1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
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- Sergeant
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
I always liked the earlier version of the P-38. The sleeker oil cooler intakes were much more attractive in appearance than the later clunkier ones. It just looked like it was going fast while standing still. With the huge collection of 1/144 we have I needed to add this aircraft so I finally got the urge to make one.
I took an old Crown/Academy kit ( I didn't realize how bad this kit is) and started.
I filled the lower portions of the booms with putty to give me a base for reshaping and the top of the boom with reformed fishing weights for balance. I filled the nose with weight so the plane would sit correctly without a tail stand.
The two booms showing one reshaped and the other standard. The side boom radiators also were different shape on the earlier P-38's.
More forming and checking and filling and sanding.
The gun ports had to drilled out.
Oil cooler inlets drilled and formed. The right side had to be filled and drilled 3 times before I was happy.
First coat of paint to find imperfections.
Gear doors were made from thin sheet plastic.
The props needed much thinning and reshaping.
Got her on her wheels. The landing gear struts had to reworked to give them the proper height to make her sit properly.
Props are done.
NOW THE CANOPY!
The kit canopy is a miss shaped clear blob of plastic. I took a Bandai P-38 canopy and attempted to home vac u form a new one but it just did not work out right. I might have used a clear sheet that was a little too thick and besides forming over the Bandai canopy made the new one oversize.
So there was only one thing to do.
Make my own framework.
TO BE CONTINUED.
I took an old Crown/Academy kit ( I didn't realize how bad this kit is) and started.
I filled the lower portions of the booms with putty to give me a base for reshaping and the top of the boom with reformed fishing weights for balance. I filled the nose with weight so the plane would sit correctly without a tail stand.
The two booms showing one reshaped and the other standard. The side boom radiators also were different shape on the earlier P-38's.
More forming and checking and filling and sanding.
The gun ports had to drilled out.
Oil cooler inlets drilled and formed. The right side had to be filled and drilled 3 times before I was happy.
First coat of paint to find imperfections.
Gear doors were made from thin sheet plastic.
The props needed much thinning and reshaping.
Got her on her wheels. The landing gear struts had to reworked to give them the proper height to make her sit properly.
Props are done.
NOW THE CANOPY!
The kit canopy is a miss shaped clear blob of plastic. I took a Bandai P-38 canopy and attempted to home vac u form a new one but it just did not work out right. I might have used a clear sheet that was a little too thick and besides forming over the Bandai canopy made the new one oversize.
So there was only one thing to do.
Make my own framework.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Re: 1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
Excellent work. Looking forward to see it finished.
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- Officer - Major
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Re: 1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
You got some amazing skills, looking great!
A helicopter does not want to fly, it just vibrates so much that the ground rejects it
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- Sergeant
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- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
Re: 1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
Thanks for the positive comments guys.
OK so I completed the framework and put it aside to make sure all the superglue set.
Once it was cured I sanded the joints so they blended together.
Thinking it looked alright I still had a feeling something was missing. Then it dawned on me, the P-38's side window's had "X" bracing. I found some lengths of stretched spru that my son and I used for antenna wire on larger scale models. I was curious what size it was so I put in a micrometer ( you can see a piece in the micrometer) it turned out to be .005 dia.
I then put it in the side windows.
My plan is to use Krystal Klear for the windows but I am not sure how its gonna be for the bigger pieces. I sanded the canopy framework smooth and brushed on some OD to see what it looked like.
At this point I dry fitted some guns. ( I was postponing the Krystal Klear part).
The guns looked pretty close to scale to me.
Once everything is done they will be the last pieces to go in
Well, gave it a finale coat of OD to match canopy to body, cleaned up overspray on bottom with Neutral Gray, put a radio in the back of the cockpit, painted inside cockpit black, put some pastel chalks on the superchargers to make them stand out a little more.
Alright I can't put it off any longer I have to do the Krystal Klear now.
OK so I completed the framework and put it aside to make sure all the superglue set.
Once it was cured I sanded the joints so they blended together.
Thinking it looked alright I still had a feeling something was missing. Then it dawned on me, the P-38's side window's had "X" bracing. I found some lengths of stretched spru that my son and I used for antenna wire on larger scale models. I was curious what size it was so I put in a micrometer ( you can see a piece in the micrometer) it turned out to be .005 dia.
I then put it in the side windows.
My plan is to use Krystal Klear for the windows but I am not sure how its gonna be for the bigger pieces. I sanded the canopy framework smooth and brushed on some OD to see what it looked like.
At this point I dry fitted some guns. ( I was postponing the Krystal Klear part).
The guns looked pretty close to scale to me.
Once everything is done they will be the last pieces to go in
Well, gave it a finale coat of OD to match canopy to body, cleaned up overspray on bottom with Neutral Gray, put a radio in the back of the cockpit, painted inside cockpit black, put some pastel chalks on the superchargers to make them stand out a little more.
Alright I can't put it off any longer I have to do the Krystal Klear now.
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- Sergeant
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
-
- Sergeant
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
Re: 1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
The front windscreen, top canopy and 2 side windows have the Krystal Klear. Even tho it was upside down when it dried the top canopy concaved a little bit. Gotta think of a way to fix that.
Seeing that the top canopy concaved a bit I decided not to use the Krystal Klear on the last 4 bigger windows. Going back thru the supplies I found some thinner clear plastic so I took the bandai canopy back out and tried to vac u form again just to get some pieces.
This time it somewhat worked enough so that I could start cutting and fitting. You can see the vac u formed canopy and to the right of it one of the front side windows. For a size perspective I put a nickel next it.
Seeing that the top canopy concaved a bit I decided not to use the Krystal Klear on the last 4 bigger windows. Going back thru the supplies I found some thinner clear plastic so I took the bandai canopy back out and tried to vac u form again just to get some pieces.
This time it somewhat worked enough so that I could start cutting and fitting. You can see the vac u formed canopy and to the right of it one of the front side windows. For a size perspective I put a nickel next it.
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- Sergeant
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
-
- Sergeant
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:38 pm
Re: 1/144 P-38J Backdated to P-38E/F
Very nice work JollyRoger. I like your scratch building canopy frame.