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First Look Review
132
Warhawk P-40N
Warhawk P-40N EduArt
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by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

The first thing that strikes you with Eduard’s new limited edition re-release of Hasegawa’s 1:32 P-40N is the simply enormous box! For a single-seat fighter, this box really is massive, but when you lift the lid you see there’s not a lot of wasted space. Hasegawa seem to have supplied Eduard with every sprue for their extended family of P-40s, so you get some sprues that aren’t even shown in the instructions. In addition to the plethora of sprues, you’ll find a selection of etched and Brassin parts, plus other accessories.

The “EduArt” aspect of the kit is the striking graphic novel-style artwork by Romain Hugault that not only adorns the boxtop, but is also supplied as a poster and a high quality semi-3D embossed metal plaque. It’s big enough to use as a base - but, of course, that would only make sense if you opt for the colour scheme depicted. I’ve got to say the inclusion of both a poster and a plaque seems a bit like overkill, and I’d have preferred to have some extra etched or Brassin parts rather than a repeat of the artwork. But the contents are certainly impressive and likely to become sought after among collectors.

So, referring to the parts chart, Eduard’s boxing comprises:

110 x grey styrene parts (plus 69 unused)
22 x clear styrene parts
13 x Brassin parts
158 x photoetched parts on 2 frets, plus an etched film
Kabuki tape painting masks
Decals for 5 x colour schemes

The moulding throughout is excellent, with really crisp detail and a very precise fit for the main parts. It’s hard to believe the core parts of the kit are nine years old now (where does time go?!), but they can still easily hold up against the latest releases. Despite the moulds being in regular use through the years, there’s no sign of wear and just the faintest whisper of flash here and there. Hasegawa’s designers did a good job keeping ejection pin marks out of sight for the most part, and those few which they couldn’t hide are light and shouldn’t be hard to tackle.

The exterior surfaces are nicely polished, although this does highlight a couple of spots where there’s thicker moulding on the reverse of the parts, resulting in faint sinkage. It’s so light, however, it may disappear after a quick pass with a levelling sander.

The exterior detail comprises neatly engraved panel lines and fasteners, with a few raised panels and a limited number of embossed rivets (I’m sure there were many more on the actual aircraft, but it would be a bit overpowering if they were all depicted) and Hasegawa’s approach certainly portrays the “muscular” quality of the P-40 nicely. The fabric-covered control surfaces are tackled with quite subtle ribs and tapes - strictly speaking a bit heavy compared with real life, but still much better than many kits these days.

Something I couldn't help but notice was a bit of scuffing on some of the parts. This must have happened in transit, and was partly due to the way Hasegawa have sealed several sprues in each bag rather than individually. I say "partly", because I rather suspect the weight of the metal "EduArt" plaque pressing the sprues together harder than they otherwise would be was also a factor.

Test Fit
Just like their excellent 1:48 P-40, Hasegawa designed its big brother in a modular way to allow a series of different versions to be built from the same core set of parts. So, the fuselage is moulded without a tail or top-decking behind the cockpit, these being separate units to cater for short- and long-tailed variants, and the classic "razorback" and later clear "clear-view" canopies. That's all very well, but the crucial thing with this approach is that the sub-assemblies must actually fit.

Thankfully, in this instance, the designers have done a good job and the fit is good. The tail slots in with a very solid supporting plug and lines up precisely but, inevitably, you will have to fill the seam which doesn’t follow a real panel line. The cross-section of the two assemblies matches perfectly (not always the case in kits) so, if you’re careful, you should be able to hide the joint without much trouble.

The fit at the wing roots is excellent, and stabilisers slot in perfectly with clever interlocking tabs that keep everything lined up and true. The fit of the tailplanes is so firm, you could install the parts without cement.

A Few Details
I have to admit the principle thing I like about Eduard’s reboxing of Hasegawa’s P-40 isn’t actually the “EduArt” aspect - it’s the inclusion of a very useful selection of upgrade sets that would otherwise be aftermarket extras. These add to an already nicely detailed kit and should look very effective.

Starting in the cockpit, you get a choice of two styles of seat and instrument panel. Eduard supply an excellent pre-coloured etched harness that has a slightly “shaded” effect to it, so it’s already part way towards a convincingly worn look. It’ll need bending careful to lose its rather rigid appearance, but the final effect should be great. The original styrene instrument panels certainly aren’t bad – and the decals include beautifully sharp overlays - but Eduard’s etched replacements will look superb with their finely detailed bezels and fascias.

