Among the latest aircraft upgrades from SBS Model are a pair of resin propellers designed for quarterscale P-39 Airacobras. Sets #48030 and #48031 feature Aeroproduct and Curtiss airscrews respectively, and are suitable for both Hasegawa's and Eduard's Aircobras (and quite probably the classic vintage Monogram kit too, although this isn't specified by the makers).

The two set share a common core set of 5 x parts for the spinner and cannon muzzles, to which are added a separate casting for the different style propeller blades. Both sample sets arrived in perfect condition, packed in zip-lock bags with a card liner for protection. The casting in each case was perfect, with not a bubble or other blemish to be seen, and no "flash" to clean up.

My Eduard P-39s are buried deep in the Stash, but Hasegawa's excellent P-400 and P-39Q/N were readily to hand for comparison. As good as the kit parts are, the new resin blades are much finer and more delicate, and have a much more pronounced aerodynamic "twist". Having only been used to the kit interpretations of the propellers until now, I was initially slightly non-plussed by the slightly raised lip at the base of each blade, but checking against the close-up photos in Detail & Scale Vol. 63, low and behold - there it is.

If the propeller blades are good, the cannon muzzles are exquisite. The barrels are deeply hollowed out, and the flash suppressor has wafer-thin walls - possibly among the most delicate castings I've ever seen. A perfect example of the kind of detail possible in resin that simply can't be matched by standard styrene parts.

Each set is accompanied by a simple set of instructions that provide an exploded view, along with a list of which Airacobra variants the cannon types are appropriate for (but ideally you will still want to check photographic references for individual aircraft).

conclusion

SBS Model's P-39 Airacobra propellers are beautifully cast, and their simplicity makes them suitable for anyone wishing to try a resin upgrade for the first time. Their delicacy and detail provide a definite visual improvement over standard kit propellers. Highly recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.