Russian P-39Q Airacobra questions

[Oriskany]

Hi guys,

i'm looking for some information regarding one of my next project, a Russian P-39Q from Bella Eduard's limited edition.

1) Does anyone have pictures about radio installation in the back of the cockpit? I can't findd any pic on the net.

2) Did they  used 50. cal gun pods on their Q version airframes?
I think it was not common, they prefered to use only nose mounted guns to improve aircraft agility, but i'm not sure  they never used the pods.

Thanks in advance
Dario

Edited August 29, 2019 by Oriskany

[Graham Boak]

Try here.  http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/board/index.php?board=50.0

[Troy Smith]

1 hour ago, Oriskany said:

i'm looking for some information regarding one of my next project, a Russian P-39Q from Bella Eduard's limited edition.

The schemes in the kit are based on the work of this chap, Michal Sekula, 

http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/lendlease/p-39/p-39.html

with the photos he based the profiles on, plus the reasons why he think the profile looks like it does, well worth a read.  

 

1 hour ago, Oriskany said:

Does anyone have pictures about radio installation in the back of the cockpit? I can't findd any pic on the net.

https://www.scalenews.de/bell-p-39-airacobra-walkaround-44/

it a restored airframe, looks to be in a Russian museum, 

 

there is a walkround of a salvaged  p-39 here

there are a couple of pics of the radio at the end

https://lend-lease.net/gallery-en/p39q-airacobra/

 

 

HTH

[Oriskany]

thanks both guys!!
very useful material, i have a lot to read next days😀

[Troy Smith]

21 hours ago, Oriskany said:

i have a lot to read next days

this is well worth a read, but there are 16 pages,  http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/board/index.php?topic=1714.0

 

as it has many photos and the process used to arrive at the profiles I linked above. 

I personally have found it fascinating the "join up the dots" process,  where for example

a photo of showing the units markings, and then allows a deduction to another know photo.  

 

cheers

T

[Antti_K]

Hello Oriskany,

 

we have one "Red Star" P-39Q in original condition here in Finland. I have quite a lot of photos of her but unfortunately not a single one showing radio installation.

 

I also conducted some colour research as the paints are original.

 

 

 

I can post more pictures if you consider them as useful.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[Oriskany]

Hi Antti

 

I consider your pictures extremely useful and i think they will be appreciated by others forum members too.

Very interesting different use of interior green and yellow on the undercarriage bay

 

[72modeler]

Antti,

 

If you could post photos of the nose gear and nose wheel bay, I would be ever so grateful! Noticed that some of the stiffeners in the wheel bay were a different shade of chromate primer, and also think the gear strut and inner fairing door might be in Bell Green, which was their supplier's version of interior green- used on gear struts, cockpit, and inner surfaces of gear doors. You are so lucky to be able to see so many unrestored aircraft up close and personal! Kivaa paivaa! (Or as close as I can come!)

Mike

[Antti_K]

Hello guys,

 

some more photos of the Airacobra. As I mentioned she carries the original US paint work. The only exceptions are the silver coloured tail and the belly area between MLGs.

 

 

Airacobra is towed from the storage to the workshop for conservation. The sledge is the original one used in the summer of 1944 when the aircraft was evacuated from the landing site. The tractor is from the 1970s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope these help🙂

 

Cheers,

Antti

 

 

[fubar57]

Some great detail shots Antti. Thank you.

 

 

George

[72modeler]

1 hour ago, fubar57 said:

Some great detail shots Antti. Thank you.

 

 

George

Yes! Thank you so  much- especially the nose gear assembly and wheel bay. You can sure see the panels the Soviets fitted that had a thicker skin than the originals around and aft of the engine bay. I had no idea that there was an issue with the rear fuselage twisting until I read your post and read the report that described the fixes that were applied to the Airacobras that they received. 👍

Mike

[Oriskany]

Thanks again Antti, very nice pics with a lot of details.

18 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

 You can sure see the panels the Soviets fitted that had a thicker skin than the originals around and aft of the engine bay.

