Aleutian
P-40s

111 Squadron RCAF

Sweating Beaver Decals
 

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Aeromaster's 1/48 scale Marauding Invaders Part I is available online from Squadron.com

Sweating Beaver decals – great name! – are produced by IPMS Canada.   

Understandably, the subjects of their decal sheets tend to concentrate on aircraft flown by the RCAF.  This sheet is no exception and it provides markings for five P-40 Kittyhawks, all of which were flown by 111 Squadron in the Aleutians during WWII.  The Canadians were members of the British Commonwealth during WWII and referred to their aircraft in the same manner that the RAF did.   

The Kittyhawk 1A was equivalent to the P-40E with minor changes – check your references for the exact changes. 

First up is Kittyhawk 1A AK863 coded TM – N.  The markings depict the aircraft when it was based at Patricia Bay, Vancouver in May 1942.  The aircraft is painted in the DuPont paint Company’s version of dark earth, and dark green over with sky grey under surfaces and spinner.  The supplied markings consist of: 

·        Medium grey TM - N Squadron code letters with a further and smaller N in black which was applied to engine cowling under the radiator intake lip.  This last marking is carried by each of the aircraft on this sheet. 

·        A small white bar (which was carried by all RCAF Kittyhawks) on the fuselage forward of the windscreen. 

·        Type B Roundels on the upper surface of the wings, type A on the under sides of the wing, and Type A1s for the fuselage. 

·        A wide fin flash for the vertical stabilizer. 

·        The serial number in black for the fuselage. 

Next is another Kittyhawk 1A.   AK905, LD Z depicted as it appeared at Anchorage, Alaska in the summer of 1942.  AK905 was painted and marked in the same manner as the previous aircraft with a few exceptions: 

·        It carried pale blue fuselage band and white squadron codes with the codes on the starboard side of the fuselage only being underlined in the same manner as the previous aircraft. 

·        Had the yellow of its A1 fuselage roundels over-painted in dark green, 

·        Carried a “Thunderbird” emblem on the port engine cowling. 

·        Carried modified upper wing roundels. 

The third aircraft is another Kittyhawk 1A, AL194 LZ – V that was also at Anchorage, Alaska in the summer of 1942.  This Kittyhawk was painted in the same manner as the second aircraft The supplied markings are the same except that it wore a larger Thunderbird emblem on the cowling and its squadron codes were underlined on both sides of the fuselage. 

The penultimate machine is a little different from its squadron sisters in that it is a P-40K.  It still carried its U.S. serial number on the fin and rudder and wore a single G squadron code letter.  The markings depict it as it appeared at Kodiak, Alaska in the summer of 1943.  Its finish was also a little unusual in that it was painted in olive drab over neutral grey with a neutral grey spinner and fuselage band that was edged in thin blue bands.   Markings consist of: 

·        The serial number in yellow. 

·        A thin fin flash on the vertical stabilizer. 

·        White letter G squadron code. 

·        Larger Type A roundels on the upper wings and fuselage. 

The last aircraft is another Kittyhawk Mk 1A.  The serial number is listed as 1047.  The markings depict it as it appeared at Kodiak, Alaska in the summer of 1943.  Finish is as for the second and third aircraft and it carries the squadron letter T and the name “BITSA” under the cockpit.  The serial number is unusual and perhaps the aircraft was made up from a combination of components from other aircraft, hence the name BITSA. 

There is no mention as to who printed the decals themselves.  If I would hazard a guess I would say they are very similar to, if not, Microscale.  They are thin and have minimal film surrounding each design.  Everything is in perfect register, sharp and clear. 

The placement guide is A-4 in size, and provides left hand side profiles of each option in the centre and black and white plan views of a generic Kittyhawk ‘a upper surfaces and left hand side to show the camouflage pattern.  There are also two smaller drawings that show the roundel placement for aircraft with the modified roundels as well as a drawing showing the right hand side of LZ – V.   As well showing the placement of markings the placement guide also provides a potted history of 111 Squadron and a brief discourse on DuPont paint matches.

The placement guide and decal sheets (there are two of them) come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

If you want to see what the finished product looks like, go to the IPMS Canada web site at: http://www.ipmscanada.com/111teaser.html where there are pics of third option. 

This is a nice package from Sweating Beaver Decals that provides you with good quality decals and a well-written, informative placement sheet at a reasonable price.  It gives you great markings and schemes that are not normally seen on P-40s.

Recommended.