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AeroMaster Decals 1/72nd "Stalin's Cobras" (72037)

By Erik Pilawskii
 [All decal sheet scans have been deliberately skewed and distorted at random angles to dissuade illegal reproduction or Copyright infringement by any such parties. The precise line and measurement of any specific marking, therefore, should not be taken literally from these illustrations.]

AeroMaster Sheet No.72-037 "Stalin's Cobras"

    A very fine looking sheet from Aeromaster, these decals are also of high quality manufacture, being thin and setting well to a prepared surface. Fully eight VVS P-39 schemes are provided here, and the fidelity of the markings is typically quite good on this sheet. With so many choices available, let's have a look at them individually.

Schemes

    Eight sets of individual markings cover this sheet, all depicting well-known VVS Airacobra aces.  

  1. P-39N "White 100", Alexander Pokrishkin, 16 GIAP, 1944:    Considerable debate continues in the case of many of the 9 GIAD's P-39s as to whether the stars were executed over a blue US national marking, or over a VVS Green disk obscuring a white disk, and whether the stars were trimmed with a small red outline, making a sort of Victory Star. This decal set is good in all other respects, and the former questions will have to fall to Modeler's Choice for now.

  2. P-39N "White 19", unknown, 255 IAP SF, 1944:    The numeral "19" in this set is inexplicably rendered in silver (some Russian artists have chosen yellow, which is possible, but my guess is white), and will have to be replaced. All of the remaining markings are present and are useful.

  3. P-400 "Yellow 16", Ivan Bochkov, 19 GIAP, 1942:    Looks to be a fine decal set.

  4. P-39N "White 53", Nikolai Gulyaev, 22 GIAP, 1944:    I was not aware of the presence of a "2" on the fin of this machine, so perhaps Aeromaster are working with a new photograph of this aircraft. If so, this is quite outstanding.

  5. P-39N "White 50", Kiril Suchov, 16 GIAP, 1944:    The decals for this aircraft appear to be fine, but I cannot agree with the painting guide here. In all the time I have looked over pictures of this aircraft, I have seen no evidence to my eye of such a camouflage scheme.

  6. P-39N, Sultan Amet-Khan, 1943:    I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with this machine, and cannot comment further on it.

  7. P-39N, Vasili Sirotin, 17 IAP, 1945:    His personal emblem looks very nice in this set. I do not know if his machine carried a tactical numeral, and can unfortunately comment no further.

  8. P-39 "Yellow 46", N.I. Protenkov:    I am not familiar with "Yellow 46" and can offer nothing in addition.

    From the material on this sheet that I can identify, it looks be rather a fine set of decals. The large number of national and other ancillary markings is wonderful, and over-all one has the impression that this is a superb sheet and a necessity for VVS modelers.