Revell P-40E Flying Tiger

Robert W Martel
Ah,
Now here's a GEM I just stumbled across. Seems to me I built one of these as a kid. Anyway I've been following this "Flying Tiger" issue for a little while. I already have a nice Trumpy 32nd P-40B Warhawk/Tomahawk, but wanted this one too.
Well, got an ebay email alert yesterday,,,,, P-40E Flying Tiger Sealed,,, better have a look. Sure enough original 1969 issue still sealed $34.95 BIN. I had to snap it up quick before someone else did. First sealed one I've seen. I consider that a good price for today, but wait till you see the original price sticker !! AND ! it arrived TODAY !!

wilky
Wow, $1.97. I'd be able to make a dent in my wishlist if kits were still that price.
I'm picking up an old kit myself tomorrow morning. Won it on eBay and as it was pick up only no one else bid. Have to drive 68 kilometres to the town of Bannockburn, Victoria. If you think you've heard that name before it's because it was the site of a significant battle between the English and the Scottish.
It is a Hasegawa Sabre 1/32 with decals for an Australian Black Panthers aerobatic display team aircraft. Only issued in Australia. Unfortunately it is fairly well assembled, I am going to buy another kit that hasn't been started and I'm not sure what I'll do yet with the one I'm getting tomorrow as it has a lot of it broken from transport already according to the seller

Jay Dubya
Giddy up Bobstar !!!
I've the Revell 1/32 P-51B that I've carried around with me since I was 16. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how your big Kitty goes together.
Wilky - do you reckon you could let me know when you are buying from Evilbay locally (I hate paying postage), I wouldn't want to be bidding against you !!!

wilky
I'm always bidding on eBay. If it has R.A.A.F. decals I'm probably bidding on it but normally I wouldn't bid on local pick up. Post is usually much cheaper than driving.
You'd probably have to let me know what is "locally" to you so I'd known when to notify you.

Robert W Martel
Hi JW, yea those old kits bring back memories. Don't know when I'll get to it, but its well packed and put away for safe keeping. I'll have to build it OOB, I just couldn't re-scribe it and ruin all that rivet detail. Funny we were just discussing (??) how so many of the NEW TOOL kits have such nice fine scribed detail that looks so good w/panel wash, but they for the most part have NO rivet detail. Strikes me as kind of odd! Funny, I've been wanting to buy the 1/32 Revell P-51, they have it at HL, 40% off it's a good price too. But I already have 2 trumpys and a Revell 48th for my grandson.
Anyway,,, good to see you JW.
Wilky, those were the good old days, models and everything else for that matter were cheap! Less than $2,,,,and it's a nice kit too! If I had only had foresight back then I could have got rich buying models, putting them away for 50 years, and make 20 times the investment!
Everything is just so over priced today, it's highway robbery. I just don't know how it got so out of control. Nothing is CHEAP anymore, bargains are scarce. $$$ just don't go as far as they used to.
Would that be the F-86 Sabre you're talkin' 'bout ?? lol I've bought 2 Revell 48ths @ Hobby Lobby 'cause they were cheap (there's that word again). Well, cheap at todays prices, like $18 out the door. And they're decent enough, just a bit on the small side. I would like a nice new 1/32 though. It's a small plane, 37 ft. wing, so at 48th their a bit on the small side. 32nd is just right. I like them with about 1-2 ft. wingspans more or less. Less is too small, more is too big. LOL
You know what I don't believe I have any RAAF kits, I'll have to find one now!

wilky
Yes, F-86F-40. I built the same kit back in 1984 but due to the extensive modifications required to make it a R.A.A.F. one I ended up building it as the J.A.S.D.F. version shown on the box. I did keep the Australian markings decal sheet but when I moved to Coleraine I ended up losing them. I was very disappointed with myself for having done that and when I got back into model kits again four years ago I managed to score a partially assembled kit with the R.A.A.F decals and even though I already have this kit when I saw the kit I'm picking up tomorrow on eBay I thought I'd just bid the starting amount and if someone else bid and won it it wouldn't have bothered me and as it was pick up only and in a little town miles from most people it didn't attract any interest. There's probably someone out there that saw it too and are disappointed that they didn't try for it but that's how the cookie crumbles.
Now I want an unassembled kit to return it to it's original state and I can put this broken kit in the stash and have a tinker at building it as a R.A.A.F. one

wilky
I also have a Kinetic 1/32 Sabre F-86F so I can do a kitbash like the one you can see on Hyperscale by Mike Prince. He did an amazing job but I would like to build the prototype. Biggest issue I will have is the yellow P roundel. Nobody makes the prototype roundels in 1/32.
There is a transparent version of the Hasegawa Sabre too, that would be pretty cool to build and there is a couple of them on eBay.

