The Curtiss P-40, developed from the P-36 in 1938, served in nearly every Allied air force across all major fronts—from North Africa to Siberia to Southeast Asia. Though often outmatched by superior enemy aircraft, the skill and courage of its pilots made the P-40 a symbol of resilience in the skies. The Eduard 1/48 scale Royal Class P-40E Warhawk Dual Combo limited edition plastic model kit celebrates this famed aircraft in style.
This dual combo kit includes plastic parts for two full builds, plus a treasure trove of extras: colored photo-etched metal (PE), masks and stencils, 3D-printed seats (British and U.S. style), resin wheels (diamond and block tread), printed exhaust stacks, a poster, a refrigerator magnet, and decals for 12 aircraft. There’s even a set of “O-mask” landing-gear-well masks included. At $145, it’s a premium kit — but a solid deal compared to buying two kits and all this aftermarket separately. Even better if you’re in the Eduard Bunny Fighter Club and use the discount.
The instruction book starts with a history of the P-40 and details all the kit parts, noting a few not used on the E model. It includes a paint chart with GSI Aqueous and Mr. Color codes, plus 11 detailed build pages covering numerous options across 12 schemes. The color-coded canopy mask guide is a nice touch, and the full-color marking guides are frame-worthy. The back cover shows stencil placement.
Crisp details, clear canopies, resin seats with belts, seamless tires, and hollowed out exhausts — this kit impresses. The only catch? There are 646 parts packed into the box!
Although the build starts with the cockpit, your first real step is choosing a marking option because many parts vary by your chosen aircraft and are flagged throughout the instructions. I recommend highlighting them early to avoid backtracking. Watch for options for gun sights, alternative radiator flap controls, open wheel wells (with or without dust covers), belly inserts (based on ordnance), props, and open and closed canopies.
The framework on the 3D-printed, American-style seat was damaged in my kit, so I used the plastic and PE alternative. I also went with the stacked PE instrument panel over the plastic and decals. The curved floorboard is spot-on, reflecting the real aircraft’s wing-mounted cockpit. Detail is excellent, but building both kits side by side led to mix-ups — I had to retrace steps after confusing the interiors.
Just because the kit includes PE and resin parts doesn’t mean you have to use them. I opted for the plastic radiator flaps after struggling with the PE. Use cement sparingly on the wheel wells; too much caused sink marks in my upper starboard wings. Also, the elevator connection is fragile and can break easily if mishandled.
I thought I was past twisting fuselages during assembly, but it happened again. I only noticed it while test-fitting the wing assembly, and untwisting wasn’t an option. I used masking tape to tighten the starboard wing root, leaving a slight gap on the port side, which I filled with Vallejo putty. Alignment improved, but not perfectly, and it caused fit issues with the landing gear strut covers.
I left the position lights and gear legs off until after painting and decaling. The closed canopy didn’t fit well, so I sealed it with white glue. I scaled the paint guide to model size and printed it on repositionable sticker paper to use for camouflage masks. Mr. Color lacquers and Alclad II clears handled paint and finish. The decals went down well, although a few U.S. insignias were slightly out of register. I used the enamel thinner method to remove the clear film on the decals — except on the shark mouths — to avoid damage. A quick acrylic sludge wash brought out surface details nicely.
Thanks to Eduard for including extra position lights — a few were lost to the carpet monster. Installing the landing gear post-paint was easy by starting with parts D47 and D48, and then adding the main gear legs. Finally, I added the ordnance selected earlier, wrapping up the build.
Eduard’s P-40E scales slightly large in length and span, but looks fantastic — especially with a set of teeth. Unlike the old days, Eduard includes full markings for all 12 airframes. The real dilemma is what to do with all the extra decals.
Thankfully, there’s a solution: Overtrees! The Royal Class kit (now sold out outside of eBay) topped Eduard’s release ladder. Just below is the Pacific Star 1/48 scale P-40E Warhawk Dual Combo kit (No. 11185). It contains fewer goodies (no resin, 3D-printed parts, poster, or magnet) for $98. At the bottom are overtrees — just the plastic sprues in a plain white box for $25. Overtrees build up just like the more expensive options, but are much lighter on the budget and perfect for all those leftover decals. I modeled Dallas Clinger’s 38 and Robert Scott’s No. 7 with the Royal Class edition, and I was also able to use the last of the teeth decals, and by building Billy Drake’s 112 squadron shark using overtrees.
Quality and innovation make the Eduard 1/48 scale Royal Class P-40E Warhawk Dual Combo limited edition plastic model kit a winner. If you missed out on the Royal Class P-40E, don’t worry, because the P-40N is up for pre-order from May 23 until June 6, 2025.