P-39L/N

US WWII FIGHTER 1:48 SCALE PLASTIC KIT

8066

intro
The P-39 Airacobra was developed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation in Buffalo, New York in the late 30's. The first XP-39 prototype had its maiden flight on April the 6th, 1939 in Dayton, where it reached a maximum speed of 628km/h at 6100 m, climbing to that height in only 5 minutes. The XP-39 had a very good flight performance, and specifically, good manoeuvrability thanks its original concept of airframe, with its Alison V-1710-17 1150 HP supercharged engine located in its centre of gravity. This engine location also gave the aircraft a long, slim nose well suited for installation of a powerful weapon. The USAAF ordered a test series of 12 YP-39s on April the 27th, but before the series was finished the project was significantly changed. Because of supercharger troubles, the original engine was replaced by a less powerful Alison V-1710-37 without a supercharger, and just 1090 HP. The YP-39 had an engine-axis Oldsmobile T-9 cal. 37mm cannon, two .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns and two .30 calibre (7.62mm) machine guns mounted in the nose. The pilot seat got some armour, but the weight was increased to 3160 kg against 2820kg of the prototype. Because of these changes the maximum speed was decreased to 590 km/h and climb to 6100m now took 7.5 minutes. Although the excellent prototype flight performances were decreased, the Air force didn't loose interest and ordered 80 production P-39Cs. The first 20 of these were supplied as standard P-39Cs and the remaining 60 were finished as P-39Ds, with the two .30 calibre (7.62mm) machine guns moved to the wings and two more .30 calibre (7.62mm) machine guns were added to the same location. The USAAF received its first P-39Ds in February 1941, and the next order for 344 P-39D's was placed at this time. The British RAF ordered 675 P-39's in April 1940. British Airacobra Mk.I's were produced in P-39D standard, but with the engine-axis canon replaced with a British Hispano M1 20mm cannon and the wing machine guns were replaced with 7.7mm Browning's. The first Airacobra Mk.I's were received in July 1941, but the RAF was disappointed, when it was found that they were not suitable for service in the European war theatre. In October 1941 four Mk.I's were tested by 601 Squadron in the ground attack role over occupied France, Airacobras were withdrawn from service and 212 RAF Airacobra Mk.I's were send to Soviet Union. When the USA came into the war, the USAAF confiscated 179 Airacobras from the British order on the production line. They were re-designated P-400, and served in the Pacific. All P-400's have 12 exhaust pipes on each side of the engine, and this was the major difference from the P-39D series. The next block of aircraft, also with 12 exhaust pipes, were 229 aircraft of the P-39F series, and after them came the P-39K series (210 aircraft), P-39L (250 aircraft), P-39M (240 aircraft) and P-39N (2095 aircraft). All these four series were very similar, using various engines, propellers and other equipment. The final version was the P-39Q with an Allison V-1710-85 engine (1420 HP), and the main difference was the installation of two .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns in under-wing pods instead of the four .30 calibre (7.62mm) wing mounted machine guns in the older series. Most of the 4905 Q series aircraft were sent to Soviet Union. Production was ceased in August 1944, after the final Airacobra, number 9558, was finished. The USAAF employed Airacobras extensively until August 1944, when they were withdrawn from front line service. The USAAF used the largest number of Airacobras, 2105 of all types, in February 1944. They served in the Pacific theatre, as well as in North Africa and Italy. In total 4758 Airacobras were sent to Russia (actually 4924, but 166 aircraft were lost during transport) where they were very popular for their solid metal airframe and heavy weapons. The French Air Force had 165 Airacobras, and P-39's also served with the Australian RAAF, the Italian AF and the Portuguese AF. After the war a number of Airacobras were employed in civilian service and used for air races.

