1:48 Bell P-39N Airacobra LooK

The real subject

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was an American single-seat fighter with an unusual layout. The engine, an Allison V12, sat behind the pilot in the middle of the fuselage and drove the propeller through a long shaft run under the cockpit floor. The freed-up nose took a nose gear and a cannon firing through the axis of the propeller hub. You got into the cockpit through side doors, as into a car, not through a sliding canopy. The P-39N version belonged to the later production batches of the type.

What the set solves

The item belongs among instrument panels and carries the LööK range designation. The instrument panel is the most visible thing in the cockpit, and a kit usually deals with it using a flat part with a decal that only suggests the instruments. A finished panel from an add-on set replaces that step with a single part with a pronounced three-dimensional look, and the modeler is spared the laborious touching in of the individual dials. The exact make-up of the set and the fitting procedure are described in the instructions enclosed with the item.

Building tips

Try the part dry first and check whether the fuselage halves will close without being forced apart. Clear the mating surface in the cockpit of the remains of the original part and level it. Before you apply it, check in the manufacturer's instructions how the panel is attached; the way it is applied differs from one range to another and the name of the range alone does not settle it. Close the cockpit only once it is fully dry, or the part will shift during handling.

Terms of supply

An add-on set with instructions is supplied. The aircraft kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery unless stated otherwise.