Col. Olds Scat II, MPM (Academy) P-38J Lightning 1/72

[bentwaters81tfw]

Yes RGA

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

2 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Yes RGA

Lightning (ha) response Sir! Thanks a bunch.

[DMC]

From the same Squadron book as before: from front to back, red, blue(yes), yellow. Apparently, the blue was sometimes replaced with green.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

1 hour ago, DMC said:

From the same Squadron book as before: from front to back, red, blue(yes), yellow. Apparently, the blue was sometimes replaced with green.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

Thanks - mines green now. Just need to some how work out the clear yellow as I don't have that in Tamiya.

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

Hi fellow BM's. I managed to set aside some time this weekend to weather, build and glue in place SCAT II's undercarriage and doors. This took FAR longer than I expected but then I did get a little carried away on the weathering

 

First up weathering this little lot:

 

Then gluing in place (leaving for aaaages):

I then prepared the covers:

And those with a good memory will remember that last week I had glued these on:

I noticed that they were a bit loose and when I investigated further they simply fell off leaving their pegs in the holes. Damn. Oh well, took the opportunity to add a little fuel spillage and gave them a more thorough flat coat. I'll glue these back on with some superglue closer towards the finish.

 

Once the undercarriage had cemented in place I added the wheels which after a flat coat, I weathered with pastels. I also began adding the covers.

The masking tape was to mate and hold the pesky cover to a mechanism which pulls it shut.

 

After leaving the wheels to cement in place, here she is on her feet. 

Unfortunately she now seems to be a tail-sitter despite having added the weight and testing beforehand several times. I have no idea what's happened here - can only assume that now the rear wheels are fixed firmly in place a slight change in angle has led to it. I still have the props to fit so I might be able to pack them full of weight... I'll think of something.

 

Cheers, JB.

 

 

 

 

[The Spadgent]

Looking absolutely brilliant. I can't believe she's a tail sitter. I'm sure you'll think of something.

 

all the best.

 

Johnny.

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

31 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

Looking absolutely brilliant. I can't believe she's a tail sitter. I'm sure you'll think of something.

 

all the best.

 

Johnny.

I know right?! All the effort I put into adding the weight. SCAT II will probably go in its own case so I may have the option to glue the front wheel down but I don't like limiting my display options.

 

I'll keep racking my brains... any ideas out there for dealing with tail-sitters?

 

JB

[The Spadgent]

The only option I can think of is adding lead shot to the props and crossing your fingers. I'll cross mine just in case. 

 

Johnny

[rob Lyttle]

It's an awful lot of plastic behind the wheel line.

Did you load anything in the front of the nacelles? Can you drill the fronts behind the props and put lead or steel nails or brass rod in? And a puddle of PVA. Or the big intakes underneath? Drill, fill and make good? How much more is needed? If it's just a tad, a good set of wheel chocks might just stop her sitting down, if they're glued.

Little lead chocks to the front wheel?

[corsaircorp]

Hello JB,

I'll tend to try the same trick.

Or bore a little hole in U/C bay in the booms, and add some weight with tiny fishing leads.

Some white glue will keep it in place, it's liquid enough to enter a tiny hole.

Knowing that the P-38 is prone to be a tail sitter, I added a .357 in each boom too.

May be adding another bullet tomorrow, you make me feel unsafe

Hope that you'll find a way

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[corsaircorp]

Hello

Rob is right you can bore a tiny hole beside the prop axle, easier than the U/C bays !

Sincerely.

CC

[bentwaters81tfw]

7 hours ago, DMC said:

From the same Squadron book as before: from front to back, red, blue(yes), yellow. Apparently, the blue was sometimes replaced with green.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

You will find this on nav lights too. A blue lens over a normal bulb, (which produces yellow light) and shows as green. I discovered this when looking at nav lights from crashed B-24s. 

[Christer A]

What rob said about the front of the nacelles!

Excellent looking SCAT II by the way!

I really like the weathering!

[ArmouredSprue]

Very nice!

