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Virginia Marie using Trumpeter P-38 Lightning


dmthamade

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Finally found some time to get working on the kit. A few things that have to be changed. The kit is a "L" version of the Lightning, the Virginia Marie is a "H" version.

This means the dive brakes, leading edge light and booster pump covers have to be deleted. A new light will have to be added under the left wing. The surface detail is soft, rivets and panel lines are very soft withe the surface itself having and uneven texture. Really dislike the rivets, pics show different degrees of standing out. I've seen the 1/48 scale Hasegawa Lightning kit with light rivet detail and sharp panel lines. I like the 1/32 Hasegawa kits with their surface detail, too, so what i'm planning on doing is filling the rivets using the Hasegawa kit as reference and hoping for a more subtle surface. I've done this with one boom so far, looks ok but will need final finishing.

 

Original surface

LqWB88.jpg

1kjlvF.jpg

 

Reworked surface

wuO19B.jpg

Lx4dPu.jpg

 

LOTS of rivets on the wings, going to be doing this for a while......lotsa fun...

 

Don

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Thanks for the support, guys. I think the filling of the rivets for all needed parts will take me about three weeks, but it'll be worth it. I should take breaks from dot filling and do other subassemblies, winter's here so plenty of time. I see some areas where the lines aren't straight, i did these freehand. i better start using a straight edge more often.

 

Don

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It is most definitely worth filling the rivet holes, it is very, very much better

 

How often do you look at a full-size 'plane and go 'wow, look at those rivets?'

 

I'm amazed how quickly you created a realistic appearance.

 

Richard

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... Not a lot of P-38s built here, hope it turns out. The last Lightning kit i built was the Aurora kit.....almost 50 yrs ago. 

 

Don

 

Not many 1/32 twin-engined WW II aircraft built here at all, Don.

 

When I built the Aurora kit, it was over 50 years ago.

 

I liked Monogram's solution to the kit's tendency to "tail-drag", with a clear post instead of weighting down weak plastic landing gear.

 

Since I have both an HC/Trumpeter kit as well as a 1/32 Revell kit. The key thing is to ignore critical comments by some that might worry you out of finishing building it.

Edited by Gigant
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Thanks for the support, guys. I'm using Mr. Dissolved Putty, stuff is the cats patootie!! Usually takes two layers, apply/sand/inspect/apply/sand. I airbrush a light coat of paint down to check for missed areas, i use Tamiya XF-19 as a guide. I'm pretty thick skinned, so not much fazes me, definitely not a rivet counter and i'm OK with that.

 

Don

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Wow, this looks grand so far!   Im actually eventually going to foil my P-38 in the same scheme. VM is a cool looking scheme for sure

 

 

Actually, I'd recommend the kit parts over the SAC gear. I'm using them on mine.

 

 

+1 here on that. TBH, Having dealt with the Trumpy gear for a customers rebuild of their P-38, I can concur that the OOB plastic gear will most definitely be stronger than the SAC junk.

 

 

Model on!  

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Sounds like the kit gear is the way to go. I did have a good look at the SAC stuff and yes, the stuff is sketchy. I've managed to finish filling and sanding the rivets on the booms, a lot of work done and i haven't glued anything together yet.

0oh6S1.jpg

 

Moving on, i'm looking at the top wing surface.

Gz77kF.jpg

 

Man, that's a LOT of rivets.........

 

 

 

Going to move on and do some subassemblies, i plan on doing the booms first, adding the engines/gear wells/etc, then do more rivet filling, 'cuzz rivet filling is BORING!!! and suks the life out of the build.

 

Don

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