Revell 1:48 P - 40B Tiger Shark Plastic Model Kit, 12 years old and up, Camo

This airplane model turned out so cute.

I just finished this model. I did research on this airplane. It is a predecessor to my squadron when I was on active duty in the US Air Force where we had the Voodoo, F101 as our Fighter Interceptor so I decided to build it.It goes together pretty well. I had to do several modifications to make it all fit together. The mods were not extensive but necessary. The one piece canopy fit perfectly while the three piece option took some extra work to get to fit on the fuselage. The decals on the flat black propeller did not show up. Would have been better if they were in white instead of yellow. Otherwise the decals are great and authentic. I chose the Chinese version that the American volunteers flew in China before the US entered Pacific theater. The directions could have shown the components installed but tended to have arrows showing where each part goes. The wheels, propeller and other components can move the builder decides to use that feature. The gun sights are flimsy so I made my own and just use a portion of the one of them.Fun model and has a lot of interesting features. Looks great after the build.

Great model company. You can't go wrong. Shop around for best price. Models seem to have risen in price these days.

As someone who has rediscovered building model aircraft after a ten year hiatus, I have to say that this is an excellent kit for the those with an intermediate to advanced skill level. The first perk of this particular model is that is has a fair amount of customization available out of the box, with instructions and decals for three different schemes: American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers), RAF circa 1941, and US Army Air Corps circa 1940. I put the kit together in about three days time, but it could be put together sooner, and would make a great kit to do with a child. The decals were also top notch, and the glue instantly bonded unlike some other models I've had to deal with. The decals also molded exceptionally well to the model, and the rivets and panel lines were clearly seen through the decal even without using the solutions some use when applying them. The fuselage and wings are exceptionally detailed with clear panel lines and rivets, and the fit for most of the parts is snug and seamless. Additionally, the landing fear is stable and strong, with none of the weak fits and layouts of other models. I painted the kit with a combination of acrylic and enamel paints in the USAAC livery, and it turned out better than I had originally hoped.However, there are also flaws with the model. The fit between the wings and fuselage is loose (same between the engine cowling and fuselage to a lesser extent), and will require putty if gaps bother you. The wing flaps too are liable to simply fall out of place (they're on a hinge sort of system in the wing), which is fine if you want to simulate a parked P-40, but would be annoying if anyone wanted to hang it. Finally, the plastic itself is very thin in many pieces and makes fitting the fuselage together with the cockpit intact a challenge to put it mildly. Thankfully the model is durable despite how thin the plastic is, and stood up well to the creative means I had to employ to get the fuselage to fit together. A final con against it, although rather minor, are the gun sights. This model features bead sights mounted on the fuselage fore of the canopy, which honestly is a nice touch. The con is that the holes in the fuselage are about twice the size they need to be to fit the sights themselves, and will require some patience as well as manually holding them to the fuselage until your glue cures enough for them to stay upright on their own. Otherwise the front bead sight will fall straight through, and it will take some creative shaking to get it to come out through the flaps.Finally, I purchased the kit for $9.99 with prime shipping, and actually got it the next day. So kudos to Amazon on that, it was a great model at a great price.Pros:Excellent Price.Clear and unambiguous instructions.Excellent customization.Stable and sturdy landing gear.Great overall detail, it authentically looks like a P-40 should.Rotating propeller that is neither too loose nor does it get stuck.Cons:Loose and/or tricky fits between the fuselage and wings, fuselage and engine cowling, and fuselage halves.Thin plastic in much of the model makes fitting various parts even tougher.Holes for the bead sights are much too large.Getting the wing flaps to stay in position can be tricky at best.Overall rating:8.5/10

I used to build models as a kid, so I am revisiting my childhood and rediscovering the fun of modeling. I also have more patience and better skill, and enjoy it more now. I decided to start with the P-40B, because I was always fascinated with planes, and the monster teeth on the P-40.The kit is very simple, but not so easy it is like a kids toy. You can build 3 different versions, I went with the "Flying Tigers" version. It took me about 3 to 4 days, for I took my time and snipped each part well, sanded and fitted prior to cementing, and then waited for the glue to dry. I pre-painted many pieces, and then re-touched later on.Make sure you get a "military flats" acrylic paint kit. They should be "FLAT", not "glossy"; and be browns, greens, etc., and get a nice small brush. Also, you will need an X-acto knife, sandpaper and glue. Get the kit that comes with it all. Very fun if you go slow and have patience. Well worth the price.

I have always loved WW2 aircraft, specifically the tiger shark. This is a great representation of the plane. The build was a blast, and painting the camo Flying Tigers scheme was great as well. (You get decals and painting guide for three different models: US Army Air Corps, Flying Tigers, and Canadian Air Force.) The instructions weren't confusing, and the build pretty straightforward. I highly recommend this model kit for a few reasons. One: the build was neither too easy or too difficult, two: the model looks great, and three: it's only about 15 bucks. If you want an awesome, simple, cheap but good quality model, you can't go wrong with this one.

Not happy with this model ! Revell needs a new mold for this plane! Expect to do a lot of work to get “things” to fit half decent and get some putty to fill in some gaps! IMO this model is a disgrace to the p40 ! Pay a little more and buy a better quality model

Love this model! I had the privilege of once meeting two men who flew with the AVGs or Flying Tigers, Charlie Bond and Tex Hill. Two great men whose stories I listened to I will always remember.