Robert W Martel
Now that you've talked about it, seems I don't see many w/RAAF markings, maybe because I haven't looked. I have seen that clear one ! I would like a nice 32nd F-86. Something about the f-86 I remember when I was a kid, just cant remember what! A cool looking plane for sure.

Jay Dubya
Hey Robert - could you convert the 1/48 A-20 in your stash to a RAAF 22 Sqn G model? No idea if that means anything more than painting over the front windows, but worth the question. Might be able to russle you up some decals - you never know what you find here in Melb at the Club swap meets !

wilky
J W, oh. So you're in Melbourne. It's not very likely that I'd be bidding on a pick up kit in Melbourne as I'm 320k away, 640k return and a minimum of nine hours driving. Sometimes I have to do it for the community car and I hate it but as I'm the youngest driver no one else will do the Melbourne trips. Sometimes I have a three hour wait while the passenger is in with the specialist. That's a very long day indeed and my back can't handle it, especially now that they got rid of the BA Falcon and replaced it with a Mondeo. I hate that car.
I actually thought that I wouldn't win the kit in Bannockburn and was very surprised when I did

Robert W Martel
JW,
Is that one in my stash still? The A-20J Havoc? I already built that one. That's the one nobody has masks for, so I just left the glass. There are masks for the B/C & G, but no J. I hate masking canopies. Well, not that I hate it, just I was never any good at it. I have been forced to do a few since that one, and let's just say I can if I have too !! lol
well,,,,, I have thought about doing a B version Boston or even a G/gun nose version, they would look different enough. Did the RAAF use those? I would like to do something WWII RAAF, although I'm not sure even what they would look like, what makes them different.
maybe something else would be a better candidate???? I have lots of WWII kits! How about a 1/32 P-51, I have 2 of those. and the new (old reissue) Revell one is cheap enough @ hobby lobby. I have a good supply of candidates.
We'll have to give that some thought, eh
Wilky, funny thing, most of my life if I could have picked any place in the world to visit or even stay, Australia would have been my choice. I've always wanted to go there, don't ask me why. LOL
And I surely would like to build one of those Mad Max Interceptors, but they are god awful expensive here from what few I've seen. I'm not even sure the proper name of the car, but I loved the movies!
Cheers guys !!

wilky
The Mad Max Interceptor is a Ford XB Falcon. Australia had P-51D and. K. You can get aftermarket decals for P-40E's flown by us. Best thing to do would be to get a Special Hobby Boomerang or Wirraway as Australia was the only country to fly them and we also designed and built them

wilky
If you're Mk V Spitfire has a Vokes tropical filter and a C wing you could get aftermarket decals for that in Australian markings or Mk VIII Spitfire kit can be built as an aussie example

Robert W Martel
Wow, that's cool Wilky.
I know the HB Mk.Vb was also made in a Trop version, it may not have that filter. I have seen somewhere about the different wings. I'll have to check out that stuff.
The P-40E I will do as the Flying Tiger, the other I have is a B.
P-51Ds I have in 1/48 & 1/32 and a 32nd RAF Mustang III. Revell P-51s are relatively cheap.
I also have 2 1/72 Spits that came w/the Lancaster bomber, not sure offhand which versions. I'll look.
I'll have a look for the Boomerang & Wirraway. Lots of possibilities,,, cool.
I thought I remembered that the Mad Max Interceptor was a Falcon, but didn't know what the Aussie version was called. The only kit I see on ebay is the Aoshima MAD MAX2 Road Warrior $235 !! Insane!!

wilky
Clive Caldwell flew the P-40B but it was in an R.A.F. squadron so technically not an aussie aircraft. He is the highest scoring ace on the planet that flew that aircraft so is an interesting example to model.
That is an insane price but once 3D.printers get better it could be copied and you could sell your own. That's one thing that I'm holding out for. I'll be copying everything I own then.
I'd recommend getting a Boomerang mainly because it is uniquely Australian the Wirraway was a Harvard made under licence.

