P-40 48th Scale new tool kits

[ya-gabor]

Here is a Google translation from the Editors letter in the latest, January INFO which deals amongst others with the P-40 kits in 2024.

 

We still have the fourth premiere left, the fourth novelty. You already know this one, it's a P-40E Warhawk. These days we are working on the construction of the kit so that we have it ready for October. That means it will premiere on E-Day. It's not going to be easy, Warhawk on E-Day is an ambitious goal, isn't it. But we're really trying, we've changed ours workflows, adjusted planning, streamlined production operations, and we're on our way your goal. I assume that even with Warhawk there will be questions about other versions. The answer is that we work on all versions from the P-40E onwards, i.e. on the P-40K, P-40M and N and also on the P-40F and L. Of course also on the British versions - on Kittyhawk Mk.III and Kittyhawk Mk.IV, to which we will devote separate kits. We should have a Kittyhawk Mk.III limit I'd like it ready in November so we can have it bring to Telford.

And if you thought to ask about the seventy-second, so yes, we will also issue seventy-two. But not this year, not yet this year.

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

With different manufacturers present at this years Plastiková Zima of course there was some promotion of new products. A strong accent was in case of Eduard on the new P-40 kit in 48th scale. Four sprues were shown as well as the marking options of the first release kit. Mr. Sulc told me that this was the T2 version of the sprues, some of them still very oily the way they came out of the press tools.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Some images from the company showing a test / fit build of parts.

 

Best regards

Gabor 

[seawinder]

Those exhaust stacks look pretty underwhelming. Wonder if they're just temporary blanks (different color styrene).

[Geoff M]

 

5 hours ago, seawinder said:

Those exhaust stacks look pretty underwhelming. Wonder if they're just temporary blanks (different color styrene).

That makes you want to buy the additional 3D printed ones that will come later. 😉

[ya-gabor]

15 hours ago, seawinder said:

Those exhaust stacks look pretty underwhelming. Wonder if they're just temporary blanks (different color styrene).

 

10 hours ago, Geoff M said:

 

That makes you want to buy the additional 3D printed ones that will come later. 😉

 

 

Here is a screen shoot of the Czech forum today. The blunt end of the exhaust was noticed also by local modellers!

The answer from the Boss was that it is a “technological reason”.

 

Of course it is possible to make openings on engine exhausts. Many other manufacturers, but this includes Eduard also have made them in the past.

But, if you make them with a hole, how will you sell your aftermarket products??? Lets not forget that this manufacturers considerable income comes from aftermarket products and not from plastic kits.

Do not forget that most kits by the Czech company are a “plastic base” so to say and all the fine fiddly bits come as an extra aftermarket, be it etched, resin or 3D printed. Mind you the basic plastic kit is OK on its own but still some areas are left a “little simple”. Have a look at images above. Also had a good chance, along with many other modellers at last weekend Plastiková Zima to scrutinize four sprues of this new kit. It does look good even if you only use the “plastic base”! So no problems there.

 

One can give a bla-bla explanation that this will keep costs down and make the basic plastic kit more affordable. But in reality it is a question of aftermarkets.

 

One more thing, the company Boss often mentions in his posts on the Czech forum that “after all you are modellers, so . . .”  Yes, it is fairly easy to drill all those exhaust out by hand, after all we are modellers.

 

Also some screen shoots from and interview with Jakub Nademlejnsky the chief 3D designer, where you can see both the “normal” round and the fishtail version on a planned 3D printed complete engine. I would imagine the exhausts will be also available separately. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

[JohnEB]

After looking at the photos, I'd like to hear opinions on the surface detail.

Looks a bit overdone to me. 

[seawinder]

1 hour ago, JohnEB said:

After looking at the photos, I'd like to hear opinions on the surface detail.

Looks a bit overdone to me. 

I got the same impression.

 

As for the exhausts, if the ones in the sample build are supposed to represent the tubular stacks, drilling them out wouldn't be a big deal. If they're supposed to resemble the "fishtails," then not even close. Can't remember whether or not -Es ever had fishtails. If not, it's academic.

[ya-gabor]

3 hours ago, JohnEB said:

After looking at the photos, I'd like to hear opinions on the surface detail.

Looks a bit overdone to me. 

 

1 hour ago, seawinder said:

I got the same impression.

 

As for the exhausts, if the ones in the sample build are supposed to represent the tubular stacks, drilling them out wouldn't be a big deal. If they're supposed to resemble the "fishtails," then not even close. Can't remember whether or not -Es ever had fishtails. If not, it's academic.

 

I can speak only as an outside observer:

1. -   I did build one 72nd (I think it was Hasegawa) P-40 some 40 or so years ago

2. -  The P-40 is not my cup of tea, but last weekend the opportunity was there (obviously I took it) at Plastiková Zima show to have a close look at the sprues. (The transparent sprue was not there.)

3. -  So I can speak only with my modellers hat on. Detailing on the surface was as good as any other current state of the art 48th scale kit. There are both recessed and raised rivets / screw / fastener heads, some external add-on panels. In the R&D stage of work they did have a close look at several surviving examples around the world, measured them, scanned them, photographed all sorts of details. . .

 

The cockpit details look really nice. On how accurate they are I could not comment, but the cockpit looks fairly busy for a 48th scale kit! I know they will be making some 3D printed cockpit bits and pieces adding even more detail for those who want that sort of thing.

 

The engine exhausts.

