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Bell P-39Q/N wheel set Eduard 1:32 The Kittyhawk P-39/N, reviewed HERE has had quite a lot of etch released for it, reviewed HERE from Eduard, now it’s their Brassin range to have a go. This lovely looking resin set comes encased in their usual clear styrene bubble packaging, and contains the two main wheels, which come with separate inner hubs, and a single piece nosewheel, although the review set appears to have come with two nose wheels. The resin moulding is well up to the standard we have come to expect from Brassin and includes the makers name and size information on the main tyre side walls. All the tyres have a slight bulge to give the impression there is weight on them, but not excessively. All the wheels are only attached to the moulding plugs via a small contact point on the bulged area and a couple of webs, so shouldn’t be too hard to remove and clean up. The hubs are a little more awkward, but with care and a sharp blade or saw you should be ok. The hubs will need to have the rear sanded down to thickness so that they fit into the wheel recess correctly. The set also includes a small etched brass sheet. This contains the outer hub covers, one for each main wheel and two for the nose wheel, which is also fitted with three spacers per side, onto which the covers attach. To complete the set, and make it a lot easier to spray the completed wheels a set of mask, made of kabuki style tape has also been included. Conclusion These resin wheels, with their etched detail parts make a great addition to the completed model. There is a little bit of work ti get them off the moulding blocks, but there’s nothing that a moderately competent modeller can’t handle. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bell P-39Q/N detail Sets Eduard 1:32 The Kittyhawk P-39/N, reviewed HERE is a great kit in its own right, but there is always room for improvement, and Eduard always seems to find that room. They have now released no less than seven individual sets to adorn the kit with extra and improved detail. As with most sets of this type some of the kit details will need to be removed before the etch can be added. Interior Set (32853) Contained on two sheets of relief etched brass, on half the size again as the other, one is unpainted whilst one comes pre-painted. The unpainted sheet contains items such as the a complete replacement seat, with additional side plate detail, new door cards and fittings, new box fittings, new and replacement fittings for the cockpit floor, foot pedals and additional fittings not included in the kit. The two upper cowling mounted machine guns also benefit from this sheet with the inclusion of the breech area sides, top and bottom. The pre-painted sheet provides the modeller with a variety of coloured knobs and levers, new auxiliary instrument panels, plus replacement dials for the side panels. The main instrument panels are also pre-painted complete with the instrument faces on the backplate. A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts. External Set (32381) This single sheet set contains a lot of the smaller and more unusual details, some of which are not found on the kit. These include new rudder post and elevator internal strips, fastener strips for around the engine bay opening, engine bay details, gun bay panels, fastener strips, machine gun details and for the under wing ammunition bay there is a replacement ammunition box cover, again new fastener rails, and replacement panel. The radiator and oil cooler exhaust ducts are provided with new surrounds, details and replacement doors. The doors will need some very careful bending to shape, but at least the side panels are provided to help with getting the shape right. Each of the engine bay panels are also replaced with etched parts allowing them to be posed removed Seatbelts (32852) This small fret of brass comes pre-painted for the most part, but with unpainted clasps, buckles etc. Whilst fiddly to make, it will give the cockpit a real boost as there aren’t even moulded belts on the kit seat, so if you buy only one set this should be it. Fabric Seatbelts (32854) As an alternative to the above etched seatbelts Eduard have also released a set of laser cut fabric seatbelts. Included in the set is a small sheet of etched buckles and clasps, which as above look mightly fiddly, but well worth it as I think the fabric belts, once crumpled a bit look more realistic in the cockpit. Landing Gear Set (32382) Another single sheet set, this one contains, naturally, new and replacement parts for each of the three undercarriage bays. The nose wheel bay is fitted with a new rear bulkhead roof straps, electrical boxes and panels. The main wheel bays a fitted out with new roof and side linings, new braces and inspections panels. The bay doors are