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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) P-38 Lightning 1st static build (Read 15024 times)
ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #34 - Jan 19th, 2020 at 10:36am
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Thanks Sky9....I thought about adding some white to the strut but the more I think about it that would not have been incorporated in a wartime situation. Sticking with what I have but will add some highlights as you suggested. Finalizing the fit of the nose gear and looking for an old pen to deconstruct to use the ink tube for an axle of sorts on the strut. Going ahead with gluing on the nose cowl but stuck on whether to paint the plastic parts or cover with flite metal. Painting them would result in a different look than the metal when finished. All that's left is some adjustment on the nose gear before final install and then on to wing construction finally!!
  

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Sky9pilot
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #33 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 9:31am
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In reply #31 the nose gear strut looks fine.  You might try some paint over the existing paint or dry brush technique where you wipe off most of the paint and hit the high part of the strut to highlight them to see if this give the result you're looking for.
  

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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #32 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 7:14am
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Well so far the cockpit has been pleasantly surprising for me and  apart from some parts not having a 3D look I managed to work around that with some extra balsa and leftover plastic from vacu-forming. The more I work with these parts the more I seem to be able to achieve the look I want though to be honest I am not all that happy with my choice of paint for the landing gear. I wanted a look of well used steel but it seems to have come out more gray that metal and I am not sure at this point whether to forge ahead or remove the paint and start over but am afraid if I do so I may affect the glued parts. I worked around the plastic parts not having a back by using a balsa plug and some extra plastic. What remains is final assembly and painting but now I am on hold until I can reassess my paint choices and maybe get some input from everyone on both the landing gear and the interior.

On a funnier note the supplied pilot seems to be holding a traditional stick versus the much different P38 setup and wonder will anyone notice ??
  

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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #31 - Jan 1st, 2020 at 12:45pm
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In keeping with the fact that my assembly plant is rather small and mobile I have determined that sticking to the display directions from the manufacturer is the best course. Of course I am in awe of Skydiamonds abilities which make mine pale in comparison I will however be using whatever bones he throws me for help in this. Am going to build using kit supplied plastics but will be adding hydraulic lines as well to enhance the visual effects though I am torn right now whether to complete this with the landing gear retractable or not as this will be static inside a looking box. Just checking the fit of the cockpit and landing gear before filling in the rest of the balsa infill.
  

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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #30 - Dec 30th, 2019 at 4:08pm
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Been a while since I have made any progress due to the holidays but I have done a few things including some work on the nose gear which included using the pre-formed plastic parts and found they didn’t match up very well. Many choice words later I believe I have done a fairly close representation and now ready for some preliminary paint before installing in the pod.
  

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Skyediamonds
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #29 - Dec 16th, 2019 at 7:57pm
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ib,

No apologizes needed.  Glad to be of some help.  Happy that you're having fun while detailing the model beyond what is called for in the kit.  It's always a challenge we place upon ourselves when going "outside of the box."

I manged to find my Lockheed files today.  Regarding the P-38, it'll just take me a few days to download the negatives and convert them into digital format.  From there, I'll place them into a folder file and then send the file to Sky9 for inclusion into the archives.
  
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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #28 - Dec 16th, 2019 at 6:06pm
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Sorry I should have clarified that the Glue was Gorilla glue brand of super glue which I have found works great with plastic parts. Your absolutely right about the fumes. I have to work sparingly with windows open when using it. For all other work I have been using regular elmers white which gives me time to adjust if needed. The plastic parts included in the kit have vacuum formed parts for the landing gear that if put together right should give the right look with some careful painting . There were 3 large sheets of vacuum parts to include landing gear and even the supercharger as well as the bay doors and all intakes. I was surprised to find a rather complete cockpit selection as well. The only things I thought were lacking was the paper stock parts but will hope to address that later with your input. Thank you for bearing with me on a rather ambitious first attempt.  Small clarification I think my trouble with the glue stems from altitude changes when driving causing the glue to expand and contract within the container thus causing the spill over and subsequent inability to remove the cap Angry
  
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #27 - Dec 15th, 2019 at 11:25pm
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ib:

I don't know about vacu-forming for landing gears but plastic tubing will do very well for your needs.  The struts are basically oleo which comprises mainly tubes of different diameters.  The only real accessories needed to be worked out will mostly likely be the scissor jacks, the oversized shimmy dampener and landing lights (the last two for the nose wheel).  All of them can easily be fabricated with tubing of either plastic or brass and obtainable in arts and crafts stores. 

