KIT #:	SH72379
PRICE:	$18.45 plus shipping from Czechia
DECALS:	Four options
REVIEWER:	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	202  Release

The P-40K was intended to be the last P-40 production variant before replacement by the P-60, and only 600 were ordered by the USAAF to supply to China. However, with the cancellation of the P-60 the attack on Pearl Harbor led to this order being increased to 1,300 aircraft. A continuation of the Allison-powered Warhawk, the K was similar to the P-40E, but was powered by a 1,325 hp V-1710-73. It also featured improved machine gun ammunition storage reducing gun stoppages. These were the heaviest P-40 variants, but the extra horsepower on the P-40K gave it good performance particularly at low altitude (noticeably better than the P-40E).

As with the P-40F, the increase in power led to decreased directional stability, but Curtiss predicted this and incorporated an enlarged vertical stabilizer to early P-40Ks. On the K-10 sub-variant onward, this was replaced with the lengthened tail of the P-40F-5. This feature was standard on all subsequent Warhawks.

Special Hobby has certainly made the best of their tooling for the P-40 Warhawk. They have done most, if not all, of the versions from the P-40D through N. The nice things about their kits is that they have provided not only a decent level of detail, but have also tooled the fuselage halves as a single piece, unlike some others who have chosen to provide separate tail sections. This eliminates one seam that is sometimes tricky to blend in.

All the rest of the kit save the transparencies are common to their other multiple boxings. As you can see from the parts image, there are quite a few that are not used in this kit, so if you wish, you can relegate those to the spares box. I know that I will be salvaging the N style prop for use on one of the many Hasegawa P-40Ns that I have in my stash.

The cockpit is nicely detailed for this scale and CMK offers a lot of resin upgrades if one wants to spend the money. I appreciate that a seat harness decal is provided. As with other P-40s in this series, the cockpit floor is the upper wing. SH has molded the upper wing as a single piece so no issues with alignment. The gear well sidewalls are a separate pice that fits in the lower wing.

Once the fuselage is together, the wings, tailplanes and rudder can be attached. Exhaust can be added after painting. This kit includes a resin DF antenna, something you won't find in other /72 P-40s. This item was widely used on CBI Warhawks. The kit offers the option of open or closed cowl flaps. Landing gear are fairly well done for the scale and one is provided the option of a bomb or drop tank for the centerline. I have found the separate braces for the drop tank to be quite a challenge to get properly aligned on other SH P-40 builds. Gear doors have little alignment braces so aren't butt joins. Finally, the kit offers two canopies. One for the open or closed position.

Instructions are well done with some color in the construction areas. Four markings options are provided. One is the sand over neutral grey box art plane from the 64th FS/57th FG in Tunisia during mid1943. The other three are all in a European scheme of dark earth, dark green, over sky grey. One is a Soviet plane from late 1943, another is a 26FS/51 FG plane that uses the DF antenna from late 1943, and the third is a 20FS/51FG plane from 1944. The decal sheet is quite large and provides full stencils.

CONCLUSIONS

Thanks to my discovery of the tricky bits in earlier SH P-40 builds, I expect this one to go with little to no fuss. They really do make into nice models and are now my 'go to' kit for P-40s in this scale.

REFERENCES