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Anyone who has followed my last build of the Trumpeter P-47D Razorback may be a little surprised that my next project will be another Trumpeter kit. Now, you may be questioning my sanity but hey, I build models, so that question has already been answered. However, there is method in my madness. I like P-40's and so when this kit was released, it was a must have so I bought it very soon after. Then I started to read about the shallow cockpit so I left it in my stash, but bought the CMK resin cockpit and some Eduard photoetch and had every intention of building it, but work got in the way. I hadn't built a model since 2001 as work got busier and busier, when had I completed the old Revell kit which also benefitted from some Eduard additions and A/M decals. It's all brush painted, as I didn't have an airbrush at that time. As you can see from the cracked decals, it's getting on a bit. But the new Trumpy kit went into the stash where it has languished ever since, despite my completing a Hasegawa P-40M in 2013, the idea being that I'd have a shelf of P-40's. This kit was my first attempt at airbrushing and I was reasonably pleased with it, despite my mess around the undercarriage fairing. I did it all freehand and only masked the canopy. But still the Tomahawk remained in the stash until I completed my last build, until now. So without any more waffle, here is the project. As you can see, I intend using the CMK cockpit kit, which may be enhanced with the Eduard interior set, together with the Eduard exterior kit. I also have some AVG markings coming from Hannants. I've not made much progress so far, having spent most of my time in the last week researching colours, which is something I should have done before I started the P-47. The best references I've found so far are these: https://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm https://www.flickr.com/photos/35963591@N00/sets/72157622864527612/ https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/24956-what-color-for-flying-tigers-p-40/ So here's what I have done, which has taken about six hours or so. For the moment, I'm concentrating on the engine, but I've been considering how the cockpit will be built too, as I'm a little disappointed with the only slightly deeper CMK kit, given that the cockpit floor was the wingtop centre section. I'm still not sure if I'll use it in it's entirety together with some Eduard enhancement or kitbash the stock cockpit, CMK resin kit and Eduard etch to see what comes out. I suspect this is not going to be a quick build, so please bear with me. Cheers, Michael