need help about P-40 L

[Michele]

Hello,

 

This is first time I write on this forum and I hope some of you guys can help me about location of fuselage spine navigation lights position for P-40 L. Although I had 3 Kagero monographies, detail & scale P-40 and P-40 walk around I was not able to find a single picture showing the exact position for these lights that were added on P-40 L. Any help is very welcome.

 

Michele

[aAzZ09]

Michele: I found one photograph of a P-40L-1-CU of the 332nd Fighter Group, 99th Squadron, c. early 1944, (Later known as the famous Red Tails), that shows one dorsal navigation light half way between the antenna and the tip of the vertical stabilizer, on page 39, of Curtiss P-40 in Action by Squadron Signal Publications. I have had this old book since 1976. I too have not found any other photographs of P-40Ls in my library with this configuration. It seems that other P-40 variants seemed more photogenic, i.e., P-40B's, E's, and later K's and N's of the Flying Tigers, with 12th and 14th AF P-40s consisting of a few L's and N's. However, other photos of L model P-40s show the dorsal light close to the antenna, so it is either a production line change at the factory or possibly a field modification (since these models were photographed in a war zone). I hope this is of some help to you. Happy Modeling,

 

Mark Fiedler (aAzZ09)

IPMS #14333

Edited August 25, 2010 by aAzZ09

[Michele]

Michele: I found one photograph of a P-40L-1-CU of the 332nd Fighter Group, 99th Squadron, c. early 1944, (Later known as the famous Red Tails), that shows one dorsal navigation light half way between the antenna and the tip of the vertical stabilizer, on page 39, of Curtiss P-40 in Action by Squadron Signal Publications. I have had this old book since 1976. I too have not found any other photographs of P-40Ls in my library with this configuration. It seems that other P-40 variants seemed more photogenic, i.e., P-40B's, E's, and later K's and N's of the Flying Tigers, with 12th and 14th AF P-40s consisting of a few L's and N's. However, other photos of L model P-40s show the dorsal light close to the antenna, so it is either a production line change at the factory or possibly a field modification (since these models were photographed in a war zone). I hope this is of some help to you. Happy Modeling,

 

Mark Fiedler (aAzZ09)

IPMS #14333

 

 

Mark,

 

Thank you very much!

 

Michele