My usual builds are 1:48 scale, but I stumbled across these wonderful kits at the NATS in Virginia in 2025. Upon further examination I realized how nice they really are. Friends had been telling me this already, but as the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water…”.
This is a FANTASTIC little kit and probably the best of the type in any scale. The engineering and fit are fantastic. Very little seam work was required which REALLY excited me, as I so hate that. Right from the box, this is a fantastic kit.
One or two things to watch. Arma gives you three little steel balls to weight the nose so the model will sit on it’s gear correctly. This works fine until someone bumps the table. I would suggest that when building this model, to add a small lead fishing weight as well just to make sure she stays on her nose gear. The doors do fit in the door openings but they are a little on the tight side. A few passes with the sanding stick and everything fits fine.
It’s a beautiful little kit, and I highly recommend any of the versions they make, which pretty much goes the entire P-39 lineage from the P-39D, F, N, Q and the P-400. I hope they will put out a P-63 as well!
Model is painted with custom mixed Tamiya Acrylics in a Coral over Light Blue scheme. I did use Quick Boost exhaust stacks and Eduard Weapons Set to spruce up the exterior. Infini Scale Aero Rigging for the aerial, and DK Decals, (Sheet # 72115). Weathering was done using Flory Weathering Washes, AK Weathering Pencils, thinned oils, pastel chalks and Tamiya Weathering Powders.
Markings are those of Capt. Felix O Brown, 46th FS, 15th FG, Kanton Atoll, August 1943.
Love it Freddie! I’ve always been fascinated by P-39 and its unconventional layout, ultimately all designed around the 37mm cannon firing through the propellor hub and becoming the first production fighter to use a tricycle landing gear.
Thanks, Darren. This Arma Hobby kit is a wonderful little kit, too! The 1:48 scale kit of same, is also very nice but it does have a couple weird fit issues. There are a couple build videos out there on You Tube that point these out and how to get past them.
Really nice finish! The weathering and colors are nicely chosen and applied. You could pass those photos off as a 1/48 build easily – those are some really fine panel lines.
I’ve transitioned my stash from 72 to 48 but all these Arma Hobby posts has me reconsidering.
I would just add them to the que list. The 1:48 scale P-39 has a couple quirky issues that can be addressed. If you have one of these, watch a couple you tubes on building it and these are addressed by someone who found them the hard way, (Nice of him to warn the rest of us).
They are ALL very nice, and maybe a little fiddley, but they build up very well. I have also built the F4F Wildcat and I am currently working on the new P-40C, (81-A2). Another awesome kit BTW.
Thanks for the “Atta Boy” and I hope you pick up a couple of these Arma kits, you won’t be disappointed.
This is a wonderful build. I especially like the weathering and how nicely everything looks scaled to the aircraft. Nothing looks exaggerated or oversized. Honestly, if you hadn’t said it was 1/72, I never would have guessed it from the photos.
Funny timing, because I was at a model show earlier this month and an Airacobra was one of the kits I could have chosen when I won a raffle prize. I went with something else, but it was a tough choice.
Now I’m looking at yours and wondering if I made the right decision.
Really beautiful work. You’re probably never going to convince me to give up 1/48 aircraft, though I might make an exception for Saturn V-sized rockets.
I wouldn’t DREAM of converting you, Sam! LOL!! 1/48 is my ‘Go to’ scale myself. I hope Arma scales these kits because it’ll give Eduard and Tamiya a real run for their money. If that happens, it won’t be any time soon as the company’s focus is on 1/72.