Since I have very little (if at all) knowledge about the P-40, have to rely on what Eduard people were writing / saying about details in the past year or so. In the Jakub Nademlejnsky interview from last week there are details about the round and the fishtail version. The company will be producing many versions of the P-40 so both exhaust were produced but if I understand right this first version mainly had the round ones. Still both versions are there on the sprue.

 

Drilling the plastic exhaust is not really rocket science. It should not be a problem. But this is only my point of view.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[WymanV]

15 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

 

Drilling the plastic exhaust is not really rocket science. It should not be a problem. But this is only my point of view.

 

 

 

 On the round ones, no. On the fishtail parts? Oof.

[JohnEB]

My question/comment was based on my time with a museum which had a Spitfire and Mustang.

In real life,you don't really see panel lines that distinctly, and rivets are flush.

A P-40 might be different...being an earlier, much more basic design than the Mustang.

Also, a model will have a couple coats if paint which will hide things.

[ya-gabor]

4 hours ago, JohnEB said:

My question/comment was based on my time with a museum which had a Spitfire and Mustang.

In real life,you don't really see panel lines that distinctly, and rivets are flush.

A P-40 might be different...being an earlier, much more basic design than the Mustang.

Also, a model will have a couple coats if paint which will hide things.

 

This is an age old discussion. But you are absolutely right!!!

Yes, the width of a panel line and the visibility of rivet or screw heads in reality is fairly small. If one would convert it directly to 48th or 72nd scale then it would be miniscule. Actually it would be a technological problem to reproduce them in this “true scale” size on an injection moulded plastic surface.

 

If reproduced in true scale size most kits would have a plain flat surface without any features what so ever, which, lets be honest would look stupid.  

 

So there is a compromise between the plain surface and the Matchbox type of trench panel lines. This “compromise size” which most plastic kit manufacturers reproduce on kits. This is why I was saying that this P-40 kit has the same level of surface detailing as any other state of the art kit. 

It is cheating in a way, but reproducing 1/1 scale “things” in any scale is cheating on its own! Just think about all the Spanish School painting (or Verlinden way) which is pure cheating and over emphasizing of things in colour which has ABSOLUTELY NO REALITY!!!  But in scale reproduction we have to cheat in one way or the other. 

 

Yes, rivet heads on a fast jet are flush with the surface and under layer of paint on a real aircraft will become almost invisible. But you also have natural metal aircraft where due to different types of metals used for aircraft skin, rivets, screws and panels there will be very distinct patterns of very different colours. To reproduce this one needs to have rivets on a kit.

But this is a very long subject and one can fill several books with all sorts of arguments both for and against it.  

 

Best regards

Gabor

[Geoff M]

Looking a the pictures of the model, on the port side is the round exhausts, and on the starboard side is the fishtail exhaust.  The round exhausts have no depression or hollow on the ends but the starboard side appears to have a depression to represent the opening.  

[ya-gabor]

2 hours ago, Geoff M said:

Looking a the pictures of the model, on the port side is the round exhausts, and on the starboard side is the fishtail exhaust.  The round exhausts have no depression or hollow on the ends but the starboard side appears to have a depression to represent the opening.  

 

The thing is that everything was explained in the original post. It is a test build. Sorry did not mention this previously. Here it is:

 

"One of the 1/48 P-40E kit designers, Jan Pidrman, just tested fit of fuselage and interior parts! Jan has used two different types of exhausts in the fit test."

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EoaSMP2Qp/

 

I hope this explains the reason for different exhaust on the two sides. The "blunt end" of the round exhaust is sufficientyl flat and to drill it would be possible. I would even go at the fish tail.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Great „box-opening” video of how to put together a P-40 aircraft in 1 to 1 scale.   : )    : )    : )

Fixing the wing to the fuselage, adjusting control surfaces, setting the guns aim precisely . . .   Note the different tyre surface details and lots more.

 

https://imagesdefense.gouv.fr/fr/le-montage-a-la-chaine-des-avions-de-chasse-p-40.html

 

Best regards

Gabor  

[anj4de]

Hello all

 

The postman rang today... 🙂 

With all the reviews already done I have, so far, one question only. The instructions call for the area under th erear windows to be either olive drab, dark earth or green...but production pics of P-40s, ok...earlier versions, clearly show neutral grey just like the undersides. Is there any information outside which color is correct for which version?

I am building option D, the Aleutian Tiger...finally! I have a half finished 32scale Hasegawa in the basement that I cannot finish due to lack of decals 😞

 

thanks

Uwe

[WymanV]

 That's not neutral gray. That's an effect of the glass.

[anj4de]

5 minutes ago, WymanV said:

 That's not neutral gray. That's an effect of the glass.

On all pictures, regadless of the angle it was taken from? Hard to believe...

[seawinder]

7 minutes ago, anj4de said:

On all pictures, regadless of the angle it was taken from? Hard to believe...

Believe. This has been covered to death in various forums.

[anj4de]

1 minute ago, seawinder said:

Believe. This has been covered to death in various forums.

Ok...so olive drab then for me which makes painting a lot easier! 🙂

[anj4de]

Hi guys

 

Another question an the early P-40E. The guns...did they really stick out the wings? In the pictures I got from the Aleutians in 1942 it looks like the gun opening were taped over, like the RAF did on their fighters. Eduard actually provides parts for this but they are blued out as not to be used. Any comments?

 

thanks a lot

Uwe

[anj4de]

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