Mark Lardas holds a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan. Mark spent the next thirty years at the Johnson Space Center doing Space Shuttle structural analysis, and space navigation. An amateur historian and a long-time ship modeler, he has written extensively about modelling as well as naval, maritime, and military history. Mark has authored more than twenty-five books and has worked with Boy’s Life as the Hobby Master. Mark also worked with an English language publication from Hong Kong called English Street. Mark is currently working in League City, Texas.

At the beginning of World War II in Europe, the British were faced with the threat to Egypt and the Suez Canal by the Italians in North Africa. With the fall of France in 1940, the Vichy Government control of the western end of the North African coastline put the British position in further jeopardy. The Italians sent their forces into Egypt, where they were soundly beaten by the British, losing thousands of prisoners of war in the process. Hitler felt forced to aid his Italian allies, and sent General Rommel’s forces to North Africa. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Allied leaders set up a strategy to evict the Axis Powers from North Africa, and starting in early 1942, American forces began preparing for “Operation Torch”, the invasion of Vichy French controlled Morocco and Algeria, and in November, 1942, Allied forces, mainly American, began landing in North Africa.

The Aircraft

The P-39Q was an improved version of the earlier P-39s. Most of them were sent to the Soviet Union through Lend-Lease, but a few were used by American forces. The major difference between the earlier P-39s and the Q model was that the .30 caliber wing machine guns (2 in each wing) were replaced by a pod with a .50 caliber MG, with 300 rounds per gun, giving greater stopping power. The 37 mm cannon in the nose was retained.

About a year ago I built the Brengun kit of the P-39D/F/K. Nice kit. So, I volunteered to do this review.