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

What P38 said. Ala modern jet liner.

p38jl

ps... Vance,,

the flaps also extend, not just drop.. they have rails that they ride out on, then drop..

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

ahhhhhh - that thought just hit me too. Those buggers are Fowler flaps aren't they!? Well, I've been triple dog dared, so there's no chickening out now is there. I just spotted this in my "stolen resources" folder, showing the flaps in action:

Not much of a view on the actual attachment pints though. I guess I can place the internal ribs etc based on where the rivet lines are, may need to look for some better pics of the rails they ride on though.

Hey, that plane looks a lot like the one I'm building. I'll have to check the number.

I'm not sure where I found the original, but the filename reads "P38LandingChino2006.jpg"

About the only time you would see the flaps down while the plane was on the ground was to be worked on.

Going back to the gear doors. For both Academy and Hasgeawa I would remove the 2 middle attachment points and just use the end ones. This lets the middle come up over the edge giving you a more realistic looking open door.

This is my most recent P-38 build (2 years ago!). I'm not the best at taking pictures of models.

Mike

Nothing wrong with those pics Mike, I really like the yellow on the booms. Yep, any pictures I see show flaps up while on the ground. I think I'm going for it anyway, I'll just have to display it with a toolkit somewhere nearby!

Vance. Adds interest to have them down. Paragone make a set of aftermarket flaps. I plan on doing one that way at some time. I also plan on doing one as it's landing with the gear legs all streched out and flaps down. Just have to figure out how to support it so you don't really see the support.

Also for those you still working on the booms who dont feel like adding all the detail in the radiators a lot of the time when on the ground the rear doors are closed.  I've built them both ways just gives another option for the builder.

Mike

please forgive the intrusion

I wish I had known about this GB when I picked up the trumpeter P-38 in late October. There is a lot of freindly feedback and useful resource to be found here.

I Just wanted to let you all know that I will be following this GB as I build up my own Trumpeter 1/32 P-38L-5-LO. I will be using the decal sheet and possibly props from the 1/32 Revell-Monogram following the "Madu" scheme. Aeronautics is a new modeling subject for me, I could not resist the P-38! and could only hope to get some of the GREAT results I'm seing in this GB (AWESOME)

Thank you for this valuable resource, I look forward to reading more.

No intrusion UTS, join in.

Well, it's pic overload time again. Sorry, didn't want to do it this way but I've been a little under the weather and school started again this week so I got behind. First time I've actually had a cold or flu in years and thankfully I'd forgotten what it felt like. Hope I can again. Here we go...

First, I had to finish making the radiators. The backs were made from .020 sheet. Once I got them cut out and fitted I traced around the edges on some .010 sheet for the fronts. Figured it would be easier to make the openings for the grills.

Then I finished shaping them with my trusty FlexiFile...

And used my dividers to scribe a line a constant distance from the edge.

Rubbed over the line with a pencil to make it stand out a bit...

And rubbed off the excess lead...

Then made the cuts and smoothed them again with the FlexiFile

Stuck the brass screen to a piece of tape, glued to the backing, trimmed and then glued on the fronts...

 Added my other bulkheads and filler panels for the gear bays...

Then it was back to work on the front edges of the radiator openings. Got them shaped up a bit and glued on...

Then puttied, sanded and shaped...

Cleaned up and reshaped the rear openings a bit...

Then painted the radiators a light grey and used a green and brown wash on the grilles...

Then it was time to start gluing everything in...

I cut some small pieces of foam to put in place to block the openings from sanding dust and future paint. Figured it would be easy to stick them in before I sealed it up and still be easy to pluck out later...

Then it was on to gluing the booms together. Didn't turn out too bad but I should have trimmed my radiator bulkheads back a little further because I wasn't able to get any *ooze* out of the joints in that area. Would have made seam clean up a little easier. Oh well...

Then I tinkered with cleaning up the canopy and windscreen while the glue dried. Found out they're a little short but I can fix it. I hope. Then I stuck in the landing gear and cowlings and set the booms in the wing and got her on her feet for the first time...

