Lockheed Model 22 USAAF P-38 Lightning

[Balsabasher]

Tackled the infill fairings between the booms today,usual method make a piece of cardboard fit between the slots,then shadow draw the shape of the upper wing aerofoil onto it,it does not matter at this stage how deep it is because after cutting out the rib shape that comes next,just sit the template inside the slot resting onto the wing,then with a pointed pencil mark the upper portion where the template goes,cut this out and make up your blocks,first side view then plan view then get whittling !
One was a bit short so I just made up a slither of wood and wedged it into place,this is where those offcuts of different shapes come in handy,is anyone else like me and hates throwing them away ? you could make a great collage with them all of those fancy external shapes.
So allow that little lot to cure out and then a big sand up operation will take place,the Lightning will be used to scrounge some wood offcuts tomorrow down the local joinery shop,I want the pleasant shop floor manager to see what his offcuts get used for,who knows what I will come back with for more solids ?
Did not do as much model building today as I made a custom headboard for my new bed,cheaper and better than buying one.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

Studying the Supercharger for the Lightning it quicky became apparent that there are several variations,here is a sketch that I made that explains the shapes that have been found so far,they vary from long pipes to short pipes,to one long and one short ! now to decide which one to reproduce,the American Navy plan for the ID model shows a greatly simplified version that resembles neither,will just have to make a choice.
Barry.

You will find a larger sketch in the archives and currently showing on the new images section.

[lastvautour]

I noticed that also. At 1/72 mine will be generic to the P-38F.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Well the superchargers are built and fitted,this is how I interpreted them and they are built for simplicity,everything got a good sanding and a blast of grey primer to sink into the grain,next job is a good sand and detection of blemishes.
By the way that joinery shop is no more,called around today to scrounge offcuts and the place looks derelict,I could see huge planks of lovely wood poking out above the window skylights,another signs of the hard times that we live in,I know of another place that builds wooden window frames and will pay them a visit soon.
Latest update pictures.
Barry.

Message to Lou,whats next ? anything that you fancy as a cookup to build together,this one has been fun and the painting will take weeks to complete.

[Ken Pugh]

As this group build has progressed I picked up a book on the P-38 at the library.  It says there were three turbosuperchargers used on the P-38 through it's lifetime.

B-2 was used up through the F model and some of the similarly powered G models.

B-13 was used on the G and H models.

B-33 was used on the J model and up.

The best I can make out from the sketch, they follow, top to bottom, the above designations.

It was interesting to find comparisons of the P-38 engine with the Packard Merlin two stage supercharger engine.  The P-38 turbosupercharger was about 30% more fuel efficient than the one used on the Merlin.  This appears due to the turbo supplying so much of the power needed for the supercharger's operation.  Use of the Merlin was discussed and Lockheed found that it would consume way too much fuel to allow long range operation of the fighter.  The supercharger also had heat problems that did not really affect it's operation in Europe because of the colder climate, but were an issue in the Pacific.

These kinds of things can make modeling very interesting.  One has to pick a paint scheme, find out what model fits the scheme, then find pics to support the model's construction.  This was a big issue for me with the F-102 model.

Hope this helps.

Ken Pugh

[Balsabasher]

That explains things Ken ! every time I looked at a different P-38 picture the supercharger changed,this goes to show that building models brings our attention to these quirky modifications made during the aircrafts career and especially in service.
If you study the pipes in detail they are a peculier shape best described as a smokers pipe in reverse,I am going to make another set eventually that are more detailed,mine at the moment are generic as Lous creation,carving that tiny requires that the part is left onto the stem and then finally cut off hoping that it does not vanish into the sawdust,yes we have all been there ?
Good observations and research on your part Ken.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Your P-38 is continuing to amaze me. Nice work. I need to sand some putty and go back to the paint shop before new photos.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Now the real work starts,after the initial coat of primer was rubbed down it revealed a few blemishes and nicks,so I set to down and reworked a few places,amazing how things shrink after a few days.
I do not normally display my models on stands but the captivating shape of the P-38 seemed to say 'pose me in flight attitude' so who am I to argue with a lady ? and set about making a simple stand from scrap kitchen furniture,inserted in the fuselage base is a flanged brass ferrule,I have had these kicking around since my aircraft maintenance days and knew that they would come in handy one day ? the insert means that the model will swivel without wearing out the hole and making it larger,and most importantly vents the wood to avoid moisture build up,ever seen those cracked recognition models ? well there is the reason,no wood venting as the moisture has nowhere to escape,a small hoe out of the way is all that is needed,all museum models have the tiny hole as the controlled conditions make things worse for the wood.
So it is overnight to harden out and yet more sanding before successive layers of primer,and then the exciting paint scheme,watch this space for a very colourful hand painted model soon.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Primer has dried enough for photos. Next, some minor sanding and selecting a paint scheme.


Lou

[Balsabasher]

I like the little man to give scale Lou,what a little beauty you have created,it will be interesting to see which scheme you come up with,I need to get the right paint together for mine.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Thank you Barry.
I have since added armament and will post picture tomorrow.

Lou

[lastvautour]

The P-38 was completed this morning. I used Krylon and Tamiya paint and home made decals. A fun project when you have another working with you, so Barry my thanks for the pleasure of your company. I await your completed Lightning.


http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pid=5508

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Yes Lou I agree this has been a learning curve and fun at that,your Lightning really looks the part in that finish and another for your expanding collection.
My scheme will be a complete contrast to your own selection,the ID plus idea really works well as you can add as much detail or leave out whatever,I even thought of making a plug in undercarriage some time ? no hurry as plenty of things to work on and there are a few 'greys' awaiting paint,yesterdays distraction was putting up and renovating a shed to be used for wood storage,a good friend donated it as he is building a custom workshop modelling area in his garden,the shed will mean that my expanding lumber selection is stored out of the way cluttering up my workshop etc.
So whats next Lou ? did I hear you mention a P-39,now that would be a good subject once again with plenty of scope for markings.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

Lou,
Your continued production of the ID+ models at your rate of knots amazes me.  Undoubtedly you have more time to work on them than myself but when I think of the work that goes into them, I am impressed.  Any chance of a short demo on your decal making procedure?  That's the next hurdle for me to clear as I want to mark my P-80A with replicas of the original Strombecker decals.    Do you do your own artwork with some software?

Cheers,
Mark

[lastvautour]

Will do Mark. I need to get my mind around what I want to say. Next week for sure.

Lou