Hasegawa

1/48 P-39Q/N Airacobra

Kit Number: 09093

Reviewed by  Ken Green, IPMS# 44888

MSRP: $31.50 This is the kind of kit that you dream about building and reviewing. As a kid growing up during WWII I always liked and admired the Bell Airacobra. With its sleek lines and classic looks it easily is a favorite among many airplane enthusiasts, which is why so many kit makers have made a model of it. The last version I made was the Monogram Pro-modeler version with an aftermarket resin cockpit detail kit and previously I made the 1:72 Revell and Academy versions. This Hasegawa kit is a beaut ( I didn't do the Eduard or Accurate Miniature ones). There is no need to go into a long detailed history of the P-39 in beginning this review, that is what the books and publications are for and this is a kit review. I will say though, that not only is the Airacobra one of my favorite planes but it is also a favorite of my hero, Chuck Yeager. On page 88 of his book "Yeager", Chuck states "I had 500 hours in the Thirty-Nine and thought it was the best airplane I ever flew". It doesn't get any better than that when it comes to an opinion! At the start it is best to select the version that you wish to do. There are three (3) offered, two (2) "Q" versions and an "N" version. I selected the P-39N version since it it isn't so common. The selected version is important as all through the construction there are many choices to make regarding the version chosen. I can't emphasize enough the importance of reading (I mean really reading) all the instructions. I didn't and it caused me to miss a throttle quadrant that is both very small and it attached to the inside if the fuselage and NOT the cockpit assembly. Fortunately this kit has the cockpit so dripping in detail that the missing quadrant isn't all that noticeable. Before even opening the box, we see a very nice picture (suitable for framing) of a pair of Airacobras in flight. The picture isn't all that big, but it is very well done, with no printing or markings over it. After opening the box and examining the sprues my eyes locked in on a small part that I recognized right off the bat. It looked like a rod shaped piece of sprue but I said out loud "holy cow this is the drive shaft". Sure enough it was the long shaft that runs from the rear mounted engine, under the floor in the cockpit to the reduction gear box in the nose. It is visible from the opened nose wheel doors. No other kit to my knowledge has ever included or shown this part. The cockpit is a wealth of detail (no aftermarket kits needed here) and is not hidden from view as the Airacobra is a car door plane offering a super view of the entire cockpit. There is one (1) nice feature, the instrument panel. There are three (3) choices here. First is to paint the panel flat black and dry brush in white the raised detail. This is the method I chose. The next two (2) choices are to sand the raised detail off making the panel smooth. A decal is offered in black and white to finish the panel. The other is to paint the sanded panel black and a decal showing only the instruments in white. The instructions do a nice job of calling out all the colors used in the cockpit. The forward part of the fuselage, in my opinion is done right. Interior detail is left out making room for the necessary nose weight required. This feature, along with the wealth of detail on the underside of the fuselage, is truly worthy of notice in this fine kit. The wing assembly has some nice features as well. Where there are guns in the leading edge (the "N") version or none as in the "Q" version, Hasegawa uses inserts. This includes the air intakes in the leading edge at the wing roots. This eliminates filling in gaps in delicate places by using inserts. The wing wheel wells are super in detail. I only wish I could remember that no matter what the instructions say, the pitot tube is the LAST piece that is installed on any model! Some nice features with the landing gear are; -- Separate wheel hubs make for easy painting and nice looking wheels. -- Keyed wheels to the landing gear help in aligning flattened wheels. Two (2) items that in my opinion could be improved upon (and believe me in this kit it was hard to find something not to like) are: -- A gap between the upper wing surface and the fuselage. However in this case this period type of aircraft there is a generous wing fillet with a walkway on the wing so the gap isn't all that noticeable when finished. -- The other is a bit of a problem. In an effort to reduce the number of small decals (data) Hasegawa has joined together 3 or 4 at a time. This leaves a long clear strip between each data item. In final finishing (dull cote spraying) the clear strips show up very pronounced. Since the decal surface is different from any applied paint it can't be hidden. My advice is to cut each data decal out separately and apply. This means a lot more work but it will eliminate the tell-tale clear strip after finishing. All in all, this is a beautiful kit of a beautiful plane. Buy one and see.

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