This will be a separate cook-up of a P-40 for Michael, a soon to be new member. Once completed, I will join it to the exiting P-40 cook-up.
Anyone else wanting to join in is welcomed.
Lou
These drawings are scaled to 1/48 and placed in MS Word ready for printing. Assembly will be as per those found in the gallery. As with any project, once printed measure again to see if your printer may have skewed your drawings. Adjust accordingly.
Lou
The SMM gallery drawings have also been scaled to 1/48 in the attached MS Word.
Lou
Here are the 1/72 version. My excel scale calculator is available for the asking. I will email it as SMM does not support excel docs. Note, input data is in the green cells. Once done I save it as the project name file.
Lou
Additional 1/48 of the earlier P-40B.
Lou
Looking forward to progress shots. Have looked at my drawings and the internet. Have a few ideas but they will have to wait awhile.
Cheers
Gordon
And so the projects begin with Michael on Facebook and simultaneously on SMM while he awaits his membership approval.
FB Post
I/48 will do fine. I purchased a 1" X 6" X 36" for just over $6.00 CDN. I only assume you can get it cheaper in the States. I would have prefered a bit whiter, but that is all they had in short pieces..Lou
I have made both 1/72 and 1/48 versions. I will also be doing a P-40B on the side in a seperate post.
The first thing after printing the parts is making templates. You may print multiple drawings and paste them directly to the blank pieces of wood when we cut them. It is good to make template. I used cereal box and sandpaper envelops for cardboard.
Lou
Templates cut and ready for use. For those who don't have a power tool, a hand saw will do the trick. You can cut a larger piece of wood in the normal manner, however the smaller pieces are better cut by placing the saw between your knees and moving the wood back and forth. To create slimmer parts, you can do the same with the saw between your legs. The cut is not as clean as a bandsaw or scroll saw so leave lots of wood. The excess wood will be removed with a blade.
Lou
PS The templates are 1/72 with the 1/48 is on the right. I have a box/cover for each model.
I should have mentioned to trace the fuselage outline on the board and cut out two blocks leaving 1/8" on all sides.
Pictures to follow shortly.
Lou
Great saw technique for small parts!
Fraser
I was a poor man in my early years so innovative approaches were needed if I was to continue in the hobby. I was 50ish before getting my first bandsaw. Are you going to do a P-40. The P-40 was the first model ever displayed on SMM but that was the old site. Canadian pilots flew it also.
Lou
It was good to explore the capabilities of hand tools early on, Im sure.
Funny you should ask about a P-40. I'm going to concentrate on the Banshee for the near term, but here is a P-40 I built for my son back 23 or so years ago. It was from the book The Great American Wooden Toy Book by Norm Marshall pub 1986.
The start of another great tutorial Lou, regards Paul J.
That is an awesome P-40 toy. I will add it to the P-40 photo post.
Lou
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1413.msg15337#msg15337
The first blocks are for the fuselage and should measure 5cm X 19cm X 1.2cm. You will need two.
Lou
I decided to redo my templates as the WWII ID drawings are acceptable however the others are better. I used the top fuselage and bottom wing drawings from the P-40B The side is the P-40E that we are making. The parts breakdown are the same as the WWII ID drawing. I will show in great details how to transfer the wing cutout section on the B-40E drawing.
Lou
Once the block is reduced to 22mm, the fuselage template can be used or a copy of the drawing. Whichever you favour. I usually place the drawing or make the template outline on both sides. Ensure the templates/drawings are aligned properly. Second photo is the template method
Lou
Blades cut. Keep body part out of the path of the blade. This my leg seconds ago. Use a bench hook if you need to hold the piece on your leg.Lou
Rock the blade vertically to cut out the stab knotch. Once again a bit at a time. When a sharp angle is required, the tip of the blade is more useful. Your fuselage should look something like the last photo.
Lou
Let's start the final cutting using coarse sandpaper. Left to right, 120, 220, 320, 400 grit. Block are need to ensure sanding does not create high/low spots.
Lou
Next is marking the vertical cut lines on the fuselage. Not that if you lay the template directly on a curve surface it will come up short. Align the aft template with the block. Trace the rear half of the fuselage. Looking straight down from the top, draw the forward fuselage shape. It is tricky as you can not put the template directly on the wood. Note the second photos shows I failed to properly align the template. The last photo show the correction. I must have moved my template after drawing the right fuselage half.
Lou
This is what things should look like at this point. Once both sides were carved I sanded all sides with 120 grit paper just to clean things up. A P-40 is starting to come out of the wood. This is it for the fuselage so far. We will move on to other parts and bring them to the block shape the same as the fuselage.
The last thing today is starting the tail feathers. I glued template to the stab and tail fin and did a template approach as well as I am doing a P-40B on the side. It is easier to cut vertically on the tips. Again, small steps. The last thing today is marking the thickness of the parts. I use the finger method of holding the pencil over the part with the finger as a guide, run the point of the pencil around the part. in this case 2.5mm is in order. Also make reference lines for the center point of the front and rear stab. SWe will remove excess wood tomorro.
