I received the revell kit of the p-38j for x-mas. Has anyone built this 1/48th scale kit and is there any major/minor problems to look out for?
mesa modeler
I’ve built it ( actually Monogram’s) about 6 times over the years, and there’s a number of fit problems with it, but if you take your time, have patience, and use plenty of putty and wet-sanding, it builds out pretty nice… The biggest fit-issues I had were the nose to-gun-bay joints, the gun-bay doors (not an issue if model them open), the wing-to-booms-joints, and the engine nacelle fronts… Use extra care when attaching the gear doors as well…
Me personally, I don’t like it. Have one started but will probably never finish. Tried to sell my other one but never got any bites. The one I started had a lot of fit issues and the little openings on the side of the booms had a lot of flash that now looks bad after I tried to clean them up. But it could just be the copy I have. Enough raised rivets to used as a file. 
But, don’t let my dislike for it steer you in a bad direction, hopefully you will enjoy it and give us something nice to look at when it’s done.
I have had mixed results with Revell kits, soime good some not so hot. Academy makes a couple of real nice 1/48th P-38’s. My favorite fighter by the way.
It has some fit problems and will need some filling and sanding. Nothing the average modeller can’t handle. Here’s one I built as a Droop Snoot. I plan on doing another as a nightfighter.
It’s a good kit to practice your seam filling skills.
Also be sure to add some ballast in the nose or front part of the engine cowling-this one is a tail dragger without it.
That’s a BIG ditto on that. Hans is being kind! This kit will test your patience and skill.
Andy
By modern standards it’s not a very good kit. The wheel wells are empty and lack details and it has raised panel lines everywhere.
Compared to the when it was released it was a very good kit, had lots of options on how to build it. The clear parts are a bit thick and has been well documented it does have some fit issues. If you are a kit assembler it’s a tough build, if you are a modeler it’s a good challenge, it can build up into a nice subject.
For the price you can’t go wrong…
I’ve built the Monogram version. At first I left it unpainted silver, then decided to go “fantasy” with it with a tri-color grey paint job with Yellow-Wings pre war national insignas and red/white stripe rudders. The nice thing about Revell-Monogram version is that it is inexpensive enough that you can go nuts with it and not feel bad. Oh yeah, I have to agree with the fit issues raised by the others but hey, it is it’s own seam filling instruction platform.
i had the night fighter built about five years ago. it was a very challenging build. i was getting ready to put the decals on it, when the shelf it was sitting under on my bench collapsed, and crushed her to pieces. it’s still in her coffin, i mean box today.
I built that kit about 3 years ago when I first got back into the hobby. I think it may have been the 6th kit I built after a 15 (or so) year layoff.
I wouldnt build another one if you gave it to me 
I actually got one for christmas a year later, I returned it and got something else
Mine weighs about 2 pounds because there is so much weight added to make it not a tail sitter. I did mine in bare metal using ModelMaster non buffing metalizer. The end result was nice, but to me it wasnt worth the huge effort to fill and sand every joint.
I have built it many times over the years. As stated before typical 60’s-early 70’s quality. I think the tougest part of the build is definetly the nose doors but you can avoid this but posing them open. You definetly will need the putty and sanding sticks but I have come across newer kits that the fit was far worse than this kit. The empty wheel wells are a bummer as you can see the mounting lugs for the gear and everthing else. I built one about a year ago as a F-5 recon version and I am happy with the results for the $10.00 dollars I spent on the kit. Here is a pic
Soulcrusher[oX)]