P-38 Lightning group build - Are we there yet???

p38jl

I even scorred some msytery markings that MIGHT show up here.. and there on a E model...

Just so long as the mystery markings don't include the words "Winning!", "Tigerblood" or "Violent Torpedo of Truth"...

Sparrow, if your doing a search, just use P-38 1/48 decals, and with out decals as a search item..

And look at any decals that come up.. sometimes they put E, F,H J etc models markings on the same sheet.. I've gotten a few that have 4 differant markings., for 3 differant models.. I even scorred some msytery markings that MIGHT show up here.. and there on a E model...

Thanks for the info Spike!  That was really really helpful.  I'll try it as an F then.  Well..  Off to eBay.  I'll upload some images this afternoon.  I hae the nacelles complete, the wings and fuselage buttoned up and the nacelles installed as well as the center tail plane.  I am debating whether to try Alclad metalizer or stick with standard enamels for a natural finish.  I have never used the metalizers before so I am not sure on the best way to apply them.

Rich

Spike190

B17 Nice work on Glacier Girl, you've done a great job

Rich I think if you built the 'E' as an 'F' you would have a far better chance of finding some new decals, Superscale does a few sets that include an F.

Some E-F info for you,

Sorry for my recent absence, I have made some progress though,

Pictures...

Still a few bits to finish up including mooooore decals on the props and a flat coat to calm it all down.

Cheers everyone....

 

B17 Nice work on Glacier Girl, you've done a great job

Rich I think if you built the 'E' as an 'F' you would have a far better chance of finding some new decals, Superscale does a few sets that include an F.

Some E-F info for you,

Sorry for my recent absence, I have made some progress though,

Pictures...

Still a few bits to finish up including mooooore decals on the props and a flat coat to calm it all down.

Cheers everyone....

Sparrowhyperion

You don't want to use a storage unit.  A friend of mine did and during the winter it got so cold it made all of his kits brittle.  Even when they warmed up again, the plastic was kind of brittle.

 

 

VanceCrozier:

 

I've got only the Revell kit Rich. I think (POSSIBLY!) I've got the house to myself most of this evening, meaning I can have the table, meaning.... I should be able to get some modeling done!!

I'm thinking of renting one of those storage units & setting up my worktable there!

 

 

So I'd have to rent one that I could run a heater in & add some  carpet, maybe a little bar-fridge... Man, sounds like I need a long-term hotel room rental! Any luck on the new place Rich?

Good idea.   I'll see what I can find for an F then. And make any necessary modifications to the kit.

DoogsATX

Rich - pretty sure the E and F are near identical. Believe the big change was the addition of the inboard racks. So you may want to look for P-38F markings instead.

You don't want to use a storage unit.  A friend of mine did and during the winter it got so cold it made all of his kits brittle.  Even when they warmed up again, the plastic was kind of brittle.

VanceCrozier

I've got only the Revell kit Rich. I think (POSSIBLY!) I've got the house to myself most of this evening, meaning I can have the table, meaning.... I should be able to get some modeling done!!

I'm thinking of renting one of those storage units & setting up my worktable there!

I also seem to remember somebody mentioning that outboard wing fuel tanks were a later edition. So if you upgrade the -E to llok like an -L, you may want to scribe a couple of "gas-caps", if it even bothers you. I'm just a P-38 rookie though!

Aftermarket decals, I found out quickly, were hard to come by. I hit Sprue Bros. & found an Aeromaster set that included an alternate for the nightfighter I'm working on. (Aeromaster #48631 / P-38G P-38H P-38L Lightning 'Fork Tail Devils Pt I') The other two sets of markings are interesting enough to convince me to do another (simpler!!) version in the future. If there was a part 1, there must be more out there.

Rich - pretty sure the E and F are near identical. Believe the big change was the addition of the inboard racks. So you may want to look for P-38F markings instead.

