|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Aug 21st, 2020 - 13:06:35 |
I have been waiting for this book with some excitement, as the P-39 is rather poorly documented compared to most major WW2 fighters. That the book also covers the P-63 Kingcobra is a great bonus, as the P-63 is another rather neglected design. It is perhaps not surprising that a large part of my interest in these aircraft stems from the fact that both were used (in considerable numbers) by the V-VS!
We have the usual D&S approach, with detailed technical histories of the designs, good 1/72nd scale drawings, LOTS of photos (even some colour WW2 shots), colour artwork, and a section on P-39 and P-63 kits available. For the most part the book is well-written and authoritative, and describes clearly the differences between variants. Bert Kinzey is perhaps too harsh on the RAF for their rejection of the P-39, claiming they must have known the removal of the turbocharger from the P-39 was a USAAF decision, not one by Bell. That the missing turbocharger significantly reduced P-39 performance is obvious, but Bell persisted in quoting performance data achieved by the lightweight turbocharged prototype, minus armament and operational equipment! In any case, the initial British order for P-39s was placed BEFORE the first unsupercharged P-39 appeared. Performance was not the only shortcoming of production Airacobras delivered to the RAF — firing the nose-mounted machine guns caused major compass deviation and filled the cockpit with carbon monoxide. This, plus the inordinate amount of work needed to bring the Airacobras to operational readiness, makes the RAF’s decision to pass their aircraft and unfulfilled orders to the Russians quite understandable. In any event, despite a favourable view of the P-39’s flying qualities, the RAF did not need a complex new fighter unable to compete with the Bf109 at altitudes over 15,000 ft.
That little British propaganda piece over, the D&S book is otherwise fine. The pictures in the P-63 section confirm an old suspicion of mine, that early Kingcobras had full-span elevators. The book mentions an increase in tailplane span with the P-63A-7 block, but says nothing about the elevators! Thankfully, the scale drawings correctly depict the inset elevators of all later P-63s (a first for any set of P-63 plans I’ve seen!), whilst photos of prototype and A-1 aircraft clearly show the initial full-span elevators.
Most disappointing part of the book is the modelling section, which is normally such a welcome feature of D&S books. This time it seems Bert has not actually looked at some of the kits, and certainly hasn’t compared them with the drawings in his own book. Having slated the Heller P-39, he then praises the Academy kit as the best available in 1/72nd — yet, as previously pointed out in M3, the Academy kit is totally inaccurate! It shares the anaemic, undersized Heller fuselage shape and dimensions, and despite the lovely detail parts simply cannot be made into a P-39 that looks remotely right. All discussion of P-63 kits ignores the early-style tailplanes they mostly feature, wrong for almost all P-63s as noted above. I also think he is unkind to the Toko and MPM P-63s, which can be made into decent models rather more easily than the vac-form kits D&S recommend. All-in-all a poor show, not remotely up to the standard of other D&S modelling sections. Shame D&S couldn’t have obtained pre-release samples of the promised Eduard P-39s — if (BIG if!) these are accurate, and to the same standards as the Eduard Yak-3, then we shall at least have decent 1/48th Airacobras to replace the very old Monogram kit, which is still the only accurate kit in ANY scale!
For its technical descriptions, superb collection of photos, and decent-looking plans, this book is recommended to P-39 and P-63 fans. It does not wholly match the quality of other recent D&S volumes in some respects, but with the dearth of material on Bell’s quirky fighters it still represents the best one-stop reference. Many thanks to S/S for the review copy.
© Copyright 2004-2015; VenturaPublications.com and contributors.
Top of Page
|
|
|
| Curtiss P-40B (Tomahawk IIA). 1/48th. Trumpeter |
| CMR-182 Boeing Model 40B-4 "US Users" - 1/72nd scale (CMR Models) |
| De Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 - 1/72nd scale (CMR Models) |
| Hughes-1B Racer (double kit) - 1/72nd scale (CMR Models) |
| Mustang MK. IVA. 48th scale, Tamiya |
| Hasegawa 1/48 F4U-5N Corsair |
| The 'Edmonton Special' P-51D Mustang. Hasegawa 1/32 scale |
| F9F-5 Panther, Grumman. 1/32nd, Fisher. Part 1 |
| F9F-5 Panther, Grumman. 1/32nd, Fisher, Part 2 |
| F9F-5 Panther, Grumman. 1/32nd, Fisher, Part 3 |
| RNZAF Avenger |
| P-35A, Seversky - Hobbycraft, 1/48th |
| F3H Demon. Emhar kit EM 3002. 1/72nd |
| RF-84F Thunderflash. Italeri Kit 1108. 1/72nd |
| F-84 G Thunderjet. Tamiya. 1/72nd |
| Convair F-106 Delta Dart. Hasegawa. 1/72nd |
| Boeing X-32 JSF. Italeri Kit 1208. 1/72nd |
| C-46 Commando. Williams Brothers. 1/72nd Kit 72-346 |
| P-39Q/N Airacobra. Academy. 1/72nd. Kit 2177 |
| F4U Corsair. Academy. 1/72nd |
|
