Jump to content
Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

GWH Hawk 81C AVG decals. 02/18/23


Recommended Posts

Ernie

Nice paint work for sure and the pic Mike posted shows the hard edges off to a tee. The brown is different shade and hue on the P-40, just depends on where you look.

Yup, I had the same gap/seam and took a while to clean it up. I'm pretty sure the firewall has a lip on the outside face and that's a good part of the reason for the gap.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Clunkmeister changed the title to GWH Hawk 81C AVG decals. 02/18/23
  • Administrators

Licking and sticking on the stickers now. 🤣

I’m using the Eagle Editions set for 3rd Pursuit Squadron.   3rd Pursuit seems to be the most famous of the three Squadrons, if for no other reason than it’s definitely the most colorful.

I’m doing Chuck Older’s White 68 off the Eagle sheet, which contains enough decals to model 4 aircraft from one sheet. These Eagle sheets are a great value in that respect, and are extremely accurate as well, having been extensively researched by Jerry Crandall. 
The sheet even includes the RAF roundel overlaid by the Chinese roundels, as seen on several AVG kites. 

87A981BA-2C4D-49FE-915F-C5F1E110DA6F.jpeg

5D7624CC-E20A-4920-ACA2-0F1A0860BAEA.jpeg

66F3A919-7009-423A-940A-728D3C81B63C.jpeg

00F24A0E-A0CF-4607-8863-8812906D9E08.jpeg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Hey Peter, dang, we have so little to work on!  LOL. I did a quick search online, as well as checking your build, and everyone seems different.  As we say in Texas “Ah’m a scratchin’ my hay-ed over thee-yis here conundrum”.

So here is yours, mine, and that restoration you documented  

 

1C67C838-8937-48F9-BBD4-773F766532C4.webp

CE53B319-27DE-4A4A-8531-B4A811BA46EC.jpeg

FE49D8AC-5E1B-42B8-9877-2D35568C41CB.jpeg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

I tried to follow the placement diagram on Eagle’s sheet, but everyone knows that Jerry was a Luftwaffe guru, and this certainly ain’t Luftwaffe. 
And then there are these pics that I just found, which may mean we’re ALL wrong.

Those of course, are the real deal, and those certainly seem bigger than any of ours. 
Was there an absolute standard? We’re they painted on using a standard issue mask, I ain’t got no clue.

Thoughts? 

045ACCFA-A572-4E6D-B963-0B1D601C1D8A.jpeg

D481AA41-A7A5-42E2-A60F-FD1871390025.jpeg

AF8CE80A-092F-478A-A7C4-A5270FA43FD5.jpeg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

I’m not a P-40 expert, but check that bottom picture.  The ailerons are deflected, yet the elevators are neutral.  So the stick is loose, not secured back with the lap belt or left to flop forward.

Is there a control lock on a P-40?  Or is there a bobweight or spring that returns the elevators to neutral? 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ernie

Yup, the hues and tones of the colors are all over the place and it seems the more we dig into the entire issue, the more confusing the  mess gets. I seem to remember that on my search list there was a certain amount of input from Dana Bell based on his research but at this stage who knows any more. I'm really starting to think the variation in color is how quickly the paint reacted to and faded from the environment. Photos do show that the P-40's colors over time looked more even in contrast but that also could be from the film of the day as color film just wasn't very accurate and the colors faded and changed so quickly especially one exposed to light. B&W prints, even worse for color interpretation.  

Your P-40 looks so good, I consider your detective work on the colors to be "Rather Good" as Sherlock Holmes would have said to Dr. Watson. 

In my IPMS competition days, this is the major reason color interpretation was never allowed to be entered into the judge's decision.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
24 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

Ernie

Yup, way too much brain exercise for an early Sunday morning. The more pics the better. One thing the last few images do show is the kits, the Chinese roundels are too small.

Exactly. I think we all, including the restoration experts, got it all wrong. The pictures of the originals show very large roundels. Also note that they are all early Tomahawks, not replacement P-40E’s.

That bottom pic of that very slightly used Tomahawk leaves absolutely no doubt. It’s almost a straight-on picture, with no oblique angles whatsoever

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
2 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Ernie, I have a set of Cutting Edge AVG decals. I'll see what size the roundels are in that set and let you know. 

Seeing your recent pics, they do look a bit small. 

Carl 

I’m anxious to see, because both GWH and EagleCals got it wrong.  I’m quite honestly thinking of ripping them off and making some masks in the correct size. 
my concern is that since they’re already settled in with multiple applications of Micro Sol, it may be too late. 
Even the US Military got it wrong!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's what I have. 

The CE sheet:

PXL_20230219_194009966.thumb.jpg.72126dd7cdf6cbdc1a9ebe936aea2465.jpg

Note the size on the artwork. 

PXL_20230219_194042926.thumb.jpg.a75e174e8aadb084cf9906fdf3fdae37.jpg

Both top and bottom are the same size. 

PXL_20230219_194035421.thumb.jpg.686878843d9548cd5518167942bef0a5.jpg

Compared to the kit decals:

PXL_20230219_194709996.thumb.jpg.cf9d4065e2bf4a7c080959951acfb2e2.jpg

I also have the Montex set for the Trumpeter kit. 

PXL_20230219_194234836.thumb.jpg.6af9f0d9ebe08926777eb859a838e839.jpg

PXL_20230219_194253301.thumb.jpg.1797852eac1c43d5000183338ccc5ba5.jpg

Comparing the masks, the uppers are slightly larger than the CE ones, and the lowers are slightly smaller. I didn't bother with pics as you can't really make out the dimensions.

PXL_20230219_194019821.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Clunkmeister said:

Well, the Montex masks are unavailable. Life goes on…

Hannants has them in stock. Two different sets. 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MXK32002?result-token=9lYq3

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MXK32254?result-token=9lYq3

They also have a Kits world decal sheet.

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KW132030?result-token=9lYq3

A final option might be a Ventura decal sheet for a P-40N in AVG markings. It gives you the Nationalist stars but only in the dark blue and not the lighter faded blue. 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/VA3283?result-token=9lYq3

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...