Okay houston, I have a small problem..  Okay, I got this P-38E Academy 1/48 kit on eBay.  I was doing it because the Revell kits are frustrating me.  So i thought it would make a nice companion for my Academy P-38J kit.  However, the kit did not include the original decals for it.  What it did have is a set of SuperScale P38L decals.  Now I was wondering if someone could tell me the obvious differences between the E and L besides the obvious air intake difference on the nacelles.  And does anyone have any ideas where I might be able to find some decals for this kit?  eBay has nada for the E.  Until I hear back, I'll just continue the build.  I'll post some WIPs tomorrow.  It's about 85% done already (At least assembly).

Rich

That's why I tell people not to sell unless they have to.  My Mother in Law was thinking of selling her place, but when I showed her the prices for a new place now, she decided not to.

I just wish there were more really old large houses around here.  I hate Ranch places and the only place in town where you can find the old Victorians that I prefer, are in neighborhoods you wouldn't go out alone in even during the daytime.  All of the houses in our part of town are those cheesy cookie cutter Ranch style houses they turned out by the thousands after WWII.  I wish I had the money to move back east, but I doubt I will be able to in this lifetime.

VanceCrozier

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

The main problem is that my disability is so little, that we could only get approved for a small loan.  Most people probably spend more just renovating a bathroom.  Fortunately for us, Toledo was hit hard in the housing meltdown and the banks are stuck with so many houses that they have to pay taxes on, that the prices on some of them are really low.  It's not easy finding something semi decent for $55K or less.  The one we put the offer on is a HUD/FHA house so it's at least passed an FHA home inspection.  The other issue is property taxes.  On a lot of the houses out here, the taxes cost more per month that the house payments so when they lump it into the loan, it just about doubles the payment.  Lucas County, where we live really sticks it to the homeowner.  I mean paying over $1500 every 6 months for a 2 bedroom 900sqft Ranch with no yard to speak of is just ridiculous...

 

 

 

 

Yuck - the taxes aren't that bad around here, but the prices... there was quite the housing boom in this area over the past 7 years. It's cooling down now, but the prices haven't dropped much. Our town house is worth nearly double what we paid for it, people keep telling us we should sell it... Sounds good, but then we'd have to pay the "new prices" on whatever we moved into!! 

Sparrowhyperion

The main problem is that my disability is so little, that we could only get approved for a small loan.  Most people probably spend more just renovating a bathroom.  Fortunately for us, Toledo was hit hard in the housing meltdown and the banks are stuck with so many houses that they have to pay taxes on, that the prices on some of them are really low.  It's not easy finding something semi decent for $55K or less.  The one we put the offer on is a HUD/FHA house so it's at least passed an FHA home inspection.  The other issue is property taxes.  On a lot of the houses out here, the taxes cost more per month that the house payments so when they lump it into the loan, it just about doubles the payment.  Lucas County, where we live really sticks it to the homeowner.  I mean paying over $1500 every 6 months for a 2 bedroom 900sqft Ranch with no yard to speak of is just ridiculous...

 

 

Yuck - the taxes aren't that bad around here, but the prices... there was quite the housing boom in this area over the past 7 years. It's cooling down now, but the prices haven't dropped much. Our town house is worth nearly double what we paid for it, people keep telling us we should sell it... Sounds good, but then we'd have to pay the "new prices" on whatever we moved into!! 

That was me. lol...

p38jl

i got an Academy E instruction sheet.. who needed it ??

The main problem is that my disability is so little, that we could only get approved for a small loan.  Most people probably spend more just renovating a bathroom.  Fortunately for us, Toledo was hit hard in the housing meltdown and the banks are stuck with so many houses that they have to pay taxes on, that the prices on some of them are really low.  It's not easy finding something semi decent for $55K or less.  The one we put the offer on is a HUD/FHA house so it's at least passed an FHA home inspection.  The other issue is property taxes.  On a lot of the houses out here, the taxes cost more per month that the house payments so when they lump it into the loan, it just about doubles the payment.  Lucas County, where we live really sticks it to the homeowner.  I mean paying over $1500 every 6 months for a 2 bedroom 900sqft Ranch with no yard to speak of is just ridiculous...