The P38's are my favourite WWII fighters. Nice job so far.

I hope you don't mind me to show my model, I've built one from Dragon (1/72) when I came back to hobby and here is it:

 

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

22 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

The only option I can think of is adding lead shot to the props and crossing your fingers. I'll cross mine just in case. 

 

Johnny

Got to be, right? Another option might be to use my Dremel and slice off the prop mount, drill a larger hole and then replace with a metal screw.

20 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

It's an awful lot of plastic behind the wheel line.

Did you load anything in the front of the nacelles? Can you drill the fronts behind the props and put lead or steel nails or brass rod in? And a puddle of PVA. Or the big intakes underneath? Drill, fill and make good? How much more is needed? If it's just a tad, a good set of wheel chocks might just stop her sitting down, if they're glued.

Little lead chocks to the front wheel?

Great idea with the bore hole behind the props!  

It can't be much weight as she was fine previously and there's a lot in the nose cone! I might get all precise and use some blu-tak to get the weight (might). Hopefully, I'll only need to do it to one nacelle.

 The wheel chocks are a good idea too - thank you Sir!

20 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello JB,

I'll tend to try the same trick.

Or bore a little hole in U/C bay in the booms, and add some weight with tiny fishing leads.

Some white glue will keep it in place, it's liquid enough to enter a tiny hole.

Knowing that the P-38 is prone to be a tail sitter, I added a .357 in each boom too.

May be adding another bullet tomorrow, you make me feel unsafe

Hope that you'll find a way

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

Thank you CC. Mate, I'd pack 'em full!! Load her up, they can't be trusted not to tail-sit 

14 hours ago, Christer A said:

What rob said about the front of the nacelles!

Excellent looking SCAT II by the way!

I really like the weathering!

Cheers Christer, I think you're right with the 'Rob approach'. Thank you for the kind comments. Subtle weathering is sometimes a winner! 

 

Gents - thank you all for the advice. I think Rob has hit the nail on the head. Great idea! I have some very tiny lead shot I can drop through a bore hole fill with PVA and cover up with the prop... just need to pluck up the courage to do it and not touch the model too much as the matt coat only takes so much handling.

 

Might take it on tomorrow night...

JB

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

15 hours ago, ArmouredSprue said:

Very nice!

The P38's are my favourite WWII fighters. Nice job so far.

I hope you don't mind me to show my model, I've built one from Dragon (1/72) when I came back to hobby and here is it:

 

Thanks Armoured, I agree, P-38's are just so different that they've been one of my favourites. 

Pudgy looks great. I like the fuel stains on the wings. Is that a RBF taper hanging from the front undercarriage or antenna?

JB

Edited May 8, 2017 by Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen
not pitot!

[ArmouredSprue]

3 hours ago, Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen said:

Thanks Armoured, I agree, P-38's are just so different that they've been one of my favourites. 

Pudgy looks great. I like the fuel stains on the wings. Is that a RBF taper hanging from the front undercarriage or antenna?

JB

 

Thanks mate

It's an antenna

[rob Lyttle]

Good luck with the balancing. it'll be fine once you set about it.

I've been fiddling around with wheel chocks and I think they can add a little bit of "atmosphere" to the plane's sit. Mine are a bit simple so far but I might keep experimenting. When you look at a pic of a parked plane, it's always chocked!

Sometimes I wish they'd supply us with access ladders and chocks etc instead of a boxfull of bomb and ordnance options.

Hang on, you got a ladder with the Lightning?

[Josip]

Hello!

Nice work so far and very instructive too.

As I have the same kit waiting in the line I wonder about 2 details:

- the nose undercarriage leg on Academy kit stands too vertical and should be pushed a bit forward. All refference photos show it to be a bit angled forward.

- the fitting of the gunsight. How was it fitted. Some refferences show it screwed directly to an armoured windscreen by 3 screws on a long handle. On the kit it is moulded on the top of the antiglare shield.

 

Josip

[corsaircorp]

59 minutes ago, Josip said:

Hello!

Nice work so far and very instructive too.

