40014 P-400 Airacobra
Plastic model kit of the P-400 Airacobra fighter aircraft in 1/48 scale – a highly detailed replica of the export variant of the iconic American Bell P-39. The P-400 gained fame in early Pacific battles and later in Soviet service during World War II.
Kit includes:
- high-quality plastic sprues,
- painting masks for canopy and wheels,
- decal sheet with three historical USAAF marking options,
- steel nose weight balls for proper balance.
Marking and painting options:
- P-400 Airacobra “White 19”, AH736, 80th Fighter Squadron / 8th Fighter Group – Turnbull Airstrip, Milne Bay, 1942.
- P-400 Airacobra “White 13” “Wahl Eye”, 39th FS / 35th FG – Lt. Eugene A. Wahl, Port Moresby, New Guinea, Summer 1942.
- P-400 Airacobra “White 13” “Hells Bell”, BW151, 67th FS / 347th FG – Lt. Robert M. Ferguson, Guadalcanal, August–November 1942.
About the P-400 Airacobra:
The P-400 was the export version of the Bell P-39 Airacobra – one of the most innovative fighter designs of WWII. Key features included:
- tricycle landing gear,
- centrally mounted engine,
- 20 mm nose cannon (instead of the standard 37 mm),
- six exhaust stacks on each side of the fuselage.
Originally ordered by the British and French before the US entered the war, the aircraft proved underpowered for European air combat and was quickly withdrawn from RAF service. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many of these fighters were requisitioned by the US Army Air Forces and sent to the South Pacific, often still bearing British camouflage and serials. Others served in North Africa or were later transferred to the USSR under Lend-Lease, where the Airacobra achieved exceptional combat success at low altitude.
The P-400 played a key role in early Pacific operations, notably during the campaigns in New Guinea and Guadalcanal.