Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Devil 505 on December 01, 2020, 11:27:14 PM

Title: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Devil 505 on December 01, 2020, 11:27:14 PM
'Hells Bell' was originally built as an Airacobra Mk. I for the RAF as Serial # BW 151. With the RAF rejecting Airacobras due to poor performance at altitude, BW 151 remained at the Bell factory until U.S. Army Air Corps requisitioned the undelivered Airacobras after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. These RAF spec aircraft were designated P-400's by the Air Corps to differentiate them from standard P-39's being built to U.S. standards. For example, all P-400's had 20mm cannons whereas most P-39D production blocks had the 37mm cannon instead. There are also other differences in equipment.  BW 151 was one of 200 P-400's sent to the South Pacific theater in 1942, and it wound up serving with the 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

'Hells Bell" retained the RAF spec camouflage pattern in DuPont equivalent colors. Of particular note is the underside color being a light cream color instead of the light green "Sky Type S" common to early war RAF fighters. Original RAF markings were over-painted with OD green with U.S. insignias and U.S. ARMY across the lower wing. The 67th FS emblem, a boxing rooster, was painted on both doors and a large shark mouth wrapped around the lower nose. 'Hells Bell' (commonly mistaken as 'Hells Bells' or 'Hell's Bells') was painted on both sides above the exhaust stacks.

This skin represents a proper P-400 and has details unique to P-400's including navigation lights aft of the cockpit doors lower right wing.

(https://i.postimg.cc/159JxBBF/Hells_Bell_1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MXFyVyhZ)

(https://i.postimg.cc/pXqkPjc6/Hells_Bell_2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/svG5cMrY)

(https://i.postimg.cc/L85D5sr6/Hells_Bell_3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v4RfSGYp)

Also of note. I used Oboe's excellent custom U.S. pilot for this skin. 
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: whiteman on December 01, 2020, 11:34:02 PM
That's a great looking skin!
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: lyric1 on December 02, 2020, 01:49:28 AM
 :aok
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: 800nate800 on December 02, 2020, 06:26:00 AM
im sold!
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Greebo on December 02, 2020, 07:30:32 AM
Fantastic skin Devil, really well done.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: oboe on December 02, 2020, 07:31:14 AM
Beautiful!  Glad I could contribute to this stunner.   The P-400 with the 20mm can be actually a nasty little fighter in the MA - really fun down in the weeds.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Nefarious on December 02, 2020, 09:05:27 AM
Great looking skin! Excellent work Devil!
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Greebo on December 02, 2020, 10:12:26 AM
Devil, you can still submit this skin for the pending batch so long as I approve it before Hitech gets round to processing them. So just let me know when the skin has been submitted and I'll approve it ASAP.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Devil 505 on December 02, 2020, 11:11:41 AM
Ok. I'll have it submitted in a few hours.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Devil 505 on December 02, 2020, 01:12:07 PM
It's submitted, Greebo.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: fuzeman on December 02, 2020, 01:17:24 PM
That looks nice!
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Greebo on December 02, 2020, 02:05:07 PM
OK, I have accepted it into the pending batch of skins.
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: SIK1 on December 15, 2020, 10:08:06 AM
Good looking Airacobra Devil.

 :salute
Sik
Title: Re: "Hells Bell" a Guadalcanal Airacobra
Post by: Palace Cobra on January 03, 2021, 09:50:15 PM
Terrific!