**** DONE: GB-56 1/48 P-38J-25 - Thunderbolts and Lightnings

[Donivanp]

Thanks guys. No work done since last time as it's been a bit busy around here. More visitors tomorrow too.



Dave, the reason I questioned the filters was because the J kit includes them on the sprues but says nothing about them in the instructions. I think one area Tamiya could improve is to provide a sprue map with parts that are not to be used shown shaded out, as Eduard does.

Many kit manufacturers do this nowadays, ZM, Hasegawa, Academy and it really is a nice feature. Tamiya would do well to add this feature and updating their mask, yeah, UPDATE THE MASK!

 

[Crimea_River]

I don't mind the masks. It's only relatively recently that they started adding them anyway. Now if they did away with those decal seatbelts, I wouldn't complain.

 

[Totalize]

Thanks guys. No work done since last time as it's been a bit busy around here. More visitors tomorrow too.



Dave, the reason I questioned the filters was because the J kit includes them on the sprues but says nothing about them in the instructions. I think one area Tamiya could improve is to provide a sprue map with parts that are not to be used shown shaded out, as Eduard does.

Yes, this would be helpful.

 

[Totalize]

Note. Tamiya did not include a Radio mast for the P-38F/G which is odd because that was a standard feature I believe. There's no instructions, no part (At least from what I can see) and no place to fit one under the nose. The P-38J doesn't have it either. A big miss for Tamiya here. Period photos of my build for the Sad Sack show the aircraft had the radio mast on the nose. So, I will have to make one out of plastic card. Andy you probably will want to consider this too.

 

[Donivanp]

Note. Tamiya did not include a Radio mast for the P-38F/G which is odd because that was a standard feature I believe. There's no instructions, no part (At least from what I can see) and no place to fit one under the nose. The P-38J doesn't have it either. A big miss for Tamiya here. Period photos of my build for the Sad Sack show the aircraft had the radio mast on the nose. So, I will have to make one out of plastic card. Andy you probably will want to consider this too.

View attachment 700384

Great catch Dave, I knew something was missing when I built mine. Every P-38 I've ever seen!!!!

 

[Crimea_River]

Note. Tamiya did not include a Radio mast for the P-38F/G which is odd because that was a standard feature I believe. There's no instructions, no part (At least from what I can see) and no place to fit one under the nose. The P-38J doesn't have it either. A big miss for Tamiya here. Period photos of my build for the Sad Sack show the aircraft had the radio mast on the nose. So, I will have to make one out of plastic card. Andy you probably will want to consider this too.

The mast is included in the J kit guys and its odd that it isn't in the earlier one because what they ask you to do with the J kit is install it in the provided slot and then cut it off. See part way down my earlier post here: GB-56 1/48 P-38J - Thunderbolts and Lightnings

 

[Totalize]

The mast is included in the J kit guys and its odd that it isn't in the earlier one because what they ask you to do with the J kit is install it in the provided slot and then cut it off. See part way down my earlier post here: GB-56 1/48 P-38J - Thunderbolts and Lightnings

I stand corrected. Yes Andy included in the j kit at Step 11. But not in the F/G kit as I said. I wonder if some P-38's had different radio sets where some required the mast? maybe late F's and G's?? I have a few photos of early P-38's without the mast but most have them.

 

[Crimea_River]

No expert Dave Totalize but as I understand it, maybe wrongly, it depended on the radio carried rather than model of P-38. The mast was for the SCR 522 VHF set. VHF radios operated over a shorter range and so were suitable for ops where comms with ground control is more-or-less in line of sight. I think Pacific units tended to use HF sets and so Tamiya says to cut off the mast since all of the subjects in the J kit are PTO birds.

Anyway, I painted the wheels today. One thing I wish Tamiya wouldn't do is to key the wheels so they only fit in one position. I get it if there is a feature on the hub, such as a brake line fitting, that has to be in a certain orientation but if not, why not allow the wheel to be fitted in any orientation so guys like me who like to flatten their tires can mount them so that the flat parts actually sit properly? Better yet, provide flattened tires as a kit option!

Note that the nose wheel is not keyed. There is nothing on the main wheels that warrants a key either and yet there it is.,,,,

 

[Totalize]

The resin wheels from Eduard that I used are flattened at the base and keyed and when mounted align perfectly.

 

[Crimea_River]

Yes, lot of nice aftermarket stuff out there but a file will do me fine in this case.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, the mast was dependant on the radio fit, and used for VHF radios.
I built a P-38J (Academy) around 15 years ago, from the 20th FG in England, and installed a mast. I then looked closely at the very few reference photos I had, and realised that at the time, the aircraft were equipped with the HF radios, with wires from each fin tip to the rear canopy glazing.
By the time the VHF sets were ready, the 20th FG had re-equipped with P-51's.

 

[Crimea_River]

Well, I only now just discovered that Tamiya have not included the SCR 522 set that I would need for my subject bird. Only the SCR 274 is included, which is a disappointment given the price of this otherwise excellent kit. Why include the mast but not the correct radio? Heck even Academy included both radios in the early P-38E kit. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, moving on, I've now finished fixing up seams on the booms and so glued all the major assemblies together - no dramas at all though a few minor gaps needed two passes of TET to fill them.

A close-up of the seams near one of the rads. Not great but passable.

After assembling the gear the other day I noticed that Tamiya provides chrome-finished decals for the exposed oleos so I thought I'd give these a go. I should have left my Molotow Chrome Pen finish on instead as these decals proved to be extremely stiff and only bent around the oleo with copious amounts of Solvaset. Any other decal would have dissolved into thin air but not these. After screwing around I left them to sit and the result is pretty sh!tty with creases everywhere.

Despite this, I went and installed the gear and the remaining coolant pipes. I like how this all comes together and the well details are impressive for sure.

Lastly, the multi-part gear doors have been assembled and set aside with the other fiddly bits.

That's all for today and for another couple of days. Happy New Year everybody!

 

[fubar57]

Very busy wells

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nicely done Andy and a Happy New Year to you and the family.

 

[le_steph40]

Excellent work Andy
And an Happy New Years for You and Yours

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks everyone and Happy New Year to you too.

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far Andy!

 

[Totalize]

Andy, Maybe you can scratch the radio set? Its mainly just two blocks, the radio and battery.

 

[Wurger]