As I have the same kit waiting in the line I wonder about 2 details:

- the nose undercarriage leg on Academy kit stands too vertical and should be pushed a bit forward. All refference photos show it to be a bit angled forward.

- the fitting of the gunsight. How was it fitted. Some refferences show it screwed directly to an armoured windscreen by 3 screws on a long handle. On the kit it is moulded on the top of the antiglare shield.

 

Josip

Hello Josip,

Have a look here....

[corsaircorp]

1 hour ago, Josip said:

Hello!

Nice work so far and very instructive too.

As I have the same kit waiting in the line I wonder about 2 details:

- the nose undercarriage leg on Academy kit stands too vertical and should be pushed a bit forward. All refference photos show it to be a bit angled forward.

- the fitting of the gunsight. How was it fitted. Some refferences show it screwed directly to an armoured windscreen by 3 screws on a long handle. On the kit it is moulded on the top of the antiglare shield.

 

Josip

And here,

There is some photos, to me the gunsight is attached with a bracket directly Under the windshied.

Did'nt put the U/C legs on mine, so I can't tell about it.

But the Spadgent is about to do it.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[corsaircorp]

Hello JB,

How is it going ?

Did you already tried Something ?

Did you opened the little cooling flap Under the booms ?

Corsaircorp

[corsaircorp]

Hello JB

Yes, it's open, no necessary to bore, put the lead shots through the cooling flaps

CC

[matteo44]

Great job! I like P-38!

For the tail-sitter, can you put patafix with weight into the elbow (hopefull write in this correct way) of propellers? 

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

6 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Good luck with the balancing. it'll be fine once you set about it.

I've been fiddling around with wheel chocks and I think they can add a little bit of "atmosphere" to the plane's sit. Mine are a bit simple so far but I might keep experimenting. When you look at a pic of a parked plane, it's always chocked!

Sometimes I wish they'd supply us with access ladders and chocks etc instead of a boxfull of bomb and ordnance options.

Hang on, you got a ladder with the Lightning?

Thanks Rob, I think @corsaircorp has just given me a far easier way out!! Genius! Hopefully the lead shot will slip through the coolant flap. I can always use some PVA to close the gap as it'll dry clear.

 

I agree with regards to more ground detail for kits. You rarely see landed aircraft without them. What have you been using to create the chocks?

 

I did get a  ladder with mine. Good old Academy.

6 hours ago, Josip said:

Hello!

Nice work so far and very instructive too.

As I have the same kit waiting in the line I wonder about 2 details:

- the nose undercarriage leg on Academy kit stands too vertical and should be pushed a bit forward. All refference photos show it to be a bit angled forward.

- the fitting of the gunsight. How was it fitted. Some refferences show it screwed directly to an armoured windscreen by 3 screws on a long handle. On the kit it is moulded on the top of the antiglare shield.

 

Josip

Hi Josip, thanks for the kind comments. I had to do a little research for the correct alignment as the instructions don't stipulate and the kit mountings would have you believe that they gear needs to be vertical as you say. I fixed all of the gear pointing forward and I'm now convinced that this is why she's a tail-sitter as whey I dry fitted they would have sat vertical. Be careful with the support struts for the nacelle gear as they're very delicate. I'll drop you a picture if I've not described well enough!

 

As for the gunsight, I just followed the instructions and glued to the top of the instrument panel, painting all but the actual glass in the sight black.

 

Good luck, WIP?

 

5 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello JB,

How is it going ?

Did you already tried Something ?

Did you opened the little cooling flap Under the booms ?

Corsaircorp

CC you clever devil you!! You may have saved me from some unnecessary and risky work! I'll investigate a bit later to see if it'll do the job. 😀

1 hour ago, matteo44 said:

Great job! I like P-38!

For the tail-sitter, can you put patafix with weight into the elbow (hopefull write in this correct way) of propellers? 

Hi Matteo, might just be me (probably) but not 100% sure on what you mean 😬 Thanks for the kind words though 👍🏻

Edited May 9, 2017 by Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen