1:48 Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.II exhaust

Exhausts for the Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.II, scale 1:48

On models with a vee engine the exhausts are among the most exposed details. The plastic parts from a kit tend to have the openings only suggested and the parting line of the mold always runs across them. The resin replacement from Quickboost gets around these troubles: the casting is clean, the edges of the stacks sharp and the result looks more faithful as soon as it is glued on, with no drilling and no filling. The set holds the exhausts alone; the Tomahawk kit itself has to be your own.

The real subject

The designation Tomahawk was used by the Royal Air Force for the early versions of the American Curtiss Hawk 81 fighter, that is for the machines corresponding to the American P-40B and P-40C versions. They were powered by the V12 Allison V-1710 engine, whose exhaust stacks projected in a row along both sides of the forward fuselage and were clearly apparent in flight. Tomahawks served above all in North Africa and on other battlefields of the early 1940s, where they proved themselves mainly at low and medium altitudes. It is precisely these early versions that you will recognize by the shorter nose cowling and the simpler nose section than on the later P-40s.

Usage tips

Wash the castings in lukewarm water with dish soap so that the paint holds on them. Cut the casting block off with a disc and level the surface wet. Try the fit dry before gluing, as the depth of the recess in the fuselage differs between kits. Paint the exhausts separately and at the very end, ideally with a combination of a dark metal shade with rust and soot pigments; complete the transition from the mouths of the stacks rearward along the fuselage with a thin layer of thinned black-brown paint, so that the typical smoke-stained streak arises. Glue with super glue and protect the surrounding finish from its fumes.

Who the set is for

• For builders of the early versions of the P-40 and the Tomahawk in 1:48 scale
• For modelers who want exhausts with clean edges and no parting line
• For those who are fond of working with the weathering of exhaust streaks
• For collectors of airplanes from the fighting of the early 1940s

The accessory is supplied unpainted. The aircraft model, paints and glue are not included in the package.