Arma Hobby NEW 1:72 P-39Q Airacobra

[TheKinksFan]

2 hours ago, RunRookieRun said:

All sounding great so far. Mailman needs to hurry up.

Did you order yours direct from AH? My package is now in Helsinki, if all goes well I might get it tomorrow. Probably not 😞. 

Edited October 13, 2022 by TheKinksFan

[RunRookieRun]

20 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

Did you order yours direct from AH? My package is now in Helsinki, if all goes well I might get it tomorrow. Probably not 😞. 

I did indeed. Parcel left Poland yesterday, so expecting it to show in Swedish customs today and hopefully delivery tomorrow.

[TheKinksFan]

I just weighded the balls of steel that come with the kit. They weigh 1.8 grams, it's truly remarkable that there's no need for more nose weight. The Academy kit requires 7 grams, almost 4 times more. 

[112 Squadron]

7 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

I just weighded the balls of steel that come with the kit. They weigh 1.8 grams, it's truly remarkable that there's no need for more nose weight. The Academy kit requires 7 grams, almost 4 times more. 

 

If you add the cost for decent weight for the Academy kit such as the scale aircraft conversion weight and gear that is currently available for GBP 10.83 @ Hannants the price for this kit is already higher. In addition, the quality of Academy decals is usually below average. So this also drives up the price of the supposedly cheap kit. If you want to add features such as a more accurate wheelbay and a detailed cockpit you may even end up paying a price that is considerably higher than the Arma Hobby kit.  The same goes for the RS Model kits. They deserve credit for covering all the subvariants of the P-39 and their decals are nice but there is still some investment in aftermarket stuff required to create a detailed model that is not resting on its tail.

 

Of course, there will always be cheaper options in 1/72 scale available such as the Hobby Boss kit and some people may be willing to trade off a higher price against other disadvantages. However, I would not be able to accept a result like this for a lower price:

 

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by 112 Squadron

[RunRookieRun]

13 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

I just weighded the balls of steel that come with the kit. They weigh 1.8 grams, it's truly remarkable that there's no need for more nose weight. The Academy kit requires 7 grams, almost 4 times more. 

1,8 in total? As in 0,6 each?

 

That is surprisingly low. Shows how much correct placement matters.

[TheKinksFan]

57 minutes ago, RunRookieRun said:

1,8 in total? As in 0,6 each?

 

That is surprisingly low. Shows how much correct placement matters.

Yes, 1.8 g in total. I weighed three stainless steel balls for paint stirring, they weigh 1.6 g. So these are just a fraction bigger. I'm speculating that maybe there's so much more detail and plastic on the front end of the AH kit, that this partly explains why there's no need for more weight. The Academy kit is pretty bare there.

[TheKinksFan]

13 hours ago, 112 Squadron said:

Of course, there will always be cheaper options in 1/72 scale available such as the Hobby Boss kit and some people may be willing to trade off a higher price against other disadvantages.

Warning: there are some prices ahead, but I'm not really complaining. Not about the manufacturer's prices at least.

The Academy kits are not readily available, but you can find them second hand. I just checked on ebay, I'm shocked by the exorbitant prices, the highest price was 34,60€. For an Academy P-39, that's just so greedy, I don't know if I should cry or laugh. I'm at the moment trying to sell an Eduard 1/48 P-39Q, Eduard 3D decals, and Pmasks included, for measly 19€. For clarification, on a Finnish modelling forum, not here.

I just built two of the Academy kits, MPM re-boxes from 2017, fortunately with Czech decals which settle nicely. MPM kits are not available anymore. So it leaves the Hobby Boss kits and the RS Models kits.

On Mojehobby.pl the RS Models P-39Qcosts for me (Finnish 24% VAT) 99.50 PLN (about 18£) and the Arma Hobby kit 105.90 PLN (19.20£). Case closed.

 

There are not so many of these kind of high quality 1/72 kits from durable metal moulds, that have been released in the 2010s. Most of the kits are made with short run technology, and although the surface detail can be good, often the building process is not very enjoyable, the instructions are vague and poor, the engineering is the same as it was in the 1960s, only difference is that the fit is most often poorer.

 

So these kind of 1/72 kits that Arma Hobby releases are something that I treasure. For instance the engineering of the horizontal stabilizers is brilliant, and should become standard for all kits, if possible to implement. It's easy to take these kind of things for granted, and not fully appreciate them. You can see that real modellers were behind innovations like these. They didn't do it the old basic way, but want really to improve the product.

 

Like already mentions on this thread, when buying from AH, we are not just getting a good kit, but we also funding a smaller company to continue designing and releasing good quality kits. It's not like buying let's say a Revell or an Italeri kit , you are not gonna get anything else than the plastic in your hand.

[Tbolt]

I got my copy today and it's a beautiful looking kit, at £23 not cheap but it's just in a completely different league to other 1/72nd P-39 kits.

 

My plan to still build the Academy kit has now changed and I would rather buy another Arma kit or two, even if it means turning the heating down another degree to be able to afford them 

[GioCare]

The only competitor for the Arma P39 is the RS kit. These two kits are accurate, or better, the better accurate rendition available in 1/72 of the real aircraft. All others are simply so inaccurate that can be relegate to the "caricature" world ...even if not "the egg line" ! In this caricature line is included the P39 Academy and rebox of this same kit.  So why spending less for something that is not an accurate scale rendition and it is a caricature? Academy and Arma can not be compared.

