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1/18 Curtiss P40C - Finished :)


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hey everyone :)

 

Happy New Year!

 

On 12/29/2021 at 9:12 PM, JayW said:

Peter.  Dude.  Following.  I just spent a fortune on another 21CT Mustang, to replace Miss Velma, which is looking more and more inadequate.  I wonder if I should not try just what you are doing, but on a P-51D.  Your progress so far is eye popping.

 

And BTW - don't you know I am on the same page when it comes to Aircorps Library, and using real live engineering drawings to help with the build.  But the P-40 drawing set is still being worked on as I understand it.  I hope you do not find alot of dead ends.  So far for the Corsair, nearly every drawing is available - a pleasant surprise.

 

 

thanks Jay - I have found everything I need in the library - I think the P40 is about 80% identified where the drawing title has been added to aid searching. in fact the biggest problem is seperating out the early & late versions - some components were shared, but for example I did the PE design for a full set of fuselage formers before I realised I had done the late P40 which is completely different!

 

I have been in there for hours and hours and the PE design has now grown to 2 huge sheets after I decided to add the flaps too..

 

Yf2IVb.jpg

 

erg0wg.jpg

 

 

 

 

On 12/30/2021 at 5:33 AM, Chad Veich said:

Another of my favorite subjects Peter, I will be watching your magic on this one for sure.  I was fortunate to see the subject aircraft before it left for the UK and shot some detail photos as I too would like to model the aircraft eventually.  If you would like copies of the pics just let me know where to send them, happy to share.

 

 

Many thanks Chad, and after our PM conversation, thanks so much for the pics - super helpful :)

 

..the first thing to set about was the nose - it's all very well having a solid perspex keel and solid formers, but there is a bit of work to do to open it all out for the chin intake and exhaust area..

 

I mocked up the PE radiator front so I could orient what needed to be done and set about grinding and cutting out the lower chin area..

 

WQLCI0.jpg

 

..also the rear where the cowl flaps will go..

 

ssWbjr.jpg

 

..added two ali plates that will give strength to this bifurcated area..

 

..you can also see the ali tube I let into the upper nose for the basis of the (carb?) air intake

 

S40r1U.jpg

 

..the inside of the cowl is lined with sheets that duct the air from the intake to the 3 round prestone radiators - I have no drawings of this area so all I know is the shape of each intake segment, and the round radiator diameter at the end of it. to form the shapes, I needed to make bucks on which to form the metal sheet intakes. I started by laying out blanks of the shapes at each end and building a simple frame that held them in the right position

 

Once the frame was removed from the model, a pole was added to lock that position and the frame cut away, resulting in these funny shapes..

 

aQ8pGa.jpg

 

..those shapes were then built out with scrap plastic & balsa and filled with P38 filler and ultimately refined into the bucks needed..

 

intake shapes at the front..

 

I9MVS2.jpg

 

..radiator shapes at the back..

 

7J1nXZ.jpg

 

..then annealed litho can be formed on the bucks to form the trunking..

 

zNKOyT.jpg

 

..these were then primed and painted as I won't be able to get to them once fitted..

 

nZOY0v.jpg

 

..then a bit of jiggling and they are fitted..

 

mcja3S.jpg

 

..I slathered a bit of epoxy around them to help them keep their shape..

 

9hl1A9.jpg

 

..and the process worked - I also added a tape ring where they meet the rads which is like a canvas boot but you can't really see it..

 

yqCget.jpg

 

..the transition is quite smooth..

 

0PkR98.jpg

 

..and thats it for now, rear area next..

 

dN2BDG.jpg

 

 

 

TTFN

Peter

 

 

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Although I always love following any of your projects Peter, I have to say this one does excite me a bit more than the Firefly (no disrespect to that project, which was spectacular as always, but just not an aircraft I ever found particularly interesting). I've personally always loved the looks of the P-40 with that aggressive-looking nose and think it's one of the coolest looking aircraft of WW2, especially when painted with the iconic shark mouth. Can't wait to see what you do with this one, it's looking great already! :popcorn:

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