1:48 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 250lb Mk.1 British bomb PRINT

British 250 lb Mk.1 bomb in 1:48 scale

This set from Eduard completes a build of the Curtiss P-40E Warhawk with a British aerial bomb of the 250 pound weight class in the Mk.1 version. The parts are made by three-dimensional printing, which the word PRINT in the name refers to, and they offer sharper detail of the surface and of the fins than injection molded plastic parts usually have. The item contains the ordnance itself; the airframe of the aircraft is obtained separately.

Standard British ordnance

The 250 pound bomb was the most widespread British medium-sized aerial ordnance of the war years and practically the whole range of Royal Air Force aircraft carried it. Its advantage lay in the ratio between effect and weight: a single-engine fighter could carry it under the fuselage and under the wing without losing usable agility. P-40 aircraft delivered to British and Allied units in the Middle East and in North Africa therefore used it regularly. Anyone building a Warhawk in British colors comes closer to the period reality with this version of ordnance than with American bombs of the M series. The Mk.1 and Mk.2 marks are told apart above all by the suspension lugs: the first version was designed for British carriers, the later one added attachment for American ones.

Assembly and spraying

Release the part from the print supports with a sharp blade and level the marks left by them with fine abrasive paper. Wash the surface before painting and let it dry thoroughly, otherwise the paint will not hold on the smooth material. The body of the bomb looks best with a subtle difference between the matte body and the glossier bands in the filling zone.

A fitting addition to a build

• P-40 models in British and Allied markings
• builds in an attack configuration with a store under the fuselage
• modelers replacing coarse plastic bombs
• scenes with ordnance ready to be hung

The package contains neither the aircraft kit nor paints nor glue.