Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a 1/72nd scale instrument panel for Amra Hobby’s P-39D/P-400 Airacobra. This set also includes photo-etch (PE) detail for the side doors.

In the Package

The instrument panel (IP) detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one (1) photoetched (PE) IP already assembled and two (2) PE etched sheets for other cockpit areas and the side doors. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade Arma Hobby’s P-39D/P-400 Airacobra instrument panel. The close-up picture shows off the minute detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.

I want to thank Yahu Models for providing the P-39D/P-400 Airacobra instrument panel set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Highly recommend!

The origin of Pen & Sword Books is closely linked with its sister company, the Barnsley Chronicle; one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers, established in 1858, and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. The first books published by the company were in response to public demand following a series of articles published in the newspaper: Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks told the story of crash sites in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, and a further weekly feature on the history of two Kitchener battalions, known as the "Barnsley Pals", aroused a thirst for more information. Following on from the success of those books, several local history paperbacks were produced along with a series of battlefield guidebooks. Battleground Europe proved immediately successful, and the company made the decision to launch a book publishing arm of the group.

“Seidentasche aus dem Ohr einer Sau” is German for “Silk purse from a sow’s ear.” I like older kits and have a soft spot for building something beautiful from an old kit; however, when a kit is newly released, I expect more than a model from the 1970s. This kit traces its lineage to ESCI Kit No. 8026 (first released in 1974). This version of the kit first entered Italeri as Kit No. 7018 in 2004 with new decals. This kit (7018 on Italeri’s website, 557018 on MRC’s website) has amazing box art of a Panther Ausf A with Zimmerit, schürzen, new decals for five versions, link-and-length tracks, and one figure. Apart from the decals, this kit is the same as the previous Italeri version from 21 years ago, which is the same Esci kit going back over fifty years.

Reference the MRC website (https://www.modelrectifier.com/product-p/557018.htm),