1:48 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk cockpit

A printed cockpit interior for the P-40E Warhawk in 1:48 scale

The most comprehensive way of raising the level of a fighter build leads through replacing the whole cockpit. The P-40E Warhawk cockpit set is made by direct three-dimensional printing and consists of twenty-one parts, which replace the plastic tub, the seat, the control stick and the side consoles.

How printing differs from classic resin

A printed part comes about by layering, so there are no mold parting lines and no squeezed-out flash on it. Traces of the supports stay only on the lower surfaces, which are not visible once installed. The tube frame, the lever controls or the network of small placards can thus be captured with a crispness that molded plastic does not reach.

The real subject

The Curtiss P-40E was the version with the Allison V12 engine and six heavy machine guns in the wing. It lagged behind its rivals in high-altitude performance, but it took hard handling and rough field airstrips. It served in North Africa, in the Aleutians, in China and in the colors of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force, where the name Kittyhawk came into use for it.

Assembly

Wash the parts first and let them dry thoroughly, as printed material tends to be more brittle at the start. Remove the supports with nippers and clean the surface up with a file. Paint in sections before gluing the tub together, and try the whole thing dry before closing up the fuselage.

Who it is worth it for

• Builders who are counting on a canopy slid back
• More experienced modelers with experience of resin
• Anyone interested in American fighters of the early war
• Builds aimed at a competition or a display case