Tag: #70049

On this page we’ve gathered the articles related to the Cactus Air Force Deluxe Set – F4F-4 Wildcat® and P-400/P-39D Airacobra over Guadalcanal 1/72 model kit.

“Cactus” was the code name for the US air base on Guadalcanal, an island that faced heavy fights in the second half of 1942. The combined forces of the US Marine Corps, US Navy and USAAF stopped the onslaught of a Japanese invasion for the first time in the war. This would not have been done without a combined air force called the Cactus Air Force. This informal unit operated from the summer of 1942 to the spring of 1943, when its structure was reorganised as part of the 13th Air Force.

The primary Cactus Air Force fighters were the F4F-4 Wildcats and the P-400/P-39D Airacobras. The former was mainly used as an interceptor (it had better performance at higher altitudes), the latter as a ground-attack aircraft (it had poor performance at high altitudes, but the 20mm or 37mm cannon was effective at attacking ground targets). These aircraft were supplemented with P-38 and P-40 machines (November-December 1942) and F4U-1 Corsair (spring 1943). However, the main weight of the fights in the hottest period rested on Wildcats and Airacobras.

Loading