P-38G Antenna Question

[Northwest48]

In the photo below, what is the dark rod or tube just under the top of the rear canopy? I have never seen it in any kit, but should it be in there? One thought is that it might house a spring tensioner for the antenna wire. If that's the case, then I guess it should not be there for a plane equiped with a stub antenna under the chin, but should be there if it had a V-wire antenna.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/p38guy/Page4166.jpg

 

[Rogi]

http://www.milavnarc.com/artwork/wo...air, 37th FS, 14th FG, North Africa, 1943.jpg

its in the profiles for the P-38G pic there, so I guess it should be there :S

I have no idea what it is either, but I'd love to know I think its the thing that holds the wire together. Whatever they are called :S

I might have missed what you were talking about, so please clarify if I did its been known to happen

 

[Northwest48]

When I get the P-38 E&M manual I should be able to figure it out. My guess at the moment is that it enclosed a spring to keep the antenna wire taut.

 

[Airframes]

If it's the parts I think you mean, then they are tensioners, one internal, the other external. They keep the antenna wires taught, but allow some freedom of movement to avoid undue stress on the anchor points on the airframe. (the fins, and through the canopy frame.) Without these, when travelling at 300 + mph, the movement of the wires, and the effects of 'g', for example in a turn, could cause serious distortion and, at worst, pull free from their anchor points, which could lead to catastrophic damage to the aircraft.

 

[Northwest48]

Interesting that most (if not all) 1/48 kits omit that detail.

 

[Airframes]

Not surprised really - it's a very small detail part, and there are many other more prominent small details omitted, on many kits, not just the P-38, mainly due to the cost of tooling. For instance, the actual antenna wires are more prominent than the antenna tensioners or anchor points, but these are never included, and rarely, if ever, shown in instruction sheets.
However, it's the type of thing which can be scratch-built fairly easily, some modellers actually winding their own springs.