Hobby Master HA9206 1/48 Air Power Series

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series HA9206 is a 1/48 scale diecast model of the Curtiss Tomahawk Mk.IIB (P-40C Warhawk), with squadron code LD-C, flown by Flying Officer Clive Caldwell of No.240 Squadron, RAF, North Africa, 1942.

Clive Caldwell

Clive Robertson Caldwell, DSO, DFC & Bar (1911 – 1994) was the top Australian air ace of World War II, credited with 28.5 aerial victories, including achieving the status of “ace in a day.” During his service, he rose to the rank of Group Captain.

Caldwell flew the Curtiss P-40 in the North African Campaign and the Supermarine Spitfire in the Southwest Pacific Theatre. He was the highest-scoring P-40 pilot of any air force and the top Allied pilot in North Africa.

In January 1946, he was court-martialed and convicted of trading liquor, which resulted in his demotion to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-seat, single-engine monoplane designed for both fighter and ground-attack roles. It was known as the Tomahawk and Kittyhawk by the British Commonwealth and the Soviets. The aircraft made its maiden flight on October 14, 1938, and saw its first combat in North Africa with the British Commonwealth in June 1941.

It was widely used by most Allied air forces during World War II across various theatres, although it was less prominent in Western Europe. Production of the P-40 ended in 1944, with a total of about 13,740 aircraft built, making it the third most-produced American fighter of World War II.

The P-40 utilises a single Allison V-1710 engine, a V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine that powers a three-bladed propeller. Depending on the model, its armament typically includes two machine guns mounted in the nose and two in each wing, while later variants had six machine guns in the wings. Additionally, the aircraft features three hardpoints that can carry up to 910 kg (2,000 lb) of payload.