Airfix Curtiss 81-A-2 Hawk AVG build blog (Day 2)

Day 2 of the Airfix Curtiss Hawk (P-40 B) AVG build. Quite a bit of filler for the wing root/fuselage join and the upper cowl doesn't fit too well either. I've also filled in some of the engraved lines on the tailplane where they are rather heavy. Now all sanded and buffed and shined, time for some pre-shading and the lower surface colours to go on. I've used the retracted wheel half option in the kit to mask the wells for painting.

Another nice colour view of Chuck Older's '68' subject of the Airfix kt - lower surface colour apears pretty obviously to be light grey - I'm not sure why Tony O' Toole in the current issue of Airfix Model World has finished his model in Sky - presumably on the basis that the first AVG machines were diverted from a British order ....and below that, well-known colour view of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron 'Hells Angels' AVG in formation - a good reference is issue 126/127 of Avions magazine, bio of Robert Tharp Smith whose colour photos these most probably are..

Colour illustration above from 'Ciel de Guerre no. 3 - Tigres Volants' (Flying Tigers) which can be located on the usual download sites.

The Aifix Spitfire Mk I that I started back in July here has also reached the painting stage. A lot of filing and sanding and buffing and polishing required to get a decent fit around the wing/fuselage join again here...