INTERMEDIATE BUILD
P-38J LIGHTNINGINTERMEDIATE BUILD
P-38J LIGHTNING78 Airfi x Model World“
D
er Gableschwanz
Teufl”, or ‘Forked-
tailed devil’ was
the phrase one
surrendering German pilot
repeated while pointing skyward at
a P-38 Lightning.
Lockheed’s twin-boomed fighter
had impressive speed and was
armed with four .50 cal machine
guns plus a 20mm cannon
and, after troubled beginnings,
went on to become a terror to
German bomber crews over the
skies of Europe. Unfortunately,a lack of manoeuvrability made
them comparatively easy prey
for German fighters, so the type
became a long-range escort,
bomber, photo-reconnaissance
and ground-attack aircraft. The
P-38 was the only American fighter
aircraft in large-scale production
from Pearl Harbor until the
Japanese surrender in 1945.Much maligned
Hasegawa first introduced its
1/48 Lightning in the early 1990s,
but despite the initial positivewelcome, it soon developed a
reputation as being a challenging
build, due to alignment issues.
When asked to write an article
on this kit, trepidation was the
word that came to mind, having
shelved a previous boxing myself,
many years ago. But the editor
simply said: “Prove it can be built
and show how corrections can
be made.” With those words, the
journey began.
This particular iteration was
part of a limited-edition box-set
‘The Seven Aces of WWII’, whichoffered seven kits plus eight
resin figures, but the basic kit
is also available via Hasegawa’s
P-38J Lightning ‘Virginia Marie’
(HAJT01). It comprised 143 parts,
129 in light grey styrene plus 14
transparencies, and moulding
quality was typical of Hasegawa,
with finely recessed panel lines
on exterior surfaces and all
runners bagged individually
to avoid damage. A full-colour
painting guide accompanied the
four-page instructions, and the
kit decals provided markingsWayne Dippold weathers the storm with
Hasegawa’s much-maligned 1/48 P-38 Lightning
S ripe S ripe
Wayne Dippold weathers the storm with
Hasegawa’s much-maligned 1/48 P-38 Lightning
S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe S ripe
As supplied, there was a
‘lip’ between the canopy and
fuselage, which was abraded
with a file until the part
conformed with the airframe.Detail was removed from
the mating surfaces of the
main gear bay walls, which
allowed the parts to fit
properly with the ‘roof’.