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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Hello all,
I have decided to finally tackle an aircraft kit that I've had in my stash for a couple of years now and which I've been slowly buying extras for with the hope of one day making a nice project out of it and I think that day has finally come!! Also, I have chosen this kit as it is an aircraft that needs to be done in a 'Natural Metal Finish' (NMF), and having recently experimented in the foiling technique and learned a lot from building my Airfix 1:72 P-51D Mustang using that technique, and which can be found here ...
http://forum.model-space...spx?g=posts&t=17481
... I feel up to the challenge of tackling an aircraft which has virtually no flat surfaces on it, being mostly curves (everywhere!), albeit a slightly bigger scale and that aircraft is the beautiful Lockheed P-38 Lightning, one of my absolute favourite WWII fighters!!
The kit I am using is Academy's 1:48 P-38 Lightning (I'll be building a late war 'L' spec aircraft) and the contents can be seen in photos 1-7. In photos 8-11 you can see the aftermarket accessories I've collected so far, there are more on their way at present, with more to come in future as I progress through the build.
I will likely be building this aircraft as depicted in the box art, which was the mount of Colonel Charles McDonald and was named "Putt Putt Maru", which is quite a colourful aircraft with red, yellow and blue striping on various parts of the aircraft. The aftermarket decal sheet in the photos below has the same markings on it as on the kit sheet, I just bought it to give me extra options when I get round to adding the decals as the kit ones are a little chunky and bold in colour?
This aircraft was based in the Pacific and so I will be displaying it on a simple base sitting on some of Eduards' excellent etched metal 1:48 'PSP' Plates with a sandy ground beneath and with a mix of mechanics hastily servicing the aircraft whilst the pilot is seen talking to another beside it? It is my intention to have the gun bay open in the nose and one of the engines partially showing beneath an opened side panel. The cockpit glazing will also be open and the flaps will be down?
Well that's a rough idea of what I'll be doing with this. I hope to start work very soon on this and to keep the updates regular as much as I can, though I may have to postpone some of my other builds temporarily in order to have the time to do this? We'll see how it goes!?
Looking forward immensely to tackling the aluminium foil on this one, I'm sure it'll be great fun and will look very cool when done - I wish you could see the picture of this inside my head!!   
All comments and criticisms welcomed.
Kev  ModelMania attached the following image(s):
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 Rank: Super-Elite       Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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Nice choice Kev  , after seeing how effective your 'foiling' was on your Mustang I'm looking forward to seeing it applied again
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Rank: Pro Groups: Registered
Joined: 14/04/2015 Posts: 238 Points: 716 Location: Newcastle
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Good luck with your build. Are you going to include the ground crew or just the pilots?
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Rank: Super-Elite   Groups: Registered
Joined: 31/05/2010 Posts: 5,679 Points: 17,011 Location: Wiltshire
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A lovely aircraft and like your choice with the Academy kit as these are really good value kits and do not always get the credit they deserve. Hope you get lots of fun from building this one. Happy Modelling
BUILDING: Hachette Spitfire Mk 1A, Constructo Mayflower
SUBSCRIPTION COMPLETE (Awaiting building): USS Constitution, Sovereign of the Seas, 1:200 Bismarck (Hachette)
COMPLETED: Porsche 911, E-Type Jaguar, Lam Countach
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Looks a nice kit with the extra's good luck with the comp Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
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Lovely aircraft and a very nice kit, certainly will be a test of patience using foil on this one but I'm sure your up to it - Good luck Steve
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Thanks for the nice comments chaps and glad you approve of my choice!!
@ Mike - I will be using a mix of both plus some other mechanic figures from 'Aerobonus' that I have my eye on but yet to acquire.
@ Tony - I agree my friend, Academy produce some nice kits at sensible prices and don't always get the praise that they deserve for their products unfortunately.
Looking forward to making a start on this one very soon!!
Kev
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A lovely choice Kev! The Japanese really feared the Lightning in the pacific! Just as our Beaufighter was called "The Whispering Death", they called the Lightning "The Forked Tailed Devil"! (And I think the Germans did as well?) This will look beautiful in your foil technique - my own 'metallising' effect for my knight's armour was inspired by your Mustang diary!  Although I'm not actually using tin foil, the process is very similar (but you'll have to wait!! ) Very best of luck with this one M8! Robin First wooden ship: The Grimsby 12 Gun 'Frigate' by Constructo Second: Bounty DelPrado Part Works Third: HMS Victory DelPrado Part Works 1/100 scale Diorama of the Battle of the Brandywine from the American Revolutionary War Diorama of the Battle of New Falkland (unfinished sci-fi), Great War Centenary Diorama of the Messines Ridge Assault Index for the Victory diary is on page 1
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Looking forward to this especialy the foil This will look stunning in the dio you describe Jase “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Thanks for looking in and your appreciative comments Jase and Robin!!
