Special Hobby – 72493 – P-40F/L Warhawk “Desert Hawks with Merlin”

Description:

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a U.S. WWII fighter aircraft Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, F or L variant, both models were equipped with the Packard V-1650 Merlin engine instead of the standard Allison engine, resulting in the absence of the carburetor scoop on the top of the nose. Consequently, these variants exhibited improved performance at higher altitudes compared to their Allison-powered counterparts. Additionally, the P-40L variant sometimes featured a fillet in front of the vertical stabilizer or a lengthened fuselage to counteract increased torque.

The P-40L earned the nickname “Gypsy Rose Lee” in some circles, a reference to a famous stripper of the era, due to its stripped-down configuration. Designated Kittyhawk Mk II for Commonwealth air forces, a total of 330 Mk IIs were provided to the RAF under the Lend-Lease program. The initial 230 aircraft are occasionally referred to as the Kittyhawk Mk IIA.

The P-40F/L found extensive use among U.S. fighter groups operating in the Mediterranean Theater.

Update with new decal sheet of Special Hobby P-40s kits series. Kit include PE detail parts and new decal sheet includes 3 markings, two U.S. markings and one British markings, all of them based at Tunis 1943.