Build Review – Academy P-39N/Q Airacobra (2177) – Part 1

Following my earlier post on the somewhat vintage Airfix P-39Q I decided to start my to do list with Academy’s 1:72 scale offering.

Upon opening the box you immediately see that this is a much more detailed kit, a vast improvement of Airfix’s offering, but given the years between them that is to be expected. I really like Academy’s kits, provided they get the shape of the aircraft right, they provide some affordable and nicely detailed kits. I think they stack up really well compared to the more expensive Tamiya and Hasegawa kits in this scale.

So back to the kit, this one offers two options, a USAAF P-39Q or a Soviet P-39N, both from 1944. This means you’ll have to decide which version you wish do before beginning construction as there are differences in the gun layout between them. I however decided to use the Soviet markings from the Airfix kit and make the correct P-39N that kit doesn’t allow you to make. This version also gives you the option of opening one of the cockpit doors and doing a bit of interior detailing. I like a challenge so I decided to add the Eduard photo etch set (SS130) to the kit. 

To begin with I started with the cockpit, a simple floor with a rear panel and nice rear window, something which I didn’t expect to be included at this scale.

The instrument panel from the kit was replaced with a photo etched one with a transparency to create the dials. A bit fiddly to stick together but well worth the effort. Lead weight was added behind the panel, plenty of weight is going to be required to prevent this from being a tail sitter.

Painting was mostly done with Citadel paints. For green interiors I use a mix of Kharloc Green and Gretchin Green from the previous incarnation of Citadel’s foundation paints (before they renamed them all last year).

Finally Eduard’s seatbelts we added, I somehow misplaced one of the lap belts (it’s probably stuck to the cat’s foot) and so had to make a replacement from masking tape. Apart from that no real dramas, this is looking like a good build.

So far, highly recommended!

Vintage Kit Build #1 - The Worst Kit You'll Ever Build?

I’m going to start by saying I have fond memories of Airfix kits, I grew up making them. So imagine my surprise when I found out that this kit was exactly one of those kits I built as a child, it hadn’t changed! By today’s standards it’s a really bad kit, much as I like a bit of nostalgia I have to wonder why kits like this aren’t retired.

I would imagine that given its pric of £5.99 (I actually got mine for £1.99 a few months ago) it would be picked up by novices and I have to wonder how many would continue with the hobby after trying to build something like this. Airfix are producing wonderful kits with their recent releases (some of which we’ll be looking at soon) and I feel it’s such a shame for the brand if someone chooses this one and misses out on one of the others.

So what is it like? It’s basic, really basic. The cockpit consists of just a seat, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue given the thickness of the clear parts, you’ll never see inside this one.

The fit is deplorable, the base of the tail just doesn’t exist and so you’ll be sculpting it yourself. The wheel wells seem to contain plastic wedges which are presumably there to support the ill-fitting wheel covers should you choose to do an in-flight version. Add to this an instruction sheet that fails to mention adding weights to the nose to prevent it becoming a tail-sitter and the landing gear down  option is an equal recipe for disaster.

Next up, the marking options. The box clearly shows a P-39N (with guns mounted in the wing, not below as they were in the P-39Q). The marking diagrams also clearly show two options for a P-39N but the parts are for a P-39Q. I think this lack of attention to detail is just unforgivable.

 

Now despite this I’m not going to completely right off this kit, the decals look to be good quality and the colour schemes are interesting if you want to attempt a P-39N conversion. If you want a basic but inaccurate build straight out of the box then it can be done.

 

Mine will be pressed into service in my "Experimental"s, a special unit whose duties will include being painted and stripped, over and over. A task this one will perform admirably, I’m sure.

About My Reviews

Over the years I've accumulated many models and now I've returned to the hobby I continue to buy more. And more. My past experience is that some get built, some get binned (some get binned and then taken out of the bin and given the second chance), some are a pleasure to build and others seem like a curse.  One of purposes of this blog is to share my experiences of models that I buy and those I already own through reviews; after all in this day and age many of us like to check out the internet before we buy.

To start with I’m going to say all my reviews are going to be independent. For dependent ones please check out the adverts of various companies! All kits are going to be reviewed and compared to what is available to hobbyists today and with the view that the kit is meant to be built.There will be a mix of in-box and build reviews, the review title will let you know which is which.

Next is the issue of accuracy. I’m not going to get out the slide rule and a set of authentic plans and begin counting rivets when it comes to aircraft and vehicles. We’re fortunate enough to have the choice these days between how detailed we want our models to be. I appreciate some of us want simple fun builds, others want super detailed models that pass as the real thing. With this in mind I’ll take the view that a kit is a foundation on which a modelling project can be built.

Now I'm guessing you would like to know how exactly I am going to rate the kits? To make it easy for everyone, every kit will be rated from 0 ( meaning "why did anyone even bother to produce this one?") to 5 (5 being the highest) and will be based on the following:

• Build – The ease with which a kit can be built and how well it fits, how good are the instructions. Basically, less filler equals a higher score. 
• Detail & accuracy – Is it an accurate representation of what it's meant to be? Does it give you different build options?
• Decals – Again the ease with which the decals can be applied (not all kits have decals so obviously this applies only to those that do). 

So with all that in mind, I’m sure you’re all looking forward to our first review which will follow this post soon.

The to do list

So a quick look at my to do list for the rest of the year.

This lot comes courtesy of Academy Hobby Model Kits, (and my wallet), all in 1/72 scale, all Second World War aircraft.

First up is the P-39Q/N kit. I'd like to do this one in a VVS (Soviet) colour scheme as Soviet aircraft from this time is an area of particular interest to me. Second will be a P-51B Mustang, I'm undecided between a well known USAAF scheme or a lesser known RAF (Polish) version. Truth is, if the build goes well, I'll probably end up getting another one and doing both.

After those two comes the F6F-3/5 Hellcat kit, typical US Navy colours but by then I figure it'll be fun to paint something different than Olive Drab. And rounding up I hope to finish with the infamous Hans-Ulrich Rudel's JU87G-1 Stuka and a bare metal P-47D Thunderbolt.

Plenty to be getting on with and of course they'll all be appearing here as work progresses.