The all new 1/32nd Hasegawa P-40E Kittyhawk

[Dave Homewood]

I had a visit from Kerry (Fockewulf) today and he brought along the new Hasegawa Kittyhawk in 1/32nd from Hasegawa.

I have to say it is the nicest kitset I've ever seen. The detail that the designers have gone to to ensure it's accurate and right is amazing. It is without doubt the nicest 1/32nd kit yet produced, and among the top kits in any scale.

Congratulations to Hasegawa for going the extra mile to produce a very lovely representation of the P-40E. There are only a couple of flaws in the kit that Kerry has found - one is it has a P-40N style canopy instead of P-40E (it has an extra cross brace that the N model had) but Kerry says it actually sands off no problems. He has two of the kits and has begun one already by the sounds of things. The other flaw was some raised detail on the ailerons which reall should be indented he said but again a quick sand will do the trick.

As usual they'd put the ultra boring colour scheme of a Flying Tigers aircraft into the decals (yay... not) and there's another US version in the decals with the nose art of Texas Longhorn.

Kerry asked me if there are any interesting nose arts for RNZAF P-40E's, and I've been trying to think. Can anyone come up with any?

I know of the following:

Copyright - Air Force Museum

The above picture shows from furthest from camera to closest:

NZ3007 HQ-A 'MAGNOLIA MUFFLEWORT' - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, name only, starboard cowl, flown by Peter Gifford

NZ3036 HQ-Q flown by Paul Green - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, which Leo White described in his book "Fighters" whilst writing about this photo shoot as being called 'PARKYAKARKUS' name only, must have been on the port cowl (?)

NZ3008 HQ-B "UMSLOPOGAAS" - No. 14 Squadron, Masterton, name only, starboard cowl, flown by Stan Quill


I can't think of any other RNZAF P-40E's with names or nose art but there must have been others. Can you help?

[corsair67]

Gloria Lyons?

[Dave Homewood]

Not E models

[Dave Homewood]

By the way Kerry said Hasegawa also plan a release of a P-40K based on the same kit with different parts, so we can probably expect P-40M and P40-N models too.

[shorty]

I read somewhere that those strange names on 14s early P 40Es came from the centrefold cartoon that used to be a feature of "Man" magazines. I can just remember those cartoons from my youth and childhood. "Man" never used to get beyond lovely ladies in one piece bathing suits! I think they may have been a Aussie mag.

[Dave Homewood]

I'm not sure about that Shorty, quite possibly. But here is Umslopagaas

www.violetbooks.com/umslopogaas.html

[Craig Sargent]

Umslopagaas appeared on both sides of the cowling - there is a picture of the port side shwoing the name on Peter Mossong's website

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Craig.

[shorty]

Hmm, maybe I got it wrong, parkyakarkus also shows up on google as a characters name (Park y'r carcase)
and thinking further I think there was one called Thundergutz as well

[Dave Homewood]

Thundergutz, that's a brilliant name. Does anyone have any idea which serial number wore that name?

I wonder who it was in 14 Squadron that came up with all the names.

[Dave Homewood]

I have recently heard Parkyakarkus in a radio show where he's doing his act, and boy he's pretty funny. It turns out that Parkyakarkus was in fact a real man, or at least the character of a real life comedian, who's real name was Harry Einstein, and he went by the stage name Harry Parke, and also Parkyakarkus among other names. He was also the father of well known actor Albert Brooks.

I have heard him I guess he must have been played on NZ radio or perhaps in films for him to be well known enough to have a P-40E named after him.

See more on him here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Parke

It's very sad to read the way he died during a live act.

So both Umslopagaas and Parkyakarkus were real people, I wonder if Magnolia Muuflewort was real? ;D

[Dave Homewood]

More on Parkyakarkas:

From - blogs.nypost.com/movies/archives/2007/11/

""Honestly, I don't know more about Harry Parke except he died in Milton Berle's lap at a Friars Club roast,'' writes EW columnist Dalton Ross in a graphic illustrating his piece on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We're happy for the excuse to tell you more and share this fairly amazing photograph. Parke, also known as Harry Einstein, played an English-mangling Greek deli owner named Parkyakarkus (as in "park your carcass') as a regular on Eddie Cantor's and Al Jolson's radio shows, as well making something like 11 movies in the '30s and '40s. Parky appeared with Uncle Miltie in "New Faces of 1937,'' one of several teamings with the more deservedly forgotten radio comedian Joe Penner. Parky and Berle are pictured moments before the unfortunate roast, honoring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (Lucy and Parky were at RKO at the same time) on November 24, 1958. Parky collapsed from a heart attack on the dais just after performing his routine, and Uncle Miltie asked Tony Martin to divert the group by singing while doctors tried unsuccessfully to revive Parky. Martin's selection was tasteless but sort of apt: "There's No Tomorrow.'' Parky, who was only 54, left behind a couple of sons you may have heard of. He whimsically named the youngest Albert Einstein, but the kid is better known to us as the angst-ridden filmmaker/actor Albert Brooks. The elder son, Bob, retained the adopted Einstein name and can currently be seen as Marty Funkhauser on "Curb Your Enthusiasm'' after earlier fame as the character Super Dave Osborne."

__________________________________

And from IMDB www.imdb.com/name/nm0661997/ here are the films he made:

Out of This World (1945) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Gus Palukas
Earl Carroll Vanities (1945) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Walter
... aka Moonstruck Melody (USA: reissue title)
Movie Pests (1944) (uncredited) .... Peanut-Eating Pest
Sweethearts of the U.S.A. (1944) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Parky
... aka Sweethearts on Parade (UK)
The Yanks Are Coming (1942) (as Parkyarkarkus) .... Parky
A Yank in Libya (1942) (as Parkyarkarkus) .... 'Parky' Parkyarkarkus
Night Spot (1938) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Gashouse
She's Got Everything (1937) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Nick Zyteras
... aka She's Got That Swing (UK)
The Life of the Party (1937) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Parky
New Faces of 1937 (1937) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Parkyakarkus 'Parky'
Strike Me Pink (1936) (as Parkyakarkus) .... Parkyakarkus

[ozrbfan]

i might be stating the obvious but how about wairapara wild cat ?.
as an aussie id go for a 77sqn raaf p40 or wait for a p40 n5 and go for cleopatra 111