They Asked No Odds... the Curtiss P-40 Project

Modeling Subjects Group Builds
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Welcome to the new P-40 Group Build!

This is going to be a bit different than most other group builds here on FSM, in that it is intended to be a perpetual ‘project’. It will be open-ended… there will be no overall ‘start date’ or ‘end date’.

In addition to the general P-40 group build, there will hopefully be a series of sub-builds with varying themes, with each theme being determined by any interested participants. That is, anyone who just wants to build a P-40 can join the ‘main build’. But if a discussion arises, and a number of folks would like to build subjects from a specific theater, unit, battle, or whatever… then a theme can be decided upon and all willing participants will build a model that fits that theme.

Now… the ‘rules’…

There’s only two ‘real’ rules, but more may be added if necessary or if agreed upon by general consensus.

  1. If it’s a P-40 model, post it here. Nothing else, just P-40s.

  2. In order to ‘qualify’ for a GB badge, you must send me a PM to let me know that you’re going to participate with a current or future build. Also, you should post here in this thread on a fairly regular basis and/or post photos of a current build. If you would like to post photos of past builds, you may do so, but that will not ‘qualify’ for a GB badge.

Badges will be personalized with a number. Numbers will be issued in chronological order, first come first served. You must send me a PM requesting to participate in order to be assigned a number.

I’m leaving this project open to future expansion… we’ll see how it goes.

As to the name of this project…

The name was inspired by a wartime Curtiss-Wright advertisement titled ‘They ask No Odds…’, and also by the situation faced by many a P-40 pilot throughout the war, especially in the early days. That situation was simply this… they were flying aircraft which they knew, in most cases, to be inferior to those used by their enemies, and they were quite often outnumbered. Yet they truly asked no odds… they fought with what they had; they used their strengths and exploited the enemy’s weaknesses. Many did not live long enough to witness victory. But, in the end, living and dead, they all prevailed…

Keep 'em Flying!

Fade to Black…

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This spot reserved for future use…

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So when can we start posting?

I’ll go ahead and say I’m in the “just wants to build a P-40” group, with a 1:48 Hasagawa P-40E.

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The thread is now open… send me a PM and you’ll be assigned a number for your GB badge.

Welcome to the P-40 Project!

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PM inbound!

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PM sent.

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I will be working on my 1/48 Hasegawa P-40E.

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We may be building the same one.

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I will make Eduard 1/48 P-40M

and I just got it out of the box - a buttom wing is a bit “twisted” but I think it will be fine

Greg

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Seeing as mine is a build in progress, please allow me to be the first to post pics of my progress. I started this aircraft years ago when the kit first became available, and had a heck of a time filling and sanding all of the seams as a result of the “modular” construction method. I did not take any pics of the office before sealing it up for paint, but will post some photos of it when I remove the masks after painting it.

Here she is, I preshaded the underside with gunze mahogany a few days ago, and am hoping to start the color coats this weekend. I will continue to post pics of my progress.

Here is a photo, courtesy of our gracious host Steve O. Reno (aka BlackWolf3945) of the aircraft I am modeling. It is an anonymous P-40E of the 11th AF serving in the Aleutians.

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The first progress pix… nice… I’ll be posting my first shots a little later tonight.

What kinda tape is that on there Frank? Tamiya? Or that… fubuki… fubaki… tape… I forget the name of the stuff, but it’s Japanese and looks very much like Tamiya’s tape. It may even be the same stuff…

Fade to Black…

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I should be able to start mine the next day or so. So, pics soon.

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Alrighty then… here’s a couple crapola pix of my first kit…

I’m not really a 72nd kinda guy anymore, but I seem to be working on nothing but at the moment. They’re good practice, and seeing as I haven’t built much in a long time, I need some quickies to refresh my memory and brush off the rust. This is a Hasegawa 72nd P-40E which I started Wednesday night while half-watching a pretty cheesy flick on the Sci-Fi channel. It was nothing more than a modern-day rip off of JAWS… and an insult to my intelligence. But I like dumb and happy entertainment now and again…

Anyhoo, this P-40E will be ‘converted’ to a P-40F. I say ‘converted’ because all I’m doing to make it look like a Fox is knocking the carb scoop offa the top of the nose. I’ll probably modify the cowl flaps too, and have already left out the splitters in the chin scoop, but I’m not gonna fool around with the scoop itself, as that would be a bit more work than I wanna do right now. And besides, this is just meant to be a general representation of a P-40F. (if anyone doesn’t know what the heck I’m talkin’ about, just shout and I’ll post some reference photos for you…)

The fuselage is together and the bottom half of the wing is attached.The top halves of the wings aren’t glued on yet, but I threw one of 'em on to make it look a bit more better for the photo…

(just ignore all that non-P-40 stuff in the picture)

And here’s the parts box for this kit. I usually don’t keep the model box itself around the bench, as it just gets in the way. So when a part is taken off the sprues, it goes in one’a these here plastic boxes for safe-keeping and easy access. If I stall on a build, then the parts box just goes into the model box, and that way there’s no loose pieces rattling around.

As I said, this kit is just gonna be a quickie to help get me warmed up… so the cockpit was simply thrown in, with no extra detailing. I may do a few other little-scale jobs before I move on to a 48th kit, though, and if that’s the case, then I may add some extras on those because I discovered that you can see more through the canopy than I thought you would… the kit’s cockpit is juuuuust a bit basic…

More photos when there’s something to show…

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Steve you have a PM Inbound.

I’ll be doing a Kittyhawk Mk.Ia (P-40E) in RAAF markings flying for the Desert Air Force during the war. It’s going to be the personal mount of Bobby Gibbes one of Australia’s finest aces.

Cheers

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This the one?

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Steve-

Yes, I used Tamiya tape to mask off the wheel wells and cockpit. Must have cut 200 little squares to do the job! I think it will be worth the extra effort, though.

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Do a 1/72 scale kit qualify? Happened to grab a P-40 kit from a local store, planning to build either a RAF P-40M or a US P-40N. Thanks!

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Well darn if my build order isn’t changing yet one more time!!![swg]

Sorry little Ratas… your time will come.

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Marc-

At your current building pace, you’ll prolly get the P-40 AND the lil’ ratas done by the end of the month!

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Steve, I’ll join the fun with a 1/72 Hasegawa P-40N that I have in the stash though I’ll not likely get to it until mush later in the year. PM on its way.