There are two styles of gunsight, both now detailed with etched frames for clear film reflector glasses, and you get  a choice of a decal or etched replacement for the fuel gauge on the floor.

The sidewalls are augmented with a mass of etched extras - levers, knobs and fascias - plus a new document holder which must be folded to shape. Installing the latter will require a slightly tricky bit of surgery to carve away the original styrene version, so I’ll double-check it’s definitely going to cover the scar before diving in with a scalpel.

In terms of a parts count - if you build the cockpit as supplied by Hasegawa, you’ll be looking at around about 15 parts (depending on which version seat etc. you opt for). If you use all the extras that Eduard provide, the tally shoots up to 75, which should result in a satisfyingly busy “office”.

Something not shown in the instructions is a very well sculpted multi-part pilot figure. Obviously, you’ll need to do away with the etched harness if you install the figure, but if you’ve got the skills to paint it well, the result should be excellent.

Moving up front, the way Hasegawa designed the ducting for the interior of nose intake is an impressive piece of moulding, and Eduard provide etched grills for both the front and back of the radiator cores and the oil cooler.

Hasegawa slide-moulded the exhausts and the result is very good - but Eduard go one better with a set of superb Bassin stacks that even include the interior spacers.

The propeller and spinner look very straightforward and are held in place with a poly-cap. One point to watch - like so many kits, the designers added light raised guidelines to help beginners paint the tips of the blades yellow. A quick swipe with a sander will get rid of the offending items.

Turning to the wings, the mainwheel wells are boxed in neatly, and the kit includes a partial wing spar to help set the dihedral correctly. On the wingtips and fin, Hasegawa give the option of clear parts for the navigation lamps (you need to trim off the integral solid-moulded alternatives to use them), and Eduard have added neat little etched frames if you want to go this route.

The guns are separate drop-in parts for the wings’ leading edges, and use of a slide-mould means the barrels are hollowed out. Detail & Scale Vol. 62 notes that early P-40Ns were fitted with only 4 x .50 calibre guns, so check your references to see if you need to remove a couple of guns for any particular subject you’re building. Apparently, the underwing panels with chutes  for spent shell-cases were unchanged on the 4-gun machines- the redundant openings simply being taped over.

The undercarriage looks good and sturdy and boasts some crisp detail. Eduard replace the original styrene wheels with Brassin parts and these really are beautiful, with some exquisite detail and weighted tyres. You have a choice of open spokes or etched hub covers. Really the only things left to add are brake lines for a very convincing landing gear.

The kit includes a nicely moulded drop tank and bomb for the centre-line rack for which Eduard supply an etched replacement. Eduard also provide etched underwing racks for three of the markings options, but rather frustratingly don’t include any bombs for them. Instead, these are available separately and I have to say I’d have far rather seen them included in the kit at the expense of the poster.

Rounding everything off are a beautifully moulded set of transparencies. These are crystal clear and free of distortion, with crisply defined frames for which the kit includes painting masks. I really like the way Hasegawa’s designers placed the joints well away from the actual clear areas, so you shouldn’t risk getting glue or filler on the canopy parts. Of course, the downside of this approach is having a to disguise the seams where they don’t fall on real life panel lines, but you can’t have everything.

Instructions & Decals
Eduard provide a very classy 16-page glossy instruction guide, printed with colour highlighting throughout. The assembly sequence looks logical and the diagrams are very clear, so this should be a pretty straightforward build, even if you’re new to using etched and resin parts. Colour matches are provided throughout for Gunze Sangyo paints.

A massive decal sheet provides markings for five colour schemes:

A. P-40N-1 flown by Lt. G. L. Walston, 16th FS, 51st FG, Kunming, China, 1944
B. Kittyhawk IV (P-40N-20), NZ3220, No. 18 Squadron RNZAF, Bougainville, 1944
C. P-40N, 7th FS, 49th FG, Cyclops Airfield, Hollandia, New Guinea, May 1944
D. P-40N-5 s/n 42-105128 flown by Lt. P. S. Adair, 89th FS, 80th FG, Nagaghuli, India, February 1944
E. Kittyhawk IV (P-40N-1), NZ3148, No. 18 Squadron RNZAF, Ondonga, New Georgia, November 1943

The decals are custom-printed by Cartograf to their usual superb standard, with pin-sharp registration and minimal carrier film on the thin and glossy items.

