P-40 Makeover

Customizing an ARF aircraft

By P.J. Ash [email protected] Photos by the author

As seen in the April 2024 issue of Model Aviation.

I have always loved the P-40. Most know this airplane because of the large "shark mouth" grimacing from the huge, oversize opening in the nose of the aircraft that is meant for cooling. The P-40 is synonymous with the Flying Tigers that have been seen in many movies, shows, and countless stories.

Not as widely known as the P-51 and P-47s of the day, the Curtiss P-40 played a formative role in early World War II. It is likely most known by the legendary Flying Tigers that were made up of a group of soldiers who were allowed to be discharged from the U.S. forces to voluntarily fly for China against the Japanese.

When the P-40 was completely put together, the pink really stood out.

Not as widely known as the P-51 and P-47s of the day, the Curtiss P-40 played a formative role in early World War II. It is likely most known by the legendary Flying Tigers that were made up of a group of soldiers who were allowed to be discharged from the U.S. forces to voluntarily fly for China against the Japanese.

Several P-40s are still flying today, and there is plenty of documentation on various schemes, as well as different versions of this remarkable airplane. I have always built war-weary-looking warbirds full of weathering and scrapes that have an overall beat-up look.

I have a Ziroli P-40, as well as a Jerry Bates model, that I will be building in the future. When I saw that Legend Hobby was coming out with a P-40N, I immediately became interested in this iconic model.

I enjoy flying in warbird gaggles across the country, as well as in several full-scale events. I decided to try something different this time around. I have written several articles and converted countless ARFs from factory, out-of-the-box builds and scaled them out. I wanted to do the same with this P-40 and keep it fun.

With so many from which to choose, what P-40 scheme could I create that was scalelike but different? I wanted to make this a sort of shiny air show model. Looking at the outline of this P-40, I felt that it was the most scalelike P-40 ARF on the market. I liked the fact that it was the N model, which has a stretched fuselage, as well as a canopy. It is different from the typical P-40 types. I decided to jump on the internet and start searching for a P-40 that would match this model type and be a bit different. It didn’t take long!

Within a few minutes, this shiny, bright pink P-40 came into view. At first, I thought it might be a bad representation of the P-40s that were painted to match the desert. Many people would believe that the paint was almost pink, but this was definitely not that! The picture was at an air show, and do I see eyelashes on the eyes?

This indeed was a real P-40, and it was flown by Air Zoo owner Sue Parish in Michigan! Sue became a pilot at age 19, just as WW II was ramping up in 1941. When she was 21, she joined the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, and was stationed at Bryan Army Air Field near Bryan, Texas, where she flew the AT-6, BT-13, and, of course, the P-40!

After WW II, Sue attempted to land a job as a commercial pilot but was unable to do so because many men who came from oversees were applying and getting those positions. After marrying Pete Parish in 1948, she had five children and became a full-time mom; however, she never lost her passion for flying and regularly flew her family’s Bonanza 35C.

Sue and her husband soon purchased several warbirds together, one being the P-40 she loved. In 1977, she and her husband cofounded the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, which soon became known as the Air Zoo, based on the animal nicknames that she gave each of the airplanes.

Becoming a successful air show pilot, Sue flew the iconic P-40 in several air shows throughout the country for 25 years. She painted the formidable shark mouth on the nose, as well as the grimacing eyes, and, yes, she even painted eyelashes on it!

At a Glance

Specifications

Wingspan: 80 inches

Weight: 15.2 pounds

Length: 63.6 inches

Engine required: 33cc to 50cc gasoline engine or equivalent electric power system

Engine used: EME 60

Retracts: Seagull Models

Radio: Spektrum iX20

The Model

This is not the first time I’ve ordered from Legend Hobby/Seagull Models. One of the things that I like most is that the company ships each airplane double boxed with a thick, inner box. My model arrived in perfect condition.

The first thing I did was strip off all of the covering. This was actually easy because the covering is applied at the factory where they tack the ends and heat-shrink the middle. Most of the covering came off in large pieces, allowing me to complete the job in less than an hour.

The wood under the covering was almost ready for fiberglass. These airplanes are built like a jigsaw puzzle, so there were several areas where I needed to apply some putty; however, the model was ready for fiberglassing after a day of preparation work.

I added some details, following three-views that I obtained from the internet. I used 1/32-inch chart tape to lay all of my panel lines. Using simple rattle-can primer, I sprayed several coats over the chart tape. I wet-sanded the area with 800-grit sandpaper until I saw the panel line, and then pulled the tape up and had a crisp panel.

I found a small, hollow tube and put that into a rotary tube to simulate my rivets. Most of the P-40s have flush rivets. I know this is not going to be a competition model, but I do want it to be close. There are many documents that show basic rivet patterns. I loosely followed the pattern, but in no way put all of the rivets in. I used ultra-thin G-10 to simulate my hatches.

Using small screws and burned-in flush rivets really added to the scalelike detail. Because of its pink color, the primer was white.

One thing that really stands out was using tiny #0 screws in the areas that had screws on the airframe. I used countersink screws where appropriate. This really adds to the scalelike look and was easy to apply. Knowing that I was going to use pink as my main color, I sprayed my final coat of primer in all white.

Now, this is very important. I have found that if I am going to paint an aircraft yellow, red, or, in this case, pink, I need a uniform, white basecoat. Any color or abnormalities will absolutely show through in the paint. I learned the hard way that a small smudge from my finger would be apparent. I was lucky because a graphic was to be applied in this area! These colors are translucent and you need to be careful!

The author added a small plate from Down and Locked for the electric tail retract. This worked perfectly and really added to the scale detail.

After covering the rudder with fabric using a small syringe filled with canopy glue, the author was able to simulate the rib stitching. The trim tab actuator is made from a pushrod and clevis.

