Reviews : Revell-Monogram P-40B Tiger Shark Fighter Plane
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Old, out-dated and tired mold tooling.
This was my third modeling project since getting back to it after 30 years and after putting together two new high quality molded Airfix kits, this was a huge step back in time, in fact 50 years The parts are still being molded form the original 50 year old mold, manufactured in 1964, and when assembling them, it becomes obvious that the parting line of the mold has been machined flat a few times due to wear and tear it has taken,that causes part-line flash and has an overall effect on the dimensions of parts, and inevitably, their fits to each other. The fit of parts is poor, especially the wings to fuselage areas which required a lot of filling, blending and sanding. But, to enable the filler to stay in place, you'll need to put in a couple of pieces of plastic-card to provide a base beneath the gaps, because there is no floor beneath the gaps, just fresh air, so any flexing of the wings will crack any filler you attempted to place inside the gaps. When assembling the two fuselage halves together, these too needed filler in places and sanding to hide the joints on the upper and lower surfaces. The front nose of the aircraft that is detached to be part of the propeller assembly leaves a noticeable joint part-way down the fuselage on the engine cowling sides; again, plenty of filling, blending and sanding. One thing to note; when gluing, filling and sanding, the body parts are so flimsy and flexible, that while you hold the two sides of the fuselage between thumb and forefinger, any pressure you apply will flex the joints so make sure you set a position that you're comfortable with when gluing, and put masking tape carefully around the body to hold the joints in place whilst they set. When filling...be careful not to squeeze the sides and crack that filler...make sure it is set firmly before attempting to sand. On hindsight, maybe I should have reinforced the fuselage halves and wings with plastic-card inner frames to act as braces/ struts?
If you model the aircraft with the Ailerons down, you will expose two openings that look right into the body of the aircraft with daylight visible from the cockpit space. Another reason to make modifications to put flooring in. There are no walls or details within the wheel well areas, just two holes through the bottom wings, that again, allow you to see within the wings. If detail is important to you and this irks you, bring out the plastic-card again and add your own wheel wells Overall conclusions; the body parts are very thin and flimsy, giving the airplane a very cheap light as paper feel to it. The parts are poor quality moldings with no recessed panel line details to highlight. The cockpit interior is basic, but reasonable. The fit of major body parts is poor and the part design is bad without flooring included. The only decent molded parts are the clear canopy sections, which feel good, are crystal clear and shiny. The decals must be more up-to date, because they are excellent and when applied to gloss varnish then covered with a couple of coats of flat varnish, provide the painted on appearance desired.
My opinion to the would be buyer; if you're a serious modeler and expect quality molded parts, assembly fits and nice details, this is not for you, spend the extra for a Tamiya model to save yourself the disappointment. If you're a beginner and not concerned about joints showing, gaps within assembly and lack of flooring, wheel wells and refinement, then this is an okay kit to get you started. But, all that said, I personally believe that Revell should reduce the price of this kit by 60%,instead of selling it at the same price as other kits they sell that are manufactured with higher quality molded parts from recent molds and include the refinements expected by most modelers. I feel that the reviewers that gave 4 and 5 stars for this model perhaps have some historical and/or sentimental affinity with this aircraft, and thus, allowed those feelings to hinder stepping out of the box to provide a much deserved critical review.
An Old But Enjoyable Kit
By: willemsenwillem
I bought this kit thinking that there would be a lot more to it, and I was having trouble finding P-40 kits around me. THE CONS-- It is definitely old. The kit had some flash on the sprue, the fit on many of the parts was rough, especially joining the 2 fuselage halves. Limited cockpit, and huge windows, so it really shows. General lack of detail (landing gear bay doors). THE PROS -- Movable landing flaps, kind of cool for such an old kit. Decals were incredible, went on super easy. The price: hard to beat at under $20. CANT DECIDE PRO/CON -- Few parts, honestly after building Eduard or Special Hobby kits, it's kind of nice getting to build something simple. Could easily be a weekend build. Raised panel lines are the mark of an older kit but I kind of liked them. They helped me a lot with the pre/post shading, and it was cool having all the rivets to guide me. Overall, yes it's a rough kit but it's old! And it's cheap! There aren't any P-40 competitors at this price point. If you're looking for something easy to build that you don't need to look very closely at. I'd pick this up.
