Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20160408* P-40 Warhawk Eggplane Series Hasegawa Kit TH9
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter, after the P-51 and P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main production facilities at Buffalo, New York. For the Modeler: This review covers the Hasegawa Hobby Kits “Eggplane Series” Kit TH9 P-40 Warhawk. This is a Deformed Shape design kit that creates a plane based on the P-40 Curtiss Plane but in the basic shape of an EGG. There is a complete series of planes available and this kit is dated 2008. The kit is a glue and paint kit so I would rate it at least Skill Level 2. There are 24 parts molded in Olive Drab and Clear. The decals are waterslide with multiple designs and are very crisp. The instructions are simplistic and written in Japanese with English subtext. Assembly is simple and this is an average of a weekend build. There is no true SCALE to this as it is deformed and not to shape. It does have the basic elements of the real plane and is a fair representation of a cartoonish version. Consider this a Caricature of the plane. Overall dimensions are: Length from nose to tail: 3-1/4”, Wingspan: 5”, Height: 2”. Scale: Egg-ish…
BUILDING CAVIATS: Having organization and a proper work area is important if you want to build a model properly. But even without dedicated space a place to leave your build while you work is necessary. Being able to lay out your parts organized helps the build as you are not digging for parts in the box possibly losing or damaging them. Also you really should have a place to let painted parts cure. Throughout the review you may find OPTIONAL IDEAS that I suggest. These are completely your choice. Not doing these steps will in no way affect the build, they are just ways to offer some personal and custom touches to your builds. OPTIONS will be noted. One of the best parts of model building is using your imagination to create the build YOU want! Unless you are building a “Factory Stock” or a “Replica” your choices of color and build options are completely up to you. The instruction give recommendations but you are free to substitute whatever options you want. There is no “Wrong way” to build your kit! Have fun and enjoy your hobby. Review the instruction sheet thoroughly to get familiar with the assembly sequence. Decide your color scheme in advance and your custom options so you can build accordingly.
PIC 1 This is the box art for this kit as released in the 2008 version. Unless otherwise stated I use Model Master Liquid Cement for assembly of the parts. Other adhesives used in the construction are Superglue and Elmer’s White Glue. Paints consist of Tamiya Acrylic bottle paints and different brands of “Rattle can” spray paints. Many parts are finished using 1:1 automotive use paint products shot with an airbrush. One of the major benefits of using automotive paint is a very fast drying time. You can get just as good results using Spray can products but they require a longer drying time. Automotive paint is FULLY cured in less than a half an hour and clear about 6 hours. Use a good quality airbrush to paint automotive products because Lacquer Thinner will destroy the cheaper ones quickly. Assembly paint colors may vary from instructions as I use simplified colors that most model builders should have on hand. Before beginning your build soak and wash your parts with a mild detergent like DAWN to remove any mold release agents and help with paint adhesion.
Note to remember: Always follow the Manufacturer’s Safety and Use Guidelines when using any of the products mentioned in the review for your own protection.
PIC 2 PIC 3 Here are the decals for this build. The quality is very high and color registry is good. There is a small carrier around each decal. These decals float easily and will set quickly. Normally it is preferable to use a setting solution to help move the decals in place on your build and to allow extra time to place them. I personally have found Microscale Industries products to be the most compatible with all the different manufacturers of decals.
PIC 4 The main fuselage is assembled at this time.
PIC 5 The kit will be painted as a whole unit and detailed once painted. Being it is a different type of build as usual most of the body is assembled and painted and then the landing gear and cockpit will be added after. Install the oil cooler into one side of the fuselage. Assemble the fuselage halves. Add the rear tail pieces. Add the wings. Add the air intake. On the underside of the wings add the gear covers to both sides. This will leave you the finished unit ready to sand and fill any part lines.
PIC 6 The only parting line is right down the center of the body, and with some sanding and a quality Primer it should hide well without filler and body work. Wet-sand the whole plane with 800 grit sand paper. Rinse and let it dry. Prime the plane with a good quality Primer and let that fully cure. Wet-sand the primer to remove any blemishes. Smooth it overall to prepare for the color coat. Rinse and let it dry.
