Parrot Head - no not about Jimmy Buffet

[Vince_M]

I can't help myself....
I started another olive drab "N".  This time 1/32.

[P-40 Admin]

Have fun  I always liked those markings

[P-40 Admin]

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[Vince_M]

Thanks for the photos for reference.
I saw another one that showed there were no wing guns and the fairings were covered.
Do you think they were all that way?  I suppose it was a training group so maybe no guns needed.

[P-40 Admin]

I hadn't heard of them not having machine guns in the squadron before, I had heard that it was a training unit, so that does make sense. Other than a couple pictures in some books and the captions, haven't really heard of anything about this unit. I do have a 1/48 model with these markings.

[Vince_M]

Here is the photo showing the guns fairings covered with "plugs" which I have rarely if ever seen in photos.
I may model mine this way.
Does this mean the advanced training group didn't do any gunnery training?  Or could some of the birds still have their guns??
I have only found about three photos of this group.

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/P-40/337FG/pages/Curtiss-P-40N-Warhawk-Yellow-26-43-K-pilots-with-his-parrot-head-at-Napier-Alabama-Nov-1943-01.html

[P-40 Admin]

I haven't seen that before, very interesting. Good questions, I haven't ever heard why they would do that? I don't know how much actual gunnery practice they got back then, it wasn't like it is today though. Maybe this unit was for learning combat maneuvers and tactics?

Before WWII vintage photos on this page are the only ones I have seen, and the one with the gun covers in the black and white, I didn't see until this unit's main page.

It's an easy modification to do, it would be unique from other P-40's, and you have photographic proof of it, so it was at least used on some aircraft. I would go for it 

[Vince_M]

This an actual eBay sale for a new build P-40N seat!
The kit uses the same seat and this is a great reference.  So I will weather the edges where paint rubs off as wood and not metal (except the bottom lip)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265804809857?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=265804809857&targetid=1645685073248&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9010794&poi=&campaignid=16730423415&mkgroupid=135815925780&rlsatarget=pla-1645685073248&abcId=9300841&merchantid=6296724&gclid=CjwKCAjwue6hBhBVEiwA9YTx8L4LzwEEuZy2YFeYtBxfuHCE9WDc5j53IzcbL_7C4c4QmQx5yuUXjRoCy-4QAvD_BwE

[Vince_M]

Painted up the bronze green parts.
Got about all of them except the canopy interiors.
Humbrol 226 is a really nice bronze green.

[Mark Joyce]

Looking good!

[Vince_M]

Little bit of progress.
The aftermarket cockpit placards are easy and really spruce it up!

[Mark Joyce]

Nice work, Vince!  Lots of detail there.

[Vince_M]

Getting the tedious task of "riveting" over with.  Hasegawa did rivet the plastic...but only about 5-10% of it.

[P-40 Admin]

Amazing, I couldn't handle it 

[Vince_M]

Fuselage is closed up.

Added rudder cables using thin wire.
Easy and looks the part.
they pass through little holes I drilled in the back bulkhead.