P-40B Tiger Shark

Revell (Monogram), 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

In the mid 1960s Monogram started to change away from “action” kits with a lot of moving parts towards more closely scale accuracy kits and this one was one of the first. It did come with a rotating propeller (as do most propeller driven kits), rotating wheels and operating flaps, but for the most part those parts were either in scale or did not materially change the accuracy of the kit.

I first bought this kit in 1964 when I was working as a parking lot attendant. I spotted it in the local shop but did not have a buck to buy it until the next day.  Iit was 98 cents at the time and no tax in NYS yet.)  I then had my buddy Terry go pick it up for me.

I was surprised at how much it was different from the other kits – the Me-109, Zero, Hurricane and Spitfire all had working landing gear and other items but this one was more static and looked more like the actual aircraft than the others did. About the same time other “classic” Monogram kits started to come out – the P-38, Mosquito, Typhoon, Stuka, and then the jet kits. Unlike other manufacturers less Airfix (1/72 scale) they did keep most of their aircraft in 1/48 to make life easier for modelers to built up a true collection.

Surprisingly this kit has held up very well over the years. Metal panels are suitably matte in finish and have fine riveting and panel lines so no “rivetitus” as seen on many earlier kits. Ejection pin marks are still there but fewer in number with only one large and two small on each flap interior. The pilot figure is a standard Monogram one (also found as the gunner in the SBD Dauntless kit) but at least not the “I’m choking myself” one with goggles found in other kits.

There are still annoying things but my favorite is the logo on the bottom of the main wing section that says @Revell Inc 1964 HINA…

Assembly is relatively easy but as noted the kit is 58 years old and will have some seams and joint problems to be addressed. The directions are the usual puerile “Stick Here” ones favored by Revell these days.

Markings

Three finishing options are given: P-40B, 8th Pursuit Group USAAC, 1940 (OD over grey); Tomahawk IIA , 403 Sqn RCAF, Baginton, England 1941 (dark green/dark earth/sky); John W. Ferrell, AVG “Flying Tigers” (dark green/dark earth/sky). A set of decals is provided for all three and seems thinner than the old Monogram sheets.

In a day and age where most kits now come with several hundred parts and include etched brass and resin it is nice to see a simple one like this which can still be made up into a nice and attractive model in a short period of time.

Sprue Layout:

•  3              Wings

• 41           Flaps, pilot, landing gear, nose, drop tank, details

• 9              Fuselage, elevators, wheel hubs

•  5              Clear styrene

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2022 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 27 September, 2022
Last updated 27 September, 2022

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