**** DONE: Academy 1/72 P-40N "Cleopatra III" of Lt.Col. G.C.Atherton Commonwealth GB

[imalko]

Username: imalko
First name: Igor
Category: Category 2/Intermediate
Scale: 1:72
Manufacturer: Academy
Model Type: Curtiss P-40N
Details: 'Cleopatra III' flown by Lt.Col. G.C.Atherton, No 80 Squadron RAAF, New Guinea 1945

New entry rather late in the game, but since it's 1/72 scale think I'll manage to finish it by the deadline. Here's the kit...

 

[imalko]

...and here's the aircraft I'm going to build - Lt.Col. Atherton's mount. Started the work tonight, so the first progress photos in next couple of days.

 

[Wurger]

Very nice Igor....

 

[Airframes]

Good one Igor, looking forward to seeing it develop.

 

[Crimea_River]

Me too.

 

[Wildcat]

Great choice Igor! BTW Geoff Atherton reached the rank of Wing Commander not Lt.Col, there is no such rank in the RAAF.
Some more pics for you!

 

[N4521U]

I like them white tailed P-40's.... good one.

 

[imalko]

Great choice Igor! BTW Geoff Atherton reached the rank of Wing Commander not Lt.Col, there is no such rank in the RAAF.
Some more pics for you!

Thanks for the clarification mate. Didn't know that about RAAF ranks. Also thanks for additional pictures.

 

[Wildcat]

No worries Igor, looking forward to your build mate!

 

[Wurger]

BTW Geoff Atherton reached the rank of Wing Commander not Lt.Col, there is no such rank in the RAAF.

Didn't know that about RAAF ranks.

Gentelmen, the Lieutenant Colonel and the Wing Commander are exactly the same rank. But the first one is usually used by the Army, the Army AF and the second rank is the typical name for the Air Force. However in the Polish Armed Forces we use one name for the rank with adding the name of the kind of the Armed Forces. Only, the Navy uses its own different name of the rank.

 

[rochie]

nice choice Igor, was going to do CleopatraIII before i picked Hep Cat

 

[ozhawk40]

Good onya Igor. Another good Aussie subject. 8)

cheers

Peter

 

[Night Fighter Nut]

cool stuff.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice one Igor, Aussies are well represented in this GB and I'm looking forward to you performing your magic on this one.

 

[T Bolt]

Good one one Igor! I made the Academy P-40M a number of year ago. Almost the same kit and a very nice one. Unfortinatly the wife stepped on it a year ago - don't ask. You might see how the canopy looks when test fitted. It's a different molding on the P-40N but might have the same problem as mine. The sliding portion was made large enough to be posed open over the rear fuselage, but doing this made the out side of the canopy oversize due th the thickness of the canopy. The wind screen was made tall enough to match the canopy, so looked over-sized as well. You might look into the availability of a vacuformed canopy. Other than that it was an excellent kit.

 

[imalko]

Thanks for the heads-up Glenn. After reading your post I test fitted the whole thing and found that clear canopy parts fit more-less okay. As you said slightly different molding on this one. Also here's the first progress photo - instrument panel is done. Hopefully it looks decent enough for this scale.

 

[Night Fighter Nut]

Nice Igor. The test fitting seems ok.

 

[javlin]

Ought to be good Igor.

Good one one Igor! I made the Academy P-40M a number of year ago. Almost the same kit and a very nice one. Unfortinatly the wife stepped on it a year ago - don't ask. Oh yes I want to know It sounds like one of those "I hate your models and watch this"

 

[Airframes]

Looks like a nice fit Igor, and the panel looks good too.

 

[T Bolt]

Doesn't look like the canopy will be a problem Igor. It doesn't look like they designed it to be posed open like on the P-40M kit.

Good one one Igor! I made the Academy P-40M a number of year ago. Almost the same kit and a very nice one. Unfortinatly the wife stepped on it a year ago - don't ask. Oh yes I want to know It sounds like one of those "I hate your models and watch this"

It was an accident. It was on a shelf near a light switch and was knocked off but not noticed until she stepped on it (that's the story). I found the prop and spinner some time later behind the door. She had disposed of the rest of the evidence hopeing I wouldn't notice, so I couldn't even consign the remains to the spares box. It was one of my best 1/72 scale models too.