The Left Turn Only P-40

[Rockin' Rob]

After that F4 I needed a break. Something that goes together fairly quick. So far this is a real nice kit. The fit is superb.

 

[Jantk14]

I'm no artist but how does that even happen? Worst box art ever.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I'm no artist but how does that even happen? Worst box art ever.

I hear you! I even held up the model after I put the wings on the body temporarily and tried to recreate the picture on the box. Nope. Not even close. The artist was on acid or something

 

[Jakko]

See also from here on for a bit

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Okay I got done priming it and man, if you have any mistakes after you primer it, they sure show up like a sore thumb don't they?? I'm going to have to re-glue the front canopy. The second canopy I'm not too worried about because that is just a mule. I'll paint up the correct canopy and have it open with the finished airplane. I went and painted up the wheel wells the correct color of the canvas which is olive drab and then I was so excited to get to painting that I forgot the wheel well inserts that come with the kit. If only life would sometimes have a redo? (Sigh). Those canvas covers in the wheel wells were to keep out dust and dirt. Olive drab from the factory and they usually stayed that color only shortly. They had to come off for maintenance and a lot of times they just stayed off

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Getting some pre-shading done on the underside. I started to paint it in XF 21 sky then I stopped and decided to do something about the panel lines. I got out a number two pencil and sharpened it up. I don't know. I didn't like it too much. Seemed kind of, how should I put this? Beginnerish. So I got out the dark gray. After that I'll switch to Brown and go around the engine and landing gear and stuff to get the griminess going. And THEN I will go around with xf21 and blend it all in. I usually don't do 148 aircraft. Mostly 1:32. This one's kind of fun. Not much to it. With lots of nice detail. It's a pretty nice kit

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Finally getting some color on it

 

[Rockin' Rob]

And after a little bit of brush work I will let this dry and put on a gloss coat and get to work on the top camouflage

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I got the tan down on the camouflage and I looked at my F4 and then I looked at the color pictures of the P40 and I said the colors look similar. Very similar. They're not. The first coat of the lighter green I just didn't like it it did not say this is a P40 from the China Burma theater. So I did some investigation and found out that my dark green number two in the Tamia lacquer paint looked real close. Thank God it was cuz I almost put the plane in a box and up on the Shelf. So I went through and got it all done and I think it looks well, better than it did. Gloss coat is next

 

[Jakko]

IIRC, USAAF olive drab was a good deal darker than ground forces olive drab, because they found that the ground colour was too light on a plane to camouflage it well.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

IIRC, USAAF olive drab was a good deal darker than ground forces olive drab, because they found that the ground colour was too light on a plane to camouflage it well.

I agree. Things look a little bit different when you're up high looking down. This P40 is just going to be a paint mule. I was going to strip it of paint but I think the underside turned out okay so maybe I'll try to save the top side with some oils? It still looks a little funky. She's like the ugly sister. But you don't want to say nothing. You know? You got five sisters. One of them's butt ugly but you ain't saying anything.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I actually think my ugly sister grew into a fine looking young woman! Funny how that happens. The decals are done. Couple stencils to do. I'm liking this more and more. These eduard decals are excellent

 

[the Baron]

Please excuse me for being dense and not getting it, but why is this a "Left Turn Only" P-40?

 

[BarleyBop]

Please excuse me for being dense and not getting it, but why is this a "Left Turn Only" P-40?

The box art is your first hint!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Ha! It's kind of a joke that started I don't know a month or two ago. Because there's another model of the same plane but it's facing the other way and the other Wing is shorter so that is the right turn only p40. Mainly because I think if the right wing is visibly longer than the left wing? The longer Wing is going to have more lift so you're going to be turning left constantly. And you're probably going to have to add in a whole lot of rudder because that Wing is going to want to flip the plane. At least that's what I think and my limited knowledge. I have never flown A real plane but I have flown radio control a lot

 

[Rockin' Rob]

That's why that plane went down a little while back after landing. He tore off part of the wing on one side so naturally the wing with all the lift is going to flip the plane and it will do it smartly. Meaning quick

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Okay, I'm pretty much done. Couple of the really small things broke off. Entirely my fault. Like there was a little piece of PE for the Gun Site. I must have brushed against it cuz it fell off God knows where??

 

[BarleyBop]

Love the shot of the canopy, and the weathering underneath!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Love the shot of the canopy, and the weathering underneath!

