1/48 Eduard P-39Q Airacobra

Gallery Article by Burt Gustafson on Jan 15 2010

 

For your viewing pleasure, here are some photos of my 1/48 scale Eduard Profipack P-39Q Airacobra. Designed and built by the Bell Aircraft Corporation the P-39 was one of the most controversial and disappointing aircraft of WW II. It was conceived as a fast interceptor designed around a 37-mm cannon that fired explosive rounds to insure destruction of any enemy aircraft. 

However, after promising flight tests, the U. S. Army Air Corp demanded the removal of the turbo- supercharger. This short sighted decision meant that the aircraft high altitude performance suffered considerably. Because of this, the P-39 was not held in high favor by most pilots that flew it. 

Even with poor high altitude performance, the 37-mm cannon made it a most effective ground attack aircraft. The Soviets used hundreds of P-39s against German ground forces with great effect. The last production version of the Airacobra was the P-39Q and was also the most numerous with 4,905 being built. Over half were delivered to the Soviet Union. 

The P-39 had some unique features, for example, a 37-mm cannon that fired through the nose. Because the cannon was so large, the engine was mounted behind the cockpit. The propeller drive-shaft ran through the cockpit underneath the seat and between the pilot's legs. Access to the cockpit was through automobile doors. You read it correctly, car doors, manufactured by Hudson Motor Car. And finally, two .50 cal machine gun pods under the wings.

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About the kit: This was my first experience with an Eduard Profipack kit and it was a good one. This was a fun kit to build, finished straight out of the box. The parts fit was good except for the cockpit doors, the required some sanding and fiddling to get them to fit. Cockpit and external detail was quite good. because I wanted pin-washed panel lines, I rescribed all the panel lines. The kit comes with PE parts, but I used only the seat belts. The kit also included Eduard's Express Masks for the canopy, wheels, and landing light. The masks were easy to apply and they fit perfectly.

For painting, I airbrushed MM Neutral Gray enamel for the bottom of the fuselage and wings, and MM Olive drab enamel for the top. the cockpit interior was painted with MM enamels according to painting instructions. the tail assembly called for flat white, but I chose to go with Olive Drab. 

After painting, a coat of Future in preparation for decals. Eduard provided decals for four aircraft; I chose the markings for the P-39Q No. 4219995, 71st TRS, 82nd TRG, 1944. I finished off the model with a combination of MM Semi-Gloss Clear and Flat Clear Lacquer Finish. All in all, I was pleased with the finished model.

Burt Gustafson

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Photos and text © by Burt Gustafson