None of that's glued in or on, just a  mock up. Still have some gaps to deal with...

Well, that's all for tonight. Again, sorry for the pic overload. Keep getting behind.

Tony

Hey UTS - Wingman_kz is correct - just because you weren't here at the start doesn't mean you can't join in! I can add you & your kit to the builder's list if you like.

Looking good Tony, never too many pics when you're showing how something is being scratched! I think you deserve a special award for "use of most clamping devices"! I'm just nicely getting into scratchbuilding items, this kit seems to encourage that sort of thing. Any trick for finding that original shape, or is it just trial & error??

OK, my update... after yesterdays question (flaps or no flaps!) I have decided that I probably am crazy, but want to try it anyway! I spent several hours breathing deeply, then jumped into it...

Scribed the engraved areas defining the flaps and ailerons with the back edge of an older Xacto blade. The upper side of the ailerons wer also dealt with the same way. The only difference, for some reason the top is defined by an extra row of rivets rather than engraved?? Pulled out the metal ruler to connect the dots.

And here is a little backlight to show the point I stopped at. Almost all the way through now, but I think I want to seal up the two wing halves before I finish the scribing, especially with that tiny little area between the outer flaps and the ailerons - that just looks like something that I will break off if I have the opportunity! Forward portion of the cockpit is closed up, just need to finish the RIO's office now.

Vance, you're nuts!  But that kind of challenge makes this hobby fun.  The cool thing about group builds and this Forum, is that we wouldn't try some of the things we do if it weren't for the prodding and support we get from our friends.  Rick

Wingman- Great looking progress! I'm tickled to see you back at it, hope the green feelings stay away fora while now.

Vance- Vance, Vance, Vance. You crazy man. LOL It'll look good when it's done and it's going to be fun to watch.

hkshooter / wabash - crazy? Uhhhh, yes, I've already decided that this is indeed the crazy option. Keep in mind that this is also my first crack at a P38!

hkshooter, just noticed the "spam" in your your tagline - how long has that been there??

VanceCrozier

hkshooter / wabash - crazy? Uhhhh, yes, I've already decided that this is indeed the crazy option. Keep in mind that this is also my first crack at a P38!

Being your first 38, its even more crazier of an idea; good luck on it, I'll be watching with interest

Vance- Very observant Grasshopper. I just changed it yesterday evening. The Bilbo Baggins quote was getting old. And I like Spam. lol

Hey, say what you will about spam... Manny swears it's still better than hamster or cat.

Vance.. if you drop them flaps.. Manny needs to give some kinda award,, that does NOT have a rubber spine device..

Is there a "scribe first, ask question later" award?

Ohh, I'm dropping them, all that scribing last night left a paper-thin section of plastic holding the control surfaces in place, no going back now. Hans mentioned to me that 10degrees of flap was standard at takeoff, so I don't necessarily need the have them hanging down to the ground.

Love that spaghetti western smiley.

Tonight I was debating about how to eliminate the seams between the prop blades on the spinner. The spinners don't come apart where the kit parts are split and like other seams on this kit, they are substantial. Not the look I'm going for.
So I decided to install tubing for the props to spin on. This will allow me to mate the front and rear portions of the spinners while not installed into the nacelles. First, I had to remove the backing plate that has already been installed into the nacelle front. I did this with a razor saw. Once the back plates were removed I drilled the plates and installed aluminum tubing for an axle. The hole in the front of the nacelle received sections of aluminum tubing the smaller tubing in the back plates would slip into.
When complete I test fit the shafts then mated the spinner halves together. Once the glue sets I'll putty the seams and paint the spinners. Right now the yellow portions of the airframe are masked and ready for paint. All I need to do is prep the props and spray yellow.

That's some slick engineering hkshooter - post up some pics if you can!

"P38s are the mother of invention"

VanceCrozier

heres the best shot of the rails for the flaps I could find.

UTS

Crazy...

Crazy for thinking about...

Dropping the flaps on a P-38. Go Vance! Good luck with that. Looks good so far.

I don't know Vance, it's just trial and error for me. Cut out a rough shape then whittle, file and sand till it fits. Funny thing about this project is how much each one of those little radiator bulkheads varied. 4 fronts and 4 rears and no 2 were just alike. And I was just havin' fun with clothespins...

Rick and hk, your builds are coming along nicely. Good idea on the props hk, may have to borrow that idea.

Mike, I really like the build you showed. Very nice.

Well, tried something new tonite, hope it works out. Building planes is pretty new to me. I've had tubes of white and green Squadron putty for years and never used them much, stuck with the plain grey Tamiya or Tamiya 2 part. I've read about people thinning them with alcohol and lacquer thinner but it never worked for me. It wouldn't mix, stayed lumpy and dried out almost immediately. I'd also never used the thin liquid Testors glue until recently. Saw it real cheap at Micheals so I bought a bottle. Tonite I put some Squadron green in a jar and added some of that glue and it mixed up great. So, I put it all over the seams on the P-38. Hope it works out.

Tony

Vance--Thanks for letting me join.  I'll will post WIPs as often as I can.  I have a new seam elimination technique in progress.  I am waiting for some Mr. Surfacer bottles to finish.  I'll let all see the rsults this weekend.

UTS - that is a great shot of the area I'm looking at, thanks! Funny thing is, when I was laying in some of the structure last night I was thinking (on the Revell kit) that it was oddly thick at the trailing edge of the upper wing - looks like that was actually intentional.

Tony - CRAZY??? Uhh, yes I probably am. Just had a crazy thought about the inside shapes - what about filling the inner contour with a putty or wet paper towel kinda glob, remove it & let it dry, then you could slice it at the point you're trying to gauge, use that for the shape. I know there are devices with a bunch of little pins available, but they must be costly. I went with the "oh crap I closed this up before measuring for the blanking plates" method this time.

Clebode - glad to have you on board, looking forward to seeing what you are up to.

A little more time at the bench last night, adding internal structure to the areas that will be seen once the flaps are dropped. Lower wing, blanked off the area on either side of the ailerons...

Upper wing, ejector pin marks puttied & sanded, started the framework, then realized that I need more styrene strips before I can take it any further. Gotta get to the LHS quickly, before he closes doors for good. (I'm going to have to plan things out better from now on ) Once the other strips are in, going across these, I can sand them down to a better height. Not sure yet if I'll need to blank off the engine bay areas...

Looking awesome, Vance!

Here's a couple of shots of the props. You can see the tubing in the nacelle and the axle here.

Still waiting on the wheels. I suppose next will be further paint work as I still need to do some fading and touch ups.

Just messin' with you Vance. I don't really think you're crazy. Looks like your work on the flaps is going well. Flaps extended will be cool. I have a contour gauge but it doesn't work well in small spaces, the pins are too big. Have also used Tamiya two part putty to get the shape of something. All you have to do is wet whatever you don't want it to stick to and it won't. It's easy to slice too. I feel like I'm wasting it when I do that. If it's something that will take several tries to get right I just use a piece of card stock to get the basic shape, transfer it to plastic and go from there.

hk, spinners and props are looking good. That was a good idea, thanks for posting a picture.

Tony

Wingman - contour gauge, yeah, that's the name of the gizmo! I've got several of these beasties in my stash, I'll have to try a few other techniques next time, see what works best for me.

hkshooter - I'm liking the quick shots of yellow with the OD, shaping up well.

OK, maybe pics tomorrow, but my update is minimal anyway. I had to resort to cutting my own strips of styrene from a fairly thick sheet I have in the supply. (Gets really curly when you do that...) The plan is to lay this layer of strips across the ones that are in place above, tack-glue them in place at all the contact points. Once that is completely cured I'll take the razor saw out & trim so that the peices will fall into place, and I'll be gluing them in place - to keep alignment - as I go. Could turn into a tedious little marathon session.

I wasn't comparing to the pic that UTS posted though, I was laying strips down where I saw rivet lines, so I may have made more work for myself than needed on this new layer, but there's no going back now!