1/18 Scale P-38 Lightning

[wpierson]

Hi Jay,

 

Maybe I'm not using the search feature correctly, but I can't seem to find the Miss Velma thread. Any hints on how to find it?

[JayW]

Bill - I never had a forum thread on Miss Velma.  I did however submit a 4-part article to LSP and each was published.  I honestly do not know how to easily get to an article on LSP.  Perhaps someone can educate me.  But if you google 1/18 Miss Velma most if not all the articles will come right up.  Thanks for your interest!

[LSP_Kevin]

Here are the articles Jay is referring to:

• Miss Velma Part 1
• Miss Velma Part 2
• Miss Velma Part 3
• Miss Velma Part 4

Please note that the first 3 articles are interlinked, but the 4th one has been left out for some reason. I'll fix that when I get home from work.

 

Jay, you can view all your articles on LSP using the following link:

 

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/?act=filter&field=author&data=Jay+Wheaton

 

Kev

[JayW]

Thaks for that Kevin!  You started back up my recurring nightmares.

 

So the model-making engine is sputtering back to life, after some unwanted interruptions and frankly lack of motivation.   I have a somewhat modest plan for the OB wings and it goes like this:

 

Fabricate brand new ailerons

Cut new cutouts for ailerons in existing wings (current ones inaccurate)

Re-inforce new cutouts 

Fab and install new fuel filler caps

Fab and install new pitot mast (LH side only)

Fab and install new J-style (not L-style) landing light (LH side only)

Fab and install new tip lights from clear acrylic similar to vertical tail

 

What I am not going to do is redo the panel lines or remove the molded in fuel boost pumps and dive flaps - to do so would just about destroy the wings.  I will however do my best to sharpen up the very dull and rounded trailing edges.

 

Then - painting including the stenciling for the insignia, and home-made decals.

 

Some work has begun on the wings:

 

 

The white is a filler for where the rocket "Christmas trees" were mounted.  You also see the holes where the two halves are screwed together.

 

Here is a close-up of the dive flaps (outside and inside):

 

 

 

You can see that you don't just grind off the surface without breaking out.  Lucky Lady will have some anachronistic dive flaps and boost pumps.

 

The ailerons, oddly, come hinged but look awful of course:

 

 

So I have computer modelled up some new ones (hope these pics come out):
 

 

 

 

 

Note it has a center plate similar to what I did for the tail control surfaces.  Also, the ailerons will not be hinged.  Why?  In actuality the ailerons have oversized "piano hinges" on the upper surface of the wing, unlike the rudders and elevator which have hinge lines in the middle of the airfoil section.  I cannot effecctively model that, with the thickness of the gages, and I cannot make lugs  that small.  So they will be fixed. 

 

Well, it's a start.  Last big project and then she's done!!

[Ironwing]

JW,

 

Everything is as impressive as ever. Not much more I can say other than " keepem coming"

 

Geoff

[JayW]

Some progress - had hoped to be done by now.  But the outer wings are turning out to be a little more work than I anticipated.  They are after all quite large.  Also the LH wing has a couple of things on it that the RH wing doesn't have - pitot mast, and landing light.  That, plus the new fuel filler caps took some time.  Here is a shot of the wing in the process of painting the insignia: 

 

 

 

 Big shout-out to Randy Taillon who provided the stencils for free (nearly a year ago).  They are easy to use, and as a bonus are translucent which makes them easier to place properly.

 

The finished insignia (you can also see the new fuel filler cap):

 

 

 

Here is the pitot mast:

 

 

The toy didn't even have one at all.  I made this one out of two pieces of .03 plastic sheet slapped together and whittled to shape and filed to take on the aerofoil section.  The little base housing was very hard and very frustrating.  But it's done.

 

As I mentioned for the vertical tail, I made navigation lights out of acylic.  Here is one on the wing tip (red); the RH wing's lights will be blue/green:

 

 

Also in evidence are the limits of what I did (or didn't do) - some of the old panel lines remain.  My achilles heel is panel lines - my restorations are almost always worse than what was there in the first place.

 

Now for the aileron:

 

 

 

The old one is shown along side.  It is entirely too small (its chord is too small).  So I had to enlarge the wing cutouts for the new aileron - that was not a problem.  The ailerons are made like the tail feathers with a center plate and .020 skins over a framework of sorts.  They turned out OK.  But maddeningly I left off the fixed tab on the inboard portion of the aileron.  I just mindlessly cut it off as I cut out the center plate pattern.  Oh well.....you can tell I am tired.  Otherwise I would have thrown them away and started over.

 

The finished LH wing (except decals):

 

 

Note the landing light.  The housing was turned on the lathe.  Cool.  More:

 

 

 

It should be pretty obvious that I have but one more post for this mega-build.  Once I get the RH wing built, I will get it assembled and you all will see the finished product at long last.  Soon I hope!

[Ironwing]

I smell....completion in the wind..

 

G

[JayW]

 

"I smell....completion in the wind.."

 

You are right Ironwing, you are right. But first -

 

I had another aileron to fab and assemble:

 

 

It was just like the other one only opposite hand. Turned out just fine.

 

In parallel with the aileron effort as the heavy duty stuff on the RH wing - new aileron cutout, big hole for the fuel filler cap, nav lights (green), paint, decals, etc:

 

 

And then it was done. Prior to final assembly, here is the whole shebang just waiting:

 

 

Well, the props are on the other table....

 

And then, after two and a half years,I present to you Lucky Lady:

 

 

 

 

 

I apologize for not yet having a suitable surrounding for this beast. But it has been finished only a few hours. And I wanted to get the news out to you all. When I document it for LSP, I will give it something more worthy.

 

And BTW - my next project. But think I will take a little time off. This build was really taxing and really long. Next post will be some closeups.

[Guest]

Man that looks sweet !!......Harv

[JayW]

Well shoot - I didn't give you a pic of the next project:

 

 

But this day is for the P-38.  Here are some more pictures:

 

 

 

 

Here are the tail feathers, which you have seen, but not on the completed airplane:

 

 

 

And the business end one more time:

 

 

Remember the cockpit and canopy?

 

 

 

 

Not sure how many pictures I can put up in one post.  I'll finish up with one more.....

[JayW]

OK a few more.  I worked hard to try to give this thing good landing gear.  They are to my satisfaction (not everything is, but the LG are):

 

 

 

 

OMG!! the shimmy dampers.  That will wake me up tonight in cold sweats.

 

My favorite (sorry it's a repeat):

 

 

Time to thank all the patient LSP modelers who patiently watched this huge build unfold.  Also thanks to P-38 Johnny for his expert advise and getting me alot of great reference material.  Thanks again to Randy for the great stencils.  It's an honor to be among such talented folks.

 

Later y'all!

[Troy Molitor]

Wow. Simply wow wow. What and awesome journey Jay. I simply love this journey. Thanks a million for sharing this with us.

 

Troy.

[LSP_Kevin]

Looks fantastic, Jay! Congrats on bringing such a terrific build to such a fine conclusion.

 

Not sure how many pictures I can put up in one post.

 

Ten, to be exact.

 

Kev

[brahman104]

Jay,

 

Firstly my congratulations on persevering and completing this epic build, and secondly, what a result!

 

This has truely been a labour of love and you should be rightly proud of your efforts. I hope you have somewhere fitting to display it

 

I certainly hope my B-17 will end up even a fraction as good as this did.

 

I'm looking forward to following your P-47 build too, when that happens........

 

Enjoy the feeling of success mate,

 

Craig

[dodgem37]

This is a fairly fantastic build.  Great work.  Great show.  Many thanks for the ride.

 

Sincerely,

Mark