Lou
The vertical fin gets the same treatment as the stab. I ran the grain fore/aft direction which make the bottom part weaker than the top. If you run the grain vertically the weak part would be the forward part of the fin. Care is to taken when slimming down the part as the photo shows. Lots of glue fixes the broken part
Next a bit of work on the main plane. My blank dimensions are 6.5mm X 24mm x 19mm. Cut out the top of the wing template.
For version one - do not flatten out the dihedral for this version.Version one has been moved to my P-40B build on my board
For version two - start by marking the shape of the wing on the blank followed by pasting the front shape to the edge. Note the dihedral has been cut in the center and the top of the image lined up with the top edge of the blank. Ensure the drawn template image lines up with the front image. This is the easiest of the two.
The difference is the first version is built flat, cut in the center and the dihedral will be set once the wing is shaped. The second version has the dihedral built in. Both are viable and each has its own problems. More on that latter.
Lou
This may be good time to get some sanding sticks. I use paint stirring sticks available for free at my local hardware store. Glue two different grit sandpaper at one end and another two at the other end if you so wish.
Lou
Creating the airfoil shape take time and several steps. First is marking the leading edge of the wing at the 9MM-18mm at the center point and 7mm and 3.5mm at the tips. Run a line on the face of the wing 2mm from the bottom. I forgot to take a photo of this process, however you can still see the lines in the shaping photo.
Starting at the center point, remove the wood between the first line and the line on the face.
Next draw a line spitting the surface you have just revealed and remove the wood between it and the second line.
Sand that to a smooth curve.
The tip is is flattened slightly as shown in the drawings. You can carefully cur it/sand it to shape.
Lou
Once the leading edge is sanded smooth use a straight edge and mark vertical parallel lines. Tilting the wing gives a view of the contour.
Lou
Trace lines at the 10mm and 5mm point as shown. Trace a line on the face of the trailing edge approx. 1mm from the bottom of the wing. Carefully do the same as the leading edge of the wing slowly carving the airfoil shape.
Lou
Draw vertical lines on the wing and tilt to see the shape of the wing. Note I neglected to take a picture of this so they were added after the picture was taken. The first attempt with the airfoil template was pretty close so a bit more sanding made it even better.
Lou
CAUTION Do not try to catch a knife in mid air.
OUCHLou
I was wondering what the random red lines were for....uh never mind 😯
I like the idea of using the fingernail clippers for close cuts such as you did with the gun barrels so close together.
Fraser
Next as a break from the large carvings, we will do the smaller pieces.
First is upper fuselage air scoop. Cut out the shape from 2mm thick stock and shape the vertical face. Contour will consist of reducing the rear to 1mmthickness. Carving the bottom to make it fit to the fuselage will be done later.
Next is the belly pan is from 5mm stock. Note that I took the shape from the bottom image and not the SMM template. Contour shaping will also be done later.
Lou
Excellent exhaust stacks. Was the different pairing of the stubs related to engine type? Also thanks for showing the different wing constructions for the same model. Very informative. Thanks
Fraser
Yes, different engines. Early versions did not have superchargers. Personally I prefer one piece wing with the dihedral built in.
Lou
Looking good Lou.
Enjoying the tutorial.
Cheers
Gordon
Thank you Gordon.
Lou
Place the template and mark the bottom of the canopy, front and rear. Flip the template and repeat for the other side. I marked the locations with red ink.
Lou
Mark the forward fuselage 5mm from the center line and 5mm above the thrust line.
Lou
Mark the rear fuselage as shown. Remove the wood between the top and side lines.
Lou
Using either a sanding block or stick round off the upper fuselage. This is the time to try out the cross section gauge if you are so inclined. I wait until the lower fuselage is done.
Lou
Cut out the cockpit glass from the side template and trace the outline using the top of the fuselage with the top of the canopy as a guide. Mark the remain lines using your Mk I eyeball.
Lou
Moving on the the upper forward fuselage. Draw a line 5mm from the center line and 5mm form the outer edge when you get to where the fuselage narrows.
Lou
Your fuselage should look something like this in comparison to the block shape. And a little loo at what the future holds.
Lou
Trace a line 5mm from the edge for the rear bottom and side fuselage. Remove the wood between the lines. Trace a line in the center of the newly exposed wood and 2.5mm up the side. Remove the high points and sand smooth.
Lou
Draw some vertical parallel lines. Tilt the fuselage to see the profile you have created. Use he template guide to further check your progress. Sand any high spots.
Lou
Glue the undercarriage fairing to the wing. Ensure they are parallel to the center line.
Lou
Do not spare the glue at this point as the grain are 90 degree to each other therefore shrinkage and expansion makes this a weak joint.
Line up the wing carefully. Note the P-40E has a center line and that makes it easier to align. Regardless, use a clamp or weights to secure the two parts together. Leave that to sit for a couple of days to ensure the glue is cured.
Lou
Glue the vertical fin and check carefully that it is actually vertical. If using white glue either tape in place or place blocks on either side as the glue has a tendency to pull the part one way or the other as it dries. Experience from my stick and tissue flying model days. I let mine dry overnight.
