1:48 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk gun camera

The gun camera of the P-40E Warhawk fighter in 1:48 scale

This small resin part adds to a model of the Curtiss P-40E a gun camera, that is the camera that recorded what the pilot saw while firing. In kits this place tends to be dealt with by nothing more than a shallow dimple, or is left out altogether, and yet it is a feature plainly visible on the real machine.

The Curtiss P-40E Warhawk

The Warhawk was among the types the US Army Air Forces had to hand right at the beginning of the war, which is why it was fought with literally all over the world. It was powered by a V12 Allison with the characteristic angular radiator under the nose. The version marked with the letter E carried heavy firepower in the wings and operated over Burma, the Pacific, North Africa and on the Eastern Front, where a number of machines went as part of the Allied deliveries.

How to fit the part

First look at where the camera belongs on the particular kit and remove any plastic suggestion of it. Separate the casting from its block with a cut and level the flat area. Wash it before gluing, otherwise the paint will not hold on the remains of the mold release layer. Apply super glue in a minimal amount. The glass of the lens can be suggested with a drop of gloss clear coat or a piece of clear compound, which lights the whole detail up.

Suitable for

• builders of American fighters of the early Second World War
• modelers who fine-tune small features outside the contents of a kit
• competition builds judged from close up
• a quick upgrade without cutting into the structure of the model