In Box Review of Aoshima 1/72nd Scale
U.S. Bell P-63A "Kingcobra" Fighter
Kit no. 310-100
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION, 1960's copyright
I paid a whopping .48 cents for this kit.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION, 1960's copyright
I paid a whopping .48 cents for this kit.
HISTORY:
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American Fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft in World War II developed from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies.
Although the P-63 was not accepted for combat use by the United States Army Air Forces, it was successfully adopted by the Soviet Air Force.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
National origin: United States Manufacturer Bell Aircraft
First flight: 7 December 1942
Introduction: October 1943
Status: Retired
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Force, Soviet Air Force, French Air Force
Produced: 1943–1945
Number built: 3,303
Unit cost : U.S. $65,914.00 (1945)
Developed from Bell P-39 Airacobrsa
THE KIT:
Aoshima is a model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Kingcobra flying over a shoreline. It is navy-blue over a light grey undercarraige. It has a red spinner and yellow nose. Under-wing drop tanks are yellow and the gun pods uner the wings are dark grey. It has a white serial no. 269402 on the rudder. Stars with bars are on the fuselage sides, above the left wing and below the right wing.
We are not told what unit this acraft was with.
One side panel just has a small repeat of the box art.
The other side panel says the kit is from the DETAIL EARO SERIES (I think Aoshima meant to say AERO and not EARO). This is followed by a list of names of 14 other aircraft kits that Aoshima markets.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This tree holds 3 medium grey parts tree, the clear tree and decal sheet in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions complete the kits contents.
It consists of a single sheet in 4 1/2 x 6 3/4" format printed on just one side and accordion-folded into 3 pages.
Page one begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by Aoshimas stree address and the parts trees illustrations.
Spread across pages 2 and 3 are 4 assembly steps with some short text to guide modelers through the builds.
Step 4 is the decal application and marking guide with a 2-view of the box art scheme.
Trees are not alphabetized and there are not parts trees illustrations in the instructions, nor number tabs next to the parts on the trees. This means extra work to get the right parts for the assemblies. Bad move Aoshima.
The first medium grey tree holds: the propeller, pilot figure, drop tanks, wing flaps, landing gear parts, main wheels, nose wheel, wing flaps, fuselage "car-doors", pitot tube, propeller boss, antenna and elevators (24 parts)
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American Fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft in World War II developed from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies.
Although the P-63 was not accepted for combat use by the United States Army Air Forces, it was successfully adopted by the Soviet Air Force.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
National origin: United States Manufacturer Bell Aircraft
First flight: 7 December 1942
Introduction: October 1943
Status: Retired
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Force, Soviet Air Force, French Air Force
Produced: 1943–1945
Number built: 3,303
Unit cost : U.S. $65,914.00 (1945)
Developed from Bell P-39 Airacobrsa
THE KIT:
Aoshima is a model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Kingcobra flying over a shoreline. It is navy-blue over a light grey undercarraige. It has a red spinner and yellow nose. Under-wing drop tanks are yellow and the gun pods uner the wings are dark grey. It has a white serial no. 269402 on the rudder. Stars with bars are on the fuselage sides, above the left wing and below the right wing.
We are not told what unit this acraft was with.
One side panel just has a small repeat of the box art.
The other side panel says the kit is from the DETAIL EARO SERIES (I think Aoshima meant to say AERO and not EARO). This is followed by a list of names of 14 other aircraft kits that Aoshima markets.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This tree holds 3 medium grey parts tree, the clear tree and decal sheet in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions complete the kits contents.
It consists of a single sheet in 4 1/2 x 6 3/4" format printed on just one side and accordion-folded into 3 pages.
Page one begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by Aoshimas stree address and the parts trees illustrations.
Spread across pages 2 and 3 are 4 assembly steps with some short text to guide modelers through the builds.
Step 4 is the decal application and marking guide with a 2-view of the box art scheme.
Trees are not alphabetized and there are not parts trees illustrations in the instructions, nor number tabs next to the parts on the trees. This means extra work to get the right parts for the assemblies. Bad move Aoshima.
The first medium grey tree holds: the propeller, pilot figure, drop tanks, wing flaps, landing gear parts, main wheels, nose wheel, wing flaps, fuselage "car-doors", pitot tube, propeller boss, antenna and elevators (24 parts)
The second medium grey tree holds the 2 fuselage halves.
The third medium grey tree holds the 2 wing halves.
The clear part is the one piece canopy bubble.
The kit decals.
The rudder flap is molded solid and it and the canopy would take surgery to reposition the flap or open the canopy.
Panel lines are all of the raised variety.
Panel lines are all of the raised variety.
I bought this kit years ago at my local hobby shop. I am willing to sell it for a decent offer.