Robert W Martel
Interesting!
Yea, 3D printer/copier would be SOOOO cool !!
I know Aussies fought in the War as much as anybody, but we don't see it glamorized like the Americans & Brits so much in the old movies. Australia was fighting off invasion too.
Hey, that SH CA-13 Boomerang looks pretty cool and not too expensive either,,, about $40. It's moved to the top of my list. I do have a couple Special Hobby kits and they are Nice.

wilky
There is a fantastic documentary series called "Australians at war" some can be seen on YouTube.
Probably won't have the same feel as the "Dambusters" or "Tora Tora Tora" but it will let you know what was happening in our part of the world at that time and just how close the "Yellow Peril" was to our door

Robert W Martel
Ok, I'm checking that out as we speak.
I also ran across these on piratebay:
ANZAC Australians in World War Two
Looks like this is only 2 of a 26 part series. I can dl them all!
I can save the ones on youtube also and burn them on dvd's. I do have quite a few documentary types that I've saved. I like to watch them in the afternoons when I have my daily lay down for an hour or so. lol

wilky
I have a YouTube channel search Martin Wilk. You might like my brother in laws Mustang

Robert W Martel
I'll have to check it out.
I found the rest of the ANZAC series, 26 videos, they're all downloading, got about half done already. Looks like they are about 25+ min. each, 450Mb+- ea. probably fit them all on 4 dvd's. should be interesting. I love the old WWII historical stuff!

wilky
They used to be shown on tv every ANZAC day but weren't last year for some reason. I was very disappointed

Robert W Martel
I've downloaded them all Wilky. 26 files 11.4 GB. They should fit on 3 disks easily.
They are .org files, but I'll convert them to >mkv, that way my dvd player can play them just burned on dvd discs, not converted to DVD's. It will play JPEG, MPO,MKV, AAC, FLAC, MP3, WAV & WMA.
I'd be happy to send you copies. Or I can show where you can dl them.

wilky
My only internet access is via my phone. I have an old PS2 for playing DVD'S but I don't know what formats that uses. I'm like some throw back from a hundred years ago. I hunt with lever action rifles. I received my first cd player last year as the radio/tape player in my car died and my friend gave me the radio/cd player out of his old car that is sitting in his front yard rusting away

Robert W Martel
Well you wont be downloading them on your phone them! lol Not sure what PS2 will play either, probably not anything but DVD format. Well,,,,,, if you decide to upgrade your dvd player be sure to get one that plays video files,,,, MKV's and all that are pretty common now,,,, let me know I'll burn them up for ya!
Hey! Lever action rifles are cool. I love um.

wilky
I have a really rare Winchester 44.40 with nickel finish and half magazine made for export in 1913. I once had two 38.40's one octagonal barrel sporting rifle with full magazine and one saddle ring carbine with half magazine both made in 1903.

Scott Hastings
Love it, brings back lot of memories. I have the kits for the 1/32 Seafire and P47 Thunderbolt from Revell from similar era. Love the Thunderbolt's box art bombing a railroad yard. I remember getting outbid on the P40 and never went after it again. You are getting those ideas back in my head. Hope to build them all up someday as I hope you build this one.

Robert W Martel
Wilky that's the coolest, I'd like to see that! better hang on to that one mate!
Scott, Yea they were nothing compared to some of the new kits,,,,, but something about them. Such as they were, they were simpler/w raised panel lines, but THEY HAD RIVETS !! I love the new kits w the scribed panel lines, they look real nice w/a panel wash, really makes the panels stand out, I like the look. BUT, WHERE THE HECK DID THE RIVETS GO??????????

wilky
The bean counters killed the rivets

Robert W Martel
LOL, I guess that what it amounts too. It's just not the same. Sorry, I don't get it!! They could make them in 1969 and the kit only cost $1.97. And I dare say the NEW kits aren't THAT much better now to be $40. 20 times the price and no damn rivets !!! LOL They just want to keep more of the beans for themselves!

Robert W Martel
Dang Wilky, I see some Novascale RAAF decals for the P-40E:
RAAF P-40E Kittyhawk Pt1 WWII Decals 1/32 Scale N32041
but they're like $35 !!

wilky
Yeah, they're not cheap. I can't offer any advice on quality either. I have some but haven't used any

Robert W Martel
well there a bit rich for me, but would be cool. The boomerang is on my list!

wilky
The Boomerang is the one that you want, can't get more Aussie than that