In Box Review of Airfix 1/72nd Scale
Lockheed P-38F Lightning Fighter
Kit no. 03018-0
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
This kit first was released in 1958 twice. Again in 1964-1967-1971 and 1972. In the 1970's and 1980's (twice) it eas re-released under the MPC label. My kit has a copyright date of 1975. I paid a whopping $2.49 for it then.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
This kit first was released in 1958 twice. Again in 1964-1967-1971 and 1972. In the 1970's and 1980's (twice) it eas re-released under the MPC label. My kit has a copyright date of 1975. I paid a whopping $2.49 for it then.
HISTORY:
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American piston-engined fighter aircraft. developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Allied propaganda claimed it had been nicknamed the fork-tailed devil (German: 'der Gabelschwanz-Teufel') by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" by the Japanese.The P-38 was used for interception, dive-bombing, level bombing, ground attack, night fighting, photo reconnaissance, radar and visual pathfinding for bombers and evacuation missions and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings.
The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the aircraft of America's top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories), Thomas McGuire (38 victories) and Charles H. MacDonald (36 victories).
In the South West Pacific Theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of United States Army Air Force until the appearance of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs, toward the end of the war.
The P-38 was unusually quiet for a fighter, the exhaust muffled by the turbo-supercharges. It was extremely forgiving and could be mishandled in many ways but the rate of roll in the early versions was too slow for it to excel as a dogfighter.The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in production throughout American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor to Victory over Japan Day.
At the end of the war, orders for 1,887 more were cancelled.
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American piston-engined fighter aircraft. developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Allied propaganda claimed it had been nicknamed the fork-tailed devil (German: 'der Gabelschwanz-Teufel') by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" by the Japanese.The P-38 was used for interception, dive-bombing, level bombing, ground attack, night fighting, photo reconnaissance, radar and visual pathfinding for bombers and evacuation missions and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings.
The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the aircraft of America's top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories), Thomas McGuire (38 victories) and Charles H. MacDonald (36 victories).
In the South West Pacific Theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of United States Army Air Force until the appearance of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs, toward the end of the war.
The P-38 was unusually quiet for a fighter, the exhaust muffled by the turbo-supercharges. It was extremely forgiving and could be mishandled in many ways but the rate of roll in the early versions was too slow for it to excel as a dogfighter.The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in production throughout American involvement in the war, from Pearl Harbor to Victory over Japan Day.
At the end of the war, orders for 1,887 more were cancelled.
THE KIT:
Airfix is an old prolific model company based in the UK. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The box art shows 2 P-38F's dog fighting with Japanese Zero's. The P-38 in the foreground is olive drab over light grey undercarraige, with white 33 on the rudder and the sides of the nose and a yellow S behind the fuselage star on the booms. It has a shark mouth on the engines.
One side panel show a color box art for a Jetstream kit Airfix alos markets. No kit number is given. I assume this kit is 1/72nd scale ??
Two more box arts are on the other side panel: a D.H.C. Beaver and a Vought Crusader II.
Airfix is an old prolific model company based in the UK. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The box art shows 2 P-38F's dog fighting with Japanese Zero's. The P-38 in the foreground is olive drab over light grey undercarraige, with white 33 on the rudder and the sides of the nose and a yellow S behind the fuselage star on the booms. It has a shark mouth on the engines.
One side panel show a color box art for a Jetstream kit Airfix alos markets. No kit number is given. I assume this kit is 1/72nd scale ??
Two more box arts are on the other side panel: a D.H.C. Beaver and a Vought Crusader II.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 9 medium grey trees, medium grey loose lower wings halves, 2 clear trees, the decal sheet and the instructions. Parts are not cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 7 1/2" x 19 1/2" page format, folded to fit the box.
One side of the sheet begins with international assembly symbol explanations and special instructions in 3 languages, including English, followed by the history of the Lightning followed by general instructions in 4 languages and two 3-vies for schemes:
1. The box art scheme (already described above)
2. A P-38F in olive drab over slate grey under carraige with yellow fuselage code ES-L. It has a blue spinner.
The other side of the instruction sheet has 6 assembly steps on it.
The trees are not alphabetized and there are no parts illustrations in the instructions. There are no number tabs next to the parts on the trees. Bad move Airfix.
The 1st medium grey tree holds: the nose cone, pilot figure, outer elevator sections, spinners, landing gear legs, dashboard etc. (22 parts)
This kit contains 9 medium grey trees, medium grey loose lower wings halves, 2 clear trees, the decal sheet and the instructions. Parts are not cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 7 1/2" x 19 1/2" page format, folded to fit the box.
One side of the sheet begins with international assembly symbol explanations and special instructions in 3 languages, including English, followed by the history of the Lightning followed by general instructions in 4 languages and two 3-vies for schemes:
1. The box art scheme (already described above)
2. A P-38F in olive drab over slate grey under carraige with yellow fuselage code ES-L. It has a blue spinner.
The other side of the instruction sheet has 6 assembly steps on it.
The trees are not alphabetized and there are no parts illustrations in the instructions. There are no number tabs next to the parts on the trees. Bad move Airfix.
The 1st medium grey tree holds: the nose cone, pilot figure, outer elevator sections, spinners, landing gear legs, dashboard etc. (22 parts)
The 2nd medium grey tree holds: drop tanks, wheel well walls, propeller hubs, lower cowling panels etc. (11 parts)
The 3rd medium grey tree holds: propellers, nose and main wheels, superchargers, cockpit floor etc. (17 parts)
The 4th medium grey tree holds, the lower central fuselage half, cockpit backrest, seat, cowling panels etc. (6 parts)
The 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th medium grey trees each hold a fuselage boom half.
The medium grey tree that holds the one piece upper wing half is loose.
The 9th medium grey tree holds the lower wing parts.
The 1st clear parts tree holds: the canopy and light lenses (3 parts)
The 2nd clear parts tree holds the 2 parts of the display stand. However, the upright arm of this is missing in my kit. This is no big deal, because I never have used any of these darn things.
Parts are not cello bagged. Flaps are molded solid and the canopy molded shut. The kit has a heavy rivet pattern and those and the panel lines are of the raised variety.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents. Although the kit came with a frosted sheet to protect the face of the decal from scratching, the sheet was floating around loose in the box and not protecting a darn thing. So, I stapled it to the decal sheet.
Parts are not cello bagged. Flaps are molded solid and the canopy molded shut. The kit has a heavy rivet pattern and those and the panel lines are of the raised variety.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents. Although the kit came with a frosted sheet to protect the face of the decal from scratching, the sheet was floating around loose in the box and not protecting a darn thing. So, I stapled it to the decal sheet.
This is a nice older kit of a popular aircraft subject.
Recommended.
Recommended.
I bought my kit for a song at my local hobby shop years ago and am willing to sell it for a decent offer.