I can't recall if Guillow's provides plastic struts for the landing gears.  Do they?  If not, then the above described materials and steps should be a breeze.  The lower ends of the outer struts need a "cap" to which the inner oleo strut emerges.  This cap can be fabricated either by use of small washers of the appropriate diameters or simply punching (cutting) out a small set of circular plates, then punch (or drill) a hole in the center for the inner strut to exit. 

Next, cut a thin strip of black electric tape of say, about 1/8" wide.  Wrap the tape near the cap on the outer strut and basically you've got a landing gear strut.  Next, cut some long triangular shapes out of thin plastic or thick glossy paper for the scissor jacks, and the shimmy dampener is made from extra tubing, and so on.....

Gorilla glue is great for many applications.  However, it's not an ideal medium needed for most modeling applications.  It's mostly used for high-stress areas, large glue joints and so on.  This glue will expand as it dries, which makes it more suited for repairing say, a  broken vase in which microscopic cracks will need to be filled.

Unless you're going to glue parts, or wood pieces together that have large gaps, Gorilla glue really isn't needed.  A small tube of super glue, or maybe better still, regular white glue will do very well.  I mentioned white glue as possibly a better of the two choices because super glue has toxic fumes that might not be ideal in the closed-in working environment of your rig.

Because only such a small amount of Gorilla Glue is used, this most likely means you're using it more frequently to where the left over glue is starts piling up and clogging the opening.  My guess. 

From here on out, I'll sit back and vicariously enjoy your build.  If I can be of any help, just let me know. 

In the meantime, I'll start perusing through my storage and pull out some negatives of the Lightning and other planes from Lockheed.

Cheers,
  
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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #26 - Dec 15th, 2019 at 6:55pm
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I believe your right skyediamonds....I think the correct course would be to keep this one simple so I will be following the original directions with only a few added minor changes. There is a copious amount of plastics included with the kit that so far seems to fit with some modifications. The wheel well doors for example are a two-piece combination giving a bit of added depth if not exactly to scale per photos I have seen. The paper wheel wells have a lot of green and black squiggles approximating an interior but I think this is where I am going to follow your suggestion and using the original to trace out onto card stock and then paint to suit and add a few extras. I think for the landing gear themselves they have some plastic parts to fit over the wire so will take that route as well though to be honest I don't know if they will fit together very well due to vacuum forming inconsistencies. Having to put on hold any actual plastic work due to having left some tools at home and my bottle of gorilla glue seems to be glued shut  Roll Eyes. So here I sit bemoaning my sorry state and plotting the death of a 20 g bottle of glue!!
  
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #25 - Dec 14th, 2019 at 8:16pm
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ib:
Insofar as the detailing of the wheel wells from the perspective of you working on the model in your rig, I'd suggest you go the simpilistic route.  To do the doors, you may take some thick, double-sided glossy paper that is similar to the paper doors provided in the kit.  Trace the outlines of the doors provided by the kit onto the glossy papers.  Then roll over a large round dowel about 1"-2" in diameter without kinking up.  This will give the doors the curve that is needed to blend in with the fuselage/booms.  From here, you only need to open (or tighten) up the rolled paper to fit the curvature of the fuselage/booms.

This double-sided paper can easily be purchased at almost any arts and crafts store, or any big box store that sells stationary.

I mentioned the use of glossy paper for two good reasons: A) it's easy to work inside your rig using a pair of scissors & simple white PVA glue and B) the glossy surface has been coated such that most, if not all, of the moisture from the glue won't be absorbed into the fibers of the paper.

The double-sided glossy paper is to allow you to glue on one side that is semi-resistant to the glue and the other side will allow you to spray paint the surface without fear of the paper wrinkling up.  It's here you'll have to be careful and use very light coats of paint, almost to the point of transparancy where the paper still shows through.  Apply a light coat and allow it to completely cure.  Then slowly build up succeeding coats until you've achieved the desired color/thickness.  The added beauty of using glossy paper is that you don't have to sand between coats of paint.  The glossed surface is already prepared.  So, less mess inside your rig.

