Mexican P-40N

[comrade harps]

Curtiss P-40N, Escuadrón 201, Mexican Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, Morotai, April 1945


Following German attacks on Mexican shipping in 1940, the Mexican government declared war on Germany and, with the help of the USA, began to expand its military. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mexico also declared war on Japan. By early 1942, plans calling for one fighter squadron to deploy to Europe and another to the Pacific were drawn up. While Escuadrón 101 trained on Grumman P-50s (licence built Spitfires) in preparation for Europe, Escuadrón 201 trained on Curtiss P-40s in anticipation for a Pacific deployment. In the end, both units would deploy to the Pacific, joining American and Australian forces to combat the Japanese in and around New Guinea in mid-1943.



In November 1944, both units moved to Morotai. By now Escuadrón 101 was specialising in night fighting and in February, 1945, moved to the Philippines with their new Grumman P-74D Bobcats (see http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,25065.msg362804.html#msg362804), while  Escuadrón 201 languished at Morotai involved in an ongoing series of air strikes against Japanese targets on bypassed islands. For the aircrew of 201, their greatest moments of in-flight excitement came when using the 4.5in "bazooka" rocket triplets.



In April, 1945, Escuadrón 201 moved the Philippines and re-equipped with the P-47D, going on to join Argentine and Brazilian units to form the Latin American Fighter Group, which saw out the war operating from southern Korea (see http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,31495.msg500565.html#msg500565).

[Tophe]

The dual markings are mysterious, are your words fully explaining this? to avoid friendly fire?
Nice model anyway

[comrade harps]

The dual markings are mysterious, are your words fully explaining this? to avoid friendly fire?

Glad you asked about those. This bit is based on reality, as dual markings were apparently used by Mexican P-47s in the Philippines:

See also a rather nice model of one with dual markings here: http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1288545585/Mexican+P-47
So, I just took the idea from there.

[Tophe]

Oh? Was that true? I thought this wall what-if smiling craziness... it seems the World (out of our brains) is pretty crazy too

[Pablo1965]

Great scheme.

[Taiidantomcat]

Its a great build  love the rockets 

[Joe C-P]

A fine build, and great research behind it! I'd never heard of the dual-insignia aircraft unit.

[Army of One]

Lovely build.....simple but effective.......

[comrade harps]

love the rockets

Apparently, P-40s did sometimes use rockets - I assumed the bazooka type.

I got the Italeri P-40N kit to help out with the GB 1946 Argentine P-47D-41 (http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,31495.msg500565.html#msg500565) and just had to use the diverse stores that are the best part of the kit. I kept everything simple on this Hobbyboss model to make it a quickie while I worked up the scheme on the P-47.

Thanks for the kind words.

[NARSES2]

Very nice - I like these aircraft of the "minor" air forces of WWII