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Trumpeter P-38


JeffH

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I'm in with a Trumpeter P-38 in Tom McGuire Markings (Pudgy V), Using the Big ED set (parts that I don't break or lose totally)

 

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I've already made a small start, beginning with the interior PE set. When there's a lot of PE I tend to approach it from 2 directions. I go through the PE instructions

looking for kit part numbers. Then I just mark PE on that part on the instruction sheet as a reminder.  Then I go through the PE sets hacking up the kit pieces as need be. 

 

When all the PE is done I proceed with the kit. So these first few posts will just show kit parts with PE

 

Let the fun begin

 

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Thanks for looking in guys. I assume this plane doesn't get built a lot because the NMF scares people off. There are no

O/D options for an L without back-dating. And back-dating would involve hacking the nacelle intakes (at least). So it's left to 

fearless (mindless?) sorts like myself and the gods like Chuck to have at it.  

 

Here are some shots of progress so far

 

My LHS no longer stocks Alclad and I did not have anything chrome-like on my shelf. The LHS now carries Vallejo so I slapped

the drop tanks together, blasted a coat of Tamiya TS-14 (thanks Chuck!) then Vallejo Chrome and this is what I ended up with. Close enough for 

government work I figure; and it's all I have without resorting to (gulp) foil.  

 

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Here's the modified gun bay bulkhead

 

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Cockpit rear deck (radio) area. Trimmed according to Eduard instructions. That brass bulkhead at the rear is larger than the plastic area it is covering. I'm

expecting it to cause a fit issue later on but it's on my radar. 

 

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Eduard Instrument panel. Toggle switches...are you freaking kidding me? I lost about 3 banks of them to the ether. There's one on there. I don't know why I 

bother with this stuff. In theory it's neat but the instructions are vague and it takes a bit of technique, a couple of critical tools and a whole lot of

patience. The patience is sadly lacking on my part. But it doesn't look bad from 3 feet and it will be well hidden (I hope) 

 

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Magazine for the 20mm cannon. This thing is a pain in the ass too. Eduard gives you flat(!?) 20mm shells to feed in there somehow. This guy is going out 

empty

 

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Radio gear for the rear deck and replacements for the kit rudder pedals. 

 

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The .50 cal and 20mm

 

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And the ammo cans. 

 

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That is most of the Eduard interior set.  

 

Thanks for following along. Happy New Year everybody!

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The trick is not to lose it when the tweezers go 'ping' and switches fly off. Then I'm thinking screw it, I still have the nice little colored front plate...ping argh!!!!

 

We need some sort of 'cone of silence' when working with this stuff. Maybe I'm not that far out...some sort of mosquito netting or some such draped over

you like a tent. Anything that flies will stay in tent.....hmmmm 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks guys. Slowly picking away at the PE there's the canopy latches and masks applied. This piece has actually been painted but I don't have a picture yet

 

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You have to get inventive on this kit for where you place weight to get the nose down. The engines end up being hidden but since they help line the props up I decided ti build them as an exercise _and_ to add weight. I added some lead fishing weights in the engine block gap and I noticed this dead space at the back of each engine (bell crank housing in a car engine). I took some fine lead solder and scrunched it up to fill the space

 

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These guys are starting to feel like they have a bit of weight in your hand. I'm looking for more spots forward of the CoG

 

Plodding forward. Having trouble with my airbrush but it's self-inflicted. I let it get gunked up and it hasn't been the same since

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Very nice work! You have my respect for not folding the photo-etch sheet up into a 1"X 1" square and throwing it in the bin.  (My go to response with photo-etch)

Any weight filling spaces above, beside, the nose gear well? Must be tough finding room with such a small fuselage "egg"

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1 hour ago, chrish said:

Very nice work! You have my respect for not folding the photo-etch sheet up into a 1"X 1" square and throwing it in the bin.  (My go to response with photo-etch)

Any weight filling spaces above, beside, the nose gear well? Must be tough finding room with such a small fuselage "egg"

 

Thanks guys

 

There's not a lot of space in the nose gear area because of the gun detail. But I just noticed the ammo cans have a bit of space to hide some more lead solder and that will be

right in the nose

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I filled the nose cone of my L model with solid lead, and made the ammo cans out of lead covered with sheet styrene,  as well as some under the floor of the gun bay. It's really tough when you're gonna leave the gun bay open especially.  Maybe this year I'll actually finish the darn thing!

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