1/32 P-39D Airacobra (Revell) Air-a-cutie

[Vadim]

Hi!

Few month ago I started to build this kit...

I decided to post the process as it appears to be a long build with lot of fun. It's 1/32 P-39D Airacobra from Revell. This is something new for me as I usually interested in 1/72.

The model can be build with cockpit doors open thus I decided to use cockpit detail set from Eduard.

After two month in work I'm still very busy with the cockpit. However, here are some pictures of what have been done so far:

Nose wheel bay details are painted and weathered:

Pilot's seat and some cockpit details are ready.

Some more cockpit details are installed and painted:

The work continues on some other small details and instrument panel:

Nearly finished cockpit:

Now I work with the seatbelts:

Edited October 7, 2016 by Vadim

[Skids]

Welcome to the forum Vadim

Thats a brilliant start, look forward to seeing more

[Vadim]

Here is an update with the pilot's seat completed. I applied some dry brush and pigments:

Also, the next step will be an IFF unit (installed behind the pilot). NEED SOME ADVICE HERE!

I've found that none of the RAF or Russian aircraft had an IFF (it was a top secret technology???) And only american P-39 were equipped. There are lot of IFF pictures in the net but all of them are on the scale models :-D The only real picture I've found is below.

CAN ANYONE HELP or DIRECT ME where I can find any pictures of P-39 with IFF? Especially the power and antenna connectors?

[Vadim]

After three evenings of googling here are the pictures I found (though some of them are P-63). Well, anyway it's better than nothing... Will try to make something similar

[Biggles87]

I have the original Special Hobby version which already has the coloured photo-etch, so I will be watching with interest. I hope my cockpit will look as good as yours when I eventually build it.

I have the Detail and Scale book on the Airacobra so I will have a look for pictures of the IFF installation.

John

[Vadim]

Here is - Update on a IFF Unit (SCR-535):

I spent some time since my last update for a small research on the IFF unit and the only information available online is the Handbook of Instructions for Operation SCR-595, dated March 17, 1943:

However, it seems that SCR-595 was a further development of the previous model SCR-535, which initially was installed on P-39D. Probably later they were changed to SCR-595, but I decided to build the initial one.

Also, the Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions for P39N (dated February 1, 1943) refers to SCR-535, thus logically P-39D should have the same IFF - SCR-535. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any document which describes SCR-535.

Finally, I found US Army CECOM Historical Office who have some SCR-535 manuals on their list of documents. I've sent a request to CECOM Staff Historian... and VOILA! Three hours later I got INSTRUCTION BOOK for RADIO SET SCR-535!!!

The document includes the pictures of the entire set, wiring diagram and antenna/test equipment:

That's what I needed! the Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions says that control box is located in aft fuselage, I assume it is the radio compartment. Thus I just need to model two cables which go in the rear radio bay, another two cables which connect to the IFF antenna (on both sides of the fuselage), and one cable which goes to cockpit.

So, I've ordered solder wire (0.5mm) to model all the cables. Spent some time on sanding and modification of the kit's radio unit. And here is the final result:

Probably not ideal, but I think much better than the kit's option

If anyone would like to find some rare manuals, here is the link to US Army CECOM Historical Office: http://cecom.army.mil/historian/

[Blitz23]

Very nice.

[Vadim]

Yesterday made some further progress. Now the canopy is masked and air intakes are painted.

I spent too much time with all those tiny details in cockpit... Can't wait to assemble fuselage and wings together

[Greif]

Good start! I follow this build with interest!

[Vadim]

Some updates here...

All the major parts are ready:

Expect some problems with canopy and here:

It seems they designed these silly details to make modeller's life really difficult and full of challenges!

[Victor K2]

It's the challenge's that make us all the more better modeler's for it. You are turning out a better model as a result.

Bob.

[Vadim]

Few weeks gone since the last update. And here some new pictures of the completed work.

Wings and canopy now in place and lot of sanding will be required...

 

 

 

The overall fit was not that bad as I expected... However lot of filler was used to fill all the gaps and align connected surfaces:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More pictures will come soon to show completed sanding and drilled holes for all the antennas... Nearly ready for primer

[Vadim]

Well, the building goes well but slow.

Here is the next update:

Primer was applied and revealed some small areas to improve:

 

 

 

 

All those have been corrected and the time came for pre-shading... As you can see, I'm not very good in making straight lines with an airbrush   But the final result was not bad

 

 

 

Then I painted the lower sides of the wings and fuselage:

 

 

 

Then it was a time for some blu tack sausages!  (Blue tack). Unfortunately, in the end I found myself not good at sausages as well and have corrected colour transition with airbrush:

 

 

 

Oh... nearly forgot about doors:

 

 

Here is the final result:

 

 

 

 

I covered the entire model with gloss varnish and started with the propellor: 

 

 

 

[Vadim]

Here is my bench now:

- another coat of gloss varnish

- propellor got yellow tips

- wheels are glued and primed

- landing gears - in the process...

 

[Darby]

Nice work so far. Is the Revell kit a re-boxing?

