1:48 P-40 Tomahawks

Desert colors over the Mediterranean

The markings return to 1943, when the 79th Fighter Group flew from field airfields in North Africa and later on the Italian peninsula. The sheet carries a machine with the large white number X21 and the name Fifnella of the 86th Fighter Squadron, which was an aircraft of the P-40F version, and also an aircraft with the number X43 and the name Miss Memphis of the 85th Squadron. The nickname of the first of them refers to a gremlin from the pilots' folklore of the Second World War.

The Curtiss in the form the Merlin gave it

The P-40F series differed from earlier machines in its engine. Instead of an Allison it received a Merlin V12 from American licensed manufacture, by which it improved at medium altitudes, where it had previously run out of breath. It can be recognized at first glance by the missing air intake above the cowling, which on earlier series formed a characteristic hump. In the Mediterranean these fighters escorted bombers, strafed columns and attacked airfields.

Large white numbers and how to handle them

The fuselage numbers have a large area and white paint readily lets the shade beneath it through. It therefore pays to lay an evenly opaque glossy base under them and not to hurry with moving them until a motif sits exactly between the cockpit and the tail. On a marking this prominent, asymmetrical placement on one side of the fuselage is visible at once.

Why this unit in particular

The 79th Group was among the units that worked their way up from the improvised conditions of the desert campaign. Sand, dust and harsh sun took their toll on finishes, so paint faded into patches became a hallmark of its appearance. A model built from these subjects will therefore take bolder shades and more pronounced wear.