Tomcat's Tamiya 1/48 P-38F
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2025 11:36 am
My contribution to the buddy build will be Tamiya's 1/48 P-38F/G
Introduction
Here's a quick introduction courtesy of the information provided with the kit along with photos picked up off t'internet
P-38 Overview
From the interwar years through WWII, the major global powers were engaged in intensive development of their military capability. While this of course included the development of twin-engine fighter aircraft, these were often no match for single-engine counterparts. There was one particularly conspicuous exception, however – the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, which created around a hundred U.S. aces in WWII including the top two in the listings.
The 1930s was a boom age of aircraft design, with modern features such as metal fuselages, retractable landing gear and turbochargers becoming commonplace. While America had turned somewhat inward after the horrors of WWI, planners in the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) were all too aware of the air programs of rival powers and understood the need for their own advanced high-altitude airplane to potentially take on modern bombers.
Lockheed stepped into the breach with what was one of their first military aircraft designs, dubbed the Model 22. They originally came up with no less than six alternative fuselage designs to incorporate what was then brand new turbocharger technology into their twin-engine aircraft. Concerns over overly complex turbocharger piping and excessive drag led Lockheed to adopt a rather unique blueprint that employed a central nacelle to house the pilot and weaponry, flanked by twin booms accommodating the engines with turbochargers behind. Development of the Model 22 continued in response to USAAC proposal X-608 in February 1937, and that June Lockheed were given the official OK to proceed with the prototype aircraft XP-38, which became the P-38.
The P-38 Design
The engines employed on the P-38 were 1,150hp liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 units, which were given counter-rotating propellers to combat engine torque. In fact, counter-clockwise rotating V-1710s were produced solely for the P-38, giving a glimpse of the awesome manufacturing capacity of the United States that would become a defining point of WWII. Intercoolers were installed in the leading edge of the wing.
All of the P-38’s heavy anti-bomber weaponry and rounds were stowed in the nose, an ideal location given the lack of propeller in the central nacelle. The typical P-38 ordnance was four 12.7mm machine guns and a 20mm autocannon, and the pilot maneuvered the aircraft using a control wheel.
The first flight was completed by the prototype XP-38 on January 27th 1939. Thereafter it was followed by the first production variants P-38D and E, and then what can be referred to as the combat variants: the P-38F and G, of which 527 and 1,082 were manufactured respectively. The F was fitted with 1,325hp V-1710-49/53 engines and a pylon under each of the wings that could carry a 1,000lb bomb or a 150-gallon drop tank. Midway through its production, the sidewards-opening canopy was redesigned to open rearwards for easier evacuation. G aircraft were given a further reliability boost with V-1710-51/55 engines and the capacity to load a 1,600lb bomb or 300-gallon drop tank.
The P-38 in Action
With longer range on account of their drop tanks, P-38s evolved beyond a bomber interceptor, into a versatile fighter. Perhaps its most famous hour came in 1943, when the U.S. learned of the April 18 flight plan of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Sixteen P-38Gs flew 700 kilometers each way to take out two bombers in the skies around Bougainville; one of them carried Yamamoto, whose death was a significant victory for the Allied war effort. One of the P-38Gs in the attack (which each carried one 300-gallon and one 150-gallon drop tank) was 43-2264 (“White 147”), believed to have downed Yamamoto’s Mitsubishi G4M. Other P-38 variants were also produced, such as F-4 and F-5 reconnaissance aircraft, the P-38M night fighter, and the Droop Snoot bomber.
As opposing fighters eventually caught up with the trailblazing P-38 Lightning it was given more bombing missions and continue to perform these with aplomb, underscoring the excellence of the P-38 design.
Lockheed P-38G Lightning Specifications
• Length: 11.53m
• Wingspan: 15.85m
• Engine: Allison V-1710-51/55
• Take-Off Power: 1,325hp
• Maximum Speed: 644 km/h
• Range: 3,862km (using drop tanks)
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns x 4; 20mm cannon x 1
• Total P-38 Production : 10,037 units
P-38 Overview
From the interwar years through WWII, the major global powers were engaged in intensive development of their military capability. While this of course included the development of twin-engine fighter aircraft, these were often no match for single-engine counterparts. There was one particularly conspicuous exception, however – the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, which created around a hundred U.S. aces in WWII including the top two in the listings.
The 1930s was a boom age of aircraft design, with modern features such as metal fuselages, retractable landing gear and turbochargers becoming commonplace. While America had turned somewhat inward after the horrors of WWI, planners in the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) were all too aware of the air programs of rival powers and understood the need for their own advanced high-altitude airplane to potentially take on modern bombers.