Conclusion
Eduard’s P-40N is undeniably a very impressive kit. The inclusion of the high quality upgrade parts and artwork inevitably adds a fair bit to the cost of the standard styrene kit, and I can foresee this limited edition boxing becoming something of a collectors’ item in years to come. It would be a shame if too many of the kits end up being stored as future investments, because it really begs to be built, so the sample model is heading straight to the workbench and will be the subject of a Blog in the weeks ahead.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.
SUMMARY
Highs: Top quality etched and Brassin extras augment the already excellent Hasegawa kit. Cartograf decals for 5 colour schemes. Eyecatching limited edition "EduArt".
Lows: It would have been good to see the kit include Brassin bombs for the underwing racks, even if that maybe meant losing the extra poster.
Verdict: Eduard's repackaged P-40N is a very impressive kit that looks like it should be quite a straightforward build, despite the inclusion of plenty of extra upgrade parts.
  Scale: 1:32
  Mfg. ID: 11104
  Suggested Retail: 123.75 Euros
  PUBLISHED: Aug 27, 2017
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.59%

Our Thanks to Eduard!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

Thanks, Rowan, we're slowly drawing you in to the 1/32nd scale hobby.
SEP 05, 2017 - 02:41 AM
Hi Bill Slowly drawing me in? Crikey!I didn't realise you were that much older than me! It's true - I am just a newcomer to 1:32 kits - I've only been building them since around 1968 or '69. Together with 1:48, it's been my preferred scale since childhood. I scratch-built a 1:32 Stearman PT-17 in the '70s using the Harry Woodman technique (I know - I'm showing my age there. ). Don't worry though - my next reviews are set to be in 1:72 and 1:144. All the best Rowan
SEP 06, 2017 - 02:22 AM
Hi again OK - I said in the Review that this is a kit that just begs to be built - so... I officially got it onto the workbench today. Instant decisions!... "Razorback" or "Clear View" canopy? I'm happy to build either, but am leaning towards the latter, because I don't think I've built one in any scale. I'm still open to persuasion at this stage if anyone wants to convince me to build one of the other options (check the colour schemes HERE, but I think I'll be going for "Daddy Please / Milk Wagon Express". Be quick, though, because the changes start at Stage 1. And... as a little side project... I'm going to work on the pilot. That's probably going to be the toughest part of all because, basically... I can't paint figures! But the pilot is so well sculpted, it's the perfect opportunity to learn to (hopefully!) not make a total pig's ear of painting it! I will be referring heavily to Doug Cohen's amazing work here on Aeroscale for inspiration - but I know in advance I can't possibly come anywhere near his standard. At my level of figure painting, "not totally embarrassing" will be a good result! So, after all that waffle and preamble, where are we? I've started work on the "Clear View" cockpit, so shout now if you want a re-think. All the best Rowan
SEP 15, 2017 - 02:05 AM
Hi again OK - for lack of "votes against", I'm officially committed to the clear-view cockpit - and surgery has been done. Despite the dearth of updates (Sorry! ), I have actually been managing to tinker with this build when there's been time, and have got close to the initial painting stage... which leads to a question: interior colours? I've read that Curtiss used a variant of Interior Green from a local paint supplier that was close to the norm, but a tad more brown. My way of weathering with grungy neat dirty-brown oils will probably give that effect. That's good for the cockpit, but what about the wheel wells? Eduard simply state "zinc chromate" (no mention of whether it's zinc chromate yellow or green) and all the colour photos I have are of restored airframes sporting a variety of finishes including the underside camouflage colour. So... any ideas on what the standard Curtiss factory finish was? Any help would be much appreciated while I've still got easy access to everything. I hope to start painting tomorrow - and, of course, I do intend to start posting some actual build pics soon! All the best Rowan
OCT 03, 2017 - 02:55 AM
Well the wheel bays had canvas covers installed in them which were painted an olive drab or khaki colour for the earlier versions (not sure about the N version though). And as you have found differing sources on the actual wheel well colours, so have I from green zinc, to the underside colour. Personally I would go with the green. Andy
OCT 03, 2017 - 03:13 AM
Cheers Andy Eduard/Hasegawa haven't gone for the canvas covers in the mainwheel wells (the tailwheel has one) - and they were apparently often removed in the field (through wear or laziness, I don't know) - so the mainwheel wells will be open in my build. Some of the shots among my references seem to show Zinc Chromate Yellow partially overpainted - but the captions don't give a clue as to what's original. (I found the same when I was lucky enough to photograph some of the innards of the RAF Museum's Me 262 - the colours in there are a story in themselves!). All the best Rowan
OCT 03, 2017 - 03:29 AM
   
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