From: "Steve Bamford ARC" To: "Simon Wallis" References: <000001c3b46b$5b5540c0$bac8fea9@IBMA31p> Subject: Re: ARC Gallery Contribution: 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J Lightning Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 16:47:25 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00C1_01C3C198.CF838A80" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00C1_01C3C198.CF838A80 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_00C2_01C3C198.CF838A80" ------=_NextPart_001_00C2_01C3C198.CF838A80 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Simon, Thanks for sending in your P-38 article. I'll put this article on ARC = about 8 days after your P-51. Thanks again Simon. Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com =20 Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Simon Wallis=20 To: sheb@telus.net=20 Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2:18 PM Subject: ARC Gallery Contribution: 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J Lightning Gallery Template #02 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J Lightning=20 by Simon Wallis -------------------- Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg = here =20 Advanced modelers will tell you there is no such thing as a bad model, = only a bad modeler. Hmm - I can see the wisdom of that, but I've got to = say the Hasegawa Lightning served to highlight my limitations as a = modeler. But on the other hand it also gave me plenty of lessons of how = to do things better next time. Here are a few of my experiences from = this build that others may find interesting. Construction The kit was a 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J with the box art for "Virginia = Marie", built entirely out of the box. While I didn't use it I would = expect skilled modelers would really benefit from the addition of one of = Eduard's etched detail kits. Fit on the kit was poor: the top and bottom fuselage parts and the = tail booms fit together rather poorly. Much worse was a big lump on both = port and starboard fuselages where they meet the P-38's long narrow = wing. Also beware the plastic pieces surrounding the superchargers on = each wing. I can understand how this was difficult for Hasegawa to tool = - but it is also what makes the American Lightning such an interesting = aircraft to recreate. On the positive side the alignment of each = fuselage boom, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the wing was = good. The bottom line is that you should spend a lot of time dry fitting = and sanding around the booms and wings before filling the inevitable = discontinuities. Hasegawa's panel line detail is good. However there are quite a few = air ducts that are very visible on this aircraft. On the standard kit = you just look through and see either air or flat plastic. Skilled = modelers will find the Eduard Etched kits available for this model well = worth the extra cost in order to fill these highly visible voids. And I = am still not done complaining! Fit of the undercarriage doors is poor: = the locating lugs are the wrong length and have no positive depressions = to locate into. Finally a self inflicted injury: the kit instructions do warn you to = put ballast in the nose section. I did, but not enough: The model = balanced nose down until I sprayed my paint scheme and superglued the = undercarriage doors. Drats. You don't have to be too observant to notice = that my pictures are taken with the nose wheel stuck into a depression = on my garden table. You can afford to add a lot of ballast as the = undercarriage is quite strong as it turns out. Painting and decals I used Alclad II chrome with dark aluminium on selected panels. = However I used the kit decals for all of the great blue anti- glare = markings on Virginia Marie. Big mistake. The kit decals were visibly old = and turned out to be an awkward combination of 'crumbly' and 'stubborn' = to decal softening fluid. Faced with this again I would either buy one = of the many aftermarket decal schemes, or (as I really wanted this = scheme) I would have been much more successful airbrushing on the anti = glare blue. In fact for such large areas with uniform colors I would = generally recommend folks to airbrush on markings to their models. Conclusion None of the problems experienced with this kit were a show stopper = with the appropriate techniques and some etched parts. But the problems = served to demonstrate to me extra skills that I would need in order to = move away from the comfortable and safe world of the modern Tamiya kits. = Wonderful as they are, there is a whole world of interesting aircraft = beyond Tamiya's precision engineered jewels! (Still - I am not quite = ready to tackle the 1/48 Hasegawa F-14 just yet.) Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg = here =20 Photos and text =A9 2003 by Simon Wallis =20 ------=_NextPart_001_00C2_01C3C198.CF838A80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi Simon,
Thanks for sending in your = P-38=20 article. I'll put this article on ARC about 8 days after your = P-51.  Thanks=20 again Simon.
 
Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourc= ecenter.com
 
Live=20 like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work = like you=20 don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like = nobody's=20 listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Simon=20 Wallis
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, = 2003 2:18=20 PM
Subject: ARC Gallery = Contribution: 1/48=20 Hasegawa P-38J Lightning

Gallery Template=20 #02

1/48=20 Hasegawa P-38J Lightning 

by Simon=20 Wallis
--------------------

Steve=20 Bamford will insert full sized = version of=20 photo 01.jpg = here

Advanced=20 modelers will tell you there is no such thing as a bad model, only a = bad=20 modeler. Hmm – I can see the wisdom of that, but I’ve got = to say the Hasegawa=20 Lightning served to highlight my limitations as a modeler. But on the = other=20 hand it also gave me plenty of lessons of how to do things better next = time.=20 Here are a few of my experiences from this build that others may find=20 interesting.

Construction

The = kit was a=20 1/48 Hasegawa P-38J with the box art for “Virginia Marie”, = built entirely out=20 of the box. While I didn’t use it I would expect skilled = modelers would really=20 benefit from the addition of one of Eduard’s etched=20 detail kits.

Fit on = the kit=20 was poor: the top and bottom fuselage parts and the tail booms fit = together=20 rather poorly. Much worse was a big lump on both port and starboard = fuselages=20 where they meet the P-38’s long narrow wing. Also beware the = plastic pieces=20 surrounding the superchargers on each wing. I can understand how this = was=20 difficult for Hasegawa to tool – but it is also what makes the = American=20 Lightning such an interesting aircraft to recreate. On the positive = side the=20 alignment of each fuselage boom, parallel to each other and = perpendicular to=20 the wing was good. The bottom line is that you should spend a lot of = time dry=20 fitting and sanding around the booms and wings before filling the = inevitable=20 discontinuities.

Hasegawa’s panel=20 line detail is good. However there are quite a few air ducts that are = very=20 visible on this aircraft. On the standard kit you just look through = and see=20 either air or flat plastic. Skilled modelers will find the Eduard Etched kits available for this model well = worth the=20 extra cost in order to fill these highly visible voids. And I am still = not=20 done complaining! Fit of the undercarriage doors is poor: the locating = lugs=20 are the wrong length and have no positive depressions to locate=20 into.

Finally a self=20 inflicted injury: the kit instructions do warn you to put ballast in = the nose=20 section. I did, but not enough: The model balanced nose down until I = sprayed=20 my paint scheme and superglued the = undercarriage=20 doors. Drats. You don’t have to be too observant to = notice that my=20 pictures are taken with the nose wheel stuck into a depression on my = garden=20 table. You can afford to add a lot of ballast as the undercarriage is = quite=20 strong as it turns out.

Painting=20 and decals

I used = Alclad II=20 chrome with dark aluminium on selected = panels.=20 However I used the kit decals for all of the great blue anti- glare = markings=20 on Virginia Marie. Big mistake. The kit = decals were=20 visibly old and turned out to be an awkward combination of = ‘crumbly’ and=20 ‘stubborn’ to decal softening fluid. Faced with this again = I would either buy=20 one of the many aftermarket decal schemes, or (as I really wanted this = scheme)=20 I would have been much more successful airbrushing on the anti glare = blue. In=20 fact for such large areas with uniform colors I would generally = recommend=20 folks to airbrush on markings to their = models.

Conclusion

None = of the=20 problems experienced with this kit were a show stopper with the = appropriate=20 techniques and some etched parts. But the problems served to = demonstrate to me=20 extra skills that I would need in order to move away from the = comfortable and=20 safe world of the modern Tamiya kits. = Wonderful as=20 they are, there is a whole world of interesting aircraft beyond Tamiya’s precision engineered jewels! = (Still – I am not=20 quite ready to tackle the 1/48 Hasegawa F-14 just=20 yet…)

Steve=20 Bamford will insert full sized = version of=20 photo 02.jpg = here

Photos = and text =A9=20 2003 by Simon Wallis

 

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