FCM concentrates their next 1/32 sheet on an aircraft that served in Brazil. In this case it is with the 1/14th Group of Aviation Squadron 'Pampa'. This unit is probably one of the longest serving P-40 units in the world, operating their planes until 1954, a remarkable longevity. Though not the only P-40 unit in Brazil, this unit at one time had up to 55 different aircraft.

Early aircraft were in the usual olive drab over neutral grey. Spinners were OD in the front and white in the back. All Brazilian P-40s with this unit had the green and yellow rudder stripes. Later planes had their paint stripped and had black anti-glare panels on the nose.

There are nine different options on this sheet (two not shown), the majority of them in unpainted metal. Most of them are P-40Ns (later F-40N) with one P-40K, one F-40E, one F-40K and one F-40M. These planes differed primarily in terms of either colors on the spinner or colored fuselage bands or colored wheel hubs. These are provided on the decal sheet. There are enough data markings for at least two planes and enough insignia for two planes as long as one is the wartime P-40K longtail.

Kits are not an issue as Hasegawa has produced most of these variants during the long production run of the series. The sheet itself is superbly printed. Instructions are in full color and provide a complete data placement guide. If you are a P-40 fan and are looking for some different options for your display shelf, well this is a sheet for you.

Copyright ModelingMadness.com October 2015