# Flying Tiger Help!



## irocer (Aug 22, 2000)

I am building a 1/32 AVG P40 made by Hobbycraft. They did not include a paint scheme/decal layout for the AVG. Can someone point me to a web source for a accurate paint scheme for a Flying Tiger P-40/

Thanks,
Irocer


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I assume you mean 1/48 scale... Hobbycraft does make a 1/48 P-40B. You may consider picking up one of the inexpensive Revell (ex Monogram) kits. The current issue has pretty nice quality AFG decals and a rudimentary painting guide.

There is a good bit of AVG info online. I would look at Hyperscale and also here http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/

The AVG planes were diverted British order aircraft and were painted in US Dupont interpretations of the RAF shades. The top colors are pretty well documented and known. RAF Earth and RAF Dark Green would be close enough. The underside of British planes was Sky green... but the AFG planes seem to have been a light grey or light blue. There is some controversy there. The Du Pont shade was not the light sky green used by the RAF for sure. books and color planes very widely and some even show light tan??


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## MightyMax (Jan 21, 2000)

Hobbycraft did a 1/32 P-40B. They reboxed the Trumpeter kit!

Cheers,
Max Bryant


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

The AVG's P-40s were generally in standard US Army camo for 1941: Olive drab topsides over medium gray undersides.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yes you are right... I forgot about the Trumpeter reboxes. THey are not widely sold outside of Canada.

AVG planes were not in US OD and NG grey camo, at least not until the very end when the reverted into the US Army Air Corps

Here is the painting guide from the old Cutting Edge decal set for the Trumpeter kit

http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/images/ced32053previewbg_2.jpg

Look at some of the painting options described

http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/meteordecaplreviewbg_7.htm

Here is a color photo of Erik Schilling and his plane

http://bbs.guilinlife.com/UploadFile/2008-7/20087282325694293.jpg

And the planes in flight

http://studentweb.bhes.tpc.edu.tw/92s/s870125/www/Flying_tigers.jpg

These are ex Flying Tigers P-40 Es after the Flying Tigers reverted to US control (notice the US insignia) but they are still in camouflage

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/a_...o_war/images_prelude_to_war/flying_tigers.jpg

Pappy Boyington's plane

http://www.stenbergaa.com/stenberg/stokes-pappyp40.jpg


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I really wish I had picked up some of these Cutting Edge AVG sheets before they left the business....


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Dang, I forgot! Weren't the AVG's planes redirected from a shipment meant for Great Britain? Hence the camo.


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## irocer (Aug 22, 2000)

Thanks DJnick66,

Those links should be a great help!


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## irocer (Aug 22, 2000)

Well I was going to use the box to paint some parts today. When I flipped it over I found the missing painting schemes-dah. I am sure I saw these when I bought the kit at Hobby Lobby a few years back. I guess I never looked at the box bottom again, until now.

I am at a toss up for the grey color. The box calls for MM 2049 which is a RAF Sky type S. This color is very tan/mustard yellow looking. The RAF scheme calls for MM 1731 - Aircraft grey. This color looks closer and is what I believe I will use.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Flying Tigers planes were probably some sort of light grey on the bottom. They are NOT RAF Sky. Sky is sort of a yellow-green shade. In Humbrol paints its called Beige Green. Its not what you would think of as a sky-blue... its not blue. But the US painted planes sent to China did not use that shade. The actual color on Flying Tigers planes is not known.


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