I am building a 1/72 P-39 and since I didn't want to build it in Soviet markings, I decided to look and see what else was available for decals. I ran across this set during a search and figured I'd pick it up to use in either the current or future build. It covers P-39s operational in the Central Pacific during the late 1942-1944 time period.

To be frank, when it comes to operational theaters, this was pretty much the backwater. The odds of running up against Japanese planes was slim to none. However, there was always a chance so they were used to garrison some islands in the area. Since the P-39 was very good when it came to ground attack, they were often based on newly conquered islands to continue the mop-up operations on other islands of the atoll. They were also used as advanced trainers.

The majority of these planes were painted in standard OD over neutral grey, though those based on Canton Island with the 46th FS had the upper surfaces in a sand color with the underside in a light blue to better blend in with the surrounding coral. One of the options is in an overall black.

When it comes to kits, there are several. Probably the oldest are by Revell and Airfix, both dating to the late 1960s and while buildable, are not the best choice. Slightly newer and still part of the raised panel line crowd is the Heller kit. For more modern kits you have the very nice Academy kit and RS Models has also produced an even newer tooling, though it is one that should be considered a short run. There is also the Hobby Boss Easy Build kit that is fine for filling a gap on the shelf, but is lacking finesse.  The most recent offering is by Arma Hobby and is apparently a very nice kit, though I have not built one. A major plus with the Arma Hobby offering is that it includes masks and nose weight. it to get these from overseas so you might want to check them out.

The instructions are adequate in terms of placement and provide both Humbrol and Agama paint references. The decals themselves are on two smallish sheets and are very nicely printed. There are enough insignia to build four models if one chooses wisely. Of course you can always use kit insignia if appropriate. My experience with these decals in the past has been positive, but one has to be a bit careful as they are quite thin.

November 2024

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