1/72 Airfix P-38F Lightning

[sunray]

I have never built a P-38 before so I would give this kit a go.

These are the kit decals but I managed to get a better set from ebay.







As with a lot of Airfix kits of this era they loved their rivets and this kit is no difference, in fact there are that many rivets you could use the wing as heavy grit sand paper! Also I think there will be a fair bit of re-scribing.

I started sanding the many revits off and also started the re-scribing.

And I opened up the rear of the radiator cowling's.





I did this by drilling small holes around where the opening was going to be then I just joined the holes up with a sharp knife. That done I just tided up the hole with a small diamond file. I did this on all of the radiator cowling's and I finished the re-scribing on the four fuselage engine halves. The bolt holes on the engine cowling's were made by using a pin scribe.



Now for the wings.









Them done I then attached the wing halves together.



The centre fuselage was re-scribed and I glued the forward undercarriage cover in place.



This is where I am going to drill a hole for the machine bolt for the stand.





I filed the head of the bolt down just to make sure it didn't catch the cockpit tub.





Then it was just a case of using super glue to join them together.



As the bolt's job is to hold the P-38 to the stand I added a small amount of glue and then sprinkled a small amount of bicarbonate of soda over the glue. The bicarb acts as an activator to the super glue and sets rock hard to give a more substantive joint. The thing you should to be aware of is that the chemical reaction between the glue and bicarb produces a small amount of heat. It won't burn you but you can feel the plastic warm up a touch. If this happens just wait for the plastic to cool down or even use cold water if you aren't sure.







To be continued............................

[f4h1phantom]

Excellent work!

I alredy see it will be a terrific model.

Best regards,

Jorge.

[bbudde]

Jepp. Follow this one airfix classic with an upgrade. Love this scheme, since I saw it first in the 14th edition catalog of Airfix. Built it once. Just glue and decals! Typical me in the seventies style. And played with it alot.

[sunray]

Thanks lads. The cockpit didn't have a lot of detail in it and what it did I sanded off to start from scratch. I drilled out the dials for the instrument panel and scribed a few lines. The control column was made from scrap strips if plastic and bent copper wire. Also I added a bit of detail to the rear of the cockpit as well.



On the seat I bent a piece of copper wire to make part of the seat frame.



I test fitted a fair few times just to makesure everything worked just to be on the safe side.















This one is to give you an idea of scale.

[AdrianMF]

Nice upgrade work! Love old Airfix kits. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Regards,

Adrian

[old thumper]

Nice to see that someone else has chosen to build the trusty old Airfix kit, I am also in the process of rubbing down the rivets and re-scribing my model, not a quick job.

The decals you have are the original ones released with this kit, in later kits the 14th fighter group markings were replaced by markings for Pudgy. The later set of decals although sparse were of better quality (especially the sharks teeth markings) and also included no step decals for the canopy. If you choose to model the 14th FG version then you might like to check the spinner colour suggested in the painting instructions is correct . ES was the code used by the 48th Fighter Squadron whose squadron colour was white for o/d aircraft and black for n/m (the 49th squadron used blue as it's colour and the 37th used red). However I am not certain when these colours were adopted so you might like to check, the ES code was abandoned in favour of the numbers 1-30 early in 1943.

As far as the kit goes I have made two recently and the nose can be a devil to put together.

I hope you enjoy the kit.

[gingerbob]

How about sliding over to the P-38 Group Build?

I'm still trying to talk myself into... or is it out of... a 1/48th one! (I've done it before, but it has been a long time.)

bob

[JimHead23]

Looking great! I too love to see 'new light through old windows'. I built this about 35 years ago!

[woody37]

Enjoying this one. You're giving it a modern look, loving the detail

[Mario]

Always appreciate seeing old kits built with modern techniques. Great job with the rescribing!

