**** DONE: 1/48 Kittyhawk Mk.III - Mediterranean Theatre of Operations

[le_steph40]

Username: le_steph40
First name: Stéphane
Category: intermediate
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Hasegawa
Model Type: Curtiss Warhawk P-40K-1-CU (Kittyhawk Mk.III-RAF)
Aftermarket addons: Sky Models decals and Eduard seatbelts

Hello,

I have almost finished my MS406 in GB#23 (in time ...) and my subject in this GB will be a P-40K-1-CU s/n.42-45883, Kittyhawk Mk.III-RAF s/n.FR293 coded GAo?, flown by Billy Drake when he was 112 Sqn Ldr based at LG.175 Amriya during Autumn 1942. Billy Drake scored 20 enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed, six probable and nine damaged during WW2.
Victories claimed with FR293:
- 3 Bf109, 2 MC.202, 1 Ju87, 1 He111, 1 Bf110 shot down
- 1 Bf 109 shot down on ground
- 2 Bf109 , 1 bf110 damaged
- 1 Bf109 probable

The man:

The kit

The project:

 

[fubar57]

Nice choice.

Geo

 

[Wurger]

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Love those teeth. Whats a Med build w/o a set of choppers?

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[tigerdriver]

great scheme

 

[Catch22]

Nice choice!

 

[chris brown]

Great choice. I've got a Hasegawa P-40N I've been slowly working on. It's a good kit but I would definitely recommend gluing all the fuselage inserts to there respective sides before gluing the two halves together. You will get a better fit than if you glue the tail section to the rest of the fuselage after they have been glued together.

 

[Crimea_River]

Yep with Chris. I built this exact kit in the Aces GB if you want to follow a reference: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/-11-aircraft-of-the-aces/kittyhawk-mk-iii-james-eddie-edwards-rcaf-aircraft-aces-gb-29879.html

 

[javlin]

Nice one Steph

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Very nice Stéphan.

 

[JKim]

Nice looking bird!

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,
Today, I begin my my model but I have a doubt about cockpit color... Not sure about ANA611 interior green. Some source says it could be zinc chromate yellow or zinc chromate green. There is also this info on IPMS Stockholm website: "The cockpit of the P-40 was Curtiss Cockpit Green, which was the Berry Brothers' (a local paint vendor) approximation of Interior Green. Reportedly it was a little browner than Interior Green."
What is the best option for my model, IPMS Stockholm ?
Other question about the seat, NMF or cockpit green on this P-40 ?

 

[le_steph40]

After some research, it seems that the Curtiss cockpit color for aircrafts ordered by RAF was cockpit light green DuPont 71-036. A color close to RAF cockpit green...
I think I'm going to paint my cockpit in this color (and the seat also...)

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,

I gave up the idea of the cockpit light green DuPont 71-036, I found some archiv photos of Kittyhawk Ia and III cockpits where color seems darker. The kittyhawk found in good condition in the desert in 2012 is an example...
So my cockpit is "cockpit green"...

Cockpit almost done

 

[Wildcat]

Great work!

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

cockpit done !

 

[JKim]

Gorgeous cockpit!