Can't beat the price for a nice P40
For the price, you can’t find a nicer kit. What’s nice about this kit is the rivet details which other competitor models lacks. The sacrifice for the rivets are the raised panel lines, though. However, you can scribe the panel lines yourself for that added touch. On the wing assembly, the lower flaps can be positioned in either the closed or open position which gives that realism for your diorama. The cockpit is fairly nice and there are two canopy options for either an open or a closed position. As a rare treat, this kit does come with a pilot figure. There are 3 versions on the decal sheet: 1) Curtiss P-40B 8th Pursuit Group, US Army Air Corps, 1940. 2) Curtiss Tomahawk IIA 403 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Corps, Baginton, England, 1941. 3) Curtiss P-40B Pilot John W. Ferrell, American Volunteer Group, Flying Tigers. Don’t expect too much from the decal because the marking colors are off and the decal designs are somewhat sloppy. I suggest you get aftermarket decals if you are seeking that accurate feel.
A classic model of a famous WWII warbird
This is an older mold from Monogram, but it is still a good one. The model includes a well detailed cockpit which features an engraved instrument panel, molded ribs and controls on side walls, a detailed seat, control stick and flap handle, throttle controls, and a detailed pilot figure. Other features include operating wing flaps and the optic gun sight. For an old kit, the engineering is fantastic. The only filling and sanding I had to do was to the wing to fuselage gap. I was able to add exhaust staining through a slight application of Tamiya pastels. Painting was straight forward per the kit instructions. The only negative issue I encountered was a weakness in the landing gear struts. They could not support the weight of the model and I needed to strengthen them with a thin piece of stretched plastic sprue glued to the strut and wing. Intended for a builder in the intermediate skill level, this model can be modified into an outstanding representation of an iconic WWII warbird.
An old mold, lots of problems
By: jsaber09
This was the first kit I attempted after getting back into modeling after a 40 year hiatus. In theory it should be an easy kit to build, but it's not. The molds for this kit are quite old, at least fifty years, and there is a lot of areas where the fit is bad. Combine the poor fit with an inexperienced builder and it became a very frustrating build. The trouble spots for me were the fit of the wing root and the front of the aircraft around the guns, and the landing gear housing. The exhaust pipes are not supported well in the design, and at one point I picked up the model by the front and popped the pipes into the fuselage, and there is no way to get them out again.
In short, I've seen people build this into a nice model, but it takes a lot of experience. But for a kid who is not that concerned with the fit, it's probably fine.
Still a nice kit but definitely shows it's age
By: Tommy
If you're new to modeling, then this kit is still a excellent option to start with. However, the molding definitely shows it's age (like this kit was originally made during the beginning of the Cold War).
There is a lot of flash and some parts are warped. I don't think I used more putty on one plane model before this one. After some aftermarket PE sets, priming two coats, and several coats of Tamiya acrylics, this turned out nicely.
Next to the newer kits from Tamiya, this plane will look and feel lackluster. But by itself, it definitely holds its ground.
Some of the older kits from Revell aren't as bad in quality. I'm not sure why that's the case, but definitely search around before buying one. The same price can give you quality that's completely different.
P-40 Tiger Shark
This is probably one of the most recognized aircraft of WW2, even my 6 year old grandson knows one when he sees it. This kit is a very simple build, but has extremely good detail especially in the cockpit. I built mine many years ago, but remember no construction problems. I am presently building one with my 13 year old grandson, he is building and I am trying to keep my hands out and teach him, head to do.I still think this is a great kit, and I am thinking of building another, as I said mine is very old but has stood up well. I think I am going to build all of the Revelle/Monogram WW2 fighters again, need to take a break from the jets. I have fond memories of building these kits as a child, and young man. Almost gave away my age did't I. This is a Good Kit.
Our First 1/48 P-40 Filled a Crucial Gap in 1964
By: mark.nickelson
In an era when Monogram was getting in serious about coverage, the Tomahawk and Hurricane were two major and much welcomed releases. Modelers are still gleefully buying these kits and (presumably) building them. If I had to make peace with this kit today, I would plate inside the fuselage near the aft wing mate, so the flaps didn't open into open space there. And I'd consider shouldering the wing-fuselage seam with some strip stock, because it has always been troublesome and flimsy. I've built this kit in desert pink, RAF, and USAAF on Oahu in December, 1941 schemes. I used the Nationalist Chinese decals on a Lindberg F-86. We should all appreciate its availability and its cost, trivial by 21st Century standards.
