1/48 Eduard P-39N

Gallery Article by Fabrizio Frassica on May 11 2012

 

 

USAAF P-39N Aircobra MTO April 1944

P-39N Aircobra, Italian front 1944, belonged to Lt. M.Harber 350th FS/347th FG

Dear friends here my last project.  I’ve built this Aircobra for a particular event: the finding of the P-39 relic (better fragments) serial number 42-8971 piloted by Milton Harber of 350th squadron/347th fighter group, crashed on Elba island (Italy) 4th April 1944.

Harber with his wingman Lt. Boyd (P-39N serial number 42-8979) were flying over Elba island for a weather recon flight.  Due to the terrible fog, the wingman destroyed the P-39 over the mountain.  Harber tried to escape...but too late. Today only few fragments remain on the mountain and the historical researcher Gianpiero Vaccaro, a friend of mine, has found these...
So after an historical resaerch Gianpiero identified fragments for the Harber’s Aircobra...

 

Click on images below to see larger images

My model kit is as it should appear in its last flight..we have only pics dated end of 1943, so this is an ideal reconstruction.  I’ve used P-39 Aircobra Eduard kit in 1/48 with scratch built decals.  I’ve built the P-39 straight out from the box, except the main landing gear, which I’ve stretched with a plastic rod.  Decals are scratch built.

Anyway please read the article published on Elba Journal:  Click here

In memory of 2nd Lt Milton Harber and 2nd Lt Robert T. Boyd, United States Army Air Force. Their names liveth for evermore.

Fabrizio Frassica

      

Photos and text © by Fabrizio Frassica