I’m working on Academy’s 1/48 F-5E Lightning and am ready to start on the landing gear bays. Researching on Google has led me to three different answers for the color inside: natural metal, yellow chromate, and green chromate. I had to expand the search to P-38s in general as I couldn’t find a whole lot on just the recon version. So I thought I’d ask the hivemind before committing any paint. If it matters, the scheme I’m doing is the 8th Photo Recon Squadron in the Philippines in 44-45. Thanks in advance for the help!
I built that one a few years ago to honor my wife’s deceased grandfather, who was a line mechanic (I think) in the 26th Photo Reconn Squadron based out of New Guinea, among other locations. My primary reference was the books by Bert Kinzey (P-38 Lightning in Detail and Scale), the second volume of which includes some color photographs of the wheel wells on an F-5E. I cannot state that the photographs are representative of an actual F-5E during the war, but all of the photos were green zinc chromate. That’s how I painted my particular model as well.
According to the IPMS Stockholm site, the wheel wells are primarily in Neutral Gray with other colors as well.
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/02/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us_part2.htm
Thanks for the info guys! That’s interesting about neutral gray Stik. Unfortunately the link isn’t working for me at the moment, I’ll try again later.
Hope it comes up, Bob. It’s most excellent. Lots of color photos.
It’s alive! I’m not sure why it wasn’t opening for me before but it’s working now. Thanks for the link Stik, I’ll be giving it a good looking over today.
I was digging around in the box, looking everything over before getting started and looking at my cockpit references when I decided I’d need to add some detail in there. I grabbed a Hasegawa P-38J kit out of the stash to compare cockpit parts and discovered the previous owner hid a True Details cockpit in the box that was designed for the Academy kit. Deciding the Hasegawa cockpit was good enough out of the box, I decided to use the TD cockpit here. Finally got everything painted.
And here it is all together
So I did a little more digging after reading on the IPMS site that camouflaged P-38’s had neutral gray wheel wells, and my plane will be NMF. I remembered a site a buddy of mine showed me a few years ago: scribd. I found a lot of different books on the P-38 there and it looks like the factory standard was yellow chromate. I also found some good pictures of the cameras in the nose so I might try some rudimentary scratch building. Whatever I put in there would have to look better than just blacking the other side right? And on the plus side, the windows are so small you’ll barely be able to see what’s there so I don’t have to be too perfect with them.
That cockpit is great looking. Where did you get the seatbelts? Are they molded into the seat or are they added later?
Thanks for popping in Johnny! The seatbelts are molded onto the seat, just some careful painting on my part. I really like these True Details cockpits, I need to get some more of them.
Pit and IP are looking sweet! Finding that AM pit was a stroke of luck. [:D]
Thanks Dwayne, the modeling gods were smiling upon me that day
I can’t believe it’s been two months since I’ve posted any progress. The last couple months have been kind of tough. I found out that my kidney function is dropping again so now they’re looking at a transplant. I went through the whole evaluation process and they determined I’d be a good recipient, and a few people have come forward that are willing to donate. Between being tired all the time and appointments, I hadn’t had much time for the bench. Then at the end of last month my mother in law passed away kind of suddenly and we’ve been driving half-way across the state a lot lately.
Anways, she’s starting to look like an airplane now. Still have some filling and sanding to do. I also found some bits to use for the cameras in the nose, I just need to figure out how to get them attached.
Well, It sounds like you do have a ray of good news as far as the transplant goes. I really hope that all comes together seamlessly for you! I’m glad you are managing to find some solace at the workbench. She’s Definitely looking like a plane now.
Thanks Chad! I’m really looking forward to getting this transplant done. Then hopefully I won’t be tired all the time.
Sorry to here of your medical and family heartaches. Good to see you still working on the kit. Looks great.
Ahhh I love these planes. Yours is looking good so far! So what are your plans for NMF, alclad, foil, something else? Inquiring minds want to know lol
Thanks for checking in Mongoose, sorry I didn’t respond sooner. I’m planning on beating this one one up with weathering as the conditions in the Pacfic weren’t kind to these birds. That being said, I’m just going to spray it with rattlecan silver then weather it so it doesn’t look too cheap.
Here’s a pic of the inside of the nose with my makeshift cameras inside (they’re just some leftover bits from some Warhammer 40K kits).
I put some fishing sinkers and some bb’s in the ends of the nacelles to keep it from tail sitting and closed her up.
Your F5 is looking real good so far. I did the Academy 1/48 P-38 E oob and I had to do a TON of filling and sanding, so much so that it took more time on that aspect than the rest of the build combined. But I soldiered through and it came out pretty good with a “like new” Alclad II NMF finish. I hope you don’t have the fit problems I did.
Thanks Jay Jay! I had a bit of filling to do, and there’s still some more sanding on the nacelles and booms, but it’s not too bad. Of course I say that now…