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The latest addition to Special Hobby's range of 1:72 Curtiss Warhawk/Kittyhawks is the P-40N. Rowan takes a look.

This is my first opportunity to examine one of Special Hobby's popular P-40s, so I was keen to review the new "Island Warriors" P-40N boxing.

Background

The P-40N was the final production version of the Warhawk and featured the stretched rear fuselage of the later models. It also introduced a sloped area behind the pilot's headrest to improve rearward visibility. Early machines carried a reduced armament of 4 x .50 cal machine guns to reduce weight and boost performance, but this was later increased again to 6 x Brownings when experience in the field showed that greater hitting power was more important. The P-40N served as the Kittyhawk Mk. IV with Commonwealth air forces and over 5,200 were built with production ending in 1944, by which time, although the P-40 remained a rugged and reliable fighter to the end, it was increasingly overshadowed by later designs.

The Kit

Special Hobby's P-40N arrives in a sturdy and attractive top-opening box with the main parts, transparencies and decals bagged separately for protection. One of the sample kit's clear parts had become detached from its runner in transit, but no harm was done.

The kit comprises:

60 x dark grey styrene parts (plus 14 not used)

6 x clear parts

Decals for 4 x colour schemes

Special Hobby have come a long way since their "short-run" beginnings and this is a fully mainstream kit, moulded to the latest industry standards. There's no flash to worry about in the sample kit, and I haven't spotted any sink marks. Ejector pins are light and have been kept out of harm's way.

The surface finish comprises precisely engraved panel lines and fasteners on the metal areas of the airframe. The panel lines are arguably a bit heavy for this scale, but this is before painting, and a primer coat will help knock them back a bit. Whatever, they'll certainly respond well to pin-wash weathering. The fabric-covered control surfaces are nicely represented without too much "sag" for a well-maintained aircraft.

Test Fit

I dry-assembled the main parts of the airframe and everything fitted together beautifully. The fuselage halves are a precise match, and the wings are moulded as essentially full-span upper and lower panels that ensures the correct dihedral. The seam at the wing roots is good and snug, so you should be looking at a filler-free build if you're careful. I found the locating tabs for the horizontal tailplanes a bit loose in their slots, so I've shimmed them with tape for the photo. Otherwise, though, their fit is also excellent.

A Few Details

Construction begins with the cockpit which is very nicely done for this scale. It "only" comprises 10 parts, but it's the level of detail that counts. The sidewalls and cockpit floor (integral with the upper wing panel) are very good, while the instrument panel is crisply detailed with the rudder pedals hanging beneath. Special Hobby provide a decal for the instrument faces, and also a decal seat harness that should look fine in 1:72 - especially if you build the kit with the canopy closed. While I'm not a great fan of decal harnesses, the fact that the kit includes seatbelts at all is to be applauded.

The chin radiators are neatly done. with the intake moulded nice and deep, and a nice touch is the option for open or closed cowling flaps.

The mainwheel wells are boxed-in and show some good detail on the roof. The undercarriage legs are crisply moulded, while the hubs for the unweighted wheels look pretty good, with a choice of open or covered styles. The tyres have a simple grooved tread and could be improved, especially as many period photos show block and diamond patterns.

The exhausts are separate parts to make painting easier, while the spinner and broader-blade propeller are a simple plug-in fit on the nose.

The kit provides a choice of two styles of drop tank or a bomb to hang under the fuselage with separate stays. Note: the box art is slightly misleading in that it shows underwing bombs that are not included in the kit.

The clear parts are very nicely moulded. The canopy can be posed open or closed and features crisply defined frames. The transparencies also include a gunsight and underwing lamp.

Instructions & Decals

The assembly guide is printed in colour as a 12-page A5 booklet. The diagrams are clear and easy to follow, with colour call-outs for Gunze Sangyo paints throughout. Construction is broken down into 12 stages and the sequence is very logical - although, obviously, experienced modellers will adjust things to suit their preferred method for painting etc.

Special Hobby include decals for the following colour schemes:

A. P-40N-5 Warhawk, s/n 42-105112, "Geronimo".

B. P-40N-5 Warhawk, s/n 42-105745, "Lucky".

C. P-40N-5 Warhawk, s/n 42-104990, "Kansas City Kiddie III".

D. P-40N-5 Warhawk, s/n unknown, "Rusty"

The decals appear to be very good quality - thin and glossy, with precise registration. Viewed under strong magnification some of the colours are printed as a matrix of ultra-fine dots, but these are invisible to the naked eye.

The decals include a comprehensive set of servicing stencils along with a full-page placement guide. A neat touch is the inclusion of Olive Drab as a background for some of the items where the aircraft was repainted in the field.

Conclusion

Special Hobby's P-40N looks to be a great little kit - straightforward to build, but boasting some excellent detail, it should be suitable for modellers at all levels. It makes me realise I haven't built a 1:72 P-40 since the 1970s(!) and this is leaps and bounds superior to anything that was available back then. I'm looking forward to tackling it.

Kit #SH72502 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 17.40 Euros

Accessories & Upgrades

To complement their P-40 series, Special Hobby have also released a number of useful aftermarket sets to either improve on the kit parts or just make life easier.

Starting with the latter, Special Mask set #M72016 includes die-cut washi tape painting masks for the cockpit canopy and the mainwheels. Alternative masks are provided for both the open and closed canopy options. Washi tape is my favourite masking medium for the way it conforms to convex shapes, which is especially important for small parts. Obviously, not an essential set, but one that will save quite a lot of time on the P-40's multi-panel canopy and which will be reusable if you're careful.

Item #M72016 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 4.69 Euros

Something that will make a big improvement to the kit is a set of replacement wheels, and Special Hobby offer several in their CMK range to cater for different tread patterns. The sample wheels have a diamond pattern tread which is very delicately rendered in this small scale. The both covered and open hubs are included as separate items, and the open hubs have much deeper detail than the kit parts.

The casting is flawless in the sample set and the attachments to the casting blocks will form small flat spots for a "weighted" look. The wheels are designed to fit the kit undercarriage legs without any need for modification, and the rectangular locating holes will ensure the "flats" are positioned for the model to sit correctly.

Item #Q72295 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 4.50 Euros

Fitting CMK's replacement fishtail exhausts is slightly more complex, as it involves a little bit of surgery. The new exhausts are beautifully cast in pairs, and you'll need to open up the holes in the cowling before installing new backing plates behind them. This shouldn't be difficult if you work carefully with a small drill bit and fine files, and the exhausts can then be installed after painting just like the kit parts - only with a far more delicate and detailed appearance.