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Author Topic: EMD 1/32 P-40N Wheel hubs  (Read 22005 times)
Derek B
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« on: February 06, 2013, 09:33:05 PM »

Hello all,

This is my current WIP (until I can get hold of another B-25 main wheek to start on a new hub again). It is a replacement wheel hub set for the Hasegawa 1/32 P-40N kit items. I have always considered the standard kit hubs, although generally accurate in configuration and shape, is totally lacking in detail.

In addition, some modellers may wish to produce an earky P-40N, which looked very much like the P-40M, but with the 27" diameter wheels as opposed to the standard P-40 30" wheels. Looking at as many period photographs as possible of P-40N aircraft, it has become evident to me that there were two factory supplied standards of wheel hub fitted to these aircraft (see below):
 






The above three photographs feature what I shall term as the style 1 hubs. They are externally identical to what I shal call the style 2 hub as far as the spokes are concerned. The differences are only noticeable when you view behind the hub spokes and at the brake backplate on the axle side of the hub adjacent to the undercarriage leg.
 
If you look just behind the spokes, you'll notice that there is an angled , but smooth faced, machining that runs circumferentially around the inside of the hub rim - this is only broken by the inflation valve. On stle 2 hubs, this same feature has smal fin-like ridge castings protruding at regular intervals equidistant between the spoke openings (see pictures below).

On the reverse side of the style 1 wheel, the hub backplate, the circumference of the brake backplate is broken by a ring of cooling slots in the form of small cast fins - style 2 backplates look identical to the standard P-40 hub backplates, albeit slightly smaller in diameter.
 






The above three photographs are good examples of the style 2 wheel hub. You can clearly see the diferences to the stle 1 hub above. Both styles of hub appeared to have been equally used on P-40N's.



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Derek Bradshaw
Derek B
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« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2013, 09:39:13 PM »

I have elected to go for the style 1 hub, otherwise, I would have to make two complete master patterns - I'll let the kit items pretend to be the style 2 hub! Below is where I am at present. As some of the internal brake mechanism is visible through the hub spokes, I shall have to represent these details (the P-40 aircraft wheel brakes are drum operated brake shoes types - just like car drum brakes - and not multiple disc).














 


Derek



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Derek Bradshaw
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« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2013, 05:03:05 AM »

Looks good to me!
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Derek B
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« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2013, 06:11:09 AM »

Looks good to me!

Thank you Vince  Smiley

Derek
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Derek Bradshaw
Derek B
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« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2013, 06:16:14 AM »

On a related note, it had been pointed out to me that the wheel wells of the P-40N's in the above photo's all feature canvas wheel well covers. I was aware that early P-40's featured these, but was not aware that the later aircraft also had them until now (I am still learning a great deal about this aircraft). Does this mean that every variant of P-40 had them? (if so, then this is a major oversight missing from both the Revell and Hasegawa kits - I could provide resin cover for the P-40 Hasegawa kit if that is the case?).

Thanks

Derek
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Derek Bradshaw
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« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2013, 07:37:02 AM »

Looking good so far!

In the second photo, it looks like those might be rocket rails below the wing of the P-40?  I don't remember offhand them carrying rockets like that, but I probably just wasn't paying that much attention.  If they are, that might be a nice set to offer as well?

I know for a while, the factory would send out the aircraft with the canvas boot as that would keep dust and debris's out of the wheel well and the internals of the wing, but apparently they got worn kind of quickly and if they were on a muddy field, they could clog up with mud pretty quickly from what I have read.  Instead of trying to repair/clean them, a lot of times the maintenance personnel would just remove them cannot although I never did read how they kept the wheel wells/wing internals clean after that?  Maybe it was just easier to hose out?  Never really read anything definitive on that as it's hard to find any autobiographies written from the maintenance personnel. Huh
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Derek B
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« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2013, 05:33:13 PM »

Thanks Brad. I know, more questions than answers again, but at least it all helps to pick up on new things that otherwise would have been missed under the heading of 'assumption'!

Cheers

Derek
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Derek Bradshaw
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« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2013, 07:18:04 AM »

When I started this web site, I thought it would be so easy to get information on the airplane and veterans stories, but both have been unbelievably elusive.  I figured the war wasn't that long ago so getting correct information on the aircraft would at least be easy, but it seems like so much is contradictory and just plain unknown as a lot of the minor stuff that we want for accuracy basically went unnoticed then.
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Mark Joyce
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« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2013, 12:21:28 PM »

When I started this web site, I thought it would be so easy to get information on the airplane and veterans stories, but both have been unbelievably elusive.  I figured the war wasn't that long ago so getting correct information on the aircraft would at least be easy, but it seems like so much is contradictory and just plain unknown as a lot of the minor stuff that we want for accuracy basically went unnoticed then.

Brad,

I have some additional photos and stories, so if you are interested I'd be happy to share them with you!

Mark
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