AdrianMF Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I finished this for the P-38 group build and managed to post some pictures in the gallery in the last minutes before the GB ended. Given that I'm pleased with the result from this old kit and that not many people will be visiting the gallery now that the GB is over, I thought I'd put it up here to show that old Airfix kits can scrub up well with a bit of TLC. P-38G-13-LO "Beautiful Lass" flown by L John G. "Jump" O'Neill, 9th FS/49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, late October 1943 Kit: Airfix Lockheed P-38F/H Lightning (02088, 1972) Decals: Exito 1/72 Ligntning Strike P-38F/G Lightning (ED72009) This is the second kit from Airfix of the P-38. The P-38J (1415) came out in 1958 and was pretty basic, but builds up nicely enough (as you can see in the GB). This kit, a P-38F (3018) came out in 1972. It fits together very well, and has some interior detailing and fine raised rivets, which I decided to keep. The Exito decals were a joy to behold and apply. This build is as close to OOB as I ever get, and no aftermarket was harmed in the construction! WIP is here if you want to take a look. The new Tamiya 1/48 kit is amazing, and I referred to the online instructions and builds to help me out in this, but the Airfix kit is sixty quid cheaper and fits on my shelf, which swings it for me. Thanks for looking, Adrian 64 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Slowbuild Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I’m all for saving 60 quid when it builds up as well as that. Fantastic result Adrian, you must be really chuffed with it. I would be ! Congrats Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 That's old Airfix? Wow! Very nice. As for saving sixty quid, I'm a Yorkshireman so I'm sure I won't need to add my opinion! Jon 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerboy Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I like many others have built this kit at some time or another, very few would have got close to producing such an exquisite model, good job! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 A true test of modelling prowess is to take an old kit and produce a masterpiece like this. I'm really enjoying the idea that a relatively inexpensive purchase can turn out so well in skilled hands like yours. 👏👏 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike c Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I remember making this kit when it was new , you have made a very nice job of it, I'm tempted to give one a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted December 12, 2022 Author Share Posted December 12, 2022 Thanks for the kind comments. From what we had in the GB, it certainly seems to fit as well as many of the more modern 1/72 alternatives, the only trouble spots for me were the undercarriage (my mistake, main wheel wells are definitely handed) and the propellers, which had a bit of strange engineering. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton guy Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Had no idea that kit could be made to look so good. Still have one. Inspired to give it a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Adrian, Lovely work - talk about last minute! Cheers, Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Very, very nice! I’m all for building older kits, they’re like a canvas for true modeling (vice assembling). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winded Penguin Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Well Adrian, it may not be actually 1/48 scale but to me it easily passes muster as being good enough from the photos 👍 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Gorgeous result. I'm a fan of Airfix kits from the period 1972 to 1980. They are, on the whole, extremely nicely moulded models with a lot more detail than their earlier offerings. The only downside for some modellers (but not me) is the raised panel and rivet detail. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLC1966 Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Thats a cracking finish. Good work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACALAIN Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 17 hours ago, AdrianMF said: I finished this for the P-38 group build and managed to post some pictures in the gallery in the last minutes before the GB ended. Given that I'm pleased with the result from this old kit and that not many people will be visiting the gallery now that the GB is over, I thought I'd put it up here to show that old Airfix kits can scrub up well with a bit of TLC. P-38G-13-LO "Beautiful Lass" flown by L John G. "Jump" O'Neill, 9th FS/49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, late October 1943 Kit: Airfix 1972, Lockheed P-38F/H Lightning (02088) 1972 Decals: Exito 1/72 Ligntning Strike P-38F/G Lightning (ED72009) This is the second kit from Airfix of the P-38. The P-38J (1415) came out in 1958 and was pretty basic, but builds up nicely enough (as you can see in the GB). This kit, a P-38F (3018) came out in 1972. It fits together very well, and has some interior detailing and fine raised rivets, which I decided to keep. The Exito decals were a joy to behold and apply. This build is as close to OOB as I ever get, and no aftermarket was harmed in the construction! WIP is here if you want to take a look. The new Tamiya 1/48 kit is amazing, and I referred to the online instructions and builds to help me out in this, but the Airfix kit is sixty quid cheaper and fits on my shelf, which swings it for me. Thanks for looking, Adrian Super well done. Alain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Walter E Kurtz Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Very nice indeed Adrian! I like your weathering on this one very much. I have the Tamiya 1:48 scale version in the stash and will maybe give it a go next year.. Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 13 hours ago, Trenton guy said: Still have one. Inspired to give it a try. Have a go - you won't be disappointed! 10 hours ago, Dunny said: talk about last minute! The model was finished the day before, but it was much more fun messing around with a vac form than trying to set up for a "proper" set of pictures! 10 hours ago, billn53 said: I’m all for building older kits, they’re like a canvas for true modeling No disagreements from me! I'm not going to argue with a man who can make the "here's a bad one" Hawk Skyray look like a million dollars (or at least, whatever a Tamiya one costs...) 4 hours ago, Eric Mc said: I'm a fan of Airfix kits from the period 1972 to 1980. Me too! Ironically, I more or less gave up Airfix aeroplanes in around 1970 and moved over to armour and figures, so some of these old kits are new to me. I actually like (small) rivets in general, and on this kit I wanted to exploit them to break up the weathering and give some structure to the chipping. My experiments on the paint mule quickly degenerated into some unstructured splodges of silver: so for the model I actually mainly just highlighted the rows of rivets and some edges using the tip of a cocktail stick dipped in Revell acrylic aluminium. 3 hours ago, PLC1966 said: Good work. 3 hours ago, MACALAIN said: Super well done. I was really motivated by the super quality of the kit and the decals on this one. 3 hours ago, Col Walter E Kurtz said: I like your weathering on this one very much. I have the Tamiya 1:48 scale version in the stash Nice! I don't imagine you will be referring to the Airfix instructions online during your build A note on the weathering. The dark lines aren't a deluded brush painter's effort at pre-shading. Lightnings that were shipped to their destination on the deck of a boat sometimes had tape applied around hatches and openings, and then some darker gunk (technical term) was roughly painted across the tape to seal it up properly. When the tape was removed on delivery, the overpainted gunk was left behind at the edges. The extent to which tape was applied varied, so I've done the fuselage and engines of "Beautiful Lass" because that's what I can see in photos of the real thing. The other example in the Exito decals, "Babe", flying in Tunisia, did not have the tape applied - maybe that batch of Lightnings got inside seats across the Atlantic! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Your Lightning (please forgive me) build is electric! Nicely done paint job. And, thanks for the history lesson regarding the tape applied on shipping the planes overseas by boat. I also like your use of the proper technical terms like gunk. Thanks for sharing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Per ardua ad astra. Marvellously creative modelling! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Excellent build Adrian, well done 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 What a corker Adrian. The weathering and finesse makes it look like a modern kit, always great to see old kits getting some TLC. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 Just remembered! I’ve added the mirrors on the inner faces of the cowlings from aluminium tape, shaped by punching out two overlapping circles with a leather punch: 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Great job on that old kit Adrian, really nice work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantherhawk27263 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 What a lovely Lightning!! I have always liked the way they look in green over the metal finish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in a shed Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Youre right about scrubbing up well, you have scrubbed the old kit to perfection. It looks just the job.. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Marvelous - turn this old kit to such nice model! Regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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