1/48 AMT/Ertl P-40N

[mclents]

The kit-

The gruntwork. I actually found a TD cockpit set in addition to the UltraCast seat, so basecoated those too. Not sure if I'll use the TD set but will def use the UC seat if not.

The markings (middle plane, Number 61)-

[Touvdal]

nice to see a series builder like me, al lot of the same plane with different markings, and the P-40 is the one for that.

But you are in a hurry to finish those before the deadline, good luck

cheers

Jes

[dahut]

I was unaware that AMTR/ERTL did an "N" - is that the defunct Mauve kit, reboxed?

[mclents]

I was unaware that AMTR/ERTL did an "N" - is that the defunct Mauve kit, reboxed?

No, it was just part of that series of P-40s they did. They did the N, F and K. The F was the short tailed one. Later, AMTech got the molds from AMT and completed the line with the issuance of the E. The also released the F with a resin nose, since the AMT kit had shape problems. In a comparison with an AeroMaster F nose I have, it looks like the two (AM and AMTech) used the same casting. Now the neat thing about having the AMT/Ertl kits is that by mixing,matching, and some minor revisions, you could build each of the P-40s from the D thru the N. The K kit used the long tailed body of the N, but came with the filleted short tail of the K. Making a K left you with a long tail that you could now place on a F body to get the more numerous long tailed F. And the short tail you removed from the F could go on another tail-less fuselage to be the E. Confused yet? (Like I said, AMTech finally released what I,m sure AMT was going to do eventually in releasing the E). The N fuselage comes with the long tail, with a cut down rear deck to replace the scallops behind the cockpit. Leave the scallops in and you have the fuselage of the M. Besides minor adjustments all the different planes. The biggest problem was with AMT/Ertl changing the tail in the molds, alignment seemed to be an issue so some exhibit a slight "step" at the molded juncture. Even AMTech had this problem initially, but came back and fixed the step, re-ran a bunch of fuselage halves and made them available to purchasers of the kit.

Anyway, that's a long way of saying no, Mauve was not involved with this P-40 line :o

McLents

[mclents]

Well, I actually have been working on all 3 P-40s, but with limited time (don't you hate it when work gets in the way of life?) and being a dreadfully slow builder, there really was never a chance I'd finish any. But with the word that this thread will stay open for awhile after the actual build is over, it may actually spur me on to finish. And for me, that's all a group build is for anyway....well that and maybe getting to yak with some other modelers. OK, on to what I've been up to........

The cockpit is a True Details unit. Using this will allow me to use the pit from the kit in the HC B which was woefully under detailed. I mostly do straight from the box stuff merely because I'd really like to put a dent in my stash, and let's face it, considering my normal viewing audience, (at home or at work) if it looks busy in the pit, with some color for variation, and the seat "looks" right, that's enough detail.

The front panel is from the kit. It's really a poor representation. There was a "panel" at the bottom that looks like it got smeared when the plastic was still hot, eliminating any meager detail that might of been there.

The side panels are pretty neat with detail.

The front bulkhead includes the rudder pedals and has a detailed version of that lower panel. When the kit front panel is added, it seems to work well together.

One of the things you'll always see when you look in the pit is the seat. I'm gonna tell ya, Ultracast is the only way to go on this. I am a very average builder and I have too much trouble with PE. The belts are cast in on these seats, and the relief between them makes painting them fairly easy, even if your a hack like me. At least for me, if an Ultracast seat is available for the plane I'm building, I wouldn't use any thing else. (And no, I have no stake in the company ).

Notice the buckles and clasps....beautiful casting.....

I don't do anything too tricky in painting this stuff. I use Model Master enamel paints, thinned with Lacquer thinner. In this case, the entire pit parts were sprayed with Int Green. I then give it a wash of regular old water color, either a dark shade of the base color or a dirty brown/black mix. I then rub the component part with my finger which leaves the water color in the recesses. I then dry brush with a lightened version of the base color which really highlights the edges. I paint my little boxes with a scale black (actually a very, very deep dark gray. I dry brush those with a neutral gray, then pick out little highlights with the Vallejo acrylics (they are such bright colors), mesh it together with a quick shot of Testor's flat right outta the can, and call it done. Works for me. For seat belts, I use an MM light tan which seems to offset the belts nicely.

So next, it's on to the fuselage............

[mclents]

AMT did three different P-40 kits- The K, F and N. These were later supplemented by AmTech releasing AMT's E and upgrading their F with a resin nose to replace a not-so-good plastic one in the AMT F kit. The fuselages were arranged to allow a long, short or filleted K tail, the scalloped or cut down rear fuselage deck, and a couple of different engine cover panels for the fishtail or round exhausts. The inside surface of the fuselage is grooved along the cutting lines for the different versions. The plastic of all these kits is somewhat soft. Doesn't seem to me much of a problem and cutting is a fairly easy task.

The N had the cut down rear deck so the scallops have to go....

The engine panels are supposed to be secured to two small tabs on the bottom edge and butt joins on the front and top surfaces. These is definitely not enough surface so I tacked in some styrene sheet.

Then the exhausts stacks are put in place

The fuselage benefited in fit by removing the location tabs and sanding each half on a pane of glass mounted piece of sand paper. Tamiya super thin glue works wonderfully on this plastic. But there is still a need for a good bit of sanding and some filling.

.

Like I said, there's no chance this will be done at the deadline, but now that I've started, I'm interested enough to finish. I'll post more as I do..............