Revell

1/48 Bell P-39 Airacobra

Kit Number: 5255

Reviewed by  Fred A Amos, IPMS# 6672

MSRP: $15.95 Website: www.revell.com This model kit dates back to 1969 when it was initially released by the Monogram Company. It was a very good kit in its day, and time has not totally diminished that quality. Even by today’s standards it is still a good kit, albeit it is not a Hasegawa or Eduard kit. And the price reflects that. I can recall having built it twice way back when my model building talents were just a little less than what they are today. It’s biggest draw back then was keeping the nose wheel planted on the ground due to a lack of space for weight in the nose. The kit was produced in 1983 as a Pro-Modeler kit with the addition of under wing guns, a couple of figures, and a few recessed panel lines. That appears to be this kit that Revell has released. There is some interior detailing of the gun bay in the nose and what would pass for the engine but they are best not shown open. The only place where any filler was needed was where the lower wing meets the fuselage at the trailing edge. The kit molding hasn’t suffered too badly over the years; there is some flash on the wing tips and some of the smaller parts. With a little sanding and test fitting you won’t be disappointed in the finished model. The clear parts are still very crisp and clear. The decals offer three different choices of markings. The decals are very sharp and in perfect registry although a little thick. I used the decal for the instrument panel and applied Champ decal solvent to it to no avail. It would not pull it down so I finally pulled it off and painted the panel black. The decals set down well on the model but were pretty hard to get to settle down on the details. When building the kit I strongly suggest you put as much weight in the nose as possible. After the fuselage is closed up you can cram some very small pieces of the weights of your choice in the nose wheel well or you can use the rod provided on the clear parts sprue to prop up the back end. After I had used as much weight as I could it was only when I put the propeller on that the nose wheel would touch the surface. In conclusion this was still an enjoyable build and I can recommend this kit to any young or new modeler. My thanks to the Revell Company for providing the kit to the IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps. Be sure to visit Revell’s web site at www.revell.com.