P-40 Klimov Conversion

Brengun 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

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With well over 100,000 examples built, the Klimov M-105 was one of the most widely used Soviet aircraft engines of World War 2.  It entered production in 1940 and powered many of the first generation of Soviet aircraft to oppose the Luftwaffe, including the LaGG-3, Pe-2 and almost the entire Yak series of fighters.  While the V12, liquid-cooled M-105 wasn’t in the same class as contemporaries like the DB 601 or Rolls-Royce Merlin, it had the virtue of being available in large numbers when it was really needed, and was an essential piece of Soviet military hardware.

One of the M-105’s more obscure applications was its use in 1942 to re-engine a number of Curtiss P-40E fighters that had been provided under United States lend-lease arrangements.  Information on these conversions is scarce and difficult to verify, which is understandable given the time and conditions under which they occurred; up to 40 aircraft may have been involved.  The Klimov P-40s were reportedly not a great success:  the M-105s were less powerful than the Allison V-1710s they replaced, with flight performance suffering commensurately.   The aircraft were nonetheless pressed into service, with several Fighter Aviation Regiments using them for ground attack until possibly late 1942.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these hybrid P-40s have been poorly represented in model form.  The only kits of which I am aware are two 1/72 resin efforts from LF Models – one of a single-seat machine and the other of a twin-seat ‘attack/trainer’.  Now, however, Brengun’s release of a conversion set for Hasegawa’s excellent P-40E kits makes a Klimov-powered machine also available to 1/48 modelers.

Brengun’s conversion comes in a small red and white box adorned with a tiny reproduction of one of the few known photographs of a Klimov-engined P-40.  Inside are 10 light grey resin parts:  four exhausts; one radiator intake face and spinner mount; the spinner itself; three propeller blades; and a one piece replacement upper cowling.  The detail on all these parts is impressive, with the upper cowling, spinner and radiator intake being particular highlights. 

Casting appears to be almost perfect:  the only defects I could find were one pinhole on a propeller blade and another on the spinner backplate.  I could see no obvious warpage or shrinkage, although I don’t have a Hasegawa donor kit against which I can test fit the solid-cast replacement cowling.

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Less impressive is the very small and almost perfunctory instruction sheet, which features a simple assembly guide for the conversion set parts, and another, slightly larger (but still poor) reproduction of the photo that appeared on the outer box.*  No information is provided either on how to carry out the conversion (the Hasegawa fuselage halves are going to require extensive and precise surgery in order to accommodate the replacement cowling) or on Klimov-powered P-40s in general. 

This is a bit of a double whammy in my view, because in the absence of decent instructions, modelers tend to fall back on references to make sure they’re on the right track – only in this case there appear to be few references available.  1/48 Hasegawa P-40 kits aren’t cheap, and I would be reluctant to start chopping one up until I knew exactly where I was going to cut it.  This factor, I think, makes Brengun’s set best suited for modelers who have already completed a few resin conversions, and have the research skills and confidence to make best use of the limited available information on the subject.

Brengun should be congratulated for producing a conversion that allows modelers to reproduce one of the most unusual P-40s that ever flew.  The production quality of the resin parts is very high, and with careful preparation and assembly these will look excellent.  However, the absence of any advice on how to fit the conversion to a donor kit means it can only really be recommended to experienced modelers.  For those with the skills to successfully undertake this project, the result will be a model that will always draw a second look.

Highly recommended in the context of the points made above.

* A much higher quality reproduction of this photograph can be found on page 28 of George Mellinger’s Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces of World War 2

 (Osprey, 2006).

Thanks to Brengun Models for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2012 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 10 September, 2012
Last updated 11 September, 2012

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