Reviewed by Brett Green 

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FirstLook

Hobbycraft's 1/48 scale P-59 Airacobra kits are two of their nicest offerings in terms of accuracy and exterior detail. The basic kit cockpit can be supplemented with a gorgeous resin item from Cutting Edge, and the rubber tyres can be replaced with new weighted resin items from True Details. Although the kit presets a few challenges in the fit department, the result is well worth the effort.

Which is why it is especially nice to see Cutting Edge release the first sets of aftermarket decals for this kit more than a year after its debut.

Although the P-59 Airacomet never saw front line service, it still had an interesting history. Cutting Edge's decal sheets cover a range of colour schemes, including Olive Drab/Neutral Gray, natural metal, red, orange and even black! Different variants are included too. In addition to the basic YP-59 and P-59A as available straight from the box, Cutting Edge also supply markings for a P-59B drone, and several two seaters including a red (or black) two-seater drone!

The single seat drone conversion will be very straightforward, but some more research will be required for the two-seater projects. The Ginter title on the P-59 Airacobra will be a good place to start this research.

Plenty of national markings are supplied, including the cropped wing bars on a YP-59A that was retrofitted with the clipped wing and tail.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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Specific markings on each sheet are:

CED48248 Airacomets #1:

P-59B, 44-22633, "Reluctant Robot," (overall orange scheme), July 11, 1946;

XP-59A, First flight scheme, flown by Robert “Bob” Stanley, Muroc, Oct. 1, 1942;

XP-59A, 42-108786, #3, a two-seat conversion retrofitted with clipped wing and tail;

XP-59A, 42-108785, “Superman,” a two-seat conversion; P-59A, 44-22614, #88; P-59B, 44-22636, #688, 412th FG, Ontario Army Air Base;

YP-59A, 42-108777, retrofitted with a clipped wing and tail.

CED48254 Airacomets #2:

YP-59A, 42-108783 "Mystic Mistress," overall glossy black scheme, late version;

YP-59A, 42-108783 "Mystic Mistress," a two-seat conversion (early version);

P-59A, 44-22613, #82, flown by Colonel David Lee "Tex" Hill, Commander, 412th FG, Kern County Airport, Bakersfield, CA, Spring 1945

P-59A, 44-22610, “Smoky Stover,” Ffirst jet to land in Alaska, as it appeared at Ladd Field, Dec. 9, 1944;

P-59B, 44-22658 (BuNo 64108), assigned to U.S. Navy NATC, Patuxent River, July 19, 1947; P-59B-1-BE, 44-22637, #689, Santa Maria, California, May 1945.

If you want a different look for your 1/48 scale Hobbycaft YP-59 or P-59A Airacomet, you need look no further than these two new releases from Cutting Edge Modelworks.

Recommended.

Thanks to Cutting Edge Modelworks for the preview information and images

Review Copyright © 2004 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 04 February, 2004
Last updated 03 February, 2004

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