Hasegawa 1/48 P-400 Airacobra

[fubar57]

My next project until the August Group Build. Still looking for an out of the ordinary scheme. The parts looks good with some mold lines. Checked out some builds on other sites and some walk arounds and the interior colors are quite varied even though they call for the same FS color. The closest color I have out of the tin is Humbrol 75 Bronze Green so that's what I'm going with that, if that's OK with everyone.

Geo

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Have looked at this kit a couple of time Geo. Looking forward to seeing how it goes together. Nice choice to. I've always liked this craft. I guess cause it's different.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Thanks guys. I'm thinking of doing this wee beasty. From the Webs....

Will do the coloring research later, but now it's golfing time. One thing I noticed was that the codes seem to be quite clean above the exhaust staining.

Geo

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Probably freshly applied markings and they didn't bother to clean the surface first. Just a guess though.

 

[Airframes]

Good one Gbeo, and I was going to suggest a RAF 601 Sqn. machine. They didn't stay in service long, being given to Russia, which explain the general clean look. Also, that photo was taken during a VIP inspection, so the aircraft would have been as spotless as possible, even the ones which might be partly u/s.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice looking kit....

 

[fubar57]

Been a while. Spend a lot of time getting caught up on other threads and doing very little of my own. Got most of the cockpit painted and will weather it when I get back from camp. I have a question to throw out about the seat belts. The vast majority of model builds on this aircraft show the seat belts going over and down the back of the seat as in photo 1 while a photo in the "Pilots Flight Operating Manual" shows the belts going over a behind the seat as in photo 2. I'm positive 2 is correct but what do they attach to after they pass over the bar? Thanks in advance for any advice.

So anyhoo, here's where I am so far. The kit decals were applied of the raised instrument panel details and settled down very well even though Hasegawa recommends filing off the detail. I added the coloring to the panels.

Thanks for looking in..

Geo

 

[Wurger]

Looking good.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Geo. Don't know much about the details of this aircraft, but in that photo, it looks like the harness straps are actually fitted on the bar, with the bar passing through a loop in each web strap, not an uncommon practice on some aircraft at that time.

 

[Lucky13]

Looking good Geo!

 

[Crimea_River]

Was going to say the say as Terry. Looks like there's a loop in the belt.

 

[fubar57]

Whilst waiting for the seats to arrive so I can finish my P-36 in the group build, I thought I would get back to this. What seat belts would be used for this aircraft in British colors, American or British? I have all the aftermarket decals I need for a 601 Sqd. aircraft except for the squadron wings on the tail. I have seen a decal sheet on ebay, but 18$ for two tiny wings seems a tad excessive.

Geo

 

[woody]

Nice start Geo.

 

[Rogi]

She looks great

hmmmm the seat belt just might be left alone when its attached up top to the bar, I don't see it going past the bar anyway.

 

[Airframes]

I agree there.
Whenever possible, American-built aircraft in British service were normally fitted with British seat harness and safety equipment, when they passed through the MUs for radio fit and other British instruments. However, in those cases where it was not possible to mount the standard Sutton harness, which used an inertia anchor cable system, or was shackled behind the seat, then the US harness was retained.
I'm fairly sure this would be the case with the 'Airacobra', so the US harness would be OK. It was normally a light silver-grey Rayon material (a very light grey, more 'off white', in this scale), with dull, bare metal lever latch and adjusting buckles, the lever latch fastener being over a rectangular, brown leather lap pad, approximately 6 x 3 inches in size.

 

[fubar57]

Much obliged Igor and Terry. U.S. belts she be.

Geo

 

[T Bolt]

Looking good so far George. If you're still looking for an out of the ordinary paint scheme I remember seeing somewhere something similar to the North African desert pink scheme being used on Air Cobras and Warhawks in the Pacific to make them blend onto the crushed coral that made up the runways on many of the island airstrips. I can have a look at what I have saved.

 

[meatloaf109]

I agree there.
Whenever possible, American-built aircraft in British service were normally fitted with British seat harness and safety equipment, when they passed through the MUs for radio fit and other British instruments. However, in those cases where it was not possible to mount the standard Sutton harness, which used an inertia anchor cable system, or was shackled behind the seat, then the US harness was retained.
I'm fairly sure this would be the case with the 'Airacobra', so the US harness would be OK. It was normally a light silver-grey Rayon material (a very light grey, more 'off white', in this scale), with dull, bare metal lever latch and adjusting buckles, the lever latch fastener being over a rectangular, brown leather lap pad, approximately 6 x 3 inches in size.

Sorry for the side track, so this would probably apply to the P-40's that the flying tigers got also?

 

[Airframes]

Probably Paul. I'm not that familiar with the P-40 family, but as far as I know, the seat harness shoulder straps were anchored inside the cockpit, as opposed to having a 'Y' tail strap stretching behind the seat, so American harnesses would probably be retained on aircraft in 'foreign' service. That said, I think earlier P-40 Marks only had a lap strap originally.
Those photos of RAF P-40 types, where at least some of the harness is visible, seem to show American examples, rather than the familiar Sutton harness, but I can't be 100% certain on this without seeing a period 'cockpit shot'.