SleeperService Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Hi There As I can't find the 300(ish) gallon drop tanks in 1/48 this will be my fallback subject although it has been done to death. The Academy P-38F with the Heritage Aviation conversion intended for the Hasegawa kit. I have been strongly advised to build the Academy one as it is, apparently, rather easier to align - we shall see. The magazine has a good build article by Julian R B Edwards and a copy of the Hasegawa instructions makes everything much easier to follow. The QB propellers are an insurance policy as I have a use for the unused items. There is an Aires cockpit set on the way too. So not a P322-II carrying a torpedo and a 330 gallon drop tank but it'll do. Silence in this GB Chat and much Internet searching hasn't found these tanks in 1/48 which is surprising as the large tanks were in common use in the PTO. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Buysse Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Hi, Interesting project.👍 I believe that the 300 gallon tanks are in every Tamiya kit issued so far. They are parts D19 and D20, the braces are parts C51 and C18, and C50 and C17 for the other side. Cheers, Stefan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Should be a fun project with the conversion work. I've never tried the Hasegawa P-38, but I've got an Academy one I'll be building for this GB. Seems to be decent James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted September 11, 2022 Author Share Posted September 11, 2022 10 hours ago, Stefan Buysse said: Hi, Interesting project.👍 I believe that the 300 gallon tanks are in every Tamiya kit issued so far. They are parts D19 and D20, the braces are parts C51 and C18, and C50 and C17 for the other side. Cheers, Stefan. Thanks for that Stefan. I wasn't aware of that as the reviews I saw at the time never mentioned them, now I'm a much happier bunny. 5 hours ago, 81-er said: Should be a fun project with the conversion work. I've never tried the Hasegawa P-38, but I've got an Academy one I'll be building for this GB. Seems to be decent James A friend (sadly an early covid victim ) built several and then tried Academy. He was quite 'emotional' about how much easier the Academy one is to build. I've just taped the major bits together and the fit is very good and the wing seems very strong. The only tricky bit is the front lower boom to the underside of the wing joint. I think leaving the undercarriage bay loose while one fits the boom edges to the wing will be the way ahead. My plastic shows several cold flow seams in the plastic - they're smooth but, in my experience, can make a NMF tricky. I run MEK on the inside surface to prevent the join splitting later. The cockpit is a little basic so I'm getting the Aires 'pit which will also need a British seat harness. Not too big a deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 30 minutes ago, SleeperService said: Academy one is to build. I've just taped the major bits together and the fit is very good and the wing seems very strong. The only tricky bit is the front lower boom to the underside of the wing joint HI Nick, if you have not seen it, @P_Budzik tips and techniques on the Academy P-38 are certainly worth a read https://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/P-38 Alignment/academy_p-38_alignment.html " My first attempt at constructing this kit was not a happy experience. My usual techniques were unsuccessful at yielding a straight airframe. The basic lack of structure in the area of the main gear leaves the booms very susceptible to distortion. Eduard P-38 By taking some care and using a few simple jigs, it is possible to work around these issues and have a well aligned airframe without having to resort to some extraordinary “after the fact” rescue surgery. " HTH 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Thanks for that @Troy Smith, I'll bookmark it for my build 👍 James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 welcome along and I don't care if its been done to death it's still great to see an early Lightning in the build. The Academy model is a nice model to build with not too many issues, the only one of note is that the booms can become a wee bit out of alignment if you're not careful. Easy to correct, just glue the front section first (let dry is the best) then slowly glue and align the tail as you go. The other nice thing about this model is there's heaps of AM stuff available, though yes the only 300gl tanks I know of come with the Tamiya model, I would offer up mine but I think I have to use them. Well good luck with the build, great to have you along as usual. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted September 23, 2022 Author Share Posted September 23, 2022 Well it's been fun but I've finally got the top surfaces of the booms all nice and smooth. After a period where grey primer seemed to have vanished I've had a note from Halfords that it's in stock. I tried photographing the thing without but no joy. Tomorrow will see a quick trip out. I'm a bit miffed to find that the much raved about True Details wheels are the full width of the wheel bay and rather wider than they should be. Ultracast do them but the cost of getting them from Canada terrifies me. On 9/12/2022 at 8:12 AM, trickyrich said: The other nice thing about this model is there's heaps of AM stuff available, though yes the only 300gl tanks I know of come with the Tamiya model, I would offer up mine but I think I have to use them. I've got the sprue numbers and am getting a price for spare sprues so I have the option for the next build opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 On 9/24/2022 at 9:05 AM, SleeperService said: I've got the sprue numbers and am getting a price for spare sprues so I have the option for the next build