P-40 Cammo Schemes

[SeanM]

Firstly, Hi

I have visited the site many times and somehow missed the forum. I mainly build 1/48 and 1/32 WWII aircraft. I also produce my own masks and do offer my small range to fellow modellers when they ask. I recently did Markings for Pearl Harbour (Insignia and Markings) and I am now working on the Cammo stuff. I am a bit stuck as there seems to be a pattern used on the P-40's that went to china and those sent to North Africa. Although I always thought a batch meant for China landed up with 112 sqn. Lastly there seems to be a variation from the P-40E (Kittyhawk). I would be grateful for any help and accurate 3 view drawings. Happy to enlist testers for the masks when they are ready and post out some sample free if you are keen to try my masks. Nothing commercial as yet. I am doing this more for my own benefit and to help other modellers out when they need something.

Regards
Sean

[P-40 Admin]

I couldn't find any drawings. Curtiss used masks to paint the camouflage so the schemes were all was the same and had a relatively hard edge.

If you have any decals for AVG planes, they would be the same, although I'm sure there's always room for an exception. You don't have any, you could check eBay to see if anyone has pictures of the decals up and save the picture.

The E, at least in China tended to be olive drab on top and gray on the bottom. Nothing is ever easy with the P-40 and I have seen some in the Pacific with camouflage.

[Mark Joyce]

An old article by Dana Bell in FineScale Modeler discusses the camo colors on later model P-40s (the 'D' and onward), as well as having a diagram of the standard scheme in 48th scale.  I've photocopied this scheme, cut it out, and used as a mask several times on my models.  If you are interested, I'll see if I can dig it up and email you a scan. Again, this was the standard scheme that came out of the factory for camo P-40s (not the Olive Drab over Neutral Grey), regardless of where the aircraft was destined for. 

IIRC, no P-40s planned for China were provided to 112 Sqn. If anything, the opposite could be argued, as the US took over some of the P-40s that had initially been earmarked as lend-lease aircraft.  Some of these ended up with the 49th FG, for instance. But I'm just going by memory at the moment so could be mistaken.

[SeanM]

I was pointed to Ian Bakers Aviation History and I have just finished the P40B masks.