1/48 P-38L-5 Allied Manufactured Aircraft

[chris brown]

Username: Chris Brown
First name:Chris
Category: Advanced
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Eduard
Model Type: P-38L-5
Aftermarket add-ons: Maybe an additional Eduard P-38 update set for some of the wheel wells.

For this GB I will be modeling one of the Lightnings that Bob Dehaven flew in the Pacific Theater.

 

[chris brown]

For this GB I'll be building Eduard's P-38. The basic plastic comes from Academy and Eduard adds lots of resin and PE to update the kit along with some nice decals and masks. The decals include one of Bob Dehaven's P-38s and since I'm also working on a P-40N that he flew I figured I would go with that one.
Bob Dehaven flew with the Screamin' Demons of the 7th FS, 49th FG and racked up 14 kills during the war. He started out flying P-40's and actually preferred those to the P-38. In his own words, After training I requested duty in the Pacific and I requested being posted to a P-40 squadron and both wishes were granted. This was early in 1943 and most pilots already desired more advanced types and some thought my decision a mistake. Yet I had been inspired by the deeds of the Flying Tigers. We had also heard accounts that the P-38 was difficult to bail out of because of its twin-boom tail and that it was difficult when flying with one engine. I also knew that P-38s were still rare in the theater and I wanted to get into the war as soon as possible. That wish, too, was granted. I never regretted the choice.

If you flew wisely, the P-40 was a very capable aircraft. In many conditions, it could outturn a P-38, a fact that some pilots didn't realize when they made the transition between the two aircraft. The P-40 kept me alive and allowed me to accomplish my mission. The real problem with it was lack of range. As we pushed the Japanese back, P-40 pilots were slowly left out of the war. So when I moved to P-38s, an excellent aircraft, I did so not because I believed that the P-40 was an inferior fighter, but because I knew the P-38 would allow us to reach the enemy. I was a fighter pilot and that was what I was supposed to do.
This is the only pic I have been able to find of this particular P-38 so if anybody has anymore, feel free to post them.

 

[Micdrow]

Here is one but with the nose art.

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking forward to seeing this one go together Chris.

 

[Airframes]

Good one Chris - and Jan will like this I think !

 

[chris brown]

Good one Chris - and Jan will like this I think !

Bob definitely believed in Lucky 13. All of his planes had that number on them. Here is a pic of his P-40.

 

[chris brown]

Thanks for those pics Micdrow, but I think these are of a later P-38 that he flew. According to the Eduard instructions, the plane I'm building was lost on a Japanese bombing raid later on. I really like the nose art in those pics and wish Eduard included that one instead.

 

[fubar57]

Nice choice Chris. I'll check my books when I get home Tuesday night.

Geo

 

[Micdrow]

Thanks for those pics Micdrow, but I think these are of a later P-38 that he flew. According to the Eduard instructions, the plane I'm building was lost on a Japanese bombing raid later on. I really like the nose art in those pics and wish Eduard included that one instead.

No problem and to bad Chris, I just found this picture on the web. Note the screaming demon on the right engine. Second picture a little more clearer.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good choice Chris.

 

[Catch22]

Cool!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Micdrow]

Chris,

Sorry forgot to look into this book till today. Its call Protect Avenge, The 49th Fighter group in WWII by S.W. Ferguson William K. Pascalis. It has the same picture you have at the top along with this profile and a close up picture of the tail.

Hope they help.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good assist there Paul!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Chris, if it's not too much trouble, it would be nice to see the contents of this kit before you snip the trees. I'm curious how it compares to my early Academy offering.

 

[Totalize]

Chris. Looking forward to this builld very much. I am with Andy on this one would like to see the sprues to see how it compares to the Academy kit which I have as well.

Dave.

 

[chris brown]

I've already cut the main fuselage and wing pieces off the sprues and taped them together for a dry run. I figured with all the resin and pe going into this thing, it would be wise to see what I'm working with so there hopefully won't be too many surprises. Nothing has been glued yet and all the small pieces are still on the sprues so I will be happy to take pics of whats there. I will definitely take pics of all the resin pieces next to the academy parts as well for comparison. Overall the fit looks pretty good.

I will add more pics later, I took these when I was doing the dry run.

 

[Totalize]

No worries Chris,

Andy,

See review of this kit along with sprue shots and resin add-ons here:

Eduard Kit No.1175 â€" Pacific Lightnings Limited Edition Review by Brad Fallen



....I hate winter.

 

[Airframes]

I built the Academy J/L version some years back, and it was a very nice kit - not to be confused with the earlier 'Minicraft' kit also boxed under the Academy label.
I don't recall any fit problems, although the supercharger intakes did not have locating pins, just a very lightly engraved marks on the boom indicating where they go.
Looking forward to seeing this one go together with all the Eduard extras.