A Very Nice Build!
By: frigate270
For the money, this is an excellent kit!
I bought and built two versions of this kit, one being in the Pearl Harbor era markings, and the other in an RAF Kittyhawk dive-bomber in desert camouflage with some RAF roundels and letters I scrounged from my spares box along with a British type bomb in place of the drop tank.
Honestly, for a 1/48 scale kit, I prefer having the pilot figure(s) over the super-detailed cockpit obsession that nobody can see without a flashlight, and this kit meets that standard perfectly.
Since I am not hooked on the panel line shading mania either (along with the heavy cable look rigging for biplanes) that is afflicting many at this time, the external panel lines are not an issue for me either.
Good Value, Some Time & Patience Required
By: aliporace
A good value for the money. Expect to spend time filling, sanding and trimming if you're picky about the finish model detail. For an older kit you can end up with a great looking Tiger Shark with some time and patience. This one won't give you the out-of-the-box seamless fits and detail of a Tamiya model for example, however you still can end up with a very good likeness of a true classic. Every collection needs a Tiger. I went with the AVG version and am quite happy with it. This one takes me back to model building as a kid, which is okay every now and again. After three straight Revell-Monograms, it's back to Tamiya or Eduard for the next one. Overall it is a fun build and I would recommend it.
Inaccuracy!
By: clunymike
The discerning buyer may want to know that the markings are wrong. Plane number 14 in the AVG would have belonged to the 1st squadron which was the Adam and Eves. Rather than a red woman, it should have a green apple with a naked woman chasing a pilot (it's a depiction of the first pursuit for the first pursuit squadron. . get it?). The red woman was used by the 3rd squadron hells angels and I think their numbers began at 60. Also, AVG stands for American volunteer group, not All Volunteer Group. However, for $14 maybe it's worth it and you can build the USAAF or RAF versions. Maybe they're more accurate.
Nice value for money
At the price this kit represents typical Revell value for money. The kit has sufficient detail to please most collectors, and the build is relatively easy and smooth, with clear step by step instruction. As is typical with Revell, there is some overflash here and there on the sprues, so a little clean up is needed. The fit of the parts is good, but does require some plastic putty and sand paper to hide the seams on the fuselage and wing. All in all you will be pleased with the result as it makes a handsome addition to any collection.
Very easy starter kit
By: masterchief191
This is a very good starter kit (but i say that about mostly all Revell plane models). It is very easy and is not detailed or have complicated parts, etc. If you're an experienced builder and just need something to build, this will only take you a few hours. It has very few parts.
Regarding the strength of this model, it is brittle and will break extremely easily, especially the propeller, so handle that with care.
Overall, this is a good starter model and is worth the price, you're getting what you paid for.
Great Model for All Ages
This kit was released back in the 1960s and still maintains it's place in any aircraft collection. There are finite problems with the fit of parts but nothing to discourage even a novice builder. The original is still standing up to the test of time. I have built two, one in the original U.S. Army olive drab and one in the well known famous Flying Tigers over China paint scheme as featured on the box. I highly recommend this kit for anyone with any level of skill.
Reasonably Priced Older Tooling
By: pitbullsfamily
A fun build, not overburdened with small part detailing. Interior detailing is not outstanding, but if one is looking for a kit that builds into a nice display shelf model, this one will do the job. If one is looking for a super detailed engine, cockpit and such to build for a contest, they should look elsewhere. Above beginner modelling skills will be needed to bring this kit to its full potential,but it really can be a fine example of the P40 B.
A fairly decent kit
By: sirzach1
This was a decent little kit to build over the weekend, it had some clean up, but nothing major. A few parts didn't fit together well, but they did eventually fit. It looks good once built, and is able to be hung fairly easily. I recommend this for a starter if you don't want to build an actually starter. Although it is a quick build, it can be fun, and for the price, it makes for a great option to make a diorama.
Simple
By: mcgoldrickkelly
This was an extremely simple plane to construct if you have constructed other fighters. But i'm not complaining, especially because of the decals. The flying tiger option makes this baby unique. So if you are a beginner, this is a perfect kit to start with. And if u are experienced, it is still great to have one of the most famous fighter planes of the 20th century to add to your collection.
