star. A somewhat later picture shows the Chinese insignia under the wings with U.S. ARMY in a color much lighter than the rest of the under wing surface and Disneys “Flying tiger” under the aft canopy.
This information is from photographs in the book: Tigers Over China by Thomas A Tullis.
Hey Guys!
Thanks for all the great information.
Scott, Thanks for the links. Very useful info.
So I gather that the old original 1/32 scale 1967 Revell P-40 Flying Tiger box art isn’t all that accurate? I finally remembered whos plane it portrays,It’s suppose to be “Duke” Hedmans aircraft. But I see now he never flew a P-40E with camoflage and Chinese markings.
I still may just go ahead and paint it in dark earth/dark green with Chinese insignia and consider it a classical “what if” scheme. OD and gray is kinda bland (lol).
I recently ordered the Sky Models decal sheet. THey show a lot of P-40E’s on here. Below is a link to a review. IN the middle of the page, you can enlarge some of the diagrams and see the “E’s” Hope this helps.