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1/32 Trumpeter P-38L Lightning- "Kicked Up A Notch"


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It begins….Again! Another TRUMPETER kit in 1/32 scale with all sorts of problems. Unlike the A-10C Warthog I made last time, however, this kit isn’t horrible and comes 10 years after the introduction of the A-10 kit in 2001, so Trumpeter has learned a few things along the way and improved the quality. Also unlike the A-10, there are some really nice builds of this kit out there on the ‘net, so it can’t be that bad. Instead of whining about every flaw I find in the kit like I did last time, I’m going to treat each problem as a positive challenge and document how I fixed it.

I’m not totally sure what exactly I’m going to model, but right now I’m leaning towards a “Restored Warbird” scenario, where the aircraft is painted and has the nose art of a real P-38 Lightning that fought in WW-II, but it’s now super clean and only flies at air shows, etc. A bit of a “what-if”, but I’ve found when researching real restored warbirds that many of them are fashioned after a totally different serial number, sometimes many times, so they are sort of what-ifs in their own right.

The number one goal of this build is to make the finish as perfect as I can, especially since I’ll be doing a new metal finish and every flaw will show. Curiously, the kit comes with a very detailed gun bay and engines, but unless you cut out panels and modify the kit drastically, you’ll never see any of it. I’ve decided to drop back and punt, leaving all that alone. I spent many weeks painting and detailing the engine on my P-51D, but I rarely every look at it because I like it displayed with the engine cowling on. The clean look I’m after for this P-38 needs no clutter of removable panels, but the cockpit and wheel wells will be highly detailed, since you can see all of it. As far as “accuracy” is concerned, I’m not going crazy because this aircraft does not exist anyway.

Like with my other builds, I’m throwing a lot of aftermarket stuff into this project as follows:

• Cutting Edge cockpit (CEC32159)

• Webgarden P-51D cloth seatbelts (I think these are accurate for the P-38 as well?)

• SAC metal landing gear

• Masterdetails Supercharger resin

• Grey Matters corrected props

• GM wheels or Aires wheels (I haven't decided yet)

• Eduard Exterior PE

• Eduard undercarriage PE

• Profimodeler brass gun set

Begin3.jpg

Begin1.jpg

Begin2.jpg

I have four books to help me with details:

• D&S P-38 Lightning Part 1

• D&S P-38 Lightning Part 2

• Squadron P-38 Lightning in Action

• Squadron P-38 Walk Around

Begin5.jpg

For decals, I’ve got a lot of subjects covered with the following:

• Kagero P-38 Lightning at War Part 1 Book and Decals

• Kagero P-38 Lightning at War Part 2 Book and Decals

• Bombshell Decals “Wicked Women” P-38 Lightnings Part 1

• Bombshell Decals “Wicked Women” P-38 Lightnings Part 2

Begin4.jpg

I haven’t received the Kagero Part 1 decals yet, but when I do I’ll pick a subject. Almost all the decals have sexy nose art, but some of it is a bit too sexy for model magazines, so that will likely influence my choice to keep my model politically correct!

Unpacking the kit sprues, I found a big problem right away. Although the kit box is undamaged and the bag that held Sprue “C” shows no signs of wear, the main upper wing has a great big dent in it. It must have been damaged at the factory and just thrown into the box anyway. I’ve turned up the contrast so that you can see it better…

Dentfix1.jpg

A close-up of the top....

Dentfix2.jpg

And bottom…

Dentfix3.jpg

This is pretty upsetting, because this part is super thin and shows up on the top and bottom. It’s not like I could glue a top and bottom piece together then fill it with putty and sand it clean, especially with that fine rivet detail and a NMF. Thinking about it for a few days, it occurred to me that a heat gun might help to soften the plastic, allowing me to flatten the dent. Using a scrap piece of plastic, I found that setting heat gun to a medium temperature of maybe 150 to 200 degrees was about right, but you have to be VERY careful and you shouldn’t heat the plastic for too long- maybe 3-4 seconds. If you get too close to the plastic or heat it too long, the plastic will shrivel and then you’re really screwed. Here’s how it looks after heating the part lightly, then flattening the plastic on a hard surface with a putty knife. Pretty good!- but notice that the plastic has pulled back slightly as it shrunk a bit. You can really notice it on the upper portion where I tried to heat that little nick. I should have left it alone because the nick can be filled with CA glue. Whatever the case, I now have a nice flat surface to work with.

Dentfix4.jpg

To fix the scalloped edge, I used a trick I learned in my Hog build using liquid sprue. By putting a bead of LS on the edge thicker than required, this part will look as good as new in no time and you can re-fresh rivets. The LS will shrink over the next 2-3 days by as much as 50% and it takes as long as a week to get it to dry nice and hard, but it will work, especially since it’s a thin application. Thicker applications of LS gave me all sorts of grief last time as it continued to shrink and warp after many months of drying, so I learned my lesson. Keep LS thin and if you need a thicker filler, go with putty or CA glue.

