[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by parsig9

Any chance that this Russian version only had the 4 wing guns and the nose cannon? Seems as thorough as HM has tried to be they would not mess that one up. Hawkone, can you clear that up?

Nope, I just finished reading Attack of the Aircorbras by Dmitriy Loza. Pictures of the Russian Cobras had the two machine guns in the cowl. The cowl machine gun fairings in the pictures are different than the way HM has them. The Russian P-39 machine gun fairings were not just a gun trough as done on the HM model. Picture attached shows a raised portion at the backside of the gun trough.

[Berkut76]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Nope, I just finished reading Attack of the Aircorbras by Dmitriy Loza. Pictures of the Russian Cobras had the two machine guns in the cowl. The cowl machine gun fairings in the pictures are different than the way HM has them. The Russian P-39 machine gun fairings were not just a gun trough as done on the HM model. Picture attached shows a raised portion at the backside of the gun trough.

I'm not a rivet counter, but this is kind of disappointing to me. From what I've read, the Soviets would usually remove armaments from wings to save on weight and also because they deemed such arrangement useless in literally in your face dogfight. The standard Soviet load out was 20mm (37mm cannon was adored and used incredibly effectively by VVS pilots in air-to-air combat) or heavier through propeller and a couple of 12.7mm in the cowling.

Although, I don't claim to be an authority on this subject.

Regards,

Sergey

[parsig9]

Well, what the Hobbymaster?

I thought we went over the pre-pro with a fine tooth comb?!?!?








I still like it.

[leeG]

I like this model and think Pokryshkin's plane is a perfect choice for the first P-39 release. I can't wait for mine to arrive.

Below is a picture of the Air Force Museum's P-39, and it shows bumps on the nose for the gun barrels. I guess we all missed that detail from the pre-production photos. No big deal for me.


Just a side note from some of the latest research on this particular livery. The Osprey book "Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces of World War 2" notes that contrary to popular belief, Pokryshkin didn't have kill marks on "White 100." Why let the opposition know what caliber of pilot they were facing? The pictures of Pokryshkin in front of a P-39 with a galaxy of stars was actually taken in front of Grigori A. Rechkalov's Cobra with each picture carefully framed so the tactical number wasn't visible. The color profile Osprey includes for "White 100" has no kill marks.

Rechkalov's livery would be a good candidate for a future issue.

[hawkonevoodoo]

Originally Posted by parsig9

Any chance that this Russian version only had the 4 wing guns and the nose cannon? Seems as thorough as HM has tried to be they would not mess that one up. Hawkone, can you clear that up?

They shot and missed on this. It has been brought to their attention, over and over by me.

[Louie]

I have one on the way and look forward to getting it. There is no better one on the market. Until there is I will keep it and like it!. I'll take no guns over fiddly's and collapsing gear.

[lanslide]

Originally Posted by parsig9

Well, what the Hobbymaster?

I thought we went over the pre-pro with a fine tooth comb?!?!?








I still like it.

I definitely mentioned this back then and in almost all my P-39 posts! Darn!!! But I still like this model (despite the undersized top fuselage air scoop too). HM did a pretty good job and I will take many!

[Cruver Collecter]

Looks like the HA1703 P-39 Mk. I, the RAF Duxford version may be the closest as far accuracy goes with regards to the nose gun armament. That variant of the P-39 did have the basic gun troughs for the .303s, and that is pretty much the way Hobby Master modeled it. (Fortunately that is the one I want to pick up.). If they can make the appropriate change to the exhaust stub layout, 12 stubs as compared to 6 stubs on current model, their P-400 Guadalcanal model should be set up correctly too.

[lanslide]

The gun "troughs" need guns though! They modeled them smooth. They could have just put a little stub at the end and painted it black!

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by lanslide

The gun "troughs" need guns though! They modeled them smooth. They could have just put a little stub at the end and painted it black!

Unfortunately it looks like the gun troughs on the current mold are to shallow to try some modification to it. At one time there was a company that put out 1/72nd scale .50 cal barrels, but I do believe they are long gone. Not sure if you could do a good modification on this one to place home made barrel in the shallow gun trough of this model.