[Vadim]

8 hours ago, Darby said:

Nice work so far. Is the Revell kit a re-boxing?

 

Yes, Darby. I didn't see the original kit or its content, but  this is a re-boxing of the Special Hobby P-39D sprue for sprue but without the resin fishtail exhausts and resin gunsight.

[Air Hockey Propellers]

Nice scale for a plane like that. Makes me want to convert it to RC.

 

Keep it up. You're almost done!

[Vadim]

On 7/12/2016 at 0:58 PM, Biggles87 said:

I have the Detail and Scale book on the Airacobra so I will have a look for pictures of the IFF installation.

 

Hey Biggles, have you had a chance to look at your Detail and Scale book? It's too late now, but as a matter of my interest... it would be great to see some pictures and find out how close I build my SCR to the original

[Biggles87]

I did look but it didn't have any better pictures than the ones you posted. I cannot get into my modelling room at the moment due to some work, but when I can I'll have another look and post anything that's relevant.

Regards

 

John

[Vadim]

3 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

 I'll have another look and post anything that's relevant.

 

Thank you John!

[Vadim]

Right... I think the time comes for short HISTORICAL discussion.

And actually there will be few questions for those who already built Air-a-cutie or going to build it.

(that's the reason I mention here few members who built P-39 or particularly Air-a-cutie: @lesthegringo, @SgtPappas, @Toldbod, @Reini78, @trickyrich, @Horr!do, @Bri48, @Barleta, @Habu12, @jenko, @alex_stela, @stevej60 - sorry guys for bothering you:) ) 

 

Probably I am not the first person here who starts this Air-a-cutie issue, but there are few things I’d like to share with all after my research.

 

Generally the only available pictures of Air-a-cutie show 3 different marking/colour versions:

The 'first' version: The lady on the port side has her right arm extended up, 12 engine exhausts, wing leading edges are not painted in white, and top of the tail fin is white.

 

 

The 'second' version: The lady on the port side has her right arm down, wing leading edges are not painted in white. But unfortunately no engine exhausts are visible nor the tail:

 

      And the 'third' and final version (pictured from starboard): shows 6 engine exhausts, entire tail section and wing leading edges in white:

 

 

There is another picture from starboard, but it only shows the pin up girl and a happy technician (pilot?):

 

Unique features for this aircraft: small hub NLG wheel and no external MLG doors.

 

So it’s still unclear, what was the story of Air-a-cutie… Some sources say there was more than one Air-a-cutie. Some say there was one, but due to some operational circumstances it was repainted few times and even had an engine change (due to different exhausts as seen on the pictures). Also the MSN is not known, but again some sources claim it was 41-28267 (and it is an option on the decal sheet).  But 41-28267 had a mid-air collision on 27 May 1943 near Tonopah, Nevada, with Second lieutenant Bryce R VanCott at the controls… and we know that Air-a-cutie was at South Pacific War Theatre in 1943. Would it be possible that the aircraft was taken to the US for a major repair in the beginning of 1943 and then had an accident in May?

 

Anyway, I’m going to make a second version as I have only one decal option with the lady’s arm down,  and probably I will use the 6 engine exhaust option (from the kit) and white top of the tail as again these are not visible on the 'second version' pictures.

 

But the question I have: which stars shall I use? Stars with bars or without? Some sources say that 'first' and/or 'second' version have stars without bars but I can't really see that. Does anyone know when stars got bars?

 

Any comments/suggestions in general or particularly about stars/bars are very welcome!

 

 

[Vadim]

Oops... I don't know how, but I missed a good article in wikipedia about United States military aircraft national insignia.

It says that Stars with bars were introduced on 28 June 1943... Thus Air-a-cutie couldn't have serial number 41-28267, unless there were several Air-a-cuties. The picture below clearly shows stars with bars thus it was made later than 28 June 1943 and obviously later than an accident with 41-28267:

 

 

So now, I have the proof to make my Air-a-cutie without bars

However if anyone wants to make any other comments on pictures or the building process - you are welcome!

[Vadim]

Here are some pictures just to show you that the work continues but really slow:

 

 

 

 

More pictures will come soon with applied decals and further weathering...

[Ignacio]

Hi, very interesting build! 

I have the Eduard Air A Cuitie, so any information about it is very welcomed. I think you made a good research on several details of this aircraft, but I didn´t understand why you said that you can use the stars without bars. I suppose that your model will be depicted as before june 1943?

The other thing I wanted to mention, is that  a damaged plane in the pacific wouldn´t be transported to the States for repairs. It would be scrapped for parts I believe.

 

I see that Eduard has the late version with white tail, bars and the girl smoking, and RS models has the previous, without bars, white fin tip and the arm up.

Thanks for the details and research you´ve made.

 

Best regards.

 

Ignacio.

[Vadim]

It was a period of silence but it just mean I was applying all the decals and finally Cutie is ready for filters, panel wash and oil dots  This will be something new for me as I never tried oils before. Hope it will not ruin the entire model

I decided not to show the entire model before I finish  So here are just some decal pictures before they were covered with another coat of gloss varnish (you may notice some other blurred decals including nose girl):