vodem
P-39 Airacobra byl vyvinut spolenost Bell Aircraft Corp. z Buffala ve druh polovin tictch let. Prototyp XP-39 absolvoval svj prvn let 6.4.1939 v Daytonu, kde doshl maximln rychlosti 628 km/h ve vce 6100m. Na tuto vku vystoupal za pouhch 5 minut. XP-39 ml velmi dobr letov vlastnosti, mimo jin i dky sv originln konstrukci, kdy turbokompresorem vybaven motor Alison V-1710-17 o vkonu 1150 k byl umstn v titi letounu, v trupu za kabinou. Toto umstn motoru tak uvolnilo p pro instalaci siln vzbroje. 27.dubna USAF objednalo zkuebn srii 12 YP-39, ale ped jejm dokonenm byl projekt vznamn upraven. Pro pote s turbokompresorem byl pvodn motor nahrazen motorem Alison V-1710-37 bez turbokompresoru, dvajcm jen 1090 k. Mezi bloky vlc byl namontovn kanon Oldsmobile T-9 re 37mm, stlejc dutm hdelem vrtule, do pd byly instalovny dva kulomety re 12,7 mm a dva re 7,7 mm. Pilotovo sedadlo dostalo pancovn, ale hmotnost vzrostla na 3160kg oproti 2820kg prototypu. Rychlost poklesla na 590 km/h a vstup na 6100m nyn trval 7,5 minuty. Pestoe vkony stroje poklesly, USAAF neztratilo zjem a objednalo 80 produknch P-39C. Z nich bylo 20 dodno skuten jako P-39C, zbylch 60 pak bylo upraveno na standard verze D, se dvma kulomety re 12,7 mm v pdi a tymi kulomety re 7,62 instalovanmi v kdle. USAAF dostalo sv prvn P-39D v noru 1941 a objednalo dach 344 kus. Britov objednali v dubnu 1940 675 Airacober. Byly dodny v ervnu 1941. Odpovdaly verzi D upraven podle britskch poadavk. Kanon Oldsmobile byl nahrazen kanonem Hispano M1 re 20 mm, a kdeln kulomety byly britsk Browning re 7,7 mm. RAF testovalo tyi Airacobry Mk.I v bojovch podmnkch u 601.squadrony v jnu 1941(kde si je vyzkoueli i nkte s.piloti), ale byli zklamni jejich vkony. Zbylch 212 Airacober Mk.I pak bylo poslno do Ruska a pedno sovtskmu letectvu. Po vstupu USA do vlky, 179 britskch Airacober bylo konfiskovno na vrobn lince. Stroje byly oznaeny P-400 a bojovaly vtinou v Pacifiku. Vechny P-400 mly 12 vfukovch ntrubk na kad stran motoru, co je jejich hlavn rozliovac znak od P-39D.V dodvkch nsledoval blok 229 letadel verze P-39F, tak s 12 vfukovmi ntrubky, po nm pak verze P-39K (210 letadel), P-39L (250 letadel), P-39M (240 letadel) a velk blok 2095 letadel verze P-39N. Vechny tyi tyto srie si byly velmi podobn, pouvaly rzn motory, vrtule a dal vybaven. Posledn a nejrozenj verz byla verze P-39Q, vybaven motorem Alison V-1710-85 o vkonu 1420 k. Jej nejvtm vnjm rozdlem oproti pedchozm verzm bylo nahrazen ty kdelnch kulomet dvma kulomety re 12,7 mm, instalovanch v gondolkch pod kdly. Vtina z 4905 P-39Q byla dodna do Sovtskho svazu. Produkce byla ukonena v srpnu 1944 po dokonen posledn, 9558. Airacobry. USAAF pouvalo Airacobry v prvn linii do srpna 1944, kdy byly staeny z frontov sluby. Nejvce Airacober, celkem 2105 letadel vech verz, mlo USAAF ve slub v noru 1944. Slouily v Pacifiku, v severn Africe, Itlii i na domcch zkladnch. Celkem 4758 (4924, ale 166 bylo ztraceno bhem pepravy) Airacober bylo dodno Sovtskmu svazu. V sovtskm letectvu byly Airacobry velmi populrn pro jejich robustn konstrukci a silnou vzbroj. Francouzsk letecvo mlo 165 Airacober rznch verz, a P-39 byly v mench potech pouvny i letectvy Austrlie, Itlie a Portugalska. Jeden kus se po vlce vyskytoval i v polskm letectvu. Po vlce byla ada Airacober pouvna v civilnch slubch , mimo jin jako zvodn stroje. Jednu z nich vlastnil nap. Miro Slovak. 8066 - NAV1

ATTENTION

UPOZORNN

ACHTUNG

ATTENTION

Carefully read instruction sheet before assembling. When you use glue or paint, do not use near open flame and use in well ventilated room. Keep out of reach of small children. Children must not be allowed to suck any part, or pull vinyl bag over the head. Ped zapoetm stavby si peliv prostudujte stavebn nvod. Pi pouvn barev a lepidel pracujte v dobe vtran mstnosti. Lepidla ani barvy nepouvejte v blzkosti otevenho ohn. Model nen uren malm dtem, mohlo by dojt k poit drobnch dl.

