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.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/AStart.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/AStart1.jpg)
The two booms showing one reshaped and the other standard. The side boom radiators also were different shape on the earlier P-38's.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/AStart2.jpg)
More forming and checking and filling and sanding.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Broughsand.jpg)
The gun ports had to drilled out.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Broughsand1.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Broughsand2.jpg)
Oil cooler inlets drilled and formed. The right side had to be filled and drilled 3 times before I was happy.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Broughsand3.jpg)
First coat of paint to find imperfections.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint1.jpg)
Gear doors were made from thin sheet plastic.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint2.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint4.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint5.jpg)
The props needed much thinning and reshaping.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint8.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/CFirstpaint9.jpg)
Got her on her wheels. The landing gear struts had to reworked to give them the proper height to make her sit properly.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/DGearOn.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/DGearOn2.jpg)
Props are done.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Ep-38withprops.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/Ep-38withprops2.jpg)
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.
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/FFramingCanopy.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/FFramingCanopy1.jpg)
![Image](http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh623/repligun/FFramingCanopy2.jpg)
TO BE CONTINUED.