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

It is always fun to get goodies in the mail!!!!  Depending on how well shipping goes this week because of the holiday, I hope to get a new front seat for mine (and a few more goodies for other projects).

The P-38M pictures have already been a big help.  I have already made a bit of the detail in back.  Thanks again Mike.  I've started adding detail in one of the wheel wells too.  It is beyond my abilities to reproduce all of the detail, but I think I can do an alright job.  By test fitting, I can tell the fuse/wing halves are going to be a challenge to get together.  They don't line up very well at all.  Almost like it is warped in a twisted way.  Nothing that can't be overcome.  I am really enjoying this build.  I am getting pretty fond of these old monogram kits.

I hope everybody has a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Cheers,

Greg

For those of you building the Monogram P-38 there is something you may want to note. The wing tips are wrong. They made the top and bottom the same. The bottom should angle up to the tip. Here are a couple of pictures to show what I'm talking about if anyone cares to fix it.

Mike

P-38 Guy

For those of you building the Monogram P-38 there is something you may want to note. The wing tips are wrong. They made the top and bottom the same. The bottom should angle up to the tip. Here are a couple of pictures to show what I'm talking about if anyone cares to fix it.

Great to know! But I'm totally invoking gizmology on that one!

Here are a couple of pictures of my current P-38 build that stalled out on more than a year and half ago. It's an Academy kit that I am converting to an F-5F. I was messing around with a spare nose and just for fun tried scratching building the F-5F nose and then cast it in resin which was also another first. Learned a few things about that process. I had to do some work after I cast it to clean it up but all in all I was pretty happy with my first try at it.

Still have not decided yet what I want to build. I'll figure it out over Thanksgiving.

Mike

Nice work ,Mike. Interesting how you don't know what you can do till you try it . Had a similar experience recently scratch building ten scimitar prop blades for a racer. First time I had attempted something like that , but they turned out well.  I also would like to try my hand at resin casting, have yet to dive into those waters. Would be a great resource.

Here are the first pics of my build. I'm also building Academy's Glacier Girl kit but will go with the alternate markings for Oriole of the 339 FS flying out of Henderson in 1943, although I may go with other markings from the south Pacific region . Just love the look of a battle hardened veteran.

Upon reviewing reference photos the office will definitely get some jazzing up with scratched throttles, switches, etc., but I'll still build OOB . Just some enhancement where needed.

I painted the seat cushion and head rest with a mix of mostly flat black , rust, dk earth, varying the mixture to get a subtle variation . I'll often vary the basic colors of assorted boxes and panels for better visual interest. 

The glare shield is a mix of flat black and faded olive. 

 BTW- I noticed the instructions called out for the gear bays and struts to be painted silver. I believe this is incorrect , especially for the earlier Lightnings.  

I recalled in the first FSM How to Paint & Weather special issue of 2007 , a great article on interior colors. Below are excerpts from that article.

I will probably go with a little neutral gray mixed in some aluminum for the gear bays , a little more gray in the mix for the doors , and a little more gray mixed with steel on the struts. I may use MM aircraft gray for a visual difference from the neutral gray undersides. Weathering will bring it all together.

Howard  

 Howard

Got a few pics to share.

Here ,I've got the cockpit tacked together with a few drops of Elmers to get a better idea of what detail I want to add.

Starting with the  IP . 

This kit has a nice decal for the IP ,but I like a little more relief .

I photocopied the panel , punched out the gauge faces then overlaid the IP decal  

Next step is adding the switches and stuff.

Howard

Hey Howard, great idea on the photocopy version of the IP. Maybe Santa will bring me one of those magical hole punches!

I spent some time on my cockpit last night but my camera is cranky this morning & won't give anything up. I'm hoping to have some "evidence" up over the weekend.

VanceCrozier

Hey Howard, great idea on the photocopy version of the IP. Maybe Santa will bring me one of those magical hole punches!

 

 Purchased this one through Micro-Mark tools early this year . Not my cheapest tool on the bench (list $39.95), but has been well worth the price. 5mm thru 1mm micro punch set.

 You can make those small discs, washers, punch holes, the like. I've photocopied kit IP decals and punched out the instrument faces for a kit that didn't have instrument faces. Handy little tool, definitely would put it on the Christmas wish list.

I would use a small hardwood mallet with the punch pins to protect the cutting edge.   

BTW- a little off topic , but, thanks for the info about the avatar. I'll get in touch with her to get that worked out. I also need to find out how to do the "slide show " display in my signature. Really enjoying the GB thing and am proud to display the badges of the builds I'm involved with.

I'll be getting back to my Lightning in a day or two.

While the Academy Lightning cockpit needs some dressing up , the basic shapes and detail are there.

Past couple days I've been pretty much scratch building an ARII/Otaki Hellcat cockpit for the Alley cat GB. Told you I was getting into this GB thing. 

Howard

Hey lads. I would like to join your GB with my recently acuired 1/72 Hasegawa P-38 J/L

It will be a simple straight OBB or maybe a "what if" SAAF Notrh africa build...............................hmm, what to do LOL!

Theuns

Well, my P-47's been consigned back to its box indefinitely after a horrible incident with 17 year old decals, and I'm just not feeling like working on another Revellogram, so I'm boxing it for the time being, too (no sense in forcing it...).

Instead, I'll be kicking off the Academy P-38F tonight. I'm planning on finishing it with the "Oriole" markings in the kit. Figure being stationed at Henderson Field opens up all kinds of possibilities for weathering...

Well while waiting for some other models to dry, mainly the scratch built hanger deck of the Enterprise CVN-65 I'm doin, I went ahead got my P-38 Glacier Girl (and yes it will be Glacier Girl) out.  Got the cockpit painted with zinc chromate.  Going to add a detail set in it, though it was designed for the hasegawa kit, but I can make it work . Won't even be using it all, as some of it was for the seat, and since I go the most excellent resin one from Ultracast, in the spare box it goes.

Kicked off "Oriole" tonight alongside "Hairless Joe". Got the cockpit and wheel well bits primed - exciting! So far, I definitely prefer the kit to the Revell. The control wheel alone...

I also found some great photos and discussion of the P-38 if anybody wants to check it out. Some fantastic images of just how beat up these things got to looking. It's also interesting that the panel lines where moisture could get in were sealed with a clear varnish when they were shipped out of the states...the unvarnished paint faded out a lot faster. Could be good info for weathering...

LINK

DoogsATX

It's also interesting that the panel lines where moisture could get in were sealed with a clear varnish when they were shipped out of the states...the unvarnished paint faded out a lot faster. Could be good info for weathering...

Interesting note. Thanks for pointing it out and for the link . I love to weather up the old war birds.

 It looks as if the varnish had been applied by hand brush. 

One idea would be to hand brush a thin clear gloss over those panel lines then color coat with flat olive. May provide enough variation in the dull of the top coat to create the effect. 

 Another way would be after the decals and dull coat go on. Go over the panel lines with a coat of gloss, then another coat of clear flat. 

  I think I'm going to try the second approach. The subtle change in sheen should reflect light differently giving the effect.

 Howard

I have officially started my 1/72 Academy P-38J, I'll get some cockpit photos up as soon as I get it done.

Well, to say the rear cockpit "M" photos P-38 Guy posted have been helpful, is an understatement.  Other than seat belts, I think I pretty much got it.  Scratched up an O2 hose, and some radio gear too.  I haven't decided if I am going to put the radar scope extension on it or not.

Well, onward.

Cheers,

Greg

Great work Greg. I remember building the M version of this kit way back in the 70s. 

Of course , I was still building everything OOB back then and only beginning to discover things like weathering. The Monogram P-38 multi-version was my first real foray into cutting and converting a major part like a wing or fuselage. Monogram made it fairly easy though and it turned out  fine. Have to dig up an old B/W Poloroid of the model and scan it to post. A real blast from the past.

 I'll be watching your build with interest. I have the current Revell issue of this kit in my stash. It still makes a great starting point for detailing .

Howard

Welcome aboard Theuns, I'll ad you to the roster on page 1. A North African what-if scheme would be great to see, feel free to ga that route.

DoogsATX - sorry to hear that you've been attacked by the decal monster. Maybe the P47 can be the centre piece of a pint shop diorama?! ;)  Looking forward to seeding your work on the -38 though. Could be some interesting weathering options with that "varnish the seams" system you mentioned.

Gregbbear, great pics of the progress so far. I've got some work done on my cockpit as well but had to switch over to "dad's car for Christmas" over the weekend. Hoping to post pics of my own tonight.

(Just had one of those random thoughts... What are the odds, after we're all done this of course, of Tamiya releasing a version of the Lightning like they did with that Storch, including some crazy metal rail system that guarantees a square fit for the booms etc.?!)

VanceCrozier

(Just had one of those random thoughts... What are the odds, after we're all done this of course, of Tamiya releasing a version of the Lightning like they did with that Storch, including some crazy metal rail system that guarantees a square fit for the booms etc.?!)

You know...

If you think about it, the Lightning is woefully underserved, especially considering that it's one of the most recognizable planes in aviation history, and a well-executed kit would no doubt be a strong seller. 

What's out there right now? In 1/48th, there's the Revellogram, the Academy kits, and the Hasegawa. That I know of. None of them are perfect kits, and I think there's a heck of a gap for someone like Tamiya or Eduard to jump in and blow the doors off with better boom alignment (keyed stabilizer pieces like Tamiya's Corsair would go a long way...), better cockpit detail, better gear bay detail, etc.

