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

[JKim]

Looks like a very clean build!

 

[Totalize]

Very nice work Steph. Nice work on the pit an putting everything together. Cool.

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,
Ready for paint...

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Can't wait!

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Like what I see Stéphane.

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,
First, thank you all for your comments
First step of painting: undersurfaces (in fact, it's the 2nd step... The first was the pre-shading...)

I keep working...

 

[tigerdriver]

thats a really nice result

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

I've a problem with camo scheme...
I found this photo and I was surprised to see two types of camouflage (A and B ?).

The little I know is A B camo were abandonned mid 1941... Is it possible that the ground crew of 450 Sqn repainted Kittyhawks in 2 different ways ?
In my case, no existing photo of FR293 (a photo of FR295 exists...). The camo of my Kittyhawk will be like FR295 and my Tomahawk.

But, regarding the yellow wing leading edges on my Kittyhawk III, it seems that it wasn't very common during Fall 1942... Any opinion ?

 

[Crimea_River]

I wish I still had easy access to "Kittyhawks Over the Sands" by Michel Levigne. An excellent reference book for RAF desert P-40s with hundreds of pics whcih might have confirmed your scheme.

My understanding is that the many of the Mk III desert schemes were achieved by field painting the Middle Stone over the factory Dark Green of the Day Fighter Scheme. The Dark Earth would have been left alone. Your profile, if correct, would be consistent with that philosophy as you can see that the serial number has been left unpainted over the Dark Green and your FR295 appears to be the same. It just needs to be confirmed, though your pictures suggest it, that there was a A and B scheme for the Mk III Kittyhawks.

 

[Airframes]

The 'A' and 'B' scheme did linger on for some time after the 'official' date of abandonment, and could easily be around if aircraft were issued to squadrons some time after being received from the factory or MU. The scheme depended on the serial number - those with the serial ending in an odd number would be the 'B ' scheme, and those with an even number would be the 'A ' scheme.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far!

 

[Crimea_River]

The 'A' and 'B' scheme did linger on for some time after the 'official' date of abandonment, and could easily be around if aircraft were issued to squadrons some time after being received from the factory or MU. The scheme depended on the serial number - those with the serial ending in an odd number would be the 'B ' scheme, and those with an even number would be the 'A ' scheme.

Wondering how true that was for P-40's Terry, given they were built in the US. Would they have respected the odd/even thing sine British serials differed from US?

 

[Airframes]

Not sure Andy. If they were painted in the US, presumably in 'equivalent colours', it may be that they were done as 'every second aircraft', or one side of the production line as a mirror image of the other, or some similar system. If done at the MU, I think in Egypt, then maybe the 'old' system was employed.
Whatever system was used, it's evident from many photos that the 'mirror image' schemes existed for some time on the P-40 in the Middle East.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice little debate folks with some good info, but I'd say the field is open to your choice Steph.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nicely done lower surface Steph.

 

[le_steph40]

Argh !!!
I think the Xtracrylix RAF Dark Earth XA1002 is a little too dark ...!!!

I'm going to restart by mixing some white or maybe apply another color (Enamel Humbrol 29)