According to Scalemates, this kit was originally produced by Hobbycraft. Also according to Scalemates, this same kit has been labelled Tomahawk rather than "Flying Tigers", but with the same box art and kit number.

The kit went together pretty well, although there really wasn't any support for the cockpit, so I had to use epoxy to make sure it would stay put. (I do this quite often.) I had to drill holes for the (two part) gunsight that sits in front of the cockpit.

Having bad experiences with Academy decals in the past, I used aftermarket ones on this, namely Tigerhead decals 48001 Allied Fighters under the Turkish Flag - P-40s. There were several P-40 schemes on the sheet. I chickened out and chose the simplest: RAF Dark Green over Sky Blue. I assumed the Sky Blue would be RAF Azure Blue, so I used Model Master Enamel Azure Blue. For the top, I used Floquil Pullman Green. Pullman Green has been recommended as a good match for RLM 71, and I think RLM 71 is pretty close to RAF Dark Green. At any rate, it was good enough for me. I used nearly all enamels on this one. The only exceptions being the propellor blades (Tamiya Flat Black) and the tires (Polly Scale Grimy Black).

The decals went on very well. I used Quick Shine as both a pre-decal gloss coat and as a decal setter. I used EZ Mask set 24 to mask the canopy, which worked pretty well.

Page last updated December 16, 2024.