   

[ruudster]

The Arma P-39Q is a beautifully molded kit.  I expect it is well engineered too (like their P-51B/C).  I'm very happy that i bought it.  It is not without it's flaws though.  It is designed to be used for many different versions but the instructions don't mention what to change (ie, you cover up the .30 shell ejector holes on the bottom of the wing, unless you leave the outer .5 off).  Over on 72nd Scale Aircraft Forum there is a thread that talks about the changes you need to make.

[VMA131Marine]

5 hours ago, GioCare said:

The only competitor for the Arma P39 is the RS kit. These two kits are accurate, or better, the better accurate rendition available in 1/72 of the real aircraft. All others are simply so inaccurate that can be relegate to the "caricature" world ...even if not "the egg line" ! In this caricature line is included the P39 Academy and rebox of this same kit.  So why spending less for something that is not an accurate scale rendition and it is a caricature? Academy and Arma can not be compared.

   

It’s possible to make something of the Heller kit although clearly it doesn’t compare to the Arma or RS kits in terms of detail. It can be had fairly cheaply however.

 

[Tbolt]

18 hours ago, ruudster said:

The Arma P-39Q is a beautifully molded kit.  I expect it is well engineered too (like their P-51B/C).  I'm very happy that i bought it.  It is not without it's flaws though.  It is designed to be used for many different versions but the instructions don't mention what to change (ie, you cover up the .30 shell ejector holes on the bottom of the wing, unless you leave the outer .5 off).  Over on 72nd Scale Aircraft Forum there is a thread that talks about the changes you need to make.

 

Quite a bit of work then based on that thread unfortunately. I probably won't do all the corrections but at least I've found out what the intake on the fuselage is for. Intreseting about the sink marks on thr wing to body fairing, my copy shows no evidence of this.

[alt-92]

Yep. Agree with the Heller still cleaning up nicely for a raised-detail kit.

[ruudster]

4 hours ago, Tbolt said:

 

Quite a bit of work then based on that thread unfortunately. I probably won't do all the corrections but at least I've found out what the intake on the fuselage is for. Intreseting about the sink marks on thr wing to body fairing, my copy shows no evidence of this.

Ja.  Depends on which version you are building too i guess.  Still it is a little surprising considering how accurate their P-51B/C and Wildcats (Hurricanes too?) are.  Still happy i have one.  I'll probably keep it at one.  Now to wait for their P-51D/K.

[GROWLER]

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/72nd_aircraft/p-39-late-versions-n-q-from-ah-if-you-are-not-goin-t12710.html

[Navy Bird]

Wonder why the guy chose that particular screen name?

 

Cheers,

Bill

[HKR]

25 minutes ago, Navy Bird said:

Wonder why the guy chose that particular screen name?

 

This is me. The history of this nickname is very long, I chose it, so to speak, naturally and from lack of ideas. Hence my nickname here, HKR is simply an abbreviation of that one.
Once, a long time ago, I dared to criticize a model of a certain company (no, it wasn't AH!) and since the criticism was legitimate its representative commented that showing mistakes in their company's models kills our hobby. In a nutshell, I became the killer of an entire industry. I thought that this is such abstract thinking that it is suitable to immortalize, hence the nickname.

[GROWLER]

Ha! There is a similar story with my nickname)) Only in the store I criticized the Su-25 1/72 model from Zvezda .. And they told me that you should be happy that they made at least one like this!😁

[Navy Bird]

2 hours ago, HKR said:

In a nutshell, I became the killer of an entire industry.

 

As I look around at all the available kits, the number of manufacturers, the short run guys, the aftermarket industry, new technologies like 3D printing, etc. - I'd have to say you did a lousy job. If that's killing the industry, pat yourself on the back. And keep it coming!   

 

Cheers,

Bill

[klr]

On 11/8/2022 at 5:25 PM, alt-92 said:

Yep. Agree with the Heller still cleaning up nicely for a raised-detail kit.

... and it also has the option of a four-bladed propeller. I have one in the stash, and no way am I selling it.

[fightersweep]

1 hour ago, klr said:

... and it also has the option of a four-bladed propeller. I have one in the stash, and no way am I selling it.

 

Same here. Got three or four Heller P-39s in the stash. Not Arma Hobby quality, but a damn fine kit for it's age. Still holds up well enough for my purposes.

[Ed Russell]

All of the kits produced so far look more like Airacobras than Spitfires but there is quite a variation in shapres. It is not easy to find accurate plans. Based on a day spent measuring the one that used to live in Adelaide, the RS is the most accurate here and I believe it is very close to the Arma one.

Compare for yourself!

[TheKinksFan]

Yahu Models have released their P-39Q IP for the kit. YMA7342, in addition to the IP, there's other bits, placards and such.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/yahu-models-yma7342-p-39q-airacobra-late--1454534

[Redboost]

Postman just delivered this double beauty just in time to start the first project in 2023! The choice of the ‘Hells Bell’ is obvious, finally without the S in the Bell word. 

 

 

[Missick]

13 hours ago, Redboost said:

Postman just delivered this double beauty just in time to start the first project in 2023! The choice of the ‘Hells Bell’ is obvious, finally without the S in the Bell word. 

 

 

Well,  comon!! You should have finished the cockpit by now? 

Great boxing,  54euros 🤔