P-40F gun bays 1/32

Photo-etched set of P-40F wing gun bays in 1:32 scale

This item is an accessory photo-etched set, not an aircraft model. It is intended for working up the wing gun bays on a model of the Curtiss P-40F in the large 1:32 scale. The set replaces the coarsely suggested plastic interiors with thin metal parts, so an open bay gains a fully technical appearance with walls, stiffeners and covers in a convincing thickness.

The real subject

The Curtiss P-40F differs from the other versions of the range in its powerplant: instead of the Allison engine it received the American licensed variant of the British Rolls-Royce Merlin, built by Packard. The change shows on the outside too, because the characteristic carburetor air intake scoop disappeared from the top of the engine cowling. The armament stayed in the wing and consisted of 12.7 mm heavy machine guns. The Merlin-powered P-40F flew mainly over the Mediterranean and North Africa, where its better performance at medium altitudes came in useful.

Building and painting tips

First plan out which covers you will open; sand the cut edges down thin so that they match the scale. Separate the photo-etched parts with a scalpel, bend them in a bender and glue them with cyanoacrylate. Paint the interior over a primer for metal, then lay on the base shade and a gentle dark wash into the corners and around the stiffeners. Finish the painting before you close the bay up, and protect the finished surroundings with masking tape.

Who the set is for

• Builders of large P-40 models in 1:32 scale
• Modelers who want to show open gun bays
• Anyone interested in faithful technical detail in the wing
• More experienced modelers used to working with photo-etch and cutting into plastic