GB #17 Jet age / Recon / Transport Question

[Lucky13]

Much obliged old boy! Just need to figure out if Peterson's F-4-1-LO Lightning, is based on the E or F variant, looking to find its serial number 41-2098 now...take it if had been a F-4A, which is based on the F, it would have said so...

P-38E: The first combat-ready variant, revised armament...
F-4: Reconnaissance aircraft based on P-38E...
P-38F: First-fully combat-capable P-38 fighter...
F-4A: Reconnaissance aircraft based on P-38F...

Wonder if they changed the cameras around in the nose between the variants, F-4, F-4A, F-5A and the F-5C, or if they kept them the same..

F-5A: Reconnaissance aircraft based on P-38G...
P-38H: Automatic cooling system; Improved P-38G fighter...
F-5C: Based on P-38H

Edit: Found this,

41-2098/2099, Lockheed F-4-1-LO Lightning, c/n 222-5316/5317. Originally ordered as P-38E, but completed as F-4-1-LO 2098 (8th PRS) crashed in NE New Guinea Sep 14, 1942. Pilot KIA. Condemned Oct 31, 1944. SOC Jan 9, 1945. 2099 salvaged Feb 12, 1942. SOC Jan 17, 1946

 

[Lucky13]

KingKit is supplying this....

 

[Airframes]

Jolly good old chap! See my reply in the other post re pic/drawing of the nose, and I'll see if my spare parts will help.

 

[Lucky13]

Found these pics old boy....

 

[Airframes]

Ah! In that case old chap, I think you might be in luck. One does believe that one may have one, if one knows what one means?!
Put plainly, I think I have the right nose (for the model, you Muppet) in the spares box. If not exactly the same, then it'll be darned close, and easily altered. I'll have a look and get it sorted when the 'Silly Season' is over.

 

[Lucky13]

One does old boy! Much obliged! As I understand, them there F-4's used the same olive drab camouflage as the fighters, right?

 

[meatloaf109]

Photo-recon blue, I think.

 

[Lucky13]

Wasn't that later on with the F-5A and B models, the J and/or L model recon birds?

 

[meatloaf109]

I dunno,...Those picts you posted sure look like one over-all colour to me!

 

[Lucky13]

Probably best to go with when Andrew W. Peterson went MIA, in September 1942...what was used according to the USAAF at the time..

 

[Airframes]

Certainly some recce Lightnings based in the UK used PRU blue, whilst others were NMF, don't know about other theatres though.
Anyway, here are the parts I have, for one of the F-5 series. I think I have another one too, but haven't located it yet. If I haven't, this one could easily be adapted, and I also have the transparencies for it.

 

[Lucky13]

True old boy, them there is for the later -5 models, J and/or L based birds....

 

[Airframes]

Will still fit though. Just remove the side bulges, cut new windows the other way up, and use the transparent parts upside down - sorted!

 

[rochie]

got a load of Recce noses with my lightning old boy, will have a look and see what i have for you !

sorry old fruit just the same bits as Dogsbody, but you can have them all the same as spares if you deciede to modify the parts

 

[Airframes]

Yep, checked my other spares, and they're the transparent 'droop' snoot' and the 'Pathfinder' bulbous nose. Let me know if you want the recce nose - it really is an easy job to convert, or do some further checking, as your bird might have use this later nose. I've seen this one and the earlier 'smooth' nose on F-5s, so possibly similar on F-4?

 

[Lucky13]

Aye, why not chaps! Should have the general shape right them there downward 'shooting' cameras, the rest can as you say, be fixed...fill and sand and cut and sand and...

Much obliged!

If I remember correctly, wasn't it the later Haze Blue(?) that they had such problems with?

 

[Airframes]

Could have been, come to think of it. I've got some colour pics in Roger Freeman's 8th AF in Colour, so I'll have a look. I'll post the parts after the silly season old chap.

 

[Lucky13]

No rush old chap! Thanks awfully and all that rot!

 

[destrozas]

as in the end I'll have to do if the Siebel si-204 and Sm-84, because they had asked me to make them not think I ever came ......,

 

[Lucky13]

Minicraft has now confused me with their 1/48 F-4/F-5 Lightning Photo Recon.... Looking at the box art and them coolers, it can't be a F-4/-4A or a -5A recon bird in the box, as the we all know that the -38E, -38F and -38G are different from -38H, -38J and the -38L, right?
So one can't help but wonder, how Minicraft can make any of the earlier recon birds on a later airframe, or have I completely missed something?

F-4, 100+ based on P-38E.
F-4A, 20 based on P-38F.
F-5A, 180 based on P-38G.
F-5C, 123 based on P-38H.
F-5B, 200 based on P-38J.
F-5E, 605 P-38J/L conversion.
F-5F, - based on P-38L