also fitted with new internal panels, whilst the oleos receive replacement scissor links and the wheels new hub details. Flap Set (32383) This two sheet sets is to be used to completely replace the kits flaps and add further detail into the flap bays. You will need to carry out a fair bit of surgery in the kits flap bay area to remove all the detail and thin the skin down. The bays include the roof and forward bulkheads, all the ribs, and flanges as well as the multiple flap tracks. The flaps themselves are also detailed with ribs which need to be carefully folded into position, along with the out skin panel. The end plates are then attached and the flaps fitted into position. Masks (JX186) Naturally a set of detail updates wouldn’t be complete without Eduard adding some masks. Made of Kibuki style tape they are easy to use and can help make painting less of a chore. Conclusion This is certainly a comprehensive array of detail sets for what is already a well detailed kit. With plenty of care and patience they will make a great kit into a masterpiece and possibly a show winner if all are used. The advantage of have separate sets is that the modeller can pick and choose how much, or how little detail they wish to add. Of course the more you add the more expensive it gets and this is becoming more noticeable with Eduards products lately. If you like your etch then I can happily recommend the above, but they really aren’t for the novice, particularly the flap set. Review sample courtesy of

Bell P-39Q/N Airacobra KittyHawk 1:32 The P-39 Airacobra was designed in 1937 in response to a tender by the U.S. Army Air Corps. In many respects the P-39 Airacobra was an unusual aircraft. The basic idea was to install a powerful engine as close as possible to the aircraft's centre of gravity in order to improve maneuverability and stability. An Oldsmobile T-9 37 mm cannon fired through an opening in the propeller spinner. The P-39 was the first American fighter to fitted with a freely rotating nose-wheel. The Airacobra also aroused interest in the British Air Force; the RAF however later rejected the aircraft. The Russian Air Force also expressed strong interest in the aircraft and initially took delivery of 179 units. The U.S. Army Corps also equipped some of its newly formed units with theP-39, including the 8th and 35th Fighter Groups which operated out of New Guinea. Often underrated in the West the P-39 proved to be an exceptional aircraft in the Far East. Its top speed of 580 km/h was sufficient to dominate an A6M Zero in a dogfight. The Model There’s something about the P-39 that even get’s my normally maritime modelling juices flowing, and having a new one released in 1:32 is always good to see. The kit comes in a very attractive top opening box with an artistic impression of the aircraft in flight high above the clouds, (not the normal operating area for a P-39, but there you go). Inside, there are four double sprues of light grey styrene. Thankfully, Kittyhawk haven’t folded these over, as is their usual modus operandi as the box is big enough to have them laid flat. Also included in the kit is a sprue of clear styrene, a small etched sheet and two decal sheets. The mouldings are very nicely reproduced, but, and it may just be me, the details are a little soft. It may just be the styrene, or my eyes, but they are lacking some sharpness seen in other manufacturer’s releases. There is also a small amount of flash, although, thankfully, this is only seen on the sprues themselves, rather than the parts. There an awful lot of moulding pips, which will make cleaning up of parts a little more time consuming. The kit does feature a lot of the interior with a lot of panels that can be left open to show it all off, which in this scale gives the modeller a great opportunity to really go to town with the super detailing, yet detailed enough out of the box for the less ambitious/OCD modeller to enjoy. The instructions are a little messy, but clear enough to see what goes where, just needs a little careful reading to fit all the parts in their correct positions. Construction starts in the middle, with the assembly of the lovely little Allison engine. The block and cylinder heads all come as two part sub-assemblies, which are then glued together, followed by the exhaust manifolds, a large two part cooling fan, crankcase, fuel pipes, carburetor, and a host of smaller items. With the engine assembled, construction moves to the cockpit. The long floor section also includes the floor for the gun bay and engine bay and is fitted out with the joystick, prop shaft extension, and a couple of control boxes. The cockpit area is then fitted with the two spent cartridge chutes, and three part seat, which is provided with a full harness. In the gun bay area, four two part oxygen tanks are fitted, whilst in the