THE SHARK HAS LANDED! Curtiss Tomahawk 112sqn RAF

[Tolga ULGUR]

3 hours ago, quang said:

Oh yes! The plane coded C is indeed the one I want to model.
I’ve done it already on the 1/48 Airfix but was none too happy with the result.

 

Hopefully it would be easier in a bigger scale.

Thank you for your tip, Tolga. I’ll try to make a template out of the decal.
But first I’ll have to find a more suitable film for the masking. In the meantime, I’ve ordered THIS. We’ll see how it goes.

 

Cheers,

Quang

 

You re welcome Quang

The mask sheet looks nice and definitely better than Tamiya tape.

Honestly I'm starting to like this RAF Tomahawk
I probably want to build this too. So where are my savings I need them, but my wife shouldn't know that

[quang]

1 minute ago, Tolga ULGUR said:

Honestly I'm starting to like this RAF Tomahawk
I probably want to build this too

Haha! The more the merrier Tolga.

[Dpgsbody55]

You're very brave painting your own shark's mouth on this, and so well done too.  I chickened out and used the Kits-World decal set when I did my Trumpy RAF Tomahawk.  Their set KW132030, if you're interested, has shark mouth markings for both Flying Tigers and RAF 112 squadron aircraft.

 

Nice progress so far on this. 

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[quang]

Thank you Michael for the tip.
Unfortunately the Kits-World set offers later versions of the shark mouth (notably the ubiquitous Neville Duke’s GA*F), not the one I’m have in mind. Nonetheless I’ll keep it as an option in case my attempt at airbrushing doesn’t work out.

 

I’m restless to try out the AK masking films which should arrive today. Moment of truth in a few hours 

Until then,

Cheers,

Quang

[quang]

And so the package arrived yesterday via Belgian post, just one day after I ordered it. 
I ripped open the envelop, checked the AK masking film.
It’s clear without being thoroughly transparent, with a slightly pebbly surface suitable for tracing with pencil. It cuts well, don’t distord easily, holds the lacquer paint well without flooding. So far, so good.

 

Looking back at my first try at the shark mouth, I decided that the madder red I used was too strong compared with the washed out vermilion seen on contemporary photographs. So I decided to remove everything I did and start all over.

 

A thin coat of Mr Surfacer 1200 and it’s ready for…

 

…TAKE TWO.

I tried to use Tolga’s instruction sheet for the shark mouth template but to no avail because the resolution of the internet document was too bad.

So I redid the drawing freehand like I did the first time around.

 

The first mask was cut and applied to the plastic.

The shark mouth is built up by applying successive colour layers, each one overlapping the others:

1- an overall undercoat of yellow

2- red overall

3 - red tongue and gums masked. Black applied.

4- masks for tooths and whit applied

 

Sorry I was too concentrated by the painting that I forgot to take pictures of the successive steps. Just this one showing the lay-outs and some masks.

 

Anyhow here’s the result

 

Eyes added

As you can see, details are not 100% like on the original plane. My main aim is to convey the crudeness of a painting done in the field while keeping a certain symmetry and balance. 

 

What I did realize when the decor is finished and in situ is how powerful the original design is and how evocative it is to represent a real shark.
Kudos to the original painters. They were the artists.

 

Hope you like it.

Next time we’re back to the normal build.

Happy Easter!

Cheers,

Quang

[Tolga ULGUR]

That it is.

Great job, you solved it succesfully Quang 

[Daywalker]

I really like what you have done here, like you said it may not be 100% but it sure looks right to me! Who's to say they didn't touch up the paint on the full size the day after the video/photos were taken to look exactly like you have portrayed it here.

 

Loving this build, thank you for posting your work!

[LSP_Kevin]

Fantastic work, Quang! Now you just have to paint the camo around it...

 

Kev

[quang]

55 minutes ago, LSP_Kevin said:

Fantastic work, Quang! Now you just have to paint the camo around it...

 

Kev

Ken, hopefully after this, everything would be running downhill. But who knows? Stranger things happen at sea 

 

6 hours ago, Daywalker said:

Who's to say they didn't touch up the paint on the full size the day after the video/photos were taken to look exactly like you have portrayed it here.

Well Frank, it looked that way THE DAY BEFORE the video/photos were taken. 

 

6 hours ago, MARU5137 said:

guess the impasto technique  moves your hand-painted sharkmouth to a three dimensional rendered look.

Impasto technique? Quite the contrary, Maru. I would have liked to add some brush marks to simulate the hand painting technique of the original but I don’t have the knack for it.
 

Thank you all for your comments.

Cheers,

Quang

[Daywalker]

3 hours ago, quang said:

Well Frank, it looked that way THE DAY BEFORE the video/photos were taken. 

 

Doh!  Sorry, that's what I meant! 

[MikeMaben]

Nice work  

[zaxos345]

Really love it so far 

 

John

[quang]

Frank, Mike, John, thank you for your kind words 

 

Before resuming the build, we’d take the opportunity to refine and to add some details to the already accurate and precise mouldings.
This rather simple extra task would add much to the realism of the model.

 

The underside fairing - the infamous ‘nun’s hat’-  is correctly shaped but would need some extra detailing.

1-The two parts of the fairing should be separated and the upper lip refined and thinned (red arrow)

2-I suspect the small gap (yellow arrow) is added in provision for the belly tank of the P-40C. It's not present on the earlier variants and should be filled.

3-The crude moulded fuel and oil dump lines are removed and replaced with appropriate tubings. 

 

 

The 2 parts of the fairing are separated

 

Upper lip thinned, gap filled, drain tubes

 

Primed

The electrical tab on the left wing only applies to the USAAC planes.

On the export H81, it should be removed …

 

…and replaced by an external tab on both wings.

 

The windscreen on the H81 is a delicate affair. The armoured glass is installed first.

 

Like on the actual export H81, no gunsight is provided in the kit  as it was up to the recipient air forces to provide the appropriate sight.  
Our RAF Tomahawk will get a Barr&Shroud MK2 salvaged from a defunct Fly Hurricane mounted on a sprue cross-bar.

 

When the mods are completed, the main components of the airframe are assembled, the joints checked and ready for a final coat of primer before rolling to the paint shop.

Until then keep well.

 

Cheers,

Quang

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by quang

[LSP_Kevin]

Excellent work, Quang!

 

Kev

[dennismcc]

This is real quality modelling, the sharks mouth looks amazing and the details you are adding are superb.

 

 

Cheers

 

Dennis