Curtiss P-40 Warhawk with Pilot

Tiger Model, not to scale

By James M

Hobby Boss' 1/72 P-61A Black Widow is available online from Squadron.com

James, second in command at Skyway Models, one of my favourite Seattle weekend hangouts, put his new H&S Evolution to good use when shooting some of the details of the “Pilot” on his Tiger Models P-40. Well done, Sir James!

The P-40

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service.

The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter of World War II, after the P-51 and P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main production facilities at Buffalo, New York.

The Dog

The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris when considered a subspecies of the wolf or Canis familiaris when considered a distinct species) is a member of the genus Canis (canines), which forms part of the wolf-like canids and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated, which implies that the direct ancestor of the dog is extinct. The dog was the first species to be domesticated and has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes.

Their long association with humans has led dogs to be uniquely attuned to human behavior and they are able to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canid species. Dogs vary widely in shape, size and colors. They perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship and, more recently, aiding disabled people and therapeutic roles. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet of "man's best friend". (I couldn’t agree more, Edit).

(Edited from Wikipedia)

The kit was built out of box with Tamiya thin cement. The dog figure is one piece except the tail, which was affixed with super glue.

The P-40:

The base color is Tamiya O.D. Green (TS-28) and Tamiya Light Gray from a spray can on the bottom. Masking putty and Tamiya tape was used to protect the O.D. Green when spraying the Gray.

Details were hand-painted (hairy stick) with Vallejo Model color paints and the kit’s decals were used. The decals are nicely printed and thick. Luckily, they respond well to AK Decal Adapter. Weathering was kept to a minimum: Tamiya Black Panel Liner and Engine Exhaust Wash from AK.

The Dog Pilot:

The dog was primed with Tamiya Gray Primer and detailed with Vallejo Model Color paints. The shading on the face was done with Mission Models Insignia White applied as a fine-line with an H&S Evolution fitted with a 0.20mm tip. I’m new to H&S: awesome airbrush!

The figure was shot with Humbrol Gloss from a spray can. This was followed with a wash of Tamiya panel liner and sealed with a light coat of Vallejo Flat applied with a brush.

The pin, buttons, and the frames of the sunglasses were painted with the Molowtow Chrome, taken from a refill cartridge and carefully applied with a fine brush.

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Thumbnail panels:

Thanks for reading along!

For more on this build visit Modelpaintsolutions.com.

Text and Images Copyright © 2019 by Model Paint Solutions
Page Created 21 April, 2019
Last updated 21 April, 2019

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