Thursday, September 20, 2007

On the Bench - Academy 1/72 XP-40 Tomahawk

The Academy 1/72 P-40B really doesn't look like a Tomahawk. The shape it pretty poor, the canopy is terrible, and it is lacking detail. So what to do with it? How about a quick build to try out Alclad2?

I started this build a couple of weeks ago in order to spray Alclad2 while Heather was out of town for the week. It is out of the box, though I did replace the couch in the cockpit with an Aeroclub white metal seat. I also made a plasticard headrest. The kit was primed with Tamiya spray can black, sanded out, and then Alclad2 Polished Aluminum was used. Looks pretty shiney. I’m pretty happy with the finish, though I wish I hadn’t put the primer on so thick.

The model will be finished as the XP-40 evaluated by the RCAF at Uplands along with Spitfire I L1090. The RCAF found the Tomahawk lacking, and wanted the Spitfire as their new fighter. However, they got P-40s...



1 comment:

David M. Knights said...

Very Nice. I've used Alclad2 one time and was really impressed. Looking forward to seeing this one done. BTW, you are right about the Academy kit.