MillenniumFalsehood Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Hey guys, this is actually my first build thread on the forum, and hopefully my first contest entry on ARC. You'll see why in a second. See, I bought this P-40 kit last Thursday, with the intention of doing a speed-build and finishing it by Sunday to give to my preacher, a big fan of the P-40. Well I have it half-way finished, and I thought since it wasn't started before the Sharkmouth contest that it would be alright if I go ahead and finish it and enter it. If that's alright, I'll go ahead here. If not, I will be more than happy to withdraw and start a new topic in the appropriate forum. So with that out of the way, here are some pics along with a description of what I've done so far. This is the kit I'm using: an Academy P-40C Tomahawk in Flying Tigers livery. I grew up watching the movie "Flying Tigers", and though the film doesn't portray the P-40 accurately, it still inspired a love of this big-mouth plane with the shark mouth. I'm actually using two kits: this and the Monogram bird. The Monogram kit has much better details in some areas, like the landing gear doors, so I am kitbashing part of that kit to bring up the detail a few notches. Here's the receipt for it, which I hope is enough to prove that I bought this kit after the contest started. Again, if the guy running this show has a problem with it, I'll withdraw and pick something else. The bird as it stands. I'll probably finish it up tonight, then post pics in the morning. Cockpit dash board. Nothing fancy here, just a base coat of Faded Olive Drab, flat black on the panels, and a drybrushing of silver and a dark gray wash. I'm going to drop a bit of Micro Crystal Clear, or maybe some Future on the dials to give the appearance of glass. Side walls. I used Zinc Chromate Green for the base in the cockpit, along with some flat black. I'm not familiar with how the cockpit is supposed to look, but it looks fine to me, so I think I'll stick with this. I washed this with black to darken the green and add some texture. My washes by the way are made using watercolors. I like them because they wash well over flats so I can skip a finish coat. The underside. I used Monogram's landing gear and struts, because I like them so much better than the kit parts. Radiator exhaust. I thinned this considerably. I thought about opening them up, but as this will be parked I didn't think it would be worth the trouble. The tail wheel. The Monogram part works well here, but the hole is both too narrow and too long. I cut the walls back on the sides till it fit snug, then cut off the post on the back of the Monogram part and glued it in place. After that was set I mixed up some Aves Apoxie Sculpt and filled in the hole. BTW: if you're never tried this stuff, it's FANTASTIC for modeling in styrene, because it sets up with the same hardness as styrene, so you can sand it to your heart's content. It also accepts scribing well and is a pleasure to sculpt. You can even use spit to smooth it, as it's completely non-toxic and made of organic compounds. I can't emphasize enough how great this product is. But back to the model: I glued the tail wheel last and rotated it a bit to suggest they just rolled it out onto the taxiway, because the base it'll be mounted to will be just that: a taxiway. I know the real plane's wheel is connected to the rudder and I probably should have cut it and repositioned it. But I figure he won't notice. ;) That's all for now; I'm off to finish the rest of the build and start painting this puppy. B) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumFalsehood Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 I almost forgot. I found this page when I was Googling images of the cockpit. It's a pilot's account of what it's like to fly the Warhawk: http://www.aerofiles.com/appleby-p40.html Pretty nifty, if you haven't read it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Nice kit ....good start to your work.... question, when you build a GB build, does that allow another kits parts to be used..I am curious that is all.. Nice work so far .. Good linky to the article too.! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumFalsehood Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thanks! :) Well, I didn't see a rule prohibiting kitbashing, so I assume it's allowed. I got more work done last night, but I haven't uploaded the pictures yet. Basically all the construction, minus the canopy, is complete. I also need to do the seatbelts. But before I do them I need to find a square rod that's small enough to make the hardware. But that's a minor issue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blunce Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 question, when you build a GB build, does that allow another kits parts to be used..I am curious that is all.. Not a problem at all in this particular GB. I'd doubt that there would be many that would disallow it, but certainly possible. You speed builders make me sick! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Azgaron Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Very nice work so far! Looking great! Cheers, HÃ¥kan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MIG Mikkel Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Keep up buliding dude, it looks great Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dirkpitt289 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Looks great keep up the good work Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumFalsehood Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) Okay, let me get this out first: I HATE MULTI-PART DECALS!! With a PASSION! Wow. I feel better. Now that that's out of the way . . . I basically finished the paintjob last night. There are a few touchups that are needed, but I got the camo pattern on and all the decals. This is my first camo paintjob, by the way. I think I did pretty good considering it was all free-hand with my airbrush. I settled on this image as my primary color reference: It's what's in my head as far as the tones of the brown and green. I mixed my own color, so I can't tell you what I used. I think the closest approximations are Testors Wood and Forest Green. The bottom