Lockheed stepped into the breach with what was one of their first military aircraft designs, dubbed the Model 22. They originally came up with no less than six alternative fuselage designs to incorporate what was then brand new turbocharger technology into their twin-engine aircraft. Concerns over overly complex turbocharger piping and excessive drag led Lockheed to adopt a rather unique blueprint that employed a central nacelle to house the pilot and weaponry, flanked by twin booms accommodating the engines with turbochargers behind. Development of the Model 22 continued in response to USAAC proposal X-608 in February 1937, and that June Lockheed were given the official OK to proceed with the prototype aircraft XP-38, which became the P-38.
The P-38 Design
The engines employed on the P-38 were 1,150hp liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 units, which were given counter-rotating propellers to combat engine torque. In fact, counter-clockwise rotating V-1710s were produced solely for the P-38, giving a glimpse of the awesome manufacturing capacity of the United States that would become a defining point of WWII. Intercoolers were installed in the leading edge of the wing.
All of the P-38’s heavy anti-bomber weaponry and rounds were stowed in the nose, an ideal location given the lack of propeller in the central nacelle. The typical P-38 ordnance was four 12.7mm machine guns and a 20mm autocannon, and the pilot maneuvered the aircraft using a control wheel.
The first flight was completed by the prototype XP-38 on January 27th 1939. Thereafter it was followed by the first production variants P-38D and E, and then what can be referred to as the combat variants: the P-38F and G, of which 527 and 1,082 were manufactured respectively. The F was fitted with 1,325hp V-1710-49/53 engines and a pylon under each of the wings that could carry a 1,000lb bomb or a 150-gallon drop tank. Midway through its production, the sidewards-opening canopy was redesigned to open rearwards for easier evacuation. G aircraft were given a further reliability boost with V-1710-51/55 engines and the capacity to load a 1,600lb bomb or 300-gallon drop tank.
The P-38 in Action
With longer range on account of their drop tanks, P-38s evolved beyond a bomber interceptor, into a versatile fighter. Perhaps its most famous hour came in 1943, when the U.S. learned of the April 18 flight plan of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Sixteen P-38Gs flew 700 kilometers each way to take out two bombers in the skies around Bougainville; one of them carried Yamamoto, whose death was a significant victory for the Allied war effort. One of the P-38Gs in the attack (which each carried one 300-gallon and one 150-gallon drop tank) was 43-2264 (“White 147”), believed to have downed Yamamoto’s Mitsubishi G4M. Other P-38 variants were also produced, such as F-4 and F-5 reconnaissance aircraft, the P-38M night fighter, and the Droop Snoot bomber.
As opposing fighters eventually caught up with the trailblazing P-38 Lightning it was given more bombing missions and continue to perform these with aplomb, underscoring the excellence of the P-38 design.
Lockheed P-38G Lightning Specifications
• Length: 11.53m
• Wingspan: 15.85m
• Engine: Allison V-1710-51/55
• Take-Off Power: 1,325hp
• Maximum Speed: 644 km/h
• Range: 3,862km (using drop tanks)
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns x 4; 20mm cannon x 1
• Total P-38 Production : 10,037 units
The Kit
Onto the kit
I was actually surprised to find that this was originally released in 2019 - I could have sworn it was more recent than that, but it's been lurking in my stash for almost six years.
The instructions include an overview with a diagram of the major components
The sprue frames were all bagged separately except for the duplicated frames
Instruction book which runs to 54 build sections, plus decals and ball bearings for nose & nacelle weight
Finally there is a double-sided glossy A3 sheet with full details of the two colour schemes available. Option A is for a P-38G that took part in the Yamamoto mission and is probably the more historically significant aircraft, but that's a plain Olive Drab over Grey scheme (as shown in the box art) so I'm going for Option B, the P-38F shown here, as I like the blue propeller bosses & shark mouth markings
I was actually surprised to find that this was originally released in 2019 - I could have sworn it was more recent than that, but it's been lurking in my stash for almost six years.
The instructions include an overview with a diagram of the major components
The sprue frames were all bagged separately except for the duplicated frames
Instruction book which runs to 54 build sections, plus decals and ball bearings for nose & nacelle weight
Finally there is a double-sided glossy A3 sheet with full details of the two colour schemes available. Option A is for a P-38G that took part in the Yamamoto mission and is probably the more historically significant aircraft, but that's a plain Olive Drab over Grey scheme (as shown in the box art) so I'm going for Option B, the P-38F shown here, as I like the blue propeller bosses & shark mouth markings
as mentioned a very nice kit top draw Tamiya, so no pressure Neil 
