Diecast Aircraft Information

MetalWings Diecast Aircraft Reference by Dauntless Aviation

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA1701
Bell P-39N Airacobra
Col. Aleksandr J. Pokryshkin, C/O 9 Gv. IAD, 1944

Every country except the Soviet Union disliked the P-39. All wanted it to perform well
above 20,000 feet but it didn’t because of a supercharger instead of a turbo-charger and
weight. The Soviets liked the low altitude speed and maneuverability, excellent structural
integrity, and heavy armament, everything they needed to fight the type of war on the
Eastern Front. They were so pleased by these attributes that they nicknamed it “The
Iron Dog”. There were 9,585 P-39s of all variants built with about 4,500 going to the
Soviets.

Aleksandr I. Pokryshkin was a leading Soviet ace with 59 kills of which 48 came flying a
P-39. He applied his own methods of attacking instead of the methods set out by the
military. The military methods left the aircraft vulnerable to ground fire and German
fighters but eventually Pokryshkin’s methods were adopted as standard practice.
Aleksandr was also the C/O of the 9th GFD (Guards Fighter Division) formerly the 216th
Fighter Division. This group had none less than 28 aces with a minimum of 15 kills while
flying the P-39.

Specifications for the Bell P-39N Airacobra

Aircraft role:
Fighter – Ground attack fighter

Production:
2,095 with first delivery November 1942

Crew:
1

Dimensions:
Length: 30 ft. 2 in.
Wingspan: 34 ft.
Wing area: 213 sq. ft.
Height: 12 ft. 5 in.

Performance:
Powerplant: 1 X Allison V-1710-85 1,200 hp
Speed: cruising 330 mph at 5,000 ft. – maximum 376 mph at 15,000 ft.
Climb rate: 2,600 ft/min to 5,000 ft. - to 15,000 ft. in 6 min 6 seconds
Service Ceiling: 38,270 ft. with best performance below 20,000 ft.
Range: 300 miles because of smaller fuel tanks in this version
Extended range: 1,000 miles with extra fuel tanks
Fuel capacity: internal 72.4 imp. Gallons (87 US gallons) – external 62.45 imp. Gallons
(75 US gallons) in one drop tank

Weight:
Empty: 5,645 lbs.
Operational weight: with weapons: 8,300 lbs.
Maximum: 8,300 lbs.

Armament:
Machine guns: 2 X 0,50 in. fixed forward-firing in the upper side of the nose 200 rounds
each,
4 X 0.3 in. fixed forward-firing in the wings with 1,000 rounds each,
Cannons: 1 X 37 mm M4 fixed forward firing in a Moteur-cannon installation (able to fire
through the propeller) 30 rounds
Bomb load: up to 500lb on one hard-point with 1 X 500lb. bomb or 1 X 325 lb. bomb or 1
X 250 lb. bomb

Die-cast metal.
Superb detailing in 1/72 scale.
Pre-painted with pad applied markings.
Fully assembled.
Comes with a pilot.
Weapons that are not permanently
attached.
Display stand included.
Option to display model with wheels up
or down.
Movable propeller.
Minimum use of plastic.
Very collectable.

READ REVIEW

THESE ARE PRE-PRODUCTION
PICTURES, NOT THE FINAL PRODUCT

This new site is being updated regularly and it will be much improved before too long. Please be patient, give it time, and check back regularly. Opportunities for community collaboration are in the works for a little further down the road.

This is not a retail site. You cannot buy models here.

Thanks to Dauntless Aviation for providing web hosting and other support for this site. Real or sim pilot? Check out their stuff!

This is not an official site of any manufacturer or retailer. Information provided here may be incomplete or in error. Use at your own risk.

This is not an "advice" site. Please do not contact us asking about these models. Please contact a manufacturer or retailer with your questions or comments.

Please update your links!

Update HomePage links from the HMC website to either www.MetalWings.com or, preferably, www.dauntless-soft.com/MetalWings.
Update your page links to this page from HMCwebsite/HA1701.html to http://www.dauntless-soft.com/MetalWings/HA1701.asp

This site will be modified over time. We are well aware of its many issues, including missing images and bad formatting.