Tamiya 1/48 P-38.

[Portman]

Along with the Ferret, this is the other kit I'm currently working on - Tamiya's rather lovely P-38.



I'll be building the box art scheme, as I've wanted to build an aircraft from 'Operation Vengeance' for quite some time, after picking up an old 1952 copy of 'Flames in the Sky' by Pierre Clostermann D.F.C. and reading the account of it - A really gutsy mission.



I only picked it up again last night, after stalling on it back in 2019 - after brushing away all the dust, I started to paint up the cockpit. Nothing terribly exciting to photograph but here's a shot anyway - I've just added a wash to the floor areas and a big dollop of Microsol to the IP decals.

[digger303]

Nice to go back and finish something from the shelf of doom.

[Portman]

Nice to go back and finish something from the shelf of doom.

Tell me about it - I have so many part started kit's it's not even funny - to many ideas, not enough time.

[Stokesy44]

Off to a good start, looking forward to seeing the updates.

[Portman]

Off to a good start, looking forward to seeing the updates.

Thanks Stokesy - still messing about with the cockpit!

[Elve1984]

Nice work on the cockpit, cant wait to see what you make of the rest of it.

[Portman]

Nice work on the cockpit, cant wait to see what you make of the rest of it.

Thanks Elve!

Well here you go then...

I've just been working on getting the cockpit pod finished. Tamiya's instructions don't have you fit the clear parts until the end of the build, but I'd like to get the em on and masked to protect the cockpit. I'm also waiting for some AM guns from ebay before I fir the nose - they'll allow me to fit the gun barrels after paint.

I'm also in the process of painting the pilot.







Cheers and thanks for looking in.

[digger303]

Cockpit is great.

[Portman]

Thanks Digger!

[Portman]

I got the pilot painted up - obviously it looks worse blown up 10 times than in real life, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

[digger303]

He'll look great viewing from a foot away rather than the 70mm in the pic., as you suggest.

[Stokesy44]

Nice work, and as you say, it will look better when viewed through the Mk1 Eyeball

I've been reading a lot about the US fighter pilots in WW2 and much has been said about how they overwhelmed their enemies with numbers. But its much more than that. Before they arrived in the ETO, or the Pacific, they had hundreds of flying hours in their log books and had been given a self-confidence and aggression that gave them a solid base for becoming successful fighter pilots.

When you add that to their numbers and the quality of their aircraft its no wonder they were so effective against the Luftwaffe and the IJN.

[Portman]

Nice work, and as you say, it will look better when viewed through the Mk1 Eyeball

I've been reading a lot about the US fighter pilots in WW2 and much has been said about how they overwhelmed their enemies with numbers. But its much more than that. Before they arrived in the ETO, or the Pacific, they had hundreds of flying hours in their log books and had been given a self-confidence and aggression that gave them a solid base for becoming successful fighter pilots.

When you add that to their numbers and the quality of their aircraft its no wonder they were so effective against the Luftwaffe and the IJN.

Thanks!

100% agree - the quality of the training and the feeding back of tactics from the front far exceeded those of the Luftwaffe and IJN. Also just the simple policy of resting operational pilots from time to time. I've read of German Pilots that saw years of frontline service without a break - they were mentally exhausted a lot of the time.

[Portman]

He'll look great viewing from a foot away rather than the 70mm in the pic., as you suggest.

Thanks! Indeed - he looks pretty good sat in the cockpit from normal viewing distance.

[Kevthemodeller]

These do look lovely kits. You're off to a good start there mate

[cor]

I got the pilot painted up - obviously it looks worse blown up 10 times than in real life, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

That's a pretty good job even under magnification.

[Portman]

Thanks Gents - really appreciate it. It's been stuck on the corner of the bench for a while whilst I try and finished the two tanks I'm building - but I'll get back to it soon.