Planning to build the Curtiss P-40B in either 1/48 or 1/32 scale? If so, Art Scale Kit’s new aftermarket Pearl Harbor decals are worth considering.
Arguably overshadowed by later P-40 sub-types, the Hawk H81-A-2/P-40B is a more handsome aircraft to some. Airfix produced a splendid new-tool 1/48 kit of the machine in 2016, but there are also offerings from, Revell-Monogram, Trumpeter and HobbyCraft in that scale. Those last two manufacturers have also kitted the type in 1/32.
If you plan to build any of these items, Art Scale Kit Distribution (ASK) has released new markings for the USAAC Hawks all present during the Japanese attack on Pear Harbour, on December 7, 1941. The two 1/48 decal sheets are:
D48027 Curtiss Hawk H81-A-2 (P-40B) part 1 Pearl Harbor Defenders
• 41-12325/160, 2nd Lt George W Welch, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Haleiwa Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 41-3317/155, 2nd Lt Kenneth M Taylor, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Haleiwa Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 316, 78th Pursuit Squadron, 18th Pursuit Group, Bellows Field, Hawaiian Islands
D48028 Curtiss Hawk H81-A-2 (P-40B) part 2 Pearl Harbor Defenders
• 300, 78th Pursuit Squadron, 18th Pursuit Group, Bellows Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 284, 19th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 337, 44th Pursuit Squadron, 44th Pursuit Group, Bellows Field, Hawaiian Islands
Read about ASK's recent RAAF Curtiss Kittyhawk decals
The following sheets are applicable if you are working in 1/32 scale:
D32015 Curtiss Hawk H81-A-2 (P-40B) part 1 Pearl Harbor Defenders
• 41-12325/160, 2nd Lt George W Welch, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Haleiwa Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 41-3317/155, 2nd Lt Kenneth M Taylor, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Haleiwa Field, Hawaiian Islands
D32016 Curtiss Hawk H81-A-2 (P-40B) part 2 Pearl Harbor Defenders
• 300, 78th Pursuit Squadron, 18th Pursuit Group, Bellows Field, Hawaiian Islands
• 284, 19th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Hawaiian Islands
All these airframes wear the standard Olive Drab over Neutral Gray scheme. Enough stencilling and national insignia are provided for every P-40 listed above. The markings are of high quality, being thin and printed on gloss carrier film. Each sheet features colour profile, plan and underside artwork and costs €12 direct from ASK Distribution. They are also available in the UK via Hannants
