1/48 Eduard P-400 Profipak

by Russ Johnston

--------------------

 

     This is the Eduard 1/48 scale P-39 PROFIPAK KIT BUILT AS A P-400. The P-400 markings are from Eagle Strike decals, a P-400 at Gaudalcanal in 1942. I really like the colorful rooster, airplane name, and the big shark teeth, I tried to mix my own paint colors and was way off, so I bought MODLEMASTER RAF dark green and dark earth and RLM light blau enamels and when applied I could not believe how authentic these colors looked, I also found the Model Masters  clear flat acrl to be out of sight.

Click on images below to see larger images

Purchasing  the following items also helped with the details here and there...Waldron radio placards, reheat fotoetched seatbelt buckles, Airies V-1710 resin engine, Eduard 1/48 perforated plating, and Monogram 1/48 P-39 Q gun bay and 55 gal, barrel.

Some common model bench materials were used as follows- sheet brass for the thin access panels and fuselage ribs around the engine and cannon. Accustomed plastic for the open radio deck canopy, evergreen sheet and rod for the cannon along with brass screen and lead foil for the cannon shell guide.

Click on images below to see larger images

In conclusion.... When construction began one of the first steps was to cut the panels out of the plastic fuselage halves with repeated exacto knife passes and many broken No. 11 blades. Then to my surprise many kit furnished bulkheads didn't seem to line up with kit scribed panel lines. So that led to more cutting and grafting of interior parts than expected. But after the bulkheads were finally properly fitted the project settled into a satisfying detail build. 

Russ

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by Russ Johnston