INSTRUCTION SIGNS

INSTR. SYMBOLY

INSTRUKTION SINNBILDEN

SYMBOLES

OPTIONAL VOLBA

BEND OHNOUT

OPEN HOLE VYVRTAT OTVOR

SYMETRICAL ASSEMBLY SYMETRICK MONT

NOTCH ZEZ

REMOVE ODZNOUT

APPLY EDUARDS MASK AND PAINT POUT EDUARD MASK NABARVIT

PARTS

DLY

TEILE
PLASTIC PARTS

PIECES

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PE - PHOTO ETCHED DETAIL PARTS

-Parts not for use. -Teile werden nicht verwendet. -Pieces a ne pas utiliser. -Tyto dly nepouvejte pi stavb. -

COLOURS
GSi Creos (GUNZE) AQUEOUS H4 H 12 H 13 H 33 H 52 H 53 H 58 H 71 Mr.COLOR 4 33 3 81 12 13 27 21

BARVY

FARBEN
AQUEOUS H 72 Mr.COLOR 369 137 C316 370 Mr.COLOR SUPER METALLIC SM01 Mr.METAL COLOR MC214

PEINTURE
DARK EARTH TIRE BLACK WHITE AZURE BLUE

YELLOW FLAT BLACK RED RUSSET OLIVE DRAB NEUTRAL GRAY INTERIOR GREEN MIDDLE STONE

H 77 H 316

SUPER FINE SILVER

DARK IRON

MC218

ALUMINIUM

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OPEN HOLES IF YOU WANT ADJUST THE BOMB OR FUEL TANK RACK ( SEE PAGE 7 ) VRTAT V PPAD POUIT BOMBY NEBO PDAVN NDRE ( VIZ STRANA 7 )

B20

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C2+C13
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C50+C59
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A P-39N, s/n 4218354, Flown by 345th FS, North Africa / Alghero Airfield, Sardinia, late 1943
This aircraft was probably flown by the CO of the 345th FS Maj. Charles W. Hoover. He led this squadron from August 7 to December 27, 1943. According to squadron documents, he is credited with 1 victories. Hoover downed a Bf 109 G from III./JG77 over Thelepte Air Base on January 15, 1943, but the date of his shared kill is not known. This Airacobra is the only known P-39 with sharksmouth flown in Mediterranean. The squadron's typical marking the yellow stripes on the wings and on the tail, and the two-digit number, are missing. The squadron badge the devil riding a hawk is photographically documented on a few aircraft during the second half of 1943. The white surfaces on the tail and wings were probably intended to change the aircraft silhouette. For a time, this P-39 flew with reduced wing armament.
50
H13 3

H52 12

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41

48
H316 316

H316 316

H53 13

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H4 4 H316 316

H12 33

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40
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H316 316

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H316 316

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H53 13

WHITE YELLOW

H316 316 H4 4

RED

H13 3

NEUTRAL GRAY

H53 13

OLIVE DRAB 12

H52

BLACK

H12 33

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B P-39L, s/n 42-4514, 91st FS / 81st FG, Sidi Ahmed Air Base, Tunisia, September, 1943
This P-39 was manufactured in Olive Drab / Neutral Gray camouflage and the scheme depicted was applied on the aircraft in the United Kingdom. There is no information about the colors used, and the British desert scheme is an assumption on our part. As can be seen in period photos, a dark color was used to repair damaged surfaces. Again, the exact color is not known, but apart of the Olive Drab, some British or captured German or Italian color could have been used. The 81st FG moved to Morocco from the United Kingdom in late 1942 / early 1943. In October, 1943, the unit made its home in Sicilly, and in December of the same year in Italy. In February, 1944, the group was sent to India and re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts.

