Rising Decals 72084: The Burma Banshees Pt.II

The 80th FG was assigned the defense of the Indian terminus of the Hump route, which it carried out by striking Japanese airfields and patrolling Allied air bases to safeguard them from attack. The 80th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for intercepting a formation of Japanese aircraft, preventing the destruction of a large oil refinery in Assam, India, on 27 March 1944. Though its primary mission in Burma was the protection of the "Hump" cargo route, the group also played an important role in reopening the Ledo/Burma Road. Using modified, so-called B-40 fighter bombers (the Curtiss P-40 fitted with a 1,000-pound bomb), the 80th FG attacked Japanese-held bridges, sometimes demolishing their target with a single bomb. By the end of the war, the group had destroyed more than 200 bridges and killed scores of bridge repair crews. Air-to-air and air-to-ground sweeps by the group's pilots claimed 80 enemy planes destroyed in the air or on the ground. Though disbanded after WWII, the unit was reactivated in 1972 as the 8th Flight Training Wing. The wing's mission was to train foreign students, starting with those from South Vietnam. It also did conversion training for helicopter pilots moving to fixed wing aircraft. Itis currently part of a Euro/NATO joint training program, flying the T-6 and T-38.

I have always had a fondness for the skull markings of the 80ths P-40 and several past kits in this scale have been of aircraft from this unit. While looking for P-40N decals to use in future projects, this one turned up in a search. It offers seven different markings options. Four of these aircraft are P-40N-1 aircraft to which an additional gun has been reinstalled as the type came off the assembly line with two guns per wing. These aircraft also did not have the modified canopy typical of the N model. The other three are P-40N-5 as we are used to seeing.

There are three options for the 88th FS and carry a white spinner.

One option is with the 89th and its red spinner.

The other three are from the 90th FS and have an insignia blue spinner.

Now I'm sure that some of you are wondering where to get a kit of the P-40N-1 in this scale. Well, to my knowledge, no dedicated kit exists in this scale, however, the Academy P-40M would be a good choice as it has the requisite long tail with the earlier canopy. The kit does have two areas of concern in that the spinner is too fat and the aft upper portion of the quarter windows is straight where it should be curved. These are glitches shared with their P-40E. However, if you can overlook that, the kit would be an acceptable replacement.

Anyway, it is a great sheet and provides enough insignia to do four aircraft if you choose wisely. It also provides a number of separate serials. Well worth picking up if you are so inclined.

October 2024

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