1:72 P-38J

The real subject

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is one of the most striking aircraft of the Second World War. Instead of the usual fuselage it has a short central nacelle with the cockpit, and from it two booms run back, ending in tails joined by a common horizontal surface. The armament sits together in the nose of the nacelle, so the fire did not have to converge on a single point as with weapons spread along the wing and was effective at longer range too. On the J version, prominent chin coolers appeared under the engines, by which this form of the aircraft is easy to recognize.

What the set offers

Photo-etching is a thin metal sheet with the parts etched into it. The items come out a few tenths of a millimeter thick and replace the places where a plastic part is inevitably thicker than the real thing would be: the instrument panel, the seat harness, grilles, handles and small fittings. In the small 1:72 scale this difference shows above all in the cockpit and in the wheel bays. Which parts of the model the set covers and which P-38 kit it is tuned for are given in the maker's instructions.

Working with thin sheet

Separate the items with a sharp blade on a hard surface; shears twist the sheet and leave an uneven edge. Make the bends along the marked score, ideally in a bender. They are bonded with a small amount of super glue, as cement for polystyrene will not join metal. Before painting, degrease the metal and coat it with a primer for metal, otherwise the layer cracks. Fit the cockpit parts before you close the nacelle.

• a photo-etched metal set for a model of the P-38J Lightning
• 1:72 scale
• items a few tenths of a millimeter thick for the cockpit and other fine places
• separated with a blade, bent along the marked scores
• bonded with super glue; the metal is degreased and primed

Terms of supply

What is supplied is the photo-etched set. The model, glue, paints and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.