richdlc Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 there are many warbird restoration companies that have worked on P-38s and provide numerous photos - just google warbird restoration or P-38 restoration. Example: http://www.westpacrestorations.com/index.php?page=p-38-f-lightning-white-33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 thanks rich - yes I have seen that site before, but I do not recall it having so many pictures. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 JW WE patiently await an update...getter done Dude. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 somebody....help...me!!!!! Wheel....well.....has....me....by the....short....ones!!!! Can't....stop!!! Seriously, Geoff - I am going to augment main gear wheel wells and some of it has to happen before I get the gear and the gear supports installed in there. The wheel well must have toy stuff torn out of it, much of the forward bulkhead and less of the aft bulkhead dremmeled away and replaced with more accurate renderings. Slots for the old landing gear must be covered up, a new turbocharger duct fabbed and installed, and some hydraulic tubing and wiring and a couple more pieces of equipment added. Also there is a circuitous radiator pipe that goes from forward bulkhead to rear bulkhead in a series of bends - this part may go in prior to teh MLG (have to think on that some more). This will not be the effort the P-51 landing gear bays were. That effort took many months. This one is a few days or so per side, if I can get to it. BTW - I have NEVER seen anyone model a P-38 wheel well in any scale (if someone can point me to one, please do). I intend to change that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRutman Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I sort of worked on the wheel well idea when I built my upgrade set for the revell 1/32 kit way way back when. There were of course limitations on the detail as they had to be made into molds,etc. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul Budzik Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I'm pretty sure some years ago, someone scratch built a 1/24th P-38 that showed up at an IPMS National... Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I had a go at it in 1/48th scale...wont do that again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 somebody....help...me!!!!! Wheel....well.....has....me....by the....short....ones!!!! Can't....stop!!! Seriously, Geoff - I am going to augment main gear wheel wells and some of it has to happen before I get the gear and the gear supports installed in there. The wheel well must have toy stuff torn out of it, much of the forward bulkhead and less of the aft bulkhead dremmeled away and replaced with more accurate renderings. Slots for the old landing gear must be covered up, a new turbocharger duct fabbed and installed, and some hydraulic tubing and wiring and a couple more pieces of equipment added. Also there is a circuitous radiator pipe that goes from forward bulkhead to rear bulkhead in a series of bends - this part may go in prior to teh MLG (have to think on that some more). This will not be the effort the P-51 landing gear bays were. That effort took many months. This one is a few days or so per side, if I can get to it. BTW - I have NEVER seen anyone model a P-38 wheel well in any scale (if someone can point me to one, please do). I intend to change that. JW I understand the position you're in. Prepping one of these big buggers before going forward is a real time budget killer. I know you'll do something cool with the wells. Its the gear work you've done that sets this big girl in a place all her own. Your work thus far is stellar and I'm sure the rest will be too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p38johnny Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Hi Jay, I can help you with anything you need on P-38 wheel wells. John Clements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted June 1, 2014 Author Share Posted June 1, 2014 John - really? Well, I have very few pictures of the forward MLG bay. At the moment I am trying to design the hydraulic line runs, and I can piece much of it together in the aft half of the bay based on pictures I have, but nothing on the forward half. There are mnay more questions, but that one might be a good first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted June 1, 2014 Author Share Posted June 1, 2014 While we are at it, are you aware of a bottle of sorts (hydraulic?) in the upper aft MLG wheel well? Not sure if it's in both wells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted June 1, 2014 Author Share Posted June 1, 2014 John - what do you know about the MLG brake line? I have modelled the line from teh brake drum up to the side strut. I want to know where the brake line (hose I think) goes after it departs the LG side strut. Somehow it must be able to handle the full rotation of the gear as it retracts and extends - is it done just by alot of free length, or is there something else to it? Does it continue along with the 5 or 6 other hydraulic lines that travel forward and aft along the inboard upper corner of the well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted June 1, 2014 Author Share Posted June 1, 2014 I have a little bit of progress to show. I have begun the lengthy process of modifying the main gear wheel well. I still am not sure just how much I am going to add in. I would love to show the cables and pulley wheels of the gear door operating mechanism, but I am afraid it would be an excercise in shear frustration, and even if successful never to be seen until the model is turned over. But you can say that about most of the stuff one could put in there. Anyway, here is an unmodifyed wheel well that is supplied by 21CT: Note it has long slots on its side walls. This was used to retract and extend the totally rinky-dink gear on the toy. Those slots are covered up now. Also, that skinny post you see was dremmeled away, as was a majority of the forward and aft bulkheads. Large holes were drilled in the top and one side, to accept the supercharger duct that comes in from the cool looking scoop on the side of the boom, makes a 90 degree turn, and goes up through the roof of the gear bay to the supercharger fan. But by far the most work I have done has been to build up the landing gear drag strut support. This is a latticework of tubes and fittings that trumpeter took a shot at with its 1/32 offering, but kind of failed. Here it is: It's made largely of Evergreen plastic rod and sheet, plus some aluminum tube stock. Note the pair of triangular shaped fittings and the drag strut already mounted, along with its turnbuckle for length adjustment. I will actually use this to make sure I have 8 deg of rake on the main strut. Note also the stubby tube mounted between the fittings pointing forward. That is meant to be the rod end and piston for the hydraulic actuator that retracts/extends the LG. The actuator penetrates the wheel well forward bulkhead through a hole in it, and actually resides in the engine conmpartment, hiding under the engine. You may be able to imagine how this drag strut unfolds as the actuator pushes on the triangle fittings, and retracts the gear. You will also see a hard copy of some excellent P-38 plans (ordinate drawings) I obtained for considerable expense from E-bay. But they are really good, have guided me with the landing gear to date, and will guide me on much more as this project moves forward. Here is a sneak peek of the MLG mounted in the wheel well: You can see the main beam fitting on the gear that spans teh wheel well. The outboard side hole for it is oversized so that when I have the wheel well installed in the boom, I can make some fine adjustments. You can also see where the drag strut turnbuckle is, and how I can adjust the rake angle. That's all for now. Next update will show alot of systems in there - hydraulic runs, the gear door mechanism (with or without teh cables) and some wiring too. sandokan and Rdrunner 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Awesome work so far! Love the P-38! Quite nice to have such tools and know how to use them, I wish I did. HÃ¥kan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 OK...now youre just showing off...and I love it. Dang Dude, that is just beautiful. I dont know what else to say. Is the tank in the well a pressure accumulator like in the Mustang well? Just a guess Gorgeous work Bud Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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