Reviewed by Brett Green

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

FirstLook

Trumpeter's new 1/32 scale P-40B/C/Hawk 81 is generally a very nice kit with a high level of accuracy, and quite buildable.

It is therefore nice to see the fast release of attractive decals in 1/32 scale for perhaps some of the most famous of all the early P-40s - the American Volunteer Group.

The four releases below cover a total of seven different Tomahawks of the AVG, plus one Pearl Harbor defender of the 35th Pursuit Squadron.

All decal sets feature excellent artwork. Unusually for decal instruction art, several "3D" views of a subject aircraft from a high front and/or rear three quarter angle are included. This is a great idea, not only because it is attractive, but also because it demonstrates the camouflage pattern as applied to wings, fuselage and tailplanes. Really inspirational illustrations.

The decal sets all include two sets of Chinese Nationalist markings. One set is in the fully saturated blue colour, while the second set is considerably faded. The modeller therefore has the option of applying the non-faded markings on the lower wings and the faded versions on the upper wing. This is a very nice touch.

The markings are all in perfect register on my review samples, including the garish shark mouths and the cartoon  mascots. Incidentally, the cartoons were applied as decals on the real aircraft too! Decal film is thin and kept to a minimum.

The specific subjects covered are as follows:

CED32051 P-40 Tomahawks #1 (see title image):

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), David Lee "Tex" Hill, 2nd PS, American Volunteer Group, Burma, 1942;

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), Charles Bond, 1st PS, American Volunteer Group, Loiwing, China, 1942.

CED32052 P-40 Tomahawks #2:

• P-40-CU, 35th Pursuit Squadron, 8th Pursuit Group, Mitchel Field, 1941

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), Tommy Haywood, 3rd PS, American Volunteer Group, China, 1942.

CED32053 P-40 Tomahawks #3:

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), Erik Shilling, 2nd PS, American Volunteer Group, Kunming, China, 1942

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), John Newkirk, 2nd PS, American Volunteer Group, Toungoo, Burma, December, 1941.

CED32054 P-40 Tomahawks #4:

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), R. T. Smith, Flight Leader 3rd. PS, American Volunteer Group, Kunming, January 1942

• Hawk 81-A-2(P-40B), Tommy Haywood, 3rd. PS, American Volunteer Group, Kunming, 1942.

Cutting Edge's four new 1/32 scale P-40B/C Tomahawk decals will be warmly welcomed by anyone planning to build Trumpeter's 1/32 scale P-40n kit,

Recommended.

Thanks to Cutting Edge Modelworks for the review samples.

Review Copyright © 2004 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 30 January, 2004
Last updated 01 February, 2004

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