PIC 7 Since I am using Alclad II Chrome paint I need to give the whole plane a Gloss Black Base coat.
PIC 8 PIC 9 For use on styrene plastic kits a good quality primer is necessary. ALCLAD is similar in strength to lacquer/cellulose car paints. Injected polystyrene plastics frequently have areas which ALCLAD can craze. High-Shine ALCLAD finishes require a glossy base coat. The PRISMATIC finishes should be applied over ALCLAD GLOSS BLACK BASE. Apply 2-3 light coats of Prismatic finish. When completely dry finish with 2-3 coats of WATER BASED CLEAR. ALCLAD should be sprayed at 12-15psi with an airbrush. Spray from a distance of 2-3 inches from the surface being painted using a narrow to medium width spray fan. Use the airbrush like a paint brush, aim to cover the model in a methodical manner.
PIC 10 The topside of the plane was taped off and the underside was painted Flight Deck Blue as a neutral camouflage color.
PIC 11 Body Decaling and Finishing: After you have your base coat on you are ready to decal it. Remember decals lay better on a GLOSS surface and will not adhere properly on a FLAT surface. If you decal a flat surface you get what is called SILVERING of the decals, or the look that they are not adhered, as air is trapped under the decal. Clean your work area good so no dust or grunge from building and sanding gets under your decals. Pick the decals you want to work with and plan out how the best way to lay them out without handling previously laid decals will be. I try either a Front to Back or Top to Bottom approach doing one side at a time then the front and rear of the car in steps giving the decals time to set and dry in place before handling it again. Once you have a plan of action cut your first decal as close to the edge of the outermost color as possible. Once trimmed place the decal into warm water and let it get soft until it “Floats” loosely on the carrier paper. Microscale Industries has a product set called Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. The purpose is to soften the decals to help them conform to the contours of the body and lay smooth. To apply Micro Set, use a soft brush and apply Micro Set to the part where you are going to apply the decal. Next apply the decal as normal. Use a small pointed tip synthetic bristle brush and carefully position the decal. Blot the decal carefully with a Q-tip or paper towel so as not to move it and allow it to dry. For tougher decals apply Micro-Sol with a small flat brush on to the decal. Apply with as few strokes as possible so as not to disturb the decal. As the decal dries slowly work any creases or blemishes in the decal out with a Q-tip or damp paper towel. Work slowly as not to damage the decal. A second coat of Micro-Sol can be added if needed. Now continue this process until all the decals for that area are done, wait for them to set and continue the rest of the car.
PIC 12 Let the decals cure at least overnight before applying your clear coat. PIC 13 Finish the main build by painting the landing gear Steel. The tires are Black Rubber with Steel hubs and glued to the gear, then to the wings.
PIC 14 Glue the prop pin to the prop ONLY through the mount ring to allow it to spin freely. Paint this unit Flat Black with Yellow tips on the props. The nosecone is Red, install the nosecone to the prop only so the prop will spin. Install that unit into the nose of the plane. Paint the cockpit Olive Drab and install it.
PIC 15 PIC 16 Using a Silver Gel Pen draw in the canopy frame and with Elmer’s Glue attach the three canopy parts to the fuselage. This completes the build.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: This was a great stress release for the weekend. These kits are just fun to build. I found out about them from my local hobby shop owner as he was having a contest for customers building them. After some research it seems they are fairly popular overseas and there are actually Facebook groups and websites dedicated to these kits. Also there are Tanks, Ships and Cars available. It seems these are a Japanese specialty as the companies are Hasegawa, Meng and Fujimi that produce the bulk of them. They are quite popular in the US also and seem to be have a sort of Cult following. I have to admit after building this first one I have already purchased a SR 71 Blackbird and the Moebius Battlestar Galactica Viper. They are just cool! Building them is quite simple and takes no time as the parts count is low. The fit is great and I had no visible parting line after priming. Everything fit perfectly and the overall look is unique due to its distorted design. The decals fit well and went on great; even on the contorted curves with just a little Micro Sol. Overall, I had no complaints and I enjoyed a building a kit this weekend that made no sense but looks great on my shelf. I will do more of these and recommend them to even the non-plane builders like myself just because they are so different. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this a 9.5.