Thanks. Starting to use oils more and more. If you mess up it just wipes right off. I have to start practicing more with oils. My next build is an M40 155 mm howitzer that comes with eight figures. I think in my entire life I only painted two figures and I don't know what's up. One eye stares to the left and the other soldier looks suspiciously like Quasimodo

 

[BarleyBop]

Starting to use oils more and more

... I haven't tried oils on vehicles yet... Just on figures.
Consensus seems to be keep it thin.
I've started adding a bit of Galkyd medium to the oil, thins it, speeds up the drying time.
I find I just don't have the patience to wait days between coats, especially for 1:35 faces that are smaller than a pea!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

... I haven't tried oils on vehicles yet... Just on figures.
Consensus seems to be keep it thin.
I've started adding a bit of Galkyd medium to the oil, thins it, speeds up the drying time.
I find I just don't have the patience to wait days between coats, especially for 1:35 faces that are smaller than a pea!

I've often wondered about that. Cuz you watch on YouTube and it's like they do it really quick but then you find out it's days and days and days of putting on a little shadow and then letting it dry and layering it. Sounds like too much dedication. I think if I end up without googly eyes I'll be doing pretty good. And doing aircraft is really easy. I just put a dot here and there where you want it to start and then you just take a dry brush and drag it the direction of the airflow

 

[Jakko]

The box art is your first hint!

It really makes me wonder how anyone could have looked at that and said, "Yep, that'll do, send it to the printers!"

you're probably going to have to add in a whole lot of rudder because that Wing is going to want to flip the plane.

It's more likely to be the Left Roll Only P-40, yes. The left side will have less drag because of the smaller wing, so the plane would probably want to yaw to the right but the tendency to roll to the left will be a lot more powerful because of the much greater amount of lift on the right.

 

[the Baron]

Thanks, Rob! I didn't really pay the box art much mind when you posted it before.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Thanks, Rob! I didn't really pay the box art much mind when you posted it before.

No problem. I just have a warped sense of humor, besides, you gots to have some fun with life

 

[VegasAWACER13]

I've often wondered about that. Cuz you watch on YouTube and it's like they do it really quick but then you find out it's days and days and days of putting on a little shadow and then letting it dry and layering it. Sounds like too much dedication. I think if I end up without googly eyes I'll be doing pretty good. And doing aircraft is really easy. I just put a dot here and there where you want it to start and then you just take a dry brush and drag it the direction of the airflow

Put the oil color on a piece of cardboard first and sit on there for a couple of hours. It will leech out the linseed oil and then dry faster. I presoak the surface with white spirit and then after applying the oil, blend it with a brush soaked in white spirit. It'll dry in no time and you build up the level you want in layers. I get oils done in one session.

 

[BarleyBop]

surface with white spirit

just to be sure, 'surface' as in surface to be painted?
Gotta try that!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

just to be sure, 'surface' as in surface to be painted?
Gotta try that!

Oh wow I forgot all about wetting the surface first with spirits. I seen them do that on YouTube. Does it help? And yes, I squeeze out a little bit of oil paint on a 3x5 card. It's soaks in pretty quick. Good tips

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Oh wow I forgot all about wetting the surface first with spirits. I seen them do that on YouTube. Does it help?

It does indeed. The paint goes on smoothly and it allows you to blend/streak it much easier. And when I say "dries," I mean dry enough to apply another layer. You don't want it drying immediately, because while it's still fresh you can quickly clean it off with more white spirit if you don't like what you did or you applied too much. Once it's fully cured you can't do that.

just to be sure, 'surface' as in surface to be painted?
Gotta try that!

Yes sir. Dip a flat brush in white spirit and apply it to the surface to be painted so that surface is visibly wet. Then stipple on the oil paint with a brush that has also been dampened with white spirit. After that, use the first brush to blend/streak the paint to the desired effect. Repeat the apply paint and blend stages until you get it where you like it.

The various streaking and discoloration in this photo was done with oil paints in a single session, applied in multiple layers.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Good info. I soak this stuff up like a sponge. Just remember BB? I do all my oils and messing around with slopping on paint thinner AFTER I applied a good gloss coat. Usually always TS 13. Impervious to oils and enamel thinner

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Good info. I soak this stuff up like a sponge. Just remember BB? I do all my oils and messing around with slopping on paint thinner AFTER I applied a good gloss coat. Usually always TS 13. Impervious to oils and enamel thinner

Nice. I apply oils as the last stage before final assembly, on the final coat of acrylic matte varnish.