Lou
Belly pan glued. Next, putty.
Lou
Additional filet/filler photos.
Lou
As long as the putty/filler is dry to the touch we van add the carburetor scoop. I shaved a bit at a time from the bottom to match the shape of the upper fuselage.
Lou
My filler was too thick and it shrunk while drying leaving a big crack in the filet. I applied another thin coat and will wait for the results. This occurred with all four filets. I thinned the filer a few days ago and I guess I used too much water. A word to the wise! I also made stands using scrap fiber board and 1/4" dowels.
Lou
Excellent tutorial as usual Lou, regards Paul J. Great progress.
Thank you Paul.
Lou
Hi Lou,
Thanks again for doing this. Tonight I got my fuselage blank cut out. I laminated 2 pine blocks... but the 2 halves didn't glue together exactly evenly, and when I cut it to length one half was too short. I also did one from a solid piece of poplar I found at a big box store, so I continued with that.
Like you, I found it tough to line up the top and bottom tracing (do you trace both, or just the top)?
Finally, I found that my band saw marks were pretty visible on the sides. Is that an issue, as I think I'll be carving off much of this.
A personal struggle is hating to make mistakes, not know how to do something perfectly, and not being good at something. So this is an exercise in learning by making mistakes. :)
Attempting to post pictures here.
Excellent achievement Michael. It has the making of a great P-40. I always leave a bit between the lines and the blade to allow for the roughness of the cut. Looking forward to more progress shots.
Remember, there are no stupid questions.
Lou
Hi Lou,
Quick question: for the beginner do you suggest the flat wing + cut for dihedral, or the one piece with dihedral built in?
I saw your P-40B with one piece with the dihedral cut in... but not instructions on how to do that.
The flat build is easier to do. The built in dihedral version has some tricky cuts to get around the flow of the grain. I would recommend the flat version for your first. I will have to do a tutorial on "built-in" dihedral wings on a later project.
Lou
Looking good Lou, regards Paul J.
Thank you Paul.
Lou
Excellent work Lou.
Looking good so far Michael.
Cheers
Gordon
First coat of primer applied. Next flip her over and do the bottom. It appears that no major surgery will be needed and sanding with 220 grit can begin followed by another coat of primer. Should things look good at this point a final sanding with 320 grit. A paint scheme has been chosen. Hopefully it will be completed this month.
Lou
Looking Good Lou
Gordon
Sanded with 220 grit with just a bit of filler needed at the forward base of the vertical fin.
Lou
wet primer and dry primer. Things are looking good so far. I may not need another sanding. Next print the decals before painting.
Lou
Looking good!
Fraser
Thank you Fraser.
Lou
Decals printed. Code letter will be painted the appropriate colour before application.
Lou
Painting started. The Tomahawk will be dark sea grey/dark green over light sea grey and the Kittyhawk dark earth/dark green over light grey. All will be brushed on.
Lou
A question Lou.
When you paint the code letters do you seal them before application ?
Cheers
Gordon
I always put a light coat of clear before painting.
Lou
I traced the camouflage pattern and labels each colour. Model Master dark earth is being applied.
Lou
Coming along nicely Lou
Gordon
Thank you Gordon. I hope to be finished by month's end.
Lou
Camouflage hand brushed on the Kittyhawk. I use masking tape to separate the upper and lower colours. All else is freehanded. I have also marked the location of the exhaust that can be attached at anytime. My exhausts are currently in the paint shop.
Lou
What paint do you favor for hand brushing?
Thanks
Fraser
Nice job on the camo Lou, I've got 2 X 3 colour ones to do, regards Paul J.
Thank you Paul.
Lou
I lost my template so I had to print another. Regardless, tape the cockpit glass template to the fuselage and apply thin tape to outline the rear glass. Once satisfied both sides are even, proceed to doing the main cockpit area. I have 1mm tape, however for years I cut my own from wider tape. I use to place a lined paper under picture glass and used a straight edge to get consistent width tape. Once all tape is laid go over it again with the handle of a brush or your nail to make sure it lays down properly in all areas. I use flat black paint sparingly to cover the area. Once dry and not before, I use the tip of my hobby knife to hook the tape and remove it. Sometimes touch ups are required so wait for the existing paint to cure before proceeding.
Lou
PS Note the exhausts have been attached.
Curtiss Kittyhawk completed 13 Feb 2021. Marking are home made but could be substituted from the spares box of plastic kit model decals. Details on decal construction is available in out
Technique section. As our cook-ups never close, clarification on anything present here is available for the asking.
Lou
Looks great Lou! Well Done!
Gordon
Thank you Gordon.
Lou
Nice Job Lou, well done with the markings, regards Paul J.
Thank you Paul.
Lou
Looks great Lou! I like the aircraft in the British camouflage. Well done.
Regards
Fraser
Markings are RCAF 118 Sqn based in Canada during WWII.
Lou
Thanks for the clarification on the markings.
Regards
Fraser
RCAF 400 Sqn Tomahawk and RCAF 118 Sqn Kittyhawk are complete.
Lou