P-38J Ancient Monogram 1/48

[Tcoat]

Here you go @Shalako as Promised.

There is a long story behind this build.

Back about 8 years ago my son's boss saw my models and asked if I would build one for his 85 year old father. His father had always loved the P-38 since he had worked on them in WW2 and had a kit that he bought "a while" ago but was no longer able to build. I said "sure I 'd love too"

About a week later he showed up at my door step on a Monday evening and hands me a well battered and worn model box. It is a 1/48 Monogram P-38J in the white box. This means it is at best a run from between 1973 and 1975 and a 1966 mould. He also hands me a much newer decal sheet and says he wants the Bong aircraft but with the black triangles on the tail. OK his call. 

Then he drops the real bomb!

"Dad's birthday is on Sunday can you have it done by then?"

Since I am a sucker for a vet I said sure no problem.

Went in and went straight to work. Opening the box I found all the parts off the sprue mixed with original decal flakes, dead spiders and the earthly remains of once had been instructions (we have all seen this before I am sure). Undaunted I took all the parts, placed them in a mesh bag and threw them into the dish washer (no heat cycle of course). Once clean I laid them all out and to my surprise everything seemed to be accounted for. To my even greater surprise the detail was not bad at all for the age of the kit. It was designed just at the strat of the era where models were transitioning from toys to accurate representations of the subject. Yes it had loads of raised panel lines and rivets but they were more subdued and at least basically in the right places. 

For nostalgia reasons he wanted built out of box and did not care about accuracy or massive amounts of added detail. Considering the time limit I was also fine with that.

In the end I finished it the Friday for him to present it on Sunday. Dad was very, very, very surprised and happy.

 

Unfortunately I have lost the build pictures and all I have are the handful of shots that the guy sent me.

 

Assembly, base painting and panel line/rivet reduction (not removal) were all done in an evening. Five different tone of Bare Metal Foil covered the exterior in a random pattern the next evening.

 

The only extra I added was a tape and wire seatbelt. You can sort of see the top of it sticking up if you hold your tongue just right and squint at a 33.26 degree angle. The cockpit was actually pretty nice for the age.

 

 

Don't want to open the whole "how much weathering is too much" can of worms but most of the non posed for the press pictures of Marge clearly showed she was a dirty, dirty girl (Marge the airplane not Marge the lady in the picture) so she got a nice scummy wash of black and brown tinted Pledge.

 

 

Whipped up a basic base with info and a semblance of a South Pacific airfield with some wall plaster, kitty litter and model railroad foliage.

 

 

 

Grabbed a random figure in a nice casual pose out of a Revell bomber kit and painted him up. Take a good look at that guys face even in 1/48!

 

If that figure wasn't sculpted based on Major Bong I will eat my hat!

 

 

Sorry for horrid quality of the pictures but that is all I have. The recipient passed away last year but his son still cherishes the memories this display brings him.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Looks awesome. I'm pleased that the display still brings pleasure to the son of the recipient.

[Radpoe Spitfire]

This is a stunner!!👍 dispite its age, the old Monogram kits still have a great appeal. Ok it hasn't got the refine of the newer engineering generation models, you still get your monies worth.

 

Like many from its stable, It's a good starter kit, with bags of room to hone your skills if you want to improve the original. 

 

Oh I wish Monogram were still around as a manufacturer, thank you for sharing. 👍👍

[Toryu]

Great result you achieved with the old kit and the tight deadline. Even added a display base! The purpose makes it really valuable.

I built this Monogram in 1977. It's still waiting for restoration. A lot can be done with this generation of Monogram 1/48 - the first with meaningful detail.

[F-32]

Lovely job, looks awesome

[woody37]

A lovely story Tony and a great finish. Sometimes modelling is far more than sticking bits of plastic together, it creates memories for people

[Tcoat]

3 hours ago, Toryu said:

Great result you achieved with the old kit and the tight deadline. Even added a display base! The purpose makes it really valuable.

I built this Monogram in 1977. It's still waiting for restoration. A lot can be done with this generation of Monogram 1/48 - the first with meaningful detail.

I actually bought another of these to do the "Glacier Girl"  as found in the ice and was going to pick up an Academy kit to show after restoration. After serious consideration decided it was too much work to try to get the old Monogram one up to detail  needed (even after being crushed by ice) and it got regulated to the bottom of the stash. 

Someday I will come across a sale on the Academy one and pick up a couple so I can do the before and after  with the same kit.

I would use the Tamiya kit but my first born is far to old to sell to pay for two of them!

 

If you live in a cave and are not aware of what Glacier Girl is:

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/15-p-38-glacier-girl-pictures.html

 

Before. I would do in a styrofoam "ice" cave

 

After. Would be one of the very few pristine clean aircraft I build

[Spitfire31]

Fabulous modelling!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Shalako]

What a beauty!!!

 

From my experience older kits/moulds have better details (and some of them better plastic) than their relatively recent (and from time to time) re-runs, mostly by Revell.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[BerndM]

Brilliant build and well presented.

 

[Tcoat]

1 hour ago, Shalako said:

What a beauty!!!

 

From my experience older kits/moulds have better details (and some of them better plastic) than their relatively recent (and from time to time) re-runs, mostly by Revell.

 

Cheers,

Bill

Yep. The moulds were from 1966 and it was made in 73 so they were still nice and crisp with no real flash, horrible mould seams or ejector pin marks. The later one I got was a 2001 (or so) run and the millions of kits they made between those years really shows on the newer parts. 

[bigbadbadge]

Looks absolutely fantastic,  what a cracking job and hopefully a payrise from the boss???

Chris