The overall build of this model is easy. The manual is clearly put together. The quality of the large fiberglass cowling and other parts was top notch. The only thing I did not like was that the spinner is slightly larger than the cowling’s opening. After the model was complete, you really couldn’t tell. The electric retracts from Seagull installed quickly and operate at a scalelike speed. I do like how nicely they retract into the wheel wells.

Installing the engine was also simple. You need to use one of several options, but Seagull provides a template to bolt the engine that allows the correct offset thrust. This makes mounting the engine easier. With aircraft that have a spinner to blend with the airframe, you have to have the engine mounted perfectly or it will show. Using the EME engine, I mounted it according to the template and the spinner was perfectly aligned!

After applying the clearcoat, the airplane came out slightly glossy!

Although this P-40 is an air show performer, it looks realistic. The author used several different colors sprayed through an airbrush to simulate exhaust.

Test-fitting the airplane during the build is important, even on an ARF. Fiberglassing and sanding can reshape areas. The wing fairing is a prime example.

I wanted a retractable tail wheel. The kit has a fixed tail gear, and I wanted the airplane to look correct. I contacted Legend Hobby and was able to obtain a retractable electric tail gear made by Down and Locked. I simply fashioned a tail gear plate and installed it. Hooking it up to the system was a breeze and the tail gear operated perfectly.

I reached out to Callie at Callie Graphics to provide the decals. She also sells a nomenclature set for the P-40. It is uncomfortable for me to make a "shiny" airplane! Most know me for making aircraft look like they did during war time; however, although this is a warbird, this particular one is an air show performer. I applied some exhaust by using diluted black, brown, gray, and tan to simulate a light exhaust. All of those rivets and details do not pop out like they do when an airplane is properly weathered, but they are there!

To add some scale details, the author used putty around this area. He later added some #0 screws because the piece was removable.

The added engine guide made installing the engine a breeze! You need to choose from the four engines for which the mounting plate was made!

The fiberglass cowling fits well. The P-40 looks as though it is smiling!

Unlike P-40s from other manufacturers, access to the servos is from the top. This is a clean installation!

Flying the Model

When it came time to fly the model, I was excited. I talked to several who flew the Legend P-40 before I did and got the scoop on what to expect. I knew mine would probably be heavier, but with an EME 60 engine, power would not be an issue.

Lining up on the runway, I applied power slowly. The large rudder was effective, and keeping to the centerline was easy. There is torque, but the rudder was able to compensate for the thrust. Within seconds, the tail came up and shortly after that, the airplane was airborne.

I immediately knew that the center of gravity (CG) was perfect. The climbout was shallow, but it increased speed at an alarming rate. I pulled the power back to roughly 75% and flew downwind, gaining even more altitude. I was confident that when I retracted the gear, the model would be fine. On a P-40, the gear retracts backward, causing an aft CG effect. I wanted to be ready in case that happened. Hitting the gear switch, the airplane had no adverse tendencies.

After another pass, it was time to see what this model could do! I applied full power, and it was as though I had lit an afterburner! Wow, this airplane can fly fast. I believe I could have used a three-blade propeller if I wanted to, but I am happy! A few zips around the pattern then I pulled straight up. I am not sure whether it decreased much, but I pulled back on the stick to bring it back because the model was turning into a speck and I have enough of those in my eyes.

I know the airplane stays together and flies perfectly at supersonic speeds, but how will it slow down? Taking a lap to gain altitude, I pulled the power to idle. If I felt the need to apply more elevator, I gently brought the power back in. Slow flight was stable, and aileron, elevator, and rudder input never became mushy.

I flew straight and level until the model stalled. The right wing dropped, and the airplane began to spin. With neutral ailerons, down-elevator, and opposite rudder, the airplane stopped the spin, and I was able to level off after half of a spin at approximately 100 feet of altitude. This is a great-flying P-40, but it is a P-40. It will snap if you let it get too slow, but I realized that, with the added weight, it will slow down quite nicely. I conducted the same maneuver with the gear and flaps down. The model responded exactly the same.

The Legend Hobby P-40 will perform any scalelike maneuver with ease. I haven’t (and won’t) try any 3D maneuvers; this is not that type of aircraft. Rolls can be slow or fast. It performs large loops with no tendency to snap on the bottom; however, I did want to watch the speed because the P-40 quickly builds it.

After a full shake down, it was time to land. Dropping the gear and flaps caused no real changes in flight. The electric gear looks great, but it does take several seconds to come down. In case of an engine failure, I would suggest keeping the gear up in case you find yourself in mid-retract when you touch down.

I always tend to fly my approaches slightly fast the first time. The P-40 has a sleek airframe and will build speed quickly but not bleed it off. When I needed power, it was there. The airplane will bleed speed faster with those huge barn-door split flaps hanging down. I had full elevator authority during the final approach all the way to landing. Slowly adding elevator as the speed decreased with the engine at idle, the P-40 settled nicely to the ground.

I touched down slightly faster than usual, and my subsequent landings became slower. Yes, this airplane does have narrow gear, but the rudder is more than enough to keep the model on the centerline.

The Legend Hobby P-40 is a fantastic option for those who want a nice-looking warbird but do not want to spend the time and money to build a superscale representation of this amazing airplane. A 60cc engine is more than enough power, and I believe this model, if not modified as I did, would fly just as well on an engine as small as a 35cc (or electric equivalent). It is a straightforward aircraft and is something different, even if it isn’t painted pink!

P-40s have a bad reputation, but I didn’t experience any of those tendencies with this particular model. A nice wing airfoil and attention to weight during the design add to a nice-flying, scalelike ARF that any warbird enthusiast would really enjoy. I know I have!

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