Hi all! This is
Hasegawa's addition to the 1:48 P-40 line, the long-tailed P-40M. This kit can
also be built as a P-40K-5 with the dorsal fin fillet. It includes options for
an SAAF K or an RNZAF M. I chose the latter option, the subject aircraft being
NZ3072, mount of Flying Officer Geoff Fisken. Flg Off Fisken was the top-scoring
Commonwealth ace in the Pacific, scoring the vast majority of his kills in this
P-40 which he christened 'Wairarapa Wildcat'.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Geoff today lives in
retirement in his native New Zealand, and is one of the few WW2 fighter
pilots still alive today in this country. I built my kit as a) a tribute
to this fine pilot, and 2) to have a 1:48 RNZAF machine in my collection.
I've always had an affinity for the Curtiss P-40 series, so when I saw
this on the shelf I just had to have it. I had a great time building this
kit, with only a few fit and decal issues (namely the translucent white
identification stripes). As a result, I'm finally progressing into 1:48
scale. Next up is a DH Mosquito.
This kit was built
totally OOB with Tamiya acrylics, and based on reference images and close-up
examination of a P-40N-1 based at Ardmore Airport, Auckland, NZ. As this is my
first submission to ARC I hope you can all forgive any flaws in this build! I
aim to improve!
Cheers,
Zac
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