You may have to first "decorate" the interior by using thin strips of glossy paper to simulate the internal structure of the landing gear doors.  First, pre-cut the strips to whatever skeletal structure you're trying to replicate.  Then carefully add a very thin coat of glue, that is almost like the consistency of film, to the strips and then fix each one to the desired location. 

Because the glue is so thin, you may have to do each strip individually, rather than pre-gluing them all up at once and then applying them to the desired locations. 

I'd suggest you start with the vertical members of the skeletal structure.  They will help hold the curved paper in place.  This is the laminated part that ends up holding itself in the desired curved shape so you'll have to work the structures over a curved surface.  From there, you can add the horizontal structures.  If the thick glossy paper isn't thick enough to match the desired thickness of the landing gear door, just simply laminate two door pieces together over a curved dowel, the laminated surfaces will hold themselves to that curvature.

Can't find double-sided glossy paper?  Simple.  Just as previously described of laminating the sheets together, just laminate the one-sided glossy papers back-to-back with the glossy sides out.  Still keep the glue to the consistency of a film over the whole surface and over a dowel or curved surface.  So it'll get tacky real quick. So you don't have to worry about holding it over that dowel/curved surface for a long time.  You can even use rubber bands.  But use another thick sheet of paper over the doors to prevent "ribbing" from the bands.

If you really want to get detailed doors, you could still laminate two door pieces together.  In this case, the inner side should be slightly less in overall size around the perimeter by oh say, 1/32" inch.  This will give the doors that "lip" we often see.  Again, laminate them over a large dowel or curved surface.

The actuator arms can be made out of various sized small brass tubing cut to length and "telescoped" to suit the desired effect.  If you can't find a real hobby store on your route, the brass tubing can be otain at most arts and crafts stores.  Hobby Lobby definitely has them.

The wheel wells can be made just as easily as the doors, but without the added curvatures.   Just form a folding box and add the strips of paper. In addition to the strips of skeletal frameworks, you can also easily add some various sized shrink tubing and various sized wires to simulate the plumbing and elecrical wiring within the wells.

Whew.  I had to proof-read and rewrite all this several times.  Hope it helps.






« Last Edit: Dec 14th, 2019 at 9:57pm by Skyediamonds »  
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #24 - Dec 14th, 2019 at 5:52pm
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ib:

In addition to the nose weight I mentioned previously, I also checked our archives to see if there are any detailed photos of the P-38.  There are none.  I'll have to correct this, as well as posting additional detailed photos of aircraft produced from Lockheed via Sky9.  In the meantime, I'll revisit my storage facility and see if I can find my b+w negatives on the Lightning.  I'll pick out a few that are focused on the wheel well areas.  Let me know if there are any other areas of interest you might wish for me to post.
  
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #23 - Dec 13th, 2019 at 11:05am
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Sky9 is correct for your first attempts.  May I also suggest adding some nose weight?  Otherwise you'll end up with a tail-sitter.  Got a wealth of suggestions.  I'll write more later.
  
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #22 - Dec 12th, 2019 at 6:24pm
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That's the thing of Display models, they run from solid models on stands to highly detailed models such as Skyediamonds and the others are doing.  If you're doing your first you might want to start easy and work up to difficult/highly detailed.  You'll find it easier to build a wheel well "box" the proper shape and fit the box to slide into the desired location after detailing.  This will work with the nose and wing wheel wells.  You can do the same with the cockpit.  You can even use a short piece of aluminum or brass or paper tube for the gear strut to fit into after the wheel well "box" is detailed and slipped into the fuselage and wings.  Just a thought!
  

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ibscrooge
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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #21 - Dec 12th, 2019 at 3:33pm
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Well it looks like it's time to tackle the belly of the beast. All that work in construction only to de-construct in order to attempt to re-create a semblance of a wheel well. As this is my first try at doing a strictly static build I am torn on how much to attempt or  should I instead play it safe and only build using the kit supplied paper re-creations that give it a kinda-sorta might be look. Rock Paper Scissors anyone?? Wink . Going to peruse the kit bash post again to maybe gain some insight. Kit supplied wire machinations on retractable main gear are less than understandable and may take some trial and error to accomplish. Wish me luck!!
  

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Re: P-38 Lightning 1st static build
Reply #20 - Dec 6th, 2019 at 2:48pm
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Thank you for your help Sky9.  It's much appreciated.
  
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