Great kit, even for its age
By: jimmbbo
Until a few years ago, this was the ONLY kit of the early P-40B available in 1/48 scale, and despite being in production for some 40 years, the Monogram P-40B is still a gem, and much less expensive than newer versions. The quality of the molding and details hold up well over time, the parts fit is excellent and the finished model is accurate. Overall a great value for an early P-40.
P40 oldie but goody
By: j w bolen (Ohio)
Older Kit, some of the decals cn be tricky but a great kit for a beginner with possibilities for advanced modelor to super detail. Built my first one in the mid 60s and did one recently. Graded it average as it lacks the detail of newer kts, but that is a plus for me as I don't want to invest months on any one kit. Lack patience in my advancing years. your mileage my vary of course
P-40 Revell 1/48
By: ek19333
A quick to assemble kit with fewer than maybe eighty parts (?). Nice detail for such an inexpensive kit, as well as a nice collection of decals which enable you to make 3 different versions: Chinese Flying Tigers, British and pre-war US Army Air Corps. The few imperfections of fit were easily overcome with a small amount of putty and minor sanding.
Simple
By: 51c4r1u5d0m1nu5
This was the first model I've attempted since childhood, it was simple to put together, the decal for the wheels was a nice touch, meaning I didn't have to paint the small wheels. I did have a difficult time applying the shark mouth decal but once my practice grows I'm sure it would've been easier. I highly recommend this one to any beginners.
Good starter kit
By: jc (Missouri)
Just getting back into model building after a 30 plus year hiatus. This is a good starter kit, simple and easy but the wings don't fit to the fuselage very well leaving gaps. Of course that will be good for practice filling gaps. Sure do enjoy revisiting this hobby and recommend an easy kit like this for anyone getting back into the hobby.
Great product but could frustrate a beginner
I love this little model kit. Generally speaking there were some issues with the fit, and the model assembled quickly and easily. My only gripe is that the pieces that go around the wheel wells don't fit quite right. Still, this was a Revell kit, which means the instructions were clear, easy to follow, and complete.
REVELL P40B
The plastic used might be from recycled plastic, the egg shell is strongest than this kit.
The color is very nice but the engraved details are poor and on some areas non existing. be careful when make your choice, Tamiya, Eduard or Hasegawa are more expensive but you get what you've paid for...
this was my second model, forever ago
This is a very easy, low cost plane that i recommend to people just starting model building. The plastic is thick enough that if you want to redo the kit you can use a razor blade to scrape off paint and glue, without gowging (forgot the spelling) the plastic of coarse
The Perfect kit for the beginner
By: blawhorne
This kit is the original from the first edition, with the same molds. Movable Dive flaps,spinning propeller, and an assortment of markings make this the perfect kit for the beginner. While not having the best fit in the world, it does OK for its age.
revell
By: sadiecakes2019
i love this kit , such a cool model and it can be built in a weekend , great kit for a beginner or anyone who wants to take a break from a larger project can be painted in several schemes and it comes with a couple different decal options
NEAT KIT & PLANE
By: nylonval
This kit was easy to build over the week-end but applying those shark teeth was tricky ; just take your time. Once in place those teeth gave the P 40 a dangerous look ! For the $ this kit is worth it !
Typical Monogram airplane kit
By: dcdcdcx3
This model comes together nicely and is a typical Monogram model. There are some gaps and seams which you can fill in with putty or just leave as is. Good for the average or beginner modeler.
Older kit that needs work, but still turns out nice.
By: keyda81
The mold for this kit is old, but with some work it can still turn out to be a nice model. Wouldn't recommend for beginners.
Waste of time
By: abelprops
I found this model cheap in most respects. Plastic parts are way to thin. Landing gear week,hard to install shark teeth.
Great Kit! Very simple with lots of customization!
This was a great simple little build I did with my dad, it was a great bonding experience and overall I had a good time.
good buy
By: ryanroderick33
The price is perfect for this model mine looks great this was one of my first models really enjoyed it.
P40B Tiger Shark Aircraft
By: jcndrcky2
Love WWII aircraft. easy to build and very good model and very good price for it.