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1/32 Bell P-39 Airacobra Mk1


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Gday All

 

Latest project to hit the Cutting Mat is the Kittyhawk P-39 Airacobra.

32132478632_4700179967_b.jpgkittyhawk boxart  ,

 Ive always liked the look of the P-39 in RAF colours, so will be doing this kit as a Mk1.  American aircraft -  to me -  always look better in pommy colours anyway!

Something like this hopefully.

 

32778394446_91228f195a_b.jpgP

-39  Collection - A Cash Peter Arnold 050c_zpslqoqxkgy  ,

The kit looks fantastic in the box, hopefully it builds up nicely too.  

 

Kittyhawk allow you to build a model with engine cowlings, gun access panels, cockpit doors, radio access panels, oil tank hatch and radiator flaps open.  In addition, landing flaps can be displayed in the lowered position as well as separate elevators and rudder.  I plan to take advantage of all of this!

Despite this multitude of open panels, I decided I needed more.   Quite a few photos I saw of Airacobras being serviced show not only the main rectangular cowling  that Kittyhawk supply as a separate part off, but also the triangular panel behind it, so the first thing to do was separate this with the aid of a scalpel

32395910872_bf75ec678a_b.jpgcowling removed  , 

YIKES!!!  Thats quite a large hole

Of course this then meant I had to actually build the additional structures you might see.  Why do I do this?:mental:

Anyway, some interior structure was knocked up using plastic strip. 

31736301083_9e94c3b88a_b.jpg  ,

 Im certainly not a super detailer or even decent scratchbuilder.  It took me about six goes to get that bulkhead the right width!

 To me it looks a little over scale, but the strips were the only sizes I had, and , yes, I know I should have laid the stringers down first, then done the ribs but honestly, once its all said and done, I don't think you will notice.  I just wanted some structural components visible rather than a blank opposite wall.

I also purchased the Eduard sets for the kittyhawk kit. On the exterior set Eduard supply the fastening framework for the cowlings so I combined both to outline the open panels on the one side. The centre divider has a plastic strip behind it. The other fuselage half has the cowling and  radio hatch  glued in the closed position with no fit problems

32777827916_734deebc75_b.jpg  ,

To Be Continued

 

Bruce

Edited by pacificmustang
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G Day Bruce,

                        You`ve got me hooked mate,......... great subject and a great start,.......good luck with it and I`ll be following with interest,.

I think that line up of Airacobra`s was photographed at Duxford?

 

Cheers

           Tony

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7 hours ago, tonyot said:

G Day Bruce,

                        You`ve got me hooked mate,......... great subject and a great start,.......good luck with it and I`ll be following with interest,.

I think that line up of Airacobra`s was photographed at Duxford?

 

Cheers

           Tony

Yes, they were Tony.  There is a series of photos of them, but in B&W.  This and the one of the armourers posed loading the3 guns are the only colour ones I have seen though.  Of course I don't mind you following Vadim, happy to have you along

 

Bruce

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slow progress!  Using the maxim "every little bit helps"  The two halves of the 50 cal. ammunition canisters and nose battery box were filled with scraps of lead as I imagine she will need a fair bit of nose weight and, well.....every bit WILL help!

32543490700_ac7feb37a0_b.jpgIMG_2035   ,  

Also, looking at photos of the real machine I noticed the RAF machines, unlike the USAAC machines, had no nose vents

32109158173_c906bfe10f_b.jpgBell 14 Airacobra I RAF sn AH621 with engine running Bell test pilot Robert M. Bob Stanley is at the controls Buffalo New York ca. 1941. by ,

so the kit parts duly had theirs carved off with a curved blade.

32883786836_e8d24f5a88_b.jpgforwardvents  , 

Thanks for looking in

 

Bruce

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So, now that Ive convinced myself that the interior was Bell Green, it was time to get painting

My Bell Green was served by Xtracolour Europe 1 green .  I added darkened and lightened tints to serve as shadows and highlights.  Borrowing a bit from "the Spanish School"  I painted the ribs with Vallejo Lime Green.  Yes it looks a bit stark, but once the fuselage is buttoned up, Im hoping the effect will be softened.

