Restored P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk
About a week ago, we shared a cool light painting of a restored P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk with a WWII Willy’s Jeep. Well, this story is all about a second unique light painting of that same aircraft and the Jeep, but from an entirely different camera angle.
Here’s the setup for the light painting of the P-40 and the Willys Jeep. Once it got dark, and after the first version was light-painted, Coy and I got busy on this one!
Please check out the first cool P-40 light painting and its story at this link.
I flew out to Eugene, Oregon, to create both light paintings at the Soaring By The Sea Foundation. This project came up on short-notice, so Joannie was not available to make the trip. So, with the help of their Executive Director, Coy Pfaff, he and I did the light painting photography part together, creating both versions in one evening. Thank you, Coy!
Here I am with Ray Fowler and Coy Pfaff, a short time before we began the light painting process. Ray pretty much knows everyone in aviation, and Coy is the Executive Director at Soaring By The Sea Foundation. The P-40 is our cool backdrop!
The P-40 Kittyhawk’s Restoration Story
Recovered from a remote airfield in Tadji, New Guinea, in 1973, this P-40 Kittyhawk was brought back from literally decades of dormancy. In the 1990s, Pioneer Aero Restorations in Auckland, New Zealand, rebuilt the aircraft to flying condition. Historical oversight for the P-40 N-1’s restoration was done by Charles Darby and Garth Hogan.
The P-40, as it looked in 1973, when it was discovered near an airstrip in Tadji, New Guinea. (Image is courtesy of Soaring By The Sea Foundation’s website.)
Pioneer Areo also converted it to a two-seat configuration so that it could be used for training and flight experience programs. To make that happen, they added complete dual controls and full instrumentation.
In 2024, Soaring by the Sea Foundation acquired the Kittyhawk and imported it to the United States. The restored P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk was then painted in original 75 Squadron RAAF camouflage. Its six 50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns are also fully functional (for blank-firing at airshows)!
More About the Restored P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk
The P-40 N-1 was originally a single-seat fighter plane built by Curtiss-Wright in Buffalo, New York. Its Military Service ID is RAAF A29-448. It was delivered on August 8, 1943, to the Royal Australian Air Force’s 75th Squadron, in Milne Bay, to fly fighter-bomber missions in World War II.
Here’s an image of the P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk in action. (Image is courtesy of Soaring By The Sea Foundation’s website.)
Light Painting the Restored P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk
Coy and I completed the photography for “Version One” in about 2 1/2 hours. Then, we prepared to light paint the P-40 using the other camera for “Version Two”.
This is what the scene looked like from the camera location. We would light-paint this version of the P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk and the Willys Jeep shortly after the light painting of the first version was completed.
In reality, the evening could not have gone better! Low humidity and a breeze out of the west kept the dew point away (thank goodness!). I thought the wind might be an issue, possibly creating a tiny bit of camera moment, but I’m happy to say it wasn’t a problem.
The two of us took 173 images for this version, and I used 53 of those, in 77 layers, to create the Master File in post-production. I decided to remove the hangars and other background distractions in post; it just made the whole image look better and time-period correct.
Here’s the final light-painted artwork of the P-40 N-1 Kittyhawk and the Willys Jeep at sunset!
The link to our short “Build Video” on our YouTube channel is below. You’ll first see the images that I actually used. Then, you’ll see the image come to life, one layer at a time, for both the P-40, the Willy’s Jeep, and the other cool props!
There’s More, Lots More!
If you love what you see here, please check out our dedicated Light Painting Website. The link is: MichaelAndersonLightPainting.com
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read about our light painting passion! We really appreciate it! – M&J
Are You Going To EAA AirVenture?
If you love this aviation light painting project, wait until you see these amazing projects printed on metal! Printing our light paintings on aluminum brings out the very best in our one-of-a-kind artworks. Come see for yourself at EAA Adventure in Oshkosh. We’re located in Hangar C, Row F, Booth 3064. We look forward to seeing you there! Thank you!