Cheers,

Mario

[sunray]

Thanks for the comments guys. Just finished painting the pilot and cockpit before fitting it to the fuselage. I used Mr Hobby Cockpit Green for the base colour of the cockpit. For the weathering I used a dark Vallejo wash. The pilot was painted with Vallejo paints and Citadel washes.

[AdrianMF]

Nice pilot and cockpit! The Falcon canopy should show it off nicely. I think the older the kit, the sharper the detail on the pilot. In latter years his nose started to disappear.

Regards,

Adrian

[sunray]

Thanks Adrian. Yes you are right the pilot and in fact the detail of the kit just seems to be slightly sharper than the older kits still in product, but that is probably the wear on the mould or it needs a clean. I am pleasantly surprised how good this kit is.so far with the fit of things, etc. I just hope this not one of those times of "I have spoken too soon", if you know what I mean.

[Ace From Outer Space]

Nice work, and thanks for the bicarb tip!

[old thumper]

Thanks Adrian. Yes you are right the pilot and in fact the detail of the kit just seems to be slightly sharper than the older kits still in product, but that is probably the wear on the mould or it needs a clean. I am pleasantly surprised how good this kit is.so far with the fit of things, etc. I just hope this not one of those times of "I have spoken too soon", if you know what I mean.

These are nice fitting kits, but the nose can be a bit of problem. The trick is to make sure that the nose parts fit correctly with the fuselage before gluing the upper and lower fuselage halves together. I don't remember having much of problem with the nose years ago, so maybe the parts are just a bit out of shape on the newer kits.

[Dermo245]

Very nice work! - always great to see the old Airfix kits getting a new lease of life.

I built one of their ancient J-models a couple of years back....lots of work but heaps of fun!

Sorry for the thread-hijack and look forward to seeing more pics of your build!

Dermot

[sunray]

Thanks chaps.

These are nice fitting kits, but the nose can be a bit of problem. The trick is to make sure that the nose parts fit correctly with the fuselage before gluing the upper and lower fuselage halves together. I don't remember having much of problem with the nose years ago, so maybe the parts are just a bit out of shape on the newer kits.

Old Thumper thanks for the tip about the nose I will let you know how I get on.

Very nice work! - always great to see the old Airfix kits getting a new lease of life.

I built one of their ancient J-models a couple of years back....lots of work but heaps of fun!

Sorry for the thread-hijack and look forward to seeing more pics of your build!

Dermot

Dermot I have no problem with people posting photo's on my threads especially as good as this one. I was after a "J" model but I couldn't get hold of one. The only problem I find doing the old kits is the condition of the decals and the canopy's. Both that can be sorted with aftermarket ones if available and if not the decals can be homemade by printing your own. As for the canopy's I have got hold of a dental vac-forming machine off ebay. In good old Blue Peter (BBC TV) fashion here is one I made earlier of an Airfix 1/72 Viggen canopy. The kit one is the bottom one.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Lol this thread has given me a good chuckle because this is the exact kit I never finished making as a teen over 20 years ago!

It was also my last build until I started again this year and built my Zero.....finished today.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234978903-first-build-in-20-years-airfix-mitsubishi-a6m2b-zero-172/

Good luck with yours, it looks better than my effort already

Edited May 5, 2015 by Homerlovesbeer

[JimHead23]

Very smart indeed.

[sunray]

Thanks guys. I have managed to do a fair bit today. I have attached the cockpit to the central fuselage, attached both the engine booms and wings, built the nose, added the tail and installed the landing light. Here are a few photo's.





















I could have dropped the landing light from the kit straight into the wing but I decided to line the hole with white plasticard.





Next I cut the clear part from the sprue and filed the sides down so it would just fit into the gap in the wing. I ensured that the light would be just proud of the wing as I was going to sand it flush with the wing when the glue has gone off but just before I fitted the light I drilled a small hole into the back of the light about half to look like a bulb. That done I added a few touch of PVA glue in the gap and pushed the light into the gap. As I have said I waited for the glue to go off, then I sanded the light flush with the wing and buffed it clear. I didn't paint the back of the light silver as you don't need it because the white plasticard at the back of the clear part gives a mirror effect like a real light reflector.

