1:144 P-39 Airacobra (Brengun kit)

A photo-etched set for the P-39 Airacobra in 1:144 scale

This set from the Czech maker Brengun is etched from thin sheet and is cut for a kit of the P-39 Airacobra fighter in 1:144 scale. What you are buying is an accessory that replaces and supplements selected parts of the model; you need to have the kit itself.

Why photo-etched parts instead of plastic

Injected plastic has a technological lower limit of thickness. Parts that are made of thin sheet metal on the real aircraft, such as the instrument panel, doors, grilles and small braces, therefore come out disproportionately thick on a model, and in 1:144 scale they become no more than suggested relief. Etched sheet has a thickness in tenths of a millimeter and simply disappears when seen from the side, so the detail reads correctly even under a magnifier. In a scale this small it is often the only way to turn a model the size of a thumb into a convincing machine.

Working with photo-etched parts

Cut the parts off the fret with a sharp scalpel against a hard surface rather than with nippers, as the sheet would bend. Make the bends over the edge of a bending tool or at least over a razor blade. If a part is stiff and liable to crack, a brief anneal over a flame followed by cooling helps; the metal softens. Degrease the sheet with alcohol before painting and apply a primer, otherwise paint will not hold on the smooth surface. It is bonded with super glue applied with a pin, not from the tube, as an excess can no longer be removed in this scale.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building aircraft in 1:144 scale
• Anyone interested in American Second World War fighters
• Those who want to raise the level of detail on a small model
• Modelers with experience of photo-etched parts and fine tools

The set is supplied unpainted and is meant for completing a model. Glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.