VanceCrozier

OY - house hunting! I remember not having much fun at all when we were looking - and the whole offer/counter-offer process.... Good luck on that one, with a workshop just waiting for you!

J vs E.. not sure, but if they are both from Academy I bet the sprues are pretty common to each other.

SparrowHyperion (Rich) is looking for it,

i got an Academy E instruction sheet.. who needed it ??

OY - house hunting! I remember not having much fun at all when we were looking - and the whole offer/counter-offer process.... Good luck on that one, with a workshop just waiting for you!

J vs E.. not sure, but if they are both from Academy I bet the sprues are pretty common to each other.

I know what you mean about space.  We just put in an offer on a house with a two car garage that was converted into a workshop by the owner.  We will know tomorrow if they accepted the offer.  I hate house hunting.

I am wondering how different the instructions are between the J and E models of the Academy kits.  I might be able to use the J instructions and just compensate for any differences with my remaining brain cell..

Rich

VanceCrozier

I've got only the Revell kit Rich. I think (POSSIBLY!) I've got the house to myself most of this evening, meaning I can have the table, meaning.... I should be able to get some modeling done!!

I'm thinking of renting one of those storage units & setting up my worktable there!

did any of Manny's agents "observe' ??

I've got only the Revell kit Rich. I think (POSSIBLY!) I've got the house to myself most of this evening, meaning I can have the table, meaning.... I should be able to get some modeling done!!

I'm thinking of renting one of those storage units & setting up my worktable there!

Well.  Now that I am feeling a little less under the weather, I have been making some progress on my Revell kit.  But I hit a major snag on the Academy kit.  Fortunately I have another Academy Lightning.  Does anyone have a set of instructions for the Academy 1/48 P-38E (Kit 2144), that they could scan and email me?  I'd appreciate it.  My E kit didn't come with any. lol

Rich

Great work on Glacier Girl. I've seen some good closeups online & in various magazines recently - she does indeed get treated well in the weathering department. I've got to re-start my -38 after several unplanned distractions.

Wabashwheels

 If you have them and they are several years old they will disintegrate pretty easily. 

If you leave them sealed in the package they came in, they will keep for many years, but the trick is to NOT open them, which is hard to do 

B-17GUY, Great look on the girl.  Right you are on the weathering.  That bird gets the princess treatment.  Nice finish and demarcation lines.  In my opinion MicroScale and Superscale are the best decals to lay down.  They have good color and are very thin which in turn makes them very delicate.  If you have them and they are several years old they will disintegrate pretty easily.  But they will lay down like paint.  I've been using a few different aftermarket decal brands, usually mixing and matching.  But, especially for stencils the Micro brands give you good invisibility with their clear film.  Rick

Well my P-38F Glacier Girl is all done! Didn't weather her, cause well the restored craft ain't weathered. Had a couple decals not coperate, mainly on the props.  I got 98% of them to work and the rest don't look all that bad.  Well enoug talking, here's the pics:

Hope ya'll like. It was fun building this.

Man, that finish is rich!

Thanks guys for the comments and thanks for the 'Gif' feedback, I'll have a play when I get a moment.

Rick I've snapped a couple of quick pictures for you. This was Vallejo flat from the can, I've used it a number of times and always liked the sheen it gives. When I'm finishing I'll use some gunze flat to give a flatter finish in some random areas and also tint it a little for some extra highlights.

I had a little play with some oils yesterday before the flat went on.

Cheers...

I had just nicely downloaded GIMP & started using it while I was in between jobs (yay - free software!!) but didn't get into it enough to know what it was capable of.

Animated GIFs are easy.  Any 2D graphics editor that can handle layers can do them if they can save in GIF format.  Each frame of the animation is just a single layer in the animated graphic.  I use GIMP for a lot of stuff.  It's the best software I have ever used for things like making realistic looking space scenes and planets.  And it being free is just a great bonus.

VanceCrozier

Good call Sparrow, I had forgotten about GIMP, didn't realize it came with animation abilities as well. Anybody using this will also be able to touch up model pics & doctor Manny's head into other photos!