You can also notice some depressions in the plastic due to molding flaws, which are all over the place on just about every part. Another challenge for the future!

Dentfix5.jpg

Anyway, I’m calling this Save #1!

Thanks for checking into this WIP thread and I always appreciate advice since I know almost nothing about the P-38. As with all my builds, this could be a long ride.

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited by chuck540z3
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Cool. May I ask why you would pick a particular subject? I think I'm suffering from ADHD -- I can't seem to stay focused on a single subject matter...

Right now I'm knocking off "must haves" on my modeling bucket list. I went through a big F-14 Tomcat stage a few years ago and built two of them, then a CF-18B, Lancaster, F-4E, P-51D and then the Hog, so I'm going back and forth with props and jets, since I like both equally. The NUMBER ONE thing I need when building a model is to be passionate about the subject or I'll never finish it. Find something you really like, then stick with it.

7 or 8 years ago I saw the Red Bull P-38 fly at the Nellis AFB air show and I was hooked on the Lightning. I've also seen "Glacier Girl" in person, but I prefer the NMF over Olive Drab paint. I was considering the Red Bull as a subject, but there are no decals available and it doesn't have superchargers on the top of the engines, which is something that is one of the defining features of the P-38, at least to me.

Red_Bull_P38.jpg

Edited by chuck540z3
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Ha! You are the wizard when it comes to aircraft pics on the 'net. Stick around Jari, I'm sure I'll need you many times again!

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Chuck...Since you are going for a spectacular finish (instead of your usual "dirty") have you looked at the Red Bull machine. I believe it started life as an L but was an air racer and heavily modified so there is modification too. Fabulous Natural Metal finish to provide you with a real challenge....

Cheers

Bruce

P.S. Sorry Chuck I missed your prior post on this as you were doing it while I was posting this after a bit of research.

Edited by RCAFFAN
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Hold onto your hats folks. It's gonna be another fun ride with Chuck at the controls. :D

Best of luck with this project Chuck. I know you'll do this kit justice.

Mike

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I was seriously considering ordering a 1/32 P-38, but not anymore. I will stick with the nice 1/48 scale offerings. I have had worries about this kit not being all it should be and this validates that concern. I am going to follow this build though.

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Chuck,

Thought that you'd start sooner then later on the P-38, especially since it's most likely winter up by you. Will be following along from start to finish, enjoying your build, and I'm sure learning a great deal at the same time.

Joel

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When I saw 'kicked up a notch', I know its Chuck and what will follow is an encyclopedia of model making. This will unfold over a couple of months or like A-10, couple of years. But who cares? It will be interesting and will teach a couple of good lessons in this great hobby.

Go on Chuck. :)

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Thanks a lot guys for the encouragement. I hope I don't disappoint!

I'm trying something new this time with an identical thread on Large Scale Planes at the same time. ARC is still my "home" but the LSP group seem to know a lot about Large Scale Planes for some reason, so I'm hoping to get a lot of tips along the way! ;)

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Thanks a lot guys for the encouragement. I hope I don't disappoint!

I'm trying something new this time with an identical thread on Large Scale Planes at the same time. ARC is still my "home" but the LSP group seem to know a lot about Large Scale Planes for some reason, so I'm hoping to get a lot of tips along the way! ;)/>

Linky to the LSP thread so we can follow progress of both?

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Chuck here are some Red Bull decals by Virages:

http://bantuslot.com/oscommerce/decals-bull-virages-pi-2698.html

perhaps one of those will be the right size if you want to go that way. Or here are some Speedline decals in 1/24 scale:

http://www.islandcollectibles.net/strada/stradabull2.jpg

maybe the top one on that sheet will be the right size.

Jari

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Chuck here are some Red Bull decals by Virages:

http://bantuslot.com/oscommerce/decals-bull-virages-pi-2698.html

perhaps one of those will be the right size if you want to go that way. Or here are some Speedline decals in 1/24 scale:

http://www.islandcollectibles.net/strada/stradabull2.jpg

maybe the top one on that sheet will be the right size.

Jari

Thanks Jari, I was unaware of of those decals- and I looked really hard for months! You are the search-engine wizard yet again.

I won't be doing Red Bull, because it would take a ton of modifications like early type cooler openings, no blowers, scoops on the booms for cooling and no guns (according to Shawn M- Thanks!). Lack of guns alone is a deal breaker for me. The Profimodeler brass guns I have are gorgeous and need to be installed.

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Thanks a lot guys for the encouragement. I hope I don't disappoint!

I'm trying something new this time with an identical thread on Large Scale Planes at the same time. ARC is still my "home" but the LSP group seem to know a lot about Large Scale Planes for some reason, so I'm hoping to get a lot of tips along the way! ;)/>

Chuck,

I know that my brother Peter (Peterpools who you know) on LSP would rather follow you there. There are some outstanding builders there that will chime in as they think is needed.

Joel

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Wow Chuck!

It's great to see you at work on a new project so soon. I'll follow your work with great attention - yet again.

