Eduard Guadalcanal Cobras

[NorthernModeller]

I am building the Eduard Guadalcanal cobras, or maybe just one of them. I started these tonight in the Live shows on the ISM youtube channel. I am loving the kit so far. Below is some info on the aircraft and the campaign.
THE AIRCRAFT
The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. The P-39 was used with great success by the Soviet Air Force, which scored the highest number of individual kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type.Other major users of the type included the Free French, the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Forces, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force.

Designed by Bell Aircraft, it had an innovative layout, with the engine installed in the center fuselage, behind the pilot, and driving a tractor propeller via a long shaft. It was also the first fighter fitted with a tricycle undercarriage. Although its mid-engine placement was innovative, the P-39 design was handicapped by the absence of an efficient turbo-supercharger, preventing it from performing high-altitude work. As such it was rejected by the RAF for use over western Europe and passed over to the USSR where most air combat took place at medium and lower altitudes.

Together with the derivative P-63 Kingcobra, the P-39 was one of the most successful fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Bell.

THE CAMPAIGN
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and code-named Operation Watchtower, originally applying only to an operation to take the island of Tulagi, by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan.

On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, predominantly United States (US) Marines, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese to threaten Allied supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies also intended to use Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases to support a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as an airfield (later named Henderson Field) that was under construction on Guadalcanal. Powerful American naval forces supported the landings.

Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November to retake Henderson Field. Three major land battles, seven large naval battles (five nighttime surface actions and two carrier battles), and continual, almost daily, aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November, in which the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and land with enough troops to retake it, was defeated. In December, the Japanese abandoned their efforts to retake Guadalcanal and evacuated their remaining forces by 7 February 1943, in the face of an offensive by the US Army's XIV Corps.

The Guadalcanal campaign was a significant strategic combined arms Allied victory in the Pacific theater. The Japanese had reached the peak of their conquests in the Pacific. The victories at Milne Bay, Buna-Gona, and Guadalcanal marked the Allied transition from defensive operations to the strategic initiative in the theater, leading to offensive operations such as the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Central Pacific campaigns, that eventually resulted in Japan's eventual surrender and the end of World War II.

THE BUILD

The kit itself


And the lovely products used in this step



Soo starting with the cockpit and getting it built up, primed and base coated. Using my favourite primer. The Ultimate Modelling Products Black primer and Mr hobby Aqueous H058 interior green







AAAAANNNND the beautiful PE instrument panel

[AdamLuscombe]

Looking nice so far Ivan

[Hackovsky]

Great work so far Seems that I need to buy this kit also

[NorthernModeller]

more progress on the cockpit tonight. faded. and weathered.

[Vleugelmoer]

Nice build so far Ivan . I'm doing a P-400 diorama that has stalled at the moment unfortunately. Great and unique aircraft that incorporated a lot of firsts that are now common place in aviation.

Sitting back to watch this unfold with interest.

As always happy modeling and keep sticking styrene.

Paul J (The Other One)

[NorthernModeller]

All together and it was not a nice fit at all. with a warped fuselage half made it a pig of of a fit. wing roots arent much better

[sirvine]

nice work Ivan.

Looking Awesome

Scott

[TommyKillander]

Some splendid work there!

The pit looks awesome


Tommy