Eduard's done it with the Bf-110 and the Hellcat...and honestly the idea of an Eduard P-38 Profi-pack or a Tamiya effort on par with the P-47 would be pretty amazing.

Howard, I built this as a kid in the late '70s too.  I wish I had a picture of it.  I brush painted it gloss black, and for some reason, I think the cockpit was yellow zinc chromate?  Things were simpler back then.  

If  Tamiya did make one, it would be the nicest of the bunch, and cost $70 too. 

I am now just waiting on a front seat before I can button her up.  I finished the seat belts for the back seat, and added detail to the landing gear bays.  I did cut the bottom of the wing tips off to match the pictures Mike posted.  I will just add sheet styrene and sand to shape.  I am going to try and make clear nav lights with two part epoxy.

Cheers,

Greg

Gregbbear

...If  Tamiya did make one, it would be the nicest of the bunch, and cost $70 too....

Unfortunately true!

Greg,,, Great work!!

same to everyone else so far !

VanceCrozier

 

Gregbbear:

 

...If  Tamiya did make one, it would be the nicest of the bunch, and cost $70 too....

 

 

Unfortunately true!

Not true.

It'd be $69.99...

A Tamiya P-38, that might be a nice kit, if it ain't expensive.  Wonder if the 1/32 Trumpeter kit has the same alignment issues.

Almost done painting the cockpit on mine.  Then add couple more of the PE set and I'll be done with the cockpit tub.  Also need to add a little detail painting on the seat.

You are correct. Think about it , you have the following.

XP-38, YP-38, P-332-I, P-322-II, P-38, P-38D, P-38E, P-38F, P-38G, P-38H, P-38J, P-38L, P-38M

F-4, F-4A, F-5A, F-5B, F-5C, F-5E, F-5F, F-5G. Many of these were modified in the field to adapt to needs on the battlefield.

Droop Snoot, Pathfinder and Elint.

Post war maping, air racing, weather research.

My goal is to have at least one of every version.

Mike

P-38 Guy

You are correct. Think about it , you have the following.

XP-38, YP-38, P-332-I, P-322-II, P-38, P-38D, P-38E, P-38F, P-38G, P-38H, P-38J, P-38L, P-38M

F-4, F-4A, F-5A, F-5B, F-5C, F-5E, F-5F, F-5G. Many of these were modified in the field to adapt to needs on the battlefield.

Droop Snoot, Pathfinder and Elint.

Post war maping, air racing, weather research.

My goal is to have at least one of every version.

Mike

yah.. what he said..

First pics of the P-38F. So far I've got the major cockpit bits painted and drybrushed with Floquil Old Silver. I've also drilled out holes in the radio gear for routing wires.

Overall, an improvement over the Revellogram, but not by the degree I'd like. Building this alongside Tamiya's Jug is a lesson in humility!

I don't have any pictures to post yet, haven't had time to edit, upload and all that. Semester is coming to an end and too much studying, testing and stuff.

BUT...

I did spend about 8 hours airbrushing on Saturday and managed to work in some interior green on the P-38. A little black, a little OD. Now if I can just find a little time to do the brush painting on the cockpit I can glue some stuff together. I did take some pics and will upload them soon.

I agree a Tamiya or Eduard P-38 would be nice. Was at my favorite LHS last week and noticed they have the Trumpeter 1/32 and Hasegawa 1/48. Too much money for me right now though.

Tony

Hi gents. Here is what I have been able to do to the 38 sofar. I must say that this must be an OOOOOLD Hasegawa kit, the quality and fit is not nearly as good as on the 1/48 Hasegawa A6m3 I just copleted, and to top it all off, the 38 still has raised pannelines That is going to be "fun" to redo when I sand them off on the joints!

I hardly ever do 1/72 scale so bare with the amaturish nature of this build  It is going to be purely a fun back to basics build ,all for about $11-50 I got it for LOL!

The cockpit is mostly hidden inside the gondola and I will keep the canopy closed anyway ,so I am not to worried about the lack of detail.

The other builds I see here on this thread are stunning though!

Theuns

Got the cockpit all painted and ready for assembly (once the paint is all dry of course)

The CP all painted (really like the Ultracast seat! can't wait to get to the wheels):

I have to say that this particular kit is not what I expect from hasegawa(granted it is very old), the fit of the boom to wing will take some work to get it nice and most of the raised panellines have to be sanded off inorder to get the joints smooth

I will have to sand down all the lines and re-scribe or draw them on over the paint. Maybe I am just spoilt with the new kits that "shake and bake" together and have scribed lines LOL!

Theuns