Cookenbacher Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I bought an RS Models P-38E a year or two ago in order to build an Alaskan P-38. Upon opening the box, I realized it would have to wait until I'd gotten a few short-run kits under my belt. Well, it's 2015 and I've built four short-run kits so far this year, and this STGB is the perfect opportunity to tackle this bad boy. I have to admit that when I opened the kit again today, it still seems a bit intimidating, but I'll do my best. Thanks TrickyRich and Mish for providing us with another group build. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hi ya cookie nice to see you can n this one as well you're gonna have the entire alutian fighter group at this rate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 welcome aboard mate! Yes 2015 is the year to be brave and try new things. For a small production model the RS Lightning is proving popular, normally you're luck to see even one of the "limited production" models. As I mentioned with the other one the big thing with these is to test fit it many times, you can even assemble the model with tape if you like. This way you'll find all the problem areas before glue finds them! Other than that they are pretty normal to build, you may find the plastic a wee bit different. Plus you may have to add a wee bit of additional detail or maybe raid the spares box. Well good luck with the build and I hope you enjoy it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Awesome! I've been waiting for you to post this thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Great, but... just one Aleutian defender this time? V-P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Great, but... just one Aleutian defender this time? V-P Well, two engines, so it counts as two. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Well, two engines, so it counts as two. Agreed! Plus the guy has also a couple of FrankenMustangs on going, so ... Well, Cooken, I can't quite keep up with this pace! Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 So that´s four then! Actually that´s the olde Luftwaffe mathematics; didn´t they encourage their poor bloody Reich defenders by equalling a Viermotor shot down as four kills? V-P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 So that´s four then! Actually that´s the olde Luftwaffe mathematics; didn´t they encourage their poor bloody Reich defenders by equalling a Viermotor shot down as four kills? V-P Three points, I thought, points could be collected and redeemed for valuable prizes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Well I'm not really ready for this kit, but first, another experiment. There seems to be quite a bit of debate about the cockpit and wheel well colors on early P-38's: Olive Drab, Yellow Zinc Chromate, Silver lacquer, Bronze green, Dull Dark green. I figured that an ambiguity should be met with an ambiguity: I took some Yellow Zinc Chromate and added a little black until it was greenish, and that is my cockpit color. While researching colors, I came across a pic that shows that the cockpit coaming was canvas. So I covered the coaming with wrapping tissue paper, painted it and then cut away the excess. The instructions call for a scratched seat frame. Just rolling with the punches, I went ahead and scratched one, and painted it 'Ambiguity Green' just for spite. Then, troubles began. I clipped the new seat frame too short and so had to build a little base so the seat would, uh, sit right on the cockpit floor. That little bit of trouble overcome, I got the rest of the cockpit together as best as I could following the instructions. Well, don't follow the RS instructions or the cockpit or the sidewalls won't fit correctly. The yoke must come forward a bit, and the IP needs to attach at the high point of the 'shelf' at the front of the cockpit (not just in front of the high point as indicated in the instructions). There is a piece that doesn't look like the piece in the instructions, but the has the indicated part number that should fit under the IP in order to raise it some. I didn't do this because I was worried that the IP would then be too high to fit in the fuselage. Now it is way too low, but I'm not taking the cockpit apart again. If you were wondering, I did try to attach the IP to the underside of the coaming on the fuselage (a la the Sword P-40K) but it does not fit there at all. In other words, it's a good thing I'm attempting just one kit in this GB, well two if you count like PC, and like seventeen if you count like the Luftwaffe. Edited April 7, 2015 by Cookenbacher 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 wow nice progress with the cockpit, I like the trick with the tissue on the cockpit cowling. I've done that before, it gives a nice effect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Holy crap, that scratched frame...that canvas coaming cover...dang, man! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philp Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Ambiguity Green. My favorite interior color. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Ambiguity green looks good to me mate By time it's been weathered it'll look fine great idea with the combing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Holy crap, that scratched frame...that canvas coaming cover...dang, man! I couldn't phrase that better myself, so +1! It looks like your abilities and will of experimenting are exponentially increasing each and every build you undertake. I love that kind of attitude Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. The cockpit and nose landing gear bay don't fit into the fuselage together, so I sawed off a portion of the gear bay. I also filed the cockpit bottom and sides down as far as I could while still having it exist, because it did not fit inside the bottom half of the fuselage, bay or no bay. I also thinned down the fuselage walls and much as I dared. I then managed to get the fuselage halves together, but the cockpit still forced the bottom half to be wider than the top. If I had read Stew Dapple's D510 build thread yesterday, I would have known to have scratched a brace for the top half in order to widen it a bit. As is stands, I have a bit of a step to fill and sand on both sides. It's not quite as terrible as the above pic makes it look, but the bottom is just wider on both sides. And here's the modified gear bay. I'll have to move the nose gear a mm or two forward (or chop it down). I also can't forget to add nose weight! Here's where it stands so far: I have to admit, that it is beginning to look a bit like a P-38, despite all the fit issues. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have to admit, that it is beginning to look a bit like a P-38, despite all the fit issues. Indeed! And what a sanding/filing job you had to do! Cookenbacher the Brave! Ciao 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 gotta love those limited run models huh! It certainly looks like a P-38 now. I'm wondering if it would have been worth scratch building the nose wheel bay? I have sanded back plastic side walls until they have become almost transparent to get them to fit before, it gets a bit scary when it gets down to that stage! The joins don't look to bad at all, so nicely done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks Giemme and Rich! If I were to do it again, I definitely would think about scratching a gear bay, or try modifying the Academy kit into an 'E' model. Well, I attempted to reduce the overlap/seam on the fuselage. I'm just about there. And I've begun assembly of the tail booms. The radiator intake interiors are my first 'live' application of AK True Metal - thanks Ced! Dang, this things gotta lotta seams. Slow and steady it is. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I see that you studied at the Procopius School of Stoic Perseverance Cookie I'd probably have been looking for an alternative kit by now Good work so far, I tip my hat to you, press on young man Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Nice work my friend. With the seams there is a panel line that runs top and bottom behind the scoops to the tail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Nice work with the seams, you've got that sorted. I've never used AK's True Metal before so will be very interested in seeing how you do it and how it comes out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Wow Cookie, great job on the cockpit. Your skills are improving with every model you make, very well done mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Nice work on this build Les 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Great work as ever cooken! Looks like a challenging kit but you appear to have the upper hand. Keep it up Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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