Tamiya 1/48 P-38 Lightning

[rtfoe]

Andy, a good kit doesn't mean you'll build a good looking kit, it takes talent which you have accumulated so quickly that's making this P-38 look good. The parts that go onto the dashboard and canopy are just so well made that some people actually go on their knees to get it made. ...I'd do it too.

Bare metal is meant to be clean and smooth to get the extra speed. The ground boys would polish it at every chance they could. The differences you would see is probably the different panels and how they were fitted depending on the grain and batch of the sheet aluminum. There will be some stains though...oil leaks and exhaust. When I travel I make a purpose to sit near the wing to observe the streaks on engines and bare metal areas.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[minitnkr]

Amazing progress. PaulE

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Richard and Paul. I'm really enjoying this one and hopefully that's reflected in the finished product.

I've been masking and priming today. It's currently drying off while I'm in the house waiting for the school bus to drive by and throw my son off, then I'll get some pictures.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Canopy masked using mostly the Tamiya stuff. A few pieces needed some help but most were marked up very accurately. My cutting wasn't quite as good though! I managed to put #24 on upside down as I trimmed the top after this shot but then realised it was short at the bottom. Maybe I should have paid more attention the the stonking great arrow they put on it



I joined the 3 pieces up inside with tape. This should hopefully keep the inner face clean, stop any overspray through the gaps, and means I didn't need so much white glue to keep it temporarily in place. A few strips of tape should stop anything creeping in at the lower edge too





Wheel wells masked up. Tricky since there are some pieces of landing gear sticking out already. They looked like they'd be really hard to add later so followed the instructions. You need to be careful when putting the model down as the weight rests on these flimsy pieces.



And some primer



I then had a go at marbling & pre-shading. I tried out the Uschi splatter template, which seems great in theory but in practice I found it tricky to use. Since it is inflexible PE it was hard to get a consistent spacing around a 3D object, with lumps & bumps sticking out everywhere. Plus it builds up with paint quickly, so you need to keep cleaning it or the paint will blow through as blobs.

With a bit more practice I should get better, or maybe I'll use it as a template to cut my own out of a much more flexible material like frisket film.

Panel line shading is a bit straighter than the last one. Still not great but it'll have to do.

 

[Steven000]

Very nice progress Andy!
Steven

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Steven.

 

[scottie3158]

Andy,
Very nice

 

[minitnkr]

Are you expected to catch him or do you just pick him up & dust him off. Am unfamiliar w/this type of preshade. Is it a precursur to camo? PaulE

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Andy,
Very nice

Thanks Paul.

Are you expected to catch him or do you just pick him up & dust him off. Am unfamiliar w/this type of preshade. Is it a precursur to camo? PaulE

He does a tuck n roll

Just playing around with the pre-shading. Something I've seen a few times that can look nice if done well, so fingers crossed.

The upper surface will be olive drab all over, lower half neutral grey. Since they are single slabs of colour I want some kind of variation over them. I liked how the panel line pre-shading worked on my Beaufighter but wanted something within the panels too, and this "marble" effect should hopefully do that for me. It may work or it may not, the beauty being that if it looks rubbish I can just add a few more coats of top colour and bury it

On another note I've found a couple of guys on a Farcebook group that are at a similar stage in building the same kit. One of them has got tons of reference photos (something I still struggle to find) so at least I've got something to work to other than the instruction book. There's a hole in the top of one of the booms, perfectly circular as though it's been made for an aerial or similar. I couldn't find anything in the instruction book about it and I've now looked through countless pictures it doesn't appear on any aircraft I've seen so far, so maybe another moulding anomaly that I need to fix!

 

[topgazza]

Andy, I have a different way of panelling pre shade. I've only tried it once mind you and that was with a brush rather than spray. I just found it easier to keep to the panel lines. Like you I found the Tamiya masking OK in the end. But again I tend to use a 00 brush to apply paint to the frames. I might try airbrush on my Bristol which is up next.

Looking good though and protect that marvelous pilot

 

[BigGreg]

WOW that is a fantastic color modulation like leopard spots.. love it... i'm really looking forward to see the next episode...

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks Greg. I've done a quick test on the other drop tank and the effect looks OK, so fingers crossed.

Gary, not sure I'd be able to get a straighter line with a brush if I'm honest, plus it must give quite a hard edge. And I'd have to switch paints as brushing that much lacquer would be asking for trouble. I'll stick with the AB and just keep practicing

 

[Deleted member 7181]

So, it's back to being busy at work which is a nice change, so after painting 20 cars today I thought I'd come home and relax - with a bit more painting!

Really happy with the underside. It's to my taste anyway. Subtle, but with enough variation to not be a slab of solid colour. I know some would go much heavier but I'm pleased with the look. More work to come obviously with washes and I'll try again with oils, but a good foundation I think. Once finished I also mixed a lighter shade and speckled on a few dots in random areas.

 

[JR]

Looks good Andy.

 

[topgazza]

I like that effect Andy. Almost a shame to weather it. Nice panel lines

 

[stillp]

20 cars in a day? You don't hang about Andy!
Pete

 

[topgazza]

They're all crap. He sprays them with a Hozelock garden hose and a foot pump. Gets the volume done though

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thanks chaps. Still a ways to go but a good start I think.

Yes Pete, they call me an animal, hopefully they mean that in a good way lol . I'd done 14 by lunchtime but the other guys doing the bodywork side couldn't keep up so only manage 6 in the afternoon.

Gary, I guess you've seen my work before

 

[Steven000]

Nice effect Andy

 

[topgazza]

I'm not saying his company uses child labour.......but