@ Robin - If your knight ain't being done with tin foil but is a similar process to my technique then I'd guess it was real silver leaf maybe? If not then I'm well and truly intrigued to see what it is!!
Kev
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Hello all,
A few more aftermarket bits arrived in the post yesterday, which means I am now just about set to make a start on the build. I’ll be very busy with other things over this weekend, but shouldn’t be too long after that before my first build update? I’ll be starting with the cockpit, then painting and adding a few extra details to the partly viewed engine and also the gun bay. I will most likely have the lid lifted on the ‘Port’ engine I think?
Anyway, here’s some photos of the extra goodies that have arrived, plus some of my reference material which I’ve had for a while in anticipation of starting this build. Some of the resin bits are designed for the Hasegawa P-38 but should fit the Academy kit without too much trouble. I already have a pretty comprehensive etch set from Eduard for this build, but the new Eduard etch set in the photos below contains a few things that aren’t in my other set, such as mesh for the various intakes and it wasn’t more than a few quid, so why not, every little helps and the “Devil is in the detail” as they say, or in this case, a ‘Fork Tailed Devil’!!? Still got a couple more things to order for the actual aircraft then I’ll start collecting items for the diorama, which will come later in the year.
The first book in the photos of my reference material, from MMP Books (Mushroom Model Publications) and written by Robert Peczkowski, is a real treasure trove. Designed and written with modellers in mind, it is full of very useful detail photos (in colour) of most areas of the aircraft, along with quite a few 1:72 scale plans of the various spec P-38s amongst its’ pages and there is also an insert of a folded set of 1:48 scale plans (printed on both sides)? A highly recommended book if you're building a model of a P-38!! I have another of their excellent books in the series, for the Republic P-47 ‘Thunderbolt, which is going to be another 1:48 NMF build of mine at some point?
Thanks for looking, I’ll be back in my next update with some build progress photos!!
All comments and criticisms welcomed.
Kev ModelMania attached the following image(s):
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 Rank: Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2011 Posts: 2,236 Points: 6,828 Location: East Sussex
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Hi Kev, Watching with interest, with your model skills with the tin foil this will be a wonderful entry for 2016. Regards Trev. Work in progress: Tombstone (Scratch) - San Francisco 2. -The Mayflower ( scratch by plan).
OcCre- Santa-Maria (Kit).
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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I have to echo Trev's comments, your use of the foil on the Mustang was remarkably effect, coupled with all that etch and resin this is sure to be an exciting build 2016's build of the year is really turning out to be quite exciting with all the different builds being put forward
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Thanks for your nice comments Dave, they are very much appreciated and I'm glad that you like my work.
Kev
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Hello all,
Found myself with a few spare hours this afternoon, so decided to get cracking and make a start on this build. Nothing much to report other than removing all of the casting blocks from the resin parts in my Aires replacement cockpit set and then sanding and tidying up the areas where the cuts were made? Once tidied the parts were washed in a mild solution of water/washing up liquid to remove any release agents and then left to dry.
The three photos below show Aires replacement cockpit set as it comes, then with the kit contents before the casting blocks were removed and lastly after surgery and clean up.
That’s it for now, the product of a short afternoon's work, but tomorrow I will have a few more hours spare time, in which I’ll start adding some of the etch to the cockpit, gluing some of the resin parts together and priming the assemblies ready for some paint. I may even (or not) get time to start adding some colour to the cockpit!!
Thanks for looking. All comments and criticisms welcomed.
Kev ModelMania attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
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Looking good Kev, no excuse now then, get cracking  Steve
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Thanks for your comment Steve, itching to get cracking on this as I'm super keen on the P-38 Lightning and gonna love this build, just wish I wasn't so busy all the time with other things - hence the shorter updates!! 
Kev
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Rank: Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2011 Posts: 2,236 Points: 6,828 Location: East Sussex
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Hi Kev, That detail on those parts there going to look outstanding Kev. Regards Trev. Work in progress: Tombstone (Scratch) - San Francisco 2. -The Mayflower ( scratch by plan).
OcCre- Santa-Maria (Kit).
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