[sunray]

With this being an old kit I was going to use a vacform canopy from Falcon. I already had the pack that carried the canopy for the P-38F as bought it a few years ago when I was building the Revell 1/72 Bearcat. Then I changed my mind about using the Falcon canopy and decided to show you my new gizmo. I like building old kits (I must be mad) and sometimes its a right pain to get replacement canopy's if the kit one is damaged so I talked my wife into letting me buy a dental vacuformer to make my own. Anyway here it is. The top with the triangle on it is the heating element and the bottom bit holds the vacuum and the switches.



This is the tray that holds the patterns.



This is the clamp that holds the PETG plastic sheet.



I placed the patterns or original canopy's on the tray. The P-38F canopy is at the top and the others are just from the spares box. I have stuck white tac in the canopy's to give them a bit of support and also to raise the canopy's off the tray. This is to allow the plastic to nearly completely cover the canopy. The Viking canopy (with the black paint on) I have allowed one side to touch the bottom of the tray. You will see why later on.



With my sheet of plastic in the clamp I turn on the heating element by pressing the "Heat" switch. I haven't put the tray containing the canopy's on yet because the heater will melt the originals while you are warming up the plastic sheet. I speak from experience on this one as my common sense had a day off. Use the lever on the right to raise the clamp nearer the heater. Adjusting the gap speeds or slows the warming of the plastic. When the plastic sheet starts to sag I then place the tray on the machine, turn on the vacuum by pressing the "Model" switch, turn off the heater and I lower the clamp all the way down using the lever on the right.



I then move the heating element out of the way by pushing it to the right with a screwdriver, etc but not my hand as it is really HOT! I then turn off the vacuum and give it about 30 seconds to cool.



I then open the clamp and take out the canopy's.





I have found that if you don't have the canopy slightly raised off the tray this happens.





Now it just a case of carefully removing the original from the copy and tidying up the new canopy.







Here is the kit canopy dry fitted.





Now for the new canopy.

[Homerlovesbeer]

What a great idea. One question however, wouldn't the vacuform canopy end up slightly larger and out of scale/too big as the canopy forms over the outside of the original so the new canopy would be the size of the old plus the thickness of the sheet of vacuform?

[old thumper]

I have heard of people making their own vacuformers from bits and bobs like hairdryers and things but I have never seen the like of such an impressive machine as this before.

[sunray]

What a great idea. One question however, wouldn't the vacuform canopy end up slightly larger and out of scale/too big as the canopy forms over the outside of the original so the new canopy would be the size of the old plus the thickness of the sheet of vacuform?

I thought the same thing and it is but even at 1/72 it is very hard to see if the canopy is seating proud. The PETG sheet I am using is 0.5mm thick but as the plastic is being pulled over the original it gets thinner. I have just fitted the canopy and I am looking at it now and I am quite pleased with the result. The other thing is with these canopy's I find is that they require a bit more care to attach as they are of course thinner. I will post some photo's tomorrow to let you have a look.

What I forgot to say earlier also is that you can make copies of other thing like drop tank halves using styrene sheet but I have not tried that yet and also I could use it for what it was made for and make a few sets of false teeth

[sunray]

I have heard of people making their own vacuformers from bits and bobs like hairdryers and things but I have never seen the like of such an impressive machine as this before.

I did make my own but you have to mess about with vacuum cleaners, hairdryers and in my case the kitchen oven and this way I find is by far a lot easier as everything is to hand and only takes about 5 minutes.

It cost about £60 off ebay which sounds a lot but a canopy set from Falcon costs about £13 and you might only use one if you find the one you need. I got the PETG A4 sheet also off ebay which wasn't expense as I remember.