paddy
Well-known member
Jumping the gun a bit here but i started my research tonight into the 112 sqn Kittyhawk Mk1a used by the RAF 239 Desert wing 1940-41.
Kittyhawks were essentially P40E's converted to British spec inc. armour, radios's, self sealing fuel tanks and armoured glass wind screens. Originally ordered for use on the home front it was quickly found that the single stage superchargers ran out of puff above 15,000ft where as the Spitfires of the time were intercepting German raiders from Norway at up to 30,000ft. A good home was found for these fighters in the Western Deserts of Egypt and Tunisia where high altitude flying was not common place and the Kittyhawks became well known for their army co-operation sortie's (or ground attack).
the most famous of their keepers was 112 sqn based in Egypt from 1941-42 they were famous for carrying the sharks teeth on the nose ( an idea borrowed from the cowling's of Luftwaffe ME110's in the Battle of Britain the year before. 112 Sqn was formed in 1917 and had always been know as the Sharks so it was quite fitting despite the sqn badge depicting a black cat .... Well thats what i found out so far and now i need to look into aircraft detail but in the mean time a few pictures. I am using the Haseagawa 1/32 model for this build so it can sit along side my Hellcat and spitfire of the same scale.
And this is what i would like to end up with
Kittyhawks were essentially P40E's converted to British spec inc. armour, radios's, self sealing fuel tanks and armoured glass wind screens. Originally ordered for use on the home front it was quickly found that the single stage superchargers ran out of puff above 15,000ft where as the Spitfires of the time were intercepting German raiders from Norway at up to 30,000ft. A good home was found for these fighters in the Western Deserts of Egypt and Tunisia where high altitude flying was not common place and the Kittyhawks became well known for their army co-operation sortie's (or ground attack).
the most famous of their keepers was 112 sqn based in Egypt from 1941-42 they were famous for carrying the sharks teeth on the nose ( an idea borrowed from the cowling's of Luftwaffe ME110's in the Battle of Britain the year before. 112 Sqn was formed in 1917 and had always been know as the Sharks so it was quite fitting despite the sqn badge depicting a black cat .... Well thats what i found out so far and now i need to look into aircraft detail but in the mean time a few pictures. I am using the Haseagawa 1/32 model for this build so it can sit along side my Hellcat and spitfire of the same scale.
And this is what i would like to end up with
should look great though ! 