 

It is interesting that this airframe lacks some of these reinforced plates, clearly visible on Baranovsky's aircraft 

[spitfire]

Great photographs, thank you very much for taking the time to post them.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Troy Smith]

more on the Airacobra in Finland here

A little aside on the Finnish Airacobra 

 

this USED to be on the museum website.... I refound  it via the wayback machine

Quote

Answers to the "Frequently Asked Questions", by museum staff

We have been asked whether the paint of our Airacobra, currently under restoration, has been changed since the artistic brush marks of its Russian painter.


We have been asked whether the paint of our Airacobra, currently under restoration, has been changed since the artistic brush marks of its Russian painter. The paint of the P-39Q under restoration has not been touched. 

But... Soviet paint is not characterized by utmost permanence. This is a common feature in quite a few Soviet phenomena, and after all, the whole state collapsed. So is there so much to wonder about if something falls off the surface of an airplane in a forced landing and in the ensuing shock? In addition, the slippery capitalists have used such a paint that the standard eastern paint has not quite stuck to it in the planned manner. 

The museum's aim is to preserve as much original as possible, in other words, we try to maintain the guise in which the aircraft made its forced landing at P?tsinsuo in Yl?-Uuksu on 16th June, 1944. To be more precise, the fuselage made. The wings were attached to one of the two aircraft which landed at Pikkusuo in Inkeroinen, quite close to the famous FAF BF 109 base, Kymi. 

 

Still makes me chuckle...   

 

[Antti_K]

Gentlemen, you are most welcome🙂

 

I was earlier talking about the green colour in gear bays with Mike. I was confused because the colour doesn't match with "Interior Green"; it is more "pure" green and also darker. Mike then suggested that this colour could be known as "Bell Green". The correct shade (using the Swedish NCS colour standard) is: S7020-G70Y (closest FS equivalent 34097). Olive Drab is S7005-G80Y and closest FS equivalent 36134. It was VERY interesting to note last week that RAF Dark Green (as observed on a Folland Gnat fighter) is also S7005-G80Y! Neutral Gray is S5502-B (FS 36270; the actual colour is however clearly darker).

 

Mike: I feel lucky indeed as last week I rode in DC-3 for an hour and then I was able to examine a MiG-3 in original Soviet paint, the remains of a SAAB B17A and confirmed that the Finnish AF Dark Green used in "War Paint" scheme is perfectly re-produced by Lifecolour.

 

Some more photos:

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Antti

 

[Oriskany]

Thanks Antti for color references, i use Gunze paints and there are correct items, green H340 and grey H306, but a lot of different shades will be required during paint work due to modifications, insigna changes and heavy weathering effects on these planes🙂

 

[Oriskany]

1 hour ago, Troy Smith said:

more on the Airacobra in Finland here

A little aside on the Finnish Airacobra 

 

this USED to be on the museum website.... I refound  it via the wayback machine

 

Still makes me chuckle...   

 

Thanks Troy

[Troy Smith]

12 hours ago, Oriskany said:

heavy weathering effects on these planes

Many never lasted long enough to get heavily weathered, the plane in the Finnish museum was in storage for many years,  and is a bit faded, though original.

the US paint was good quality, 

note the conditions of wrecks pulled out of lakes....

 

 

so, as always, refer to photos.    In this case. you might want for colour shots of other allied nations using the P-39, as you won't find VVS colour.

 

 

stained, some fading

 

faded trainers in the USA

 

the exhaust stains are for long range low power flight,  combat setting give black brown deposits.

 

HTH

 

[Oriskany]

Thanks Troy, very appreciated pics

I will start the kit in the next days, when i'll have done some work i'll open a WIP in dedicated section.

I didn't chose final livery right now, i'm attracted by Baranovsky's aircraft or F color scheme from the box, grey-blue aircraft from 212 GIAP

[AaCee26]

On 8/29/2019 at 8:02 PM, Antti_K said:

some more photos of the Airacobra. As I mentioned she carries the original US paint work. The only exceptions are the silver coloured tail and the belly area between MLGs.

Hi all,

 

Might be worth a note that this arframe has fuselage from one, wings from another and fin and rudder from third Airacobra. Wings, fuselage and horizontal tail parts are in oroginal colours, Antti mentioned part of the repainted parts which include also df-loop which was destroyed in the belly landing.

 

It is currently displayed in the AA-museum at Hyrylä near Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

 

Cheers,

 

AaCee