cockpit area the throttle quadrant, complete with trim wheel are glued into place. The gun bay is assembled from a selection of trays, braces and semi-bulkheads. The top tray is fitted with a couple of radio/navigation boxes, whilst fitted under the tray is the 20mm cannon, which is made up of two parts and glued to the three piece ammunition tray. The instrument panel consists of two styrene parts onto which the various decal panels are added. The completed panel and rear cockpit bulkhead are then fitted into their respective positions within the cockpit area. The two machine guns fitted above the 20mm cannon are glued to the two piece ammunition tank, after which they are fitted into the gun bay, along with the 20mm ammunition belt and its two guides, whilst the engine assembly is fitted behind the cockpit bulkhead. Above the engine the radio tray is attached to the cockpit bulkhead and is fitted with radio set and control box. The nose wheel bay is now assembled from seven parts and fitted with the nose wheel oleo, which has a separate scissor link and fitted with the two part wheel, and the nose leg retraction actuators. The propeller hub is assembled from five parts and fitted to the forward end of the gun bay via the propshaft fitted earlier. The fuselage halves are then detailed with the fitting of several fuse boxes and the radiator core before the cockpit/gun bay/engine assembly is glued to one half of the fuselage. Aft of the engine there is another tray, this time fitted with what looks like a gyro compass unit. This tray fits in the top half of the rear fuselage, whilst there is what looks like a piece of fuselage structure fitted behind that. The fuselage can now be closed up. The propeller is made up from a separate back plate, two piece hub and three separate blades. The spinner is then attached and can be fitted with one of two styles of cannon muzzle depending on the mark being modelled. The roll over hoop is then fitted aft of the seat along with the engine and fixed gun bay panels and the propeller assembly. The cockpit canopy is attached and the removable gun bay panels fitted into place. With the fuselage turned upside down, the radiator exhaust ramp is fitted, along with the oil cooler ramps, rear fuselage panels, two piece DF aerial loop and two piece rudder. The cockpit doors have separate clear parts and can be posed open or closed. The main wheels consist of two part wheels, single piece oleo, two piece scissor links, upper and lower outer bay doors. The single piece main wheel bays are glued to the upper wing sections, along with the four piece gun bays, after which the wings can be closed up and fitted with the separate flaps, which can be posed retracted or deployed, machine gun pods, with separate muzzles, identification lights, navigation lights, oil cooler intakes, separate ailerons, plus the upper and lower machine gun bay doors. The completed wings are then joined to the fuselage, along with the horizontal tailplanes, complete with separate elevators and the upper fuselage panel is attached. The inner main gear doors are then glued into place, along with their actuators. The modeller has the choice or loading the aircraft with either a single bomb or drop tank. Both are made from two halves and fitted with two cradles before being attached to the centreline. Decals There are two decals included in the kit, one large and one small. The larger of the two contains all the national insignias for the four countries schemes included on the paint charts, along with the id markings for each option and the stencils for one aircraft. Whilst beautifully printed in very bright colours and mostly in register, the centre spots on the French and Italian roundels are slightly off centre making them look a little droopy. The Soviet stars and US Stars N Bars are perfect though. The smaller decal sheet contains the instrument panel decals, and the banner, playing card and crest markings for three of the colour options. The options provided are:- P-39Q, GC 111/6 “Travail”. Armee de l’Air P-39Q-5-BE “Snooks 2nd”, 71st TRS, 82ns TRG, 5th AF, USAAF P-39Q-5-BE, 1st AE, 30th GvlAP, 6th IAK, Co of 1st AE, 1st Lt. A. P. Filatov, 1945 P-39Q, 1st AE, 213th GvIAP, Co of 1st AE Assistant, 1st Lt. M. I.Orlov P-39N-1-BE, 9 Gruppo, 4 Stormo, Italian Co-Belligerent AF, June 1944. Conclusion This is a very nice new kit of the P-39Q/N with plenty of detail and marking options. Overall a quality kit, although it is let down by a very slight softness on some of the details, whilst at the same being beautiful and crisps in other areas. The interior detail is very well done, and will provide a good base for those modellers who wish to add more. The choices of markings is good, just a shame that all the roundels aren’t centred. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops