VanceCrozier
VanceCrozier:
The pledge: My name is Vance, and I will not neglect my P38 tonight! Sanding out the putty I had to add, and finishing the work on the ailerons are at the top of the list, again.
I know the feeling Vance. Been going through some emotionally stressful times here and it has been hard to get into the modeling rhythm . But forward progress is being made. Here's some update pics.
In the first pics , I noticed from reference pics this little inlet on the nacelles are usually molded to look like tiny scoops on the skin surface, when actually they're tubes coming through the cowling.
Easy to trim off the scoops ,drill a small hole, glue in a bit of stretched sprue, trim to length. Also drilled out end of the new "tube".
I was cleaning up the seams on the turbo air scoops when one slipped from my fingers and ended up somewhere .
After much looking and searching, I realized I'd have to scratch a replacement out of sprue . I still had one as a model.
Found it better to make two new scoops for a better match . I think they are an improvement over the kit parts.
The nose gear well detail looked flat compared to the mains so I decided to add a new roof to the well , which also gave the depth needed to make the little recess the tire fits into. Then added the hydraulic lines and stuff from wire and bits of scrap plastic. Not rivet counter perfect, but a good representation of the nest of lines in the real deal.
Weathered with sludge washes and pastels . I remember seeing a pic of a Lightning taxiing through the mud on some Pacific field . Could barely see the airplane from all the muddy water splashed up, so I imagine the gear wells ended up looking pretty grubby.
Used a round cutter from my Dremel tool , chucked into a pin vise to carve out a shallow "bowl" in the landing light lens. Painted chrome silver , then added new lenses punched out from clear sheet.
Ready to mask and paint after giving a prewash of MM flat black.
This is the waethered effect I'm aiming for .
It's going to be tedious working all the panel lines , but I've been trying out various washes, pigments and pastels on some sheet plastic to get a feel for the colors I'll use.
I like starting my paint with a base of factory fresh color lightly coated over the prewash and weathered in layers . Weathering happens over time and unevenly. Should be intersting.
Got the neutral gray airbrushed on the undersides. Now if the weather will cooperate so I can get the OD on today . Anxious to start getting it aged.
Howard