Certainly a war bird clean paint job is a tough challenge, but I find there is a problem with super-clean models: they very easily look like toys.

I think that if you pursue the clean, pristine paint job idea, your biggest challenge will be to avoid the finished aircraft to look like a toy rather than a great model of a clean aircraft.

I have never tried it myself as I prefer the weathered dirty look of work-horses, but I guess that to achieve a top-notch result you will have to apply a very detailed, specific weathering that maintains the very clean look, but enhances "reality" of the subject.

Will definitely be of great interest to follow your progress and see how you tackle this one!

/Kristian

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Wow Chuck!

It's great to see you at work on a new project so soon. I'll follow your work with great attention - yet again.

Certainly a war bird clean paint job is a tough challenge, but I find there is a problem with super-clean models: they very easily look like toys.

I think that if you pursue the clean, pristine paint job idea, your biggest challenge will be to avoid the finished aircraft to look like a toy rather than a great model of a clean aircraft.

I have never tried it myself as I prefer the weathered dirty look of work-horses, but I guess that to achieve a top-notch result you will have to apply a very detailed, specific weathering that maintains the very clean look, but enhances "reality" of the subject.

Will definitely be of great interest to follow your progress and see how you tackle this one!

/Kristian

I hear you loud and clear Kristian and I'm worried about the same things myself, but I do have a few ideas that might separate this pretty bird from the toys!

Nov 27/14

Note:

I plan on showing just about every step of this build. Sometimes, like today, the update will be pretty straight forward and maybe a bit boring with nothing very novel to show. I’m doing this because I hope to have a good step by step guide to put this particular kit together one day, so every step is important- and it helps me remember what the heck I did a year from now when I finally finish!

Not really knowing where to start this project, I decided to go to the first page of the instructions. What a concept! Anyway, the first page shows how to put the two engines together. Although I’m no expert on the Allison engines, they look pretty darn good and they have lots of tiny parts. Unfortunately, I’m not showing mine because :

1) There are no removable panels, so the engines are buried unless you do tons of work to expose them.

2) Exposing them means open panels and I want to show the sleek lines of this bird without clutter.

3) I spent months detailing my 1/32 Tamiya P-51D engine and I haven’t seen it since.

4) I just spent 20 months on my last Trumpeter build and I wouldn’t mind a bit of break.

5) The cockpit and wheel wells are going to be super detailed anyway.

If you’re not going to display the engines, their only use is to hold the props and lower cooling ducts, so you don’t need more than about 9 parts per engine. Here’s what I came up with as a “base case”. The composite part on the left is the lower ducting, which also serves as a cradle to hold the engine (right) on top. All you’ll be able to see after the model is finished is the front duct.

Engine1.jpg

The lower duct comes with a brass screen in the kit, which I painted Alclad Steel so that it would show up against the black I painted the interior of the duct and lower part of the engine, after filling gaps and cleaning the parts up. Normally you might glue these two main parts together now, but I strongly suggest you wait.

Engine2.jpg

With the engine/duct combo dry fitted into one of the nacelles, you can barely see the metal screen behind it with the face plate taped on. If you don’t paint the interior black, you could probably see the plastic parts and seams behind it. With the kit prop dry fitted on, however, you can see a problem at the top….

Engine3.jpg

For at least this kit and what I’ve done so far, there’s a gap at the top of the prop base . This is how things would look if I had just glued it in as is.

Engine5.jpg

Fixing this problem is easy as long as it hasn’t been glued in yet, so I will not install the engine until the nacelles, landing gear well and lower ducting have been glued together. Slipping the engine in from behind later, I can tilt it up a degree or two and get a much more flush fit.

BTW, I will be slipping in brass tubing into those oval cutouts just behind the prop, to replace the engine kit parts that would normally go there. The tubing looks way better and I don't have to fiddle with thin plastic with no detail.

Engine6.jpg

I checked some of the other builds of this kit to see if the props drooped a bit, and I found it on many, but not all of them. Maybe the other modelers got lucky, I was unlucky or maybe the props were glued into place once they found out there was a sagging prop problem. Who knows! All I know is that I have it and I can fix it early before it's a much bigger problem at the end of the build.

I left the top of the engine open for a reason. Now I can fill each engine with “Pencil Lead” I bought at a sporting goods store, to attain the 60 grams (~ 2 oz.) of weight required to keep this model from being a tail sitter. I’ll likely add a bit to the nose too, because I won’t be exposing the gun bay either.

Engine4.jpg

For the next step, I plan to re-scribe every panel line and re-punch every rivet on all the major pieces, then clean them all up, because most of the pieces are full of molding flaws that are driving me CRAZY! This could take a while, so thanks in advance for your patience.

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited by chuck540z3
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Chuck,

The engine intakes aren't a single screen that goes across the three intake openings, but rather the outside intakes are separate screens, while the few pictures I have of the middle intake has no screen. I'm not totally convinced that there shouldn't be a protective screen there.

Joel

p-38j-20-lo_44-23314_skidoo_29_of_57.jpg

Edited by Joel_W
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