1/72 Arma Hobby P-400 Airacobra

1/72 Scale P-400 Airacobra Fighter Model Kit

Build an authentic replica of the P-400 Airacobra export fighter with this detailed 1/72 scale plastic model kit from Arma Hobby. This kit represents the unique export variant of Bell's innovative mid-engine fighter, originally built for Britain but pressed into urgent service with US forces in the desperate early days of the Pacific War.

Kit Contents:

• High-quality plastic parts for complete model assembly
• 3D-printed resin fuselage nose for accurate detail
• Self-adhesive kabuki-paper canopy and wheel masks
• Decals with three authentic US marking options from Pacific theater
• Steel balls for nose weight to ensure proper balance
• Detailed instructions with historical information

Marking Options Include:

• P-400 Airacobra "white 13" "Wahl Eye" - 39FS/35FG, pilot Lt. Eugene A. Wahl, Port Moresby, New Guinea, Summer 1942
• P-400 Airacobra "white 19" AH736 - 80FS/8FG, Turnbull Airstrip, Milne Bay 1942
• P-400 Airacobra "white 13" "Hells Bell" BW151 - 67FS/347FG, pilot Lt. Robert M. Ferguson, Guadalcanal, August-November 1942

About the P-400 Airacobra

The P-400 represents a fascinating chapter in Airacobra history. This export version was created before the US entered World War II, built to fulfill French and British orders. Distinguished by a 20mm cannon instead of the standard 37mm weapon and featuring twelve exhaust tubes on each side of the engine, these aircraft were designated Airacobra I in RAF service. However, lacking a supercharger, they proved too weak for combat against the Luftwaffe at European altitudes, and Britain quickly withdrew them from frontline service.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, the US government urgently requisitioned many P-400s produced for Britain, retaining their unusual equipment and even British camouflage and serial numbers. These fighters were desperately needed in the South Pacific, where they fought in the critical battles for New Guinea and Guadalcanal. Despite their non-standard equipment, P-400s served with distinction at the low altitudes typical of Pacific combat, where the lack of a supercharger mattered less.

P-400 pilots faced Japanese Zeros in some of the war's most desperate air battles, defending Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and supporting ground forces in New Guinea. Some P-400s delivered to Britain were also taken over by the USAAF for combat in North Africa, while others eventually went to the USSR under Lend-Lease. The P-400's service demonstrates how aircraft deemed unsuitable for one theater could prove valuable in another with different operational requirements.

For more information about Arma Hobby products, visit https://www.armahobby.com/.

Perfect for: Intermediate modelers interested in WWII Pacific theater aircraft and unique P-39 variants

Scale: 1/72 | Skill Level: Intermediate

Explore our complete selection of Arma Hobby model kits, 1/72 scale aircraft, WWII aircraft models, and P-39 Airacobra models. Enhance your build with model paints, photo-etch detail sets, precision modeling tools, and aftermarket decals.