• 1/72 Scale Length 5.00" Width 5.75"

The P-39 was very innovative having tricycle landing gear and an engine mounted in the middle of the
fuselage behind the pilot. The primary reason for this was weight counter-balance to allow for the use of
the large Oldsmobile 37mm cannon mounted in the aircraft nose and for shooting through the propeller
hub. One major problem with this plane was the lack of a good turbo super-charger and this seriously
hampered the performance above 20,000 feet. To compound the matter there was also a weight-
problem.
The only RAF unit to use the P-39 was the 601 Squadron. Based on the performance of the test model
the RAF ordered 675 of these aircraft armed with 0.50-inch machine guns in the fuselage and four
0.30-inch machine guns in the wings, the 37 mm gun was replaced by a 20 mm Hispano Suiza. What the
RAF received were aircraft without the turbo-superchargers severely reducing its effectiveness and after
only one operational use by the 601 these aircraft were deemed unfit with further orders cancelled and
the aircraft removed from service.