Hobby Boss P-38 1/48 Bare Metal Foil

[Johnny_K]

It seems that most P-38 models are difficult to build. Either the wings or booms are difficult to align of there are huge seams at the wing roots. Last year I purchased a Revell P-38. It had raised panel lines and out of scale raised rivets. The 1:1 plane had flush rivets. I read a few positive reviews of the Hobby Boss kit. The kit is not perfect, but it seems to have resolved the fit issues.

 

I found this book detailing the P-38 on-line. This is a great resource. It includes a lot of detailed information regarding the different versions of the P-38, including correct paint colors. Anyone that is planning on building a P-38 should read this document  https://www.scribd.com/document/220399447/Walk-Around-P-38-Lightning-No-30

 

The kit can be build either painted or natural metal. I am going to finish mine in Bare Metal Foil.

 

 

 

 

 

I will be using resin wheels/tires from Eduard, canopy paint masks from Eduard and real cloth seatbelts from Hgwmodels. Hgwmodels did not have P-38 seatbelts so I purchased Spitfire belts. 

 

 

 

 

All the parts came neatly protected in plastic bags. The two fuselage parts had foam pads to protect the booms and nose. The clear parts were wrapped in bubble wrap.  Nice touch.

 

 

The entire fuselage, wings and booms are molded into two parts (top and bottom). This should solve the fit issues.

 

[Nikolay Polyakov]

Hello Johnny,

I love the NMF birds! These two plane halves looks very promising.

 

Cheers! 🙂

[neil5208]

Will watch, want to add another P38 to my collection but just cant find the Academy kit anymore so will intrested how the Hobbyboss kit builds

[franky boy]

Great choice. Will be watching with interest as this one is on my to build list.

 

James

[J.P.]

WOW!!!! Those are some tremendous moldings. Be interesting to see this come together.

[fubar57]

Didn't know about the HB P-38. If the main moldings come together nicely, I'm sold

[Johnny_K]

The two parts of the airframe cannot be glued together before the cockpit is finished. There are a number of parts that make up the cockpit including the "relief tube"😲  . There is also a decal for the gauges.

[Greg Law]

This looks promising. I've been thinking I would like to get a P38 for my collection. How about giving us a photo of the panel lines on a wing.

[rob Lyttle]

On 14/03/2019 at 19:43, Johnny_K said:

The entire fuselage, wings and booms are molded into two parts (top and bottom). This should solve the fit issues.

 

Sure does, @Johnny_K

I thought it was a little miracle of plastic moulding technology! 

I predict you're going to enjoy the build. 

And bare metal too.... 

There's a few compound curves to deal with 

[Johnny_K]

50 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

This looks promising. I've been thinking I would like to get a P38 for my collection. How about giving us a photo of the panel lines on a wing.

 

Here you go. This is not the true color of the plastic. I had to fool with the contrast to make the lines more visible. All rivets and panel lines are recessed.

[Retired Bob]

Hi Johnny

I have one of these in the stash, I bought it after getting the Kagero Book on the P 38 in the Pacific.  There are some great profiles with amazing nose art, and the decals supplied with the book come in 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scales.  You do not mention any AM decals so I feel obliged to tell you the kit markings for Pappy have a number of errors.

 

Regards

Bob

[Johnny_K]

I doubt that I will use the kit supplied decals. I will probably use Kits-World decals. I used their decals on my B-24J. The decals had crystal clear carrier film.

[Nikolay Polyakov]

6 hours ago, Johnny_K said:

I used their decals on my B-24J.

The foiling and decaling on your B-24J looks fantastic! Did you choose the decals for the P-38?

 

Cheers! 😎

[Johnny_K]

 

 

I just purchased this set of decals

 

[Johnny_K]

Problem number 1. The kit does not include the blue coolant pipe that was in the 1:1 plane's wheel wells. The pipe carried coolant from the engines to the radiator pods. I'll need to fix that.

 

There was a metal screen located in the radiator pods to protect the radiators. That's a nice looking detail. I'll need to figure out how to do that.

 

 

 

There were round ducts covered in metal screens located in the recessed areas under the propeller. Just something else to figure out.

[fubar57]

Great looking decals. Here's a list of what needs to be modified, if you are so inclined...http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/kits/hobbyboss85805reviewlr_1.htm

Myself, I just builds 'em. The coolant pipe looks aluminum color in wartime photos

[Johnny_K]

I'm agree with you, "I just builds 'em". I don't have enough hours left in my life to sweat the small stuff.

[Johnny_K]

The cockpit is finished. I painted it Tamiya Cockpit Green. After I finished the cockpit I read in the "Walk Around" book that the cockpits in early P-38s were painted green. Later p_38s were painted chromate yellow . Oh well. Better luck next time.

 

I started adding weights to the nose so that the plane won't sit on it's tail. I used a plastic bag filled with small lead fishing weights. This was placed in the lower half of the fuselage.

 

 

Solid weights were placed in the upper half of the fuselage. I wrote the word "weights" on the inside of the model so that I would not forget to add weights. I did that once. Once is enough.

 

 

I found this at my local craft store (Hobby Lobby). It is a ribbon that is made from a fine wire mesh. This should work nice as a radiator grill.

 

[fubar57]

Good find on that mesh

[Johnny_K]

 

On to the coolant lines that are located in the wheel wells. Initially I was thinking of using either aluminum or copper tubing. The problem is the tubing kinks when it is bent unless a wire is inserted into the tubing. Then I thought why not just us wire without tubing. I decided upon 12 gauge copper electrical wire. I stripped off the insulation and bent the wire into the appropriate shape (a lot of bending and rebending was required).

 

The wire was painted blue and the wheel wells were painted Chromate Yellow. I light wash was used to "dirty" up the wheel wells. Three formation lights were installed in the lower fuselage.

 

 

The cockpit and nose weights were glued into place and the two halves of the airframe were glued together. Clamps, clamps, clamps and more clamps were used to hold everything together.

[AaronKSJ]

Nice coolant lines.

 

The million dollar question - how is the fit of the two mamouth top and bottom sections? 

[rob Lyttle]

On 16/03/2019 at 17:35, Johnny_K said:

"I just builds 'em". I don't have enough hours left in my life to sweat the small stuff.

 

This is the kit for YOU...! 

 

Their P47D is pretty good too, in the same series, if you like this style. 

[Johnny_K]

44 minutes ago, AaronKSJ said:

Nice coolant lines.

 

The million dollar question - how is the fit of the two mamouth top and bottom sections? 

I'll let you know tomorrow when all of the clamps come off. The only negative so far is that there are not enough alignment pins on the two halves of the airframe. 

[Johnny_K]

 

 

 

The clamps are off and the seams are tight. A little sanding will be necessary to clean up the seams, but nothing major. Everting is in perfect alignment.

[Johnny_K]

 

 

 

 

 

The nose was painted flat black and the batteries/radio equipment behind the pilot were painted and wired.

 

 

The rear wing has been foiled and rivets were added. I protected the cockpit and anti-glare panel with blue tape.