1:48 P-38H

A transitional series overtaken by winter over Europe

The Lightning in the H version was given stronger engines, but the intercooling stayed the old one. The leading edges of the wing could not carry away as much heat as the new powerplants demanded, and pilots were therefore allowed to hold full power only for a limited time. The solution came only with the next version, which was given massive radiators under the propeller spinners and a new silhouette of the engine nacelles.

Thirty thousand feet and frost in the cockpit

It was precisely this series that in the autumn of 1943 entered the fighting over western Europe as the first of all the Lightnings. It turned out that the cockpit heating had been designed for the Pacific: at the altitudes of escort flights temperatures fell far below freezing, pilots' hands went numb and the oil in the system thickened so much that engine failures multiplied. A number of machines did not come back because of the equipment, not because of the opponent. Something over six hundred were built and in front-line service more modern examples very quickly replaced them.

What the masks are for

The glazing of the Lightning is intricate and blocking it out by hand with tape is slow. Pre-cut film follows the frames, holds in place and after peeling leaves a sharp edge to the paint. The inner pieces keep the frames from looking like clear plastic when seen from above, and the insignia masks then replace stuck-on stars with a sprayed version.

• Wash the glass with lukewarm water before sticking the film on and let it dry completely.
• Spray square to the surface; an oblique coat runs under the edge.
• Peeling is easier if you lift the film with the tip of a scalpel.