The first really active USAAF fighter group following the Pearl Harbor attack was the 49th. They were initially based in Northern Australia near Darwin to help the RAAF fend off attacks from Japanese aircraft based in Java and other islands of the Netherlands East Indies. They then moved to southern New Guinea around Port Moresby to start the slow Allied advance against the Japanese.  

What makes the 49th such an interesting unit is that their aircraft were not all the common OD over Neutral Grey as was found with units in Europe. The 49th received aircraft that were destined for the British so many of them had non-US camouflage. They even had aircraft painted for the desert as well as several that had been overhauled in Australia and given paint schemes using local, non-standard colors.

The 49th was also a big believer in artwork. You could find it on the nose, fuselage or tail of the aircraft, and some of it was quite impressive.

This particular sheet offers a wide variety of schemes and markings. There are enough common markings and insignia to do all five aircraft shown on the sheet, so there is no excuse for not building 5 Warhawks!!

The first aircraft is from the 7th FS. This plane has a nice tail art and is painted in medium green uppers with neutral grey undersides. I used this scheme on a 1/48 P-40E built last year.

Next is an 8th FS aircraft. This one is Dark Earth and Medium Green uppers with Neutral Grey undersides. This plane has a nice large artwork on the fuselage just forward of the insignia.

The third aircraft is from the 9th FS. It is painted in Middlestone and Sand  with Neutral Grey undersides. It also has artwork on the fuselage side. For those of you really into colors, when it comes time to pick your neutral grey, you want the Neutral Grey 43 not the ANA color. These colors were changed slightly when the ANA standards were done around mid-war.

The fourth Warhawk is from the 8th FS and also in Dark Earth and Medium Green with Neutral Grey undersides. It carries its artwork in the 'normal' spot on the left side of the nose.

Finally, a 9th FS P-40E. This aircraft is painted in the same scheme as the one above in Dark Earth and Medium Green over Neutral grey. It carries a yellow surround to the fuselage insignia and you are given two variations of the nose art to use.

Now that you have several schemes to use, it is time to break out the Hasegawa Warhawks!!

Review copy courtesy of  me and my wallet

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