Guillows P-38 Lightning

Dean62 said:
I have to cover up to the next bulkhead and stop there. The reason being, the very end or tip, is the intersection of the horizontal stabilizer and the tail. A busy intersection that will require some fit adjustments. Only then will it be safe to cover that area. It will be more obvious when I get to that step.
As good as it feels to be near completion on the engine nacelle, I have to do it again on the other one! Yikes!
Then I can finally start work on the horizontal stabilizer and the two tails, which all have flaps.
At that point I can fit and glue everything together and finally cover the end of these engine nacelles.
Then a lot of tedious work will begin after putting a few coats of paint and sanding. That will fill in any wood grain and give me a very smooth surface to work with. Then I can start to get into all of the details and application of panels. So much work ahead and I just keep chipping away. We all know how that goes. Keep your sights on immediate goals and don’t get overwhelmed thinking about the full scope of work ahead! ;)
Note - due to the inconsistencies of the wood color, grain, etc. and multiple panels, it gives the illusion in photos of being unlevel in some areas, but I assure you it’s sanded flush at all joints and as smooth as a babies bottom. ROTF Once painted it will be more obvious.
Ok…back to work…
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You can feel the smooth-baby-bottom-surface of your accurate woodwork, Dean. But I assure you that we can see that on you pictures.:)
And about all the time consuming next steps ……… what is the satisfaction of building a model in a few weeks/months, then the next etc etc. I only know that building a model is a multi-years project.
You know also that a solid and smooth foundation is the basis for the best outcome.
Just like you always looked forward to some far-ways steps in the build of my models: looking forward to the panels and the paintwork.;) For what I see now, it will be a one of a kind unique model!
Regards, Peter
 
Dean62 said:
That is correct Johan. I am going to cover the airplane with aluminum panels. ;)
So this is all preparation for that. The balsa wood skin is the foundation for the aluminum panels. Except for where the plastic parts go, they will be painted to simulate aluminum.
If I tried to cover the bare frames with aluminum panels, it would have facets due to the stringers, unless I used thick aluminum panels. And that would be harder to work with and cut. There is a lot of ways to cover it, but I have chosen this method to have a smooth surface and profile for the panels. I think it’s going to yield good results and hopefully look realistic.
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A few years back I saw the very shiny Red Bull P38. What a beauty! Are you going for something like that, or are you going to weather her?
 
Peter Voogt said:
You can feel the smooth-baby-bottom-surface of your accurate woodwork, Dean. But I assure you that we can see that on you pictures.:)
And about all the time consuming next steps ……… what is the satisfaction of building a model in a few weeks/months, then the next etc etc. I only know that building a model is a multi-years project.
You know also that a solid and smooth foundation is the basis for the best outcome.
Just like you always looked forward to some far-ways steps in the build of my models: looking forward to the panels and the paintwork.;) For what I see now, it will be a one of a kind unique model!
Regards, Peter
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Thank you Peter. I have to remind myself there is no need to rush a lengthy project, as it only results in regrets. So I have to remain patient with the process. However I love seeing progress. I envision the end result, but getting there takes much time! ;) But as we say, it’s the journey that gives us satisfaction as much, if not more, than the destination.
Thanks to you and everyone else for following my journey!
 
Dean62 said:
Got to a stopping point on the first engine nacelle…
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Then I glued it to the main wing…
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Then I double checked the fit of the painted plastic panels…
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Now to start the other engine nacelle…
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That’s a nice fit, Dean. With such clear windows, how do you deal with the view into the cockpit such as seat, controls etc. At this scale it is ideal for such details. Are you still persuaded to make a cutout?
Regards, Peter
 
Peter Voogt said:
That’s a nice fit, Dean. With such clear windows, how do you deal with the view into the cockpit such as seat, controls etc. At this scale it is ideal for such details. Are you still persuaded to make a cutout?
Regards, Peter
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At this scale and with these large transparencies, she's asking, no begging for some details to be added.
 
Peter and Johan,
Daniel had asked me the same question and I have 2 options.
Option 1, paint the inside of the canopy a light grey. Easiest option and least work.
Option 2, detail the cockpit from scratch… as only some cardboard cutouts are provided. This will require a lot of research and studying pictures. And a lot of parts to make.
However this also requires I make a substantial cutout in the main wing at the leading edge area.

Most likely I will choose option 2, but only time will tell.
 
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Dean62 said:
Just an fyi to those who may not know, I am currently working on my Norske Love ship and am continuing that build log.
I ordered some more balsa sheets to continue covering the P-38. I will get back to it at some point in the future. ;)
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How's delivery times in the States? Over here in the Netherlands it's highly interesting. Some orders arrive within a day or two, while others may take weeks to appear on one's doorstep.
(And there's the orders you forget to include and which are invariably critical for making progress...)
 
RDN1954 said:
How's delivery times in the States? Over here in the Netherlands it's highly interesting. Some orders arrive within a day or two, while others may take weeks to appear on one's doorstep.
(And there's the orders you forget to include and which are invariably critical for making progress...)
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If the order is being shipped within the states, it’s usually a few days to a week depending on distance. Anything from China is around 3 weeks! Other countries about 1 week. That’s been my experience.
 
Dean62 said:
If the order is being shipped within the states, it’s usually a few days to a week depending on distance. Anything from China is around 3 weeks! Other countries about 1 week. That’s been my experience.
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Not very different then.
The worst I've seen was from local sellers having to order the wanted parts from abroad. Leadtimes then went up to six, eight weeks. When customs is involved it becomes totally unpredictable.
 
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