however is painted with Camouflage Gray; Sky Blue as per the instructions doesn't feel right to me. After I painted the camo pattern I did some detail painting, then moved on to decals. Man, these decals could be a lot better. For one thing, they're hit-or-miss as far as whether decal setting solutions can get them to snuggle down on to the details, and the instructions for placing them could use a lot of work (including all of the panel lines and making sure the decal drawings are scaled to the ortho would go a long way in making them easier to understand). The worst offender was the stripe next to the tail. I think I fooled with this thing for a half hour before I finally got it right (note to self: make sure decals are facing the right direction before you slide them in place). It would have benefited from bifurcation, but that's immaterial now. Despite all my complaining, the decals are fairly nice and in register. I'm going to do weathering this afternoon after church, then do a quick'n'dirty diorama with a picture frame and some foam. Now, on to the pics: This was taken after I painted the camo pattern. The windscreens are glued in place with Future, but it doesn't hold very well. I'll have to glue the forward windscreen again because it came off as I was handling the piece. The plane as it is now. Like I said, there are a few areas that need touching up, but nothing I can't handle. After the paint looks good, I will do some weathering. I've done a wash to bring out the panel lines, but I still need to do the smoke effects from the engine exhausts and the guns, as well as some minor damage from prop wash on the leading edges of the horizontal surfaces. Edited July 10, 2011 by MillenniumFalsehood Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dirkpitt289 Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Great work and fast. One thing though. I've never heard of using Future as an adhesive. I use Future as a gloss spray pryor to applying decals and to aid in making clear parts like canopy's look even clearer. To hold a canopy in place I use Testors Clear parts cement as it won't fog the part and of course it drys completely clear. I've heard of other people using plane ole white Elmer's glue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blunce Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Great work and fast. One thing though. I've never heard of using Future as an adhesive. I use Future as a gloss spray pryor to applying decals and to aid in making clear parts like canopy's look even clearer. To hold a canopy in place I use Testors Clear parts cement as it won't fog the part and of course it drys completely clear. I've heard of other people using plane ole white Elmer's glue. Future to adhere canopies? Probably not, but it can be used to fix small parts like clear lenses, photoetch flat pieces, and even to affix decals that lack proper glue to do it themselves. I used to use that testors, then tried Elmers which works great, but lately I've just been using Tenax or Tamiya Thin to attach canopies. Works great on both Future and non-Future treated canopies with no adverse reaction at all. Just make sure you don't get any on parts that are to remain clear. That is, only use it on areas like frames which will be getting painted. Your P-40 is looking great especially for a first time freehand camo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumFalsehood Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Well, I'd heard about it once, back in the days of yore when I was but a wee neophyte modeler collecting ideas for new techniques, and I filed it under "I'll use it one day when I'm more comfortable with the tools it requires." But I think I'll stick to canopy glue and forget about using Future. After the windscreen fell off for the thousandth time I decided to use Elmers glue. Granted, it's not as good as canopy glue, but it was all I had and I didn't feel like trekking all the way to the hobby store to get some more canopy glue. :oops: Anyway, I finally decided to pick up this kit again and try to finish it before the deadline. I spent Sunday weathering it, then I turned my attention to the base. I'd seen some pretty cool pics of pacific island bases, and one that caught my attention had a runway which was made from boards. I thought, "How unique!" and set about making one. I bought a cheap plaque and some craft sticks from Walmart and began laying them out in a row. I like the craft sticks, because none of them are alike and it makes the runway look real to me. The surrounding areas will be grass'd over as soon as I remember where I put my hobby grass . . . I like this one: And I promise I'll replace the pitot tube. Just as soon as I can find the bugger . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neo Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 looks great love the base amazing what you can to with a couple of bucks as soon as I remember where I put my hobby grass Look in you drawer it probably rolled tight in some fine white paper !!! Your not suppose to smoke that stuff it will affect your memory Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Look in you drawer it probably rolled tight in some fine white paper !!! Your not suppose to smoke that stuff it will affect your memory WOW Neo Love the base with the sticks. Very cool idea. Weather them good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumFalsehood Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 The base will be weathered, but after I paint a black center-line on it. I'm probably going to do a wash of dark gray or black, then do a few black streaks for tire marks. I'll also run some steel wool over the center-line to wear it down a bit. I was actually going to buy a piece of thin balsa to cut into strips, which would have been much more expensive, but I saw this little bag of sticks and knew it would look perfect. Look in you drawer it probably rolled tight in some fine white paper !!!Your not suppose to smoke that stuff it will affect your memory Now hold on a dadgum minute, man! You know better than that. My addiction happens to be Ambroid. ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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