SoftScience Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Hi all. After a series of frustrating days at work, I decided to do some retail therapy and purchased Tamiya's excellent P-38F. I also ordered some decals to build Capt. James Hagenback's plane he flew in late 1943 while commanding the 94th FS in Sardinia. This is probably as colorful as the P-38F gets, with the yellow wings and all. I'm not going to waste anybody's time (including my own with sprue shots and will just launch right into the build, shortly. But needles to say, the kit looks excellent! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 2, 2020 Author Share Posted October 2, 2020 One hour later we have one of the wheel wells assembled. It's almost like putting together Lego. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Nice addition to the Spitfire softscience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 I am very pleased to see another Lightning in this Gb Have fun .. Best regards Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Great choice its always been a favorite P-38 of mine. I did “Bat out of Hell” a couple years ago but flubbed the build in the weathering stage. So will need to build it again someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 A superb choice SS, I'm really interested to see how this one goes together and judging by the wheel well you have done already it looks like a very well detailed and well fitting kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Nice choice. I was hoping someone might come along with one of these. Will follow with interest. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Another night, another boom. They still need a few details around the intakes, but are generally done. I also built the main landing gear. I had no idea the lightning had such a complex radiator system attached to the landing gear. I also thought this was pretty clever. Tamiya gives you ball bearing that fit in little cups inside the front of the booms. No guess work on where to put weight. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Not nearly enough P-38 build in the forum. Yours is a treat! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 Glad to share, John. Didn't do much with this, over the weekend. I added the last bits to the intakes on the booms (not pictured) and began working on the front landing gear/cockpit pod assembly. Its all centered around this clever spar to keep everything in line. Here is a quick shot of the bay. Work on the cockpit is next! 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I'm beginning to want one of these even more now, looks like a really well engineered kit and you're doing a great job on her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 6 hours ago, modelling minion said: I'm beginning to want one of these even more now, looks like a really well engineered kit and you're doing a great job on her. It's utterly brilliant engineering. My great hope is that Tamiya pantographs it down to 1/72, as I'd like to have a few examples. But knowing Tamiya, they'll pass on any great opportunity to fill a gaping hole in the 72nd scale market:/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 On 05/10/2020 at 14:06, SoftScience said: It's utterly brilliant engineering. My great hope is that Tamiya pantographs it down to 1/72, as I'd like to have a few examples. But knowing Tamiya, they'll pass on any great opportunity to fill a gaping hole in the 72nd scale market:/ Good morning SoftScience I really hope that Tamiya will do it .. after all many of their models exist on both 1/48 and 1/72 scales but God knows how long we'll have to wait. Best Regards Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 This is coming together great. That ball bearing is a very clever idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Excellent progress SoftScience! Looking impressive so far. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 9, 2020 Author Share Posted October 9, 2020 Thanks, guys. Some progress from the last few evenings. My cockpit work is nothing fancy, but I'm happy with it. I really like the instrument panel. And just like that the main wing and center pod start to take shape. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 It's going together quicky now. I needed a bit of filler on the leading edges of the wing, but the rest is just simple cut, sand and glue. Now it's just the smaller details 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Wow, that is quick! Looks like a great kit and your build is showing it off well. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tojo72 Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Looks like a great kit,love the markings,really need to grab one of these 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 And smaller detail building commencwd. Tamiya makes most of this pretty simple, as it all fits very nicely here are some views of the complex exhaust thingies and the radio deck. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 You really are doing a great job on this, the cockpit detailing is superb and your painting is highlighting it very well indeed. The fit of the parts looks to be very good indeed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 This one is almost ready for paint. But I want to fashion a ventral nose antenna, as per the decal instructions abd historic photos. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 Base paint is on. I still need to do the yellow wings. But I'll let the paint cure before I mask it. I realize it would have been easier to do the yellow first... 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 Excellent job on the paint, looks like a really nice smooth coat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 She looks great in that green! I don’t think yellow will be too bad over that to be fair. the painting of that cockpit is top notch, really like it. And the kit looks fantastic! Almost worth getting even though it’s not 1/72 😃. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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