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Bell P-39N/L Profipack. 1:48


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Bell P-39L/N

Eduard Profipack 1:48

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History
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 manoeuvrability 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 be 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 the P-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
The kit comes in an attractive top opening box with a depiction of an Airacobra flying towards the modeller. Inside, there are three sprues of bluey grey styrene, one of clear, a pre-painted etched sheet, a sheet of masks and quite a large decal sheet. The moulding is up to Eduards usual standard, being very clean with no sign of flash or other imperfections. From the few builds I’ve seen of this kit the fit appears to be pretty good and there don’t seem to be any problems with construction.


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The build begins with the cockpit and the fitting of the mid and rear bulkheads, two piece radio set and what I presume is the oil tank fixed to the back of the rear bulkhead. The instrument panel is an all etched affair including the panel, binnacle, centre console, plus several handles and levers, this also included the breeches of the two upper machine guns which, once folded to shape are fixed to the front face of the panel. Alternatively if etch isn’t your thing then Eduard do provide a styrene alternative and the instrument decals to use on it. The pilots seat is fitted out with etched seat belts, buckles and latches, once complete this and the instrument panel assembly are fitted to the cockpit floor along with the joystick, rudder pedals and forward bulkhead. The nose wheel bay is made up of front, rear and side bulkheads which are attached to the underside front of the cockpit floor and the propeller shaft fitted between the cockpit forward bulkhead and the bay forward bulkhead.

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With the cockpit assembly complete it is then fitted between the two fuselage halves along with the appropriate weight to prevent it being a tail sitter. The single piece lower wing is fitted with the two roof parts of the main undercarriage bays, landing light in the port wing, and leading edge radiator etched parts. The upper wing sections can then be attached along with the radiator intakes. The completed wing is then attached to the fuselage assembly along with the horizontal tailplanes and upper nose panel which has moulded in gun troughs.

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Behind the centre wing panel are three radiators which consist of both styrene and etch matrix panels. Once fitted the three radiators exhaust flaps are attached. Whilst the model is upside down the main undercarriage is fitted, each made up of the main oleo a choice of main wheels, each in two halves, one with a weighted tyre, one without. The wheels are attached to the axle and completed by the attachment of the outer bay door and separate scissor link. The inner bay doors are then fitted along with their associated actuators. The instructions then call for with either the drop tank or bomb, each made up of two halves, to be fitted along with their cradles to the wing centreline. The nose wheel is assembled in the same way as the mains and has the same choice of tyre. When assembled the wheel is fitted between the yokes of the nose wheel leg and the lower forward bay door is attached as is the scissor link which in this case is a PE part. The nose leg is then fitted into the bay along with the retraction jack and support arms, followed by the nose wheel doors.

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With the model the right way up the included pilot figure can now be added if required and is enclosed into the cockpit by the single piece canopy/windscreen and two doors. The exhausts, aerial mast and PE intake grille are then attached. The kit comes with a choice of three types of cannon muzzles for the spinner, and a choice of two different types of propeller blade, dependent on which choice of markings you intend to use. The separate blades are attached to the backplate followed by the fitting of the spinner. The completed propeller can then be attached to the model along with a pair of small panels either side of the nose. Finally the wing machine gun muzzles and pitot probe are attached, completing the build.

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Decals
The large decal sheet has been printed by Cartograf, so the quality is good. The sheet provides a full set of stencils for one aircraft and markings for five different machines. The decals are very nicely printed; being pretty thin in appearance, in good register with very little sign of carrier film and are slightly on the glossy side, which should help with then settling down. The markings are for the following aircraft:-

  • P-39N, S/n 4218354. Flown by the 345th FS, North Africa/Alghero Airfield, Sardinia, late 1943 in an olive drab over neutral grey scheme, with white fin tip and sharks mouth.
  • P-39L, S/n 424514. Flown by the 91st FS, 81st FG from Sidi Ahmed Air Base, Tunisia, September 1943. This aircraft is in mid stone and sand scheme with olive drab panels and azure blue undersides.
  • P-39N, flown by Lt. DeVore, 110th TRS, 71st TRG, Guasap Airfield. New Guinea, Spring 1944. Painted in olive drab over neutral grey with a white tail and red fin tip.
  • P-39N, Flown by Gregori A Rechkalov, 16th GIAP, Spring 1945. Painted olive drab over neutral grey with a red fin tip and spinner.
  • P-39N, flown by Nikolai G Sobolev, 21st GIAP, April 1943. Painted in olive drab, (including the spinner), over neutral grey and with a large slogan painted on the fuselage sides.

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Conclusion
This is a lovely looking kit and having had a couple of the earlier marks released by Eduard it should be a treat to build. It’s a great looking aircraft and with the choices of colour schemes it’ll be hard to choose which to build. As with their other Profipacks it’s great to have the pre painted etch and the masks provided.

Highly recommended.


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Review sample courtesy of
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Got profipack and weekend edition on the way. Want to do the sharkmouth and a soviet scheme. Looked into buying overtrees from Eduard, was going to cost about £20. The profipack was cheaper!

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