South Pacific Group Build 7 August 2006 to 7 August 2007

Looks great!

I like the touch with the wires and your IP.

Cool Bob, seems you and I like a lot of the same kits. 

I'll keep you posted as best as I can especially if I run into any "issues"

Here is the decal set I'm using for my Hasegawa 1/48 P-38F.  It's SuperScale #45-859.  Specifically I'm building "The Flying Dutchman" flown by Lt. Edward W. Randall with the 39th FS, 1943.

Well, I decided to go for it and I installed as much of the Eduard PE set as I could get in there without having to rip the cockpit apart.  The only real regret I have is having the decal IP in there instead of the PE and acetate one.  If I can figure out a way to remove the IP so I can strip it and put the good stuff in without damaging anything, then I'll do it!    Otherwise, the cockpit goes into the fuselage as is.....

Pardon me for dropping in, but I saw that P-61 and had to comment. I've tried to build at least two of those, and that Mono kit is far and away the hardest mainstream kit I've ever come across. Yours looks really great.

My Father-in-law was a crew chief/ gunner in these in Italy in 1945, after a couple of years doing the same in Beaufighters. It's really remarkable that he survived to bring me Ms. Bondo, for which I am grateful. But he is also a pretty good photographer, and I've got a lot of Beau and P-61 photos.

So I built him one of each: the Tamiya Beau (Miss Billi) which pretty much snapped together, and the Mono Black Widow (Miss Billis II and III). I ended up single coloring the interiors, and handpainting the canopy frames, or I'd still be at it, not that I'm fast or anything.

One real interesting detail was that all of the joints between the control surfaces were taped up for transit on ships, and when it was removed there were, well we all know what happens. Lots of bare metal all along the flaps, etc. that was not touched up as they went straight into combat.

Espins, I'd go for the new IP. That cockpit is really fine work.

Bondoman

Espins1- Your cockpit is coming along great. Hopefully everything else will fall into place. I look forward to the end result. Going through the forum I see that you have many projects going on and upcoming, Have you by chance joined the P-38 GB?

Bondoman- I appreciate your comments on the P-61. The Monogram kit can be really difficult and I definately had my share of problems with this one. Although I'm relatively satisfied with how it came out. Maybe I'll try it again in the future. It's nice to here some history about a subject that you've worked on.

Thanks guys.  I just wish that I could have put all the PE in, but as I had already had the cockpit assembled I think I managed to stuff just enough in to make a difference.    Those 8 levers on the left hand side of the cockpit were "fun" to install. 

Tonight I install the IP, get the cockpit in the fuselage and build the landing gear sub-assemblies. 

bobbaily wrote:

Scott-are you planning on using the kit canopy or a vacuform canopy?  Just wondering-it would be a shame to hide all of that interior detail and the kit canopys just don't seem to let the detail show thru.

Funny you should ask that.  At the time I ordered the Eduard PE set I also got a Squadron vacuform canopy along with a set of masks.  I'm a little intimidated by it as I don't want to mess up the canopy when I cut it out.  Oh well, first time for everything! 

Here is a picture of the PE instruments and PE instrument bezels installed.  The cockpit has been glued into the lower fuselage half as well.

Jumpin up and down!! Looking forward to a great Lightning!!

Go to Berkeley- you probably saw that the Ace has a 20% off sale, plus 10% I think if you have an Ace card. I'm going Monday again to set up for the Israeli side of the 6 day war. Noratlas, Mysteres, Ouragons, OY VAY!! If only they have a Magister.

They also have a bunch of Neptunes and Orions, I need a P2.

Bondoman

Thanks!

Ya, the PE IP really adds a nice touch!  I just wished I would have had this set before I had assembled the cockpit so I could have put the rest of the goodies in there.  Oh well, next time.  I can tell you one thing, I will never again let a cockpit PE set intimidate me!  It was pretty easy! 

Gulfstream- Sorry to hear about your meltdown..and the cause being a pizza of all things!!

NucMedTech- Very nice display for your P-61.

Winson- Ditto what Bob said regarding your weathering.....very nice.

Bob- I really like your P-40 which is probably my favorite airplane. I hope my masking job turns out as well as yours.

Scott- Wow, your cockpit is very impressive.

Progress Report- I slit the decals and got them to settle better and need to apply additional clear when the weather cooperates. I started working with the canopy and put some sanding scratches in the front glass. I thought I'd wash the part up and apply some future and promptly dropped it down the drain......Rats....or should I say....expletive deleted?

The good news is that I also have the Academy P-40 M/N which has the same sprue for clear parts and the one I need is not used with that kit........whew, lucky me!

This will be my first canopy masking job, so more lessons to be learned.  I'm thinking I will be able to finish in time.

The landing gear bays have been installed in each boom and the booms halves have been glued together.  There is still plenty of room for me to install the leanding gear in them later after all the painting. 

If all goes according to plan I should be able to assemble the fuselage and wings, then attach the booms and tail.  It's moving along fast now! 

Lot's of progress to report today.  We ended up skipping the Berkeley part of our trip, then I decided to stay home anyway so my wife and oldest daughter just left for my wife's best friend's 50th Birthday party in Sacramento.  This is giving me a lot of time to myself so I can work away in my evil laboratory....

The fuselage, wings, twin booms and tailplane have all been assembled.  There will be a bit if seamwork, especially around the areas where the booms attach to the wings, but nothing I shouldn't be able to handle.  I've had lot's of seamwork practice lately.  

Here are a few photos of the assembled cockpit and fuselage.

1/48??? Yer killing me!! I gotta go to belt school. Looks really great.

I know I get tedious, but it reminds me of a Kelly Johnson quote something like

"I started with the engine, added the landing gear, the turbocharger and the radiators and by that time it reached all the way to the tail".

The sale at Ace goes till 7/31.

Bondoman

Looks like lots of P-38s being built here!  Well here is one more to add to the group; I am building the 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J/L.  I am leaning towards using the Aero Master decal set for "Jandian II" of the 80th FS

Progress so far; looks like I've got some putty and sanding work since I didn't pay attention to the boom alingment.

I took a break for a couple of days on the P-38 to do some repair work on my Bf109G-14. 

I'm slogging away at the seam work.  It's not too bad, but there are seams to be dealt with especially where the booms attach at the wings.  Once that's finished this baby is ready for some paint, however I need to find my Squadron Canopy.  I found the masks, but not the canopy.... now, where the heck did I put that thing.

"Oh honey!!!  Can you give me a hand in the den for a few minutes?"    My wife seems to have the uncanny ability to find everything I lose.... even the stuff that's right in front of me! 

espins1 wrote:

"Oh honey!!!  Can you give me a hand in the den for a few minutes?"    My wife seems to have the uncanny ability to find everything I lose.... even the stuff that's right in front of me!

I think all wives have that ability....just some choose to use it for the betterment of mankind...and modeling...

Believe it or not, I found my Squadron vacuform canopy all by myself!    It had fallen behind my dresser in the master bedroom.  After looking it over I'm thinking "How the heck am I going to cut that thing out without messing it up!" 

Time to learn something new!