32625348340_fd8faf8cfa_b.jpgIMG_2039  , 

Eduard's interior set was used to add the placards to the door interior, and for the throttle quadrant.

The now assembled and painted engine was added to the floor and work started on adding the oil lines with insulated wire

32625365530_7d0ac17cf5_b.jpgIMG_2041  , on Flickr

Thanks for continuing to look in

Bruce

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  • 1 month later...

Time at the bench has been severely limited lately, but Ive managed to get a bit done.

32936215933_9e5f6afb46_b.jpgIMG_2065  ,

The red coated wire will represent the lines to the oil tank, but they are a little stiff, and I am still undecided on whether I shall show the hatch open or closed. Thin wire and plastic rod control linkages have been added to the engine compartment.

With the interior floor added, the fuselage halves were glued together.  Serial dry fits  ensured that fit was good, with no steps evident, some clamping was needed on the air intake and to ensure the fuselage sides hugged the floor

32936221103_8ebed55bef_b.jpgIMG_2066  ,

Edited by pacificmustang
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/04/2017 at 5:08 AM, Pete in Lincs said:

Just played catch up.

That picture of the aircraft with the engine running,

have a look at the nosewheel. Low pressure or what?

 

Nicely detailed engine bay and cockpit.

Good eye Pete, never noticed that before, but its almost flat!!!

 

Work continues.  Kittyhawk have moulded a plinth for the DF loop into the fuselage halves.  From what I have read this really only suits the Italian machines, so it had to go.  It certainly was not present on RAF machines

33473989844_355ab42f5e_b.jpgIMG_2073 ,

some judicious use of sanding sticks and super glue leaves us with this

34155010272_d2c7dcc7f1_b.jpg by ,

 

I replaced the 37mm cannon with a 20mm Hispano I robbed from the Hobby Boss Spitfire Vb kit and dogied up a mounting

34181903331_b2bce902d2_b.jpggunbay-1 by ,

Did I mention this is not the place to come if you want a detailed look at a RAF Airacobra Mk 1 LOL

 

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Very nice! I've always liked the look of this in RAF livery. I guess the darker green edge in the camouflage was a touch up when they oversprayed the brown with grey?

 

Nice work on the interior. 

 

Regards,

Adrian

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15 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Very nice! I've always liked the look of this in RAF livery. I guess the darker green edge in the camouflage was a touch up when they oversprayed the brown with grey?

 

Nice work on the interior. 

 

Regards,

Adrian

Thats my theory Adrian.. I know the eduard instructions would have you leave this darker colour as dark earth, but I cant think why a spraypainter would leave a thin line of the original colour.  My thinking is it just a darker green where the surface finisher outlined the green, then came back in and filled the green in.  Can anyone confirm the mixed grey that these aircraft were painted in was later resprayed Ocean Grey and at the same time yellow leading edges added?

 

As always, thanks for your comments

 

Bruce

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1 hour ago, pacificmustang said:

Can anyone confirm the mixed grey that these aircraft were painted in was later resprayed Ocean Grey and at the same time yellow leading edges added?

Here's a nice discussion on mixed grey

Cheers

 

Dennis

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Very nice work. Do not forget the lights between the door and the engine. They had only Airacobra Mk.I .

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FWIW the dark green edging is probably the result of masking leaving a darker line where the tape was stuck down and later pulled off. Note the darker segment on the nose of UF-J conforming to the original high demarcation where it was re-sprayed with the RAF colours, the stencil markings on the original finish being masked and left on rectangles of lighter colour. Rear fuselage treated the same way.

 

Nick  

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18 hours ago, harvy5 said:

Very nice work. Do not forget the lights between the door and the engine. They had only Airacobra Mk.I .

Any further details Harvy?  I had not noticed this before.  Are they clear lights?

 

Nick, the demarcation between the DG and OG looks freehand to me.  Can see that they would have masked these demarcations with tape, or are you talking about just the demarkation between upper and lower colours on the nose?

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

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