ChrisS Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 If it smells like a lightning, then...I guess... Getting the booms true was a *****, I should have come in here and asked for help as I ended up just using caveman modeler brutality to make it work. But then again, sometimes the end justifies the means. I've got a few very small areas to fill and shape and then I'll put the airframe down for a little bit and switch focus to the cockpit. Once I get the core cockpit assembled, detailed and painted then I can permanently attach the center fuselage to finalize the airframe. I'll probably bounce in between cockpit work and initial scribing for the next few weeks. My father built this model for me back in 1973 as Bong's "Marge" and every time I tackle this kit it brings back good memories. He worked in Burbank at the old Lockheed plant (where almost EVERY Lightning was made) working as an engineer on export versions of the P-3 Orion. The Lightning has always meant a little more to the two of us than other WWII fighters because of that. shbemo13, Menelaos, BiggTim and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRutman Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Lookin really really good. The main reason I made these backdates was because I like the early versions so much better! J alaninaustria and ChrisS 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Lookin really really good. The main reason I made these backdates was because I like the early versions so much better! J Boy, me too. So much more streamlined, like the XP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 Boy, me too. So much more streamlined, like the XP. +1 on the early Lightnings' looks over the J&L. I've been reading Martin Caidiin's "Fork Tailed Devil" as inspiration and got hooked on the story of the 475th FG so I've picked P-38H-5-LO "Blood and Guts" flown by Elliott Summer with a final score of 10 kills: http://www.475th.org/aces/elliot-summer I'm also going to try to replicate this effect on the panel lines caused by cloth tape, sealed with dope, for shipping on open air ship decks across the Pacific: I've never tried to replicate this effect so it should make the painting/weathering cycle fun and fresh. CANicoll, shbemo13, BiggTim and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzx Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II I enjoyed this book Chris. Lightning Strike is also interesting reading. The early Lightnings are so very shark-like. Looking forward to seeing this one finished Jon ChrisS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Boillot Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Lookin really really good. The main reason I made these backdates was because I like the early versions so much better! J Me too ! I know that the chin air scoops of the late versions were more efficient aerodynamically, but the arly versions looked really better, just as on the P-40. Hubert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Well I got to that point in the build where it all looked like a long road ahead and I had to have that feeling of finishing SOMETHING! Here is the radio deck basically done. These are the Verlinden cockpit "improgments" with some wiring, spare PE plackards, a few micro nuts, and a scratch built junction box. I also started on the panel...some painting and a few touch ups left here. And finally I bashed an early Lightning wheel from kit parts, brass rod, a spare piece of PE switch head and styrene rod. I'll clean this up a lot before finishing shbemo13, BiggTim, Vandy 1 VX 4 and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Terrific work, Chris! And now I want to build my Revell Lightning... Kev BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Nice! I've had this kit sitting in my stash since about 1986. I should build the damn thing too! BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Very nice work on the rear deck there Chris! I like your wiring. It will be interesting to see how the Revell kit builds up, compared to the Trumpeter. ChrisS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Thanks all! And you, Chuck, I just went through all 40 pages of your Trumpy L...wow...just wow. I love modeling, and I will never shy away from it, but guys like you and Budzik are just phenomenal, an inspiration I say! alaninaustria 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Looking good, Chris! Damn, I wish I had checked in earlier. I had forgotten about this build, and did not click the 'Follow' button, so haven't been here till I got your 'Like,' so I checked on what the heck I had posted. Then I saw your dilemma with the conversion parts. Too bad I didn't check in more, because I have a set of original conversion parts, cast by Jerry himself! I could have sent them to you! Oh, well, you did a good job anyway! ​ ChrisS and Vandy 1 VX 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 Thanks Ray! I am currently hacking the kit canopy apart (separating the elements) with no spare, so we'll see how desperate I become if that effort goes bad Might be looking for any Revell donor canopies that folks didn't use, or are broken etc. We shall see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Very well done Chis! After seeing yours andChucks builds, l feel llike putting mine in the closet and shutting the door!....Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 OK, let me know if you run up against some further parts that don't fit. The only Revell P-38 kit I have left is the droop snout pathfinder version, so I won't be using any early version parts. I ended up getting the CE early conversion for the Trumpy kit as I saw it would be a problem making the Revell version fit. I think it is worse going from Revell to Trumpy with everything too small. That was before JR re-mastered his for Grey Matter for the Trumpy. For one, I will check to see what I have for early P-38 vac canopies as I don't remember for sure, but I thought the Revell conversion came with one (though might need it for my CE conversion). Anyway, I will let you know. ChrisS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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