opportunity. I've found I've started to do the same thing of late, buy sprue for bits I need. Did that with my resin TBM Avenger, had horrible vacform canopy/turret so managed to find some complete sprue for the Trumpeter model to replace......unfortunately they weren't cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 Howday doody folks! Well it's been a bit quiet on this one but that is because I've been distracted by real life so... The Heritage Aviaition plugs would need a lot of work...in resin...err, no. So I got out the off-cuts box and started the fill, sand, prime, repeat devotion we all know. Finally it was done. The scratches are deliberate - when I prime the wings they'll be the witness marks to show I'm about to break through the structure. The fit to the top is pretty close but... The lower edge needs more work. The kit booms need shortening to match the resin plug and then this part of the build will be broken. The engine is aligned vertically showing the twist @Troy Smith linked to above. This shows how I've used Milliput Superfine to bed the resin casting into the top wing. This should securely locate the engine pods and provide a good brace for the booms, hence why the boom sides are untrimmed. The pods were drilled to take a couple of weights from Tamiya 1/48 armour kits. That should mean no or very little weight needed in the fuselage. The top edge fits flush but is raised by the temp setup used. Before fixing the pods in place I'll use an Olfa scriber to score the inside of the booms horizontally to both get a best fit and something to allow the glue to flow. Here's the next stage the Aires 'pit 4567 offers an big improvement to the kit parts and will mean practice for models where more is visible. I need to get my hand in on detail painting so a half-hidden result is a good idea! One thing that is going to annoy me is the Academy solution for the radiators, Messers Eduard offer a potential solution with set FE111 offering, at a modest cost, grilles for the housings and other useful parts. I'll be off now as I need to find shots inside the housings. Thanks for looking and I wish you a great day! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 There's some serious plastic-bashing going on there! It looks like you're winning as well James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 22, 2022 Share Posted October 22, 2022 I agree there is some serious work going on here and you're looking to have it all under control as well, good stuff. Getting those new engine pods to fit looks to be an interesting challenge, looking forward to seeing how it all goes. Great idea with those weights, very clever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 Ouch. That's a lot of surgery. Looking good so far. I hope it's getting along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 On 10/31/2022 at 11:54 PM, PattheCat said: Ouch. That's a lot of surgery. Looking good so far. I hope it's getting along. It is now! Brought a can of non-Halfords grey primer and it was garbage. Primed the cockpit area this morning with a new can of Mr Halfords finest. Next thing is to dig into the cockpit colours - were they painted as British spec like the camo, factory spec, or something else entirely? I have no idea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 57 minutes ago, SleeperService said: It is now! Brought a can of non-Halfords grey primer and it was garbage. Primed the cockpit area this morning with a new can of Mr Halfords finest. Next thing is to dig into the cockpit colours - were they painted as British spec like the camo, factory spec, or something else entirely? I have no idea. I have read somewhere that the cockpit of early P-38's was painted in the US interpretation of "British interior green". So it would befit a Mk. I. Take it with the usual grain of salt as I don't remember if it was mentioned by a trusted source. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted November 13, 2022 Author Share Posted November 13, 2022 Well I throw the flag in on this one for now. My shoulder isn't up to fiddly work yet so she's stalled for now. Consultant then more physio should get a result. Sorry for another failure but I have tons to go at without buying new stuff.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted November 13, 2022 Share Posted November 13, 2022 Definitely best to prioritise your health over a model. Thank you for participating, and please update this thread whenever you're fit enough to continue the build. I'd rather like to see the end result James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 On 11/13/2022 at 2:54 PM, 81-er said: Definitely best to prioritise your health over a model. Thank you for participating, and please update this thread whenever you're fit enough to continue the build. I'd rather like to see the end result James I certainly will. The consultant is also a model-maker! plank on frame ships!!! He thinks 6-8 weeks to get full feeling and finesse. Physio twice a week 😲 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 On 10/10/2022 at 12:19, SleeperService said: radiators, Messers Eduard offer a potential solution with set FE111 offering, at a modest cost, grilles for the housings I wonder how much you will see of them down in the depths. I stuck some bits of card inside my 1/72 Airfix radiators and I simply can’t see a thing (but no daylight either!). On 23/11/2022 at 06:56, SleeperService said: plank on frame ships!!! Don’t be lured over to the Dark Side… On 23/11/2022 at 06:56, SleeperService said: Physio twice a week 😲 I’ve got a condition going on and the physio has really helped, and also proactively prodded other teams to move things along a bit. So I’d be 😁. Good luck! Looks like a nice project to pick up again when you have recovered. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now