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H72 C369

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C370

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H4 4

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H52 12

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H71 C21

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H72 C369

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YELLOW

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RED

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AZURE BLUE

C370

MIDDLE STONE

H71 C21

DARK EARTH

H72 C369

OLIVE DRAB

H52 12

BLACK

H12 33

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C P-39N, Flown by Lt. DeVore, 110th TRS/71st TRG, Gusap airfield, New Guinea, spring, 1944
The main task of the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in the period from December 1943 to October 1944 was to support ground forces that fought against Japanese troops in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. The eagle was probably the unofficial squadron badge and was painted on the left cockpit door of most of the squadrons Airacobras. The white tail was a quick identification marking of 5th Air Force single-engined aircraft. It was introduced during mid 1943. This aircraft was previously flown by the 40th FS / 35th FG as can be deduced from the red tail tip.

H13 3

H316 316

H52 12

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H316 316

H53 13

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WHITE CHROME

H316 316
SM01

H53 13
H13 3

RED

NEUTRAL GRAY

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OLIVE DRAB 12

H52

BLACK

H12 33

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D P-39N, Flown by Grigori A. Rechkalov, 16th GIAP, spring 1945

Rechkalovs airplane, especially the one with the nose kill marks, was formerly considered to be an aircraft flown by another Soviet fighter ace, Pokryshkin. The initial letters RGA on the tail confirm that it was flown by Grigori A. Rechkalov. Rechkalov stayed with his regiment through the whole duration of WWII. In July, 1941, when the German armed forces began the war against the Soviet Union, the regiment was known as the 55th IAP. Rechkalov was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union twice on May 24, 1943 and on July 1, 1944. He was credited with 51 individual and 4 shared victories at that time and was appointed the CO of the 16th GIAP. Rechkalovs WWII score consists of 61 individual and 4 shared aerial victories. Many sources state that he flew two Airacobras P-39N 42-8747 and P-39Q 44-2547. The detailed analysis of existing photos suggests the theory that Rechlov flew the P-39N only. The different serial number appeared on this aircraft when the damaged tail unit was repaired using spare parts from the P-39Q.
1
H13 3 H13 3

H52 12

H316 316

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H53 13

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H13 3

H316 316

10 2 9
H52 12
H13 3

H53 13

WHITE CHROME

H316 316
SM01

RED

H13 3

NEUTRAL GRAY

H53 13

OLIVE DRAB 12

H52

BLACK

H12 33

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E P-39N, Flown by Nikolai G. Sobolev, 21st GIAP, April 1943

This aircraft was one of ten P-39Ns that were purchased thanks to the fund-raising efforts of Kristina Shumkova, a collective farmer from Krasnoyar city. These Airacobras were handed over to the 21st GIAP pilots. The exact serial number of this aircraft is not known, but temporary documents state that three P-39Ns were painted with the inscription 'Krasnoyarskiy Komsomolets' 42-9285, 42-9300 and 42-9295. This aircraft was flown by LtCol. Nikolai Sobolev. Sobolev was the CO of the 21st GIAP and the fighter ace is credited with 17 aerial victories (9 individual and 8 shared). He started to fly this aircraft from April 1942 but it was flown by other pilots as well. Sobolev was a member of 21st GIAP (till May 3, 1942 under the designation 38th IAP) from the very first day of WWII. He was appointed flight leader, and in June, 1942 he became the CO of the regiment, in September, 1943 the deputy CO of the 304th IAD and finally he joined the Military Air Academy. Sobolev was forced to leave the Soviet Air Force shortly after the war when the NKVD (military secret service) took an interest in him.
H52 12

11 ? 12 ? 28 13 21 18 ? 19 ? 20 30

H53 13

29

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22 17
SM01

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CHROME

SM01

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H52

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P-39L/N
S5 S14

STENCIL VARIANTS

S23 S23 S30 S40 S23 S34 S12 ? S11 S26 S20 S19 S2 S20 S7 S20 S33
CR HE OW RE N

S38

S35

S24

S11 ? S12 S21

S20 S20 S10 S19 S26 S20

NO

PU

S6 S33

S17 S37 S18 S28 S3 S22 S13 S15 S17

SH

CR HE OW RE N

PU NO

SH

S1 S9 S28 S18

S13

S29
S15
S21
S17 S17

S36 S34

S37 S21

S29 S29 S29

S21

S29 S29 S29 S29 S34 S36

S8

S39 S25

S23 S24 S35 S32 S16 S34 S31 S40 S27

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EDUARD M.A., 2014

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