Back in Arnprior, Ontario, when I was 13 years old, I had an opportunity to buy the above model, at the town’s one and only (Beamish’s) department store. A Monogram 1/48 scale Bell P-39 Airacobra. Although I was familiar with most of the planes from World War II, the model was in fact my introduction to this unique American fighter plane.

What attracted me to this particular aircraft was its unorthodox design, having the engine located behind the pilot and cockpit, as opposed to in front, with a long drive shaft running underneath to the nose/propellor. Another notable feature was the side opening door (as that of a car) to access the cockpit, compared to the standard sliding canopy on top, found in most fighters.

Back in the day, Monogram always had cool artwork on their model boxes, and the P-39 was no exception, pictured sitting on an airfield, under maintenance, in a two-tone tan and dark green camouflage scheme.

As luck would have it, a friend’s dad, who belonged to the town golf club, needed a few kids to help clean up the grounds in preparation for the new season. We would each be paid a few bucks in return. The model was $1.50, which was a significant amount for a kid in 1970, but the job would easily cover it.

Sadly, as bad luck would have it, that Saturday when we were to do the work, it rained cats and dogs, and the job was postponed, then I never heard anything more about it. I was heartbroken.

In the years that followed, though I bought and was gifted many models, the Airacobra would remain on my wish list, till I stopped building altogether in 1998.


Model and top photo © Christopher Bishop, Facebook
Bottom photo: Model box top as it appeared in 1970, courtesy of the Net

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04/12/2025

Posted on 04/12/2025
Copyright © 2025 Chris Sorrenti