When I saw this kit, I knew I had to have it. I build mostly 1/48 scale but have a growing stash of 32-scale kits. This is the first that I have actually built out of that 32-scale stash.
This kit is actually a repop of the Special Hobby kit. It is a better quality kit than all of the other Special Hobby kits that I have built, in that it includes locating tabs and solid connection points for the stabilizers. I also went for the Eduard "Big-Ed" photoetch set for this kit, which includes exterior details, undercarriage for the landing gear and gear bays, landing flaps, interior details (mostly cockpit) and canopy masks.
The only real issues I had with building this beast was patience. It seemed like it was a never-ending stream of PE to attach. This was also the last of the 4 Airacobra kits that I actually started working on - I dove into this one head-first after I had done most of the work on the other three kits that I have started topics on today.
Paints are Model Master acrylics with Tamiya and Aircraft Colors as well. Weathering is Tamiya weathering compounds and Flory dark dirt wash. I loaded up the nose with weight to keep this on its nose gear and added the rigging for the antenna.
I was disappointed with the decals of the girls. The colors do not seem very vibrant and there is not a lot of detail readily visible.
This is built as a P-39D Airacobra "Air-a-Cutie" belonging to the 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group at Milne Bay, New Guinea in 1943.
