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Model upper areas painted olive drab, wing panel lines accentuated by dabbing brown pastel powder onto cotton cloth, then rubbing it across wing surface, entire area sealed with Testor Dullcoat layer via aerosol can.  Engine exhaust nozzles drilled out with XACTO knife, painted Testor Military Brown, nozzle inner's painted Testor Black for depth. Rectangular anti-skid pad cut from black decal sheet. Pilot figure hand-painted with yellow life vest + brown uniform + grey straps/head gear.
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Curtiss company innovated both land-based aircraft and seaplane designs from WW1 thru 1930s, including the NC-4 and Model 6 flying boats, C-46 Commando transport, and P-36 fighter. P-40 fighter was apex of its design venue, with distinction of being one of few WW2 aircraft types to serve on all battlefronts across Pacific - Europe (except defense of British isles) - Russian Front - Mediterranean - North Africa - China - Southeast Asia fronts. Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_Aeroplane_and_Motor_Company
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Unfortunately, this was Curtiss last innovation, company was unable to compete with other high performance propeller fighter designs (ex. North American P-51, Republic P-47, Lockheed P-38), compounded by failure to achieve paradigm shift to jet fighter design. By 1948 company ceased all aircraft design and production.
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Inset 1 : Circa 1939 state-side camouflage P-40s and a bare skin P-36. Marking "8P-22" on wing was 22nd aircraft of 8th Pursuit Group (Fighter). Note blue bar + red/white striped tailfin marking, which was removed by 1940. 8th Pursuit Group underwent various reorganizations since 1923 inception, such as : 1) 1923-1926 8th Pursuit Group created, but not activated, 2) 1926-1936 8th Pursuit Group - Air Corps activated, 3) 1936-1939 8th Pursuit Group, 4) 1939-1941 8th Pursuit Group - Fighter, 5) 1941-1942 8th Pursuit Group - Interceptor, 6) 1942-1943 8th Fighter Group, 7) 1943-1950 8th Fighter Group - Single Engine planes. Today, 8th Fighter Group is part of 8th Fighter Wing, stationed at Kunsan airbase, South Korea. 8th Pursuit group - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_Fighter_Wing#History
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Rollover : Warhawk underside camouflage, painted US Navy Flat Gull Grey. Since Air Corps was part of the Army, large US Army title marked beneath the plane, this inscription was carried into WW2 combat by P-40 and P-39 fighters which served in Southwest Pacific theater air operations in Australia and New Guinea. Note unique landing gear configuration, which rotated the entire wheel assembly 90-degrees for inboard stowage (which also reduced wind drag). P-39 Airacobra - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-39_Airacobra
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Inset 2 : P-40 cut-away close-up on cockpit, engine mount, and innovative rotating landing gear mechanism. Warhawk packed 6@0.303-inch (7.7mm) machine guns with 4 in wing root and 2 top of engine. P-40 went by various names between model variant and arms export version, such as Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, Hawk 81. With subsequent P-40E / F / K / N / Q versions, USAAF replaced all P-40s names to only Warhawk title.
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Its liquid-cooled Allison V-170 engine generated 1,150-horsepower for speed 350mph and range 700 miles (far below dogfights / bomber escort abilities by prestigious P-51 Mustang). Nevertheless, production controversially continued until Dec 1944, for which about 13,740 Warhawks variants were produced, since it offered well-armored framework for ground-attack missions during early WW2 years. Tullis Art Prints - www.tullisart.com/prints.htm
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P-40 export version called Hawk 81, its first foreign clientele was France's Armee de l'Air (Army of the Air, or French Air Force). However, with Germany conquest of France within one month campaign, France signed surrender protocols on June 1940, thus becoming the only WW2 Allied nation to formally surrender to Germany. Northern France (including capitol Paris) came under German military occupation (since it directly faced Great Britain and anticipated Axis invasion of British Isles). Southern France situated pro-German French government established in city of Vichy, hence called Vichy France. History of the Armée de l'Air (1909–1942) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Armée_de_l'Air_(1909-1942)
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Thus French was split between those who pledged allegiance to Vichy France versus those who fled to Great Britain to form new French military arm and continue the war against Germany. As for France's P-40 shipments, Great Britain seized remaining 1,200 aircrafts, diverted majority to North Africa to supplied British Commonwealth air forces (ex. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) arriving on scene to battle Deutsches Afrika korps (German African Corps) for control of North African seaports, Suez Canal, and Arabian oil fields. Vichy France (1940-1944) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_France
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 Related Model and History : RAF Spitfire and France 1940 Surrender - UweMilitaria.org/3-Aerial/DunkirkRhubarb/13.html
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Inset 3 : P-40 color profile showing camouflage and markings used across 3 different theaters : Top) Overall olive-drab, with standard USAAF 1940 roundels, striped tailfin, "US Army" underwing inscription for 61st plane of 3rd Pursuit Group, Middle) Australian P-40 in North Africa with British Commonwealth service circa 1940, Bottom) P-40 batch seized from last French order, sent to China-Burma theater to arm American Volunteer Group (AVG, or Flying Tigers) air arm to stem Japanese invasion of China and SE Asia. Famed AVG shark mouth was originally derived from Australian P-40 nose art serving in 1941 North Africa. Flying Tigers - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers
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