This is my newly finished Bell P-39 Airacobra.
I know the Air-a-cutie may easily be the most modelled P-39 ever, but hey - I want her on my shelf too!
I had a major disaster with thin superglue running from the nose weight down into the wing air-intakes. I had to cut it open to remove the glue and replace the mesh. This is were I nearly scrapped it. But I think the end result is OK.
I used an Eduard Big-Ed set (interior and exterior) and also resin wheels and gun barrels, except that the resin front wheel was too wide to fit in the fork! The wing gun barrels broke off more than once by my clumsy sausage fingers, so they ended up being replaced with plastic rod (the barrels, not the fingers). The exhausts are the kit parts that have been hollowed out. I might replace them with resin some time.
I did not care to mount an antenna wire, since my reference photos seem to show that Airacutie did not have one. They also show that this aircraft had its undercarriage doors removed.
The front wheel leg should propably not have a brake line, but I found out too late (d*mn you Eduard!).
The kit droptank is the wrong type compared to my period photos. I used one from the sparebox instead.
Paint is xtracrylix Olive Drab and Neutral Grey.
Weathering was done with Flory Models Dark Wash, oil paint for streaks and alcohol tinted with Tamiya paint for general dirt and grime.
Finally, only stencils are decals. All markings and art-work are painted - I used Miracle Masks for this.
And yes, I know I have to do something about that lousy groundwork...
Cheers!
