P-38 LIghtning, Droop Snoot, Conversion, part 2

 

The P-38 Droop Snoot doesn't exist in 1/72. Here, I continue its conversion. I made the mold of the bomber's nose and thermoformed it with acetate from a supermarket meat tray.

 The pieces were now in place, adhered with white glue, and reinforced with epoxy modeling clay.

The nose was filled with acrylic filler to match. 

With the basic paint job complete, several coats of varnish are applied. I begin with the insignia.

Now for the air intakes. The Airfix model is a P38F, and the Droop is a conversion of a P-38J. I also built them with epoxy modeling clay. This sculpting process is quick and easy, but the drying time is not. I'm almost finished with the stars. The last correction is the toothpick tips.

I build the propellers on a metal axis (a nail), using acetate and epoxy modeling clay.

 

Once the model is finished, I apply another generous amount of varnish, in several coats, and place it inside a clear box to dry.

Ya terminado el modelo, le aplico otra generosa cantidad de barniz, en varias capas y lo pongo dentro de una caja transparente a secar

P-38 LIghtning, Droop Snoot, Conversion, part 1

 

One of my old 1/32 scale models was the Droop Snoot, a field-modified version of the P-38J that would serve as a Pathfinder bomber guide. Equipped with a Norden Secret Sight, it could signal bombers where to drop their cargo, either by having them all bomb as soon as they saw the leader do so, or by using flares or incendiaries to indicate the target.

I've decided to recreate it in 1/72 scale, using the Airfix Lodela model, which will require some radical changes, to begin with. There are no aftermarket models for this scale, so I'll have to use old-school scratch techniques.

 

First, the nose is different, very different. To incorporate a navigator, the Norden sight, a pair of portholes, and a bomber nose, which involves building them, since they are so different, I make a structure out of plastic rods from branches.

Now I shape them, filling them with epoxy modeling clay and sculpting them into the appropriate shape. This takes time, as it's a material that needs to be allowed to dry properly.

P-40 Collection 1/72

This is almost my entire collection of P-40s, from a Monogram P-36 to a P-40N curiously also from Monogram, although I suspect it is the old Aurora mold, I have old Lodela from the Optional Line for Collectors and Frog, also a new Hasegawa, P-40B / C / E / F / K / M / N, Tomahaw and Warhawk, I almost complete all the countries, although mixing the models in 1/144, 

 I still need some Egypt, Belgium, Holland, the one captured by Germany and the Finland, along with a fantastic one of Sky Captain and the one of John Wayne from the movie Flying Tigers, I have heard of one captured by Communist China and of course the P-40 Phantom, an Internet myth, but very good for modeling, also I am missing the P-40Q, which I will have to do from Scratch, as well as the experimental XP-42, 46 and 60.

I still need to photograph a few scattered pieces, along with the 1/144 and 1/48 copies.

 

The collection in its displays.

 

Mirage IIIE, Revell, 1/72, RAAF

 

 

I really like Australian-themed models. I already have a respectable number of models on that subject. One of the first was this Mirage III, from Lodela, one of Revell's lost molds. I assembled it in the 80s when the model came out in Mexico, based on the image of a RAAF aircraft in a book by Gunston.

I don't remember what paint I used, possibly Pactra, as at that time, the aftermarket didn't exist, I painted the badges, the only way to have models that didn't have the standardization of mass production. This became customary, so much so that I think that in my collection of Mirages almost none are direct from the stock market.

P-1D Mustang, Texas Terror, Revell's Collector's Choice

 This is a very old model, it has been in my collection for decades, it is from Lodela, from the Special Line for collectors, which I assembled in my childhood, in fact, it is the first one I finished with extended landing gear, because for me, since I was very young, it has seemed to me that the normal situation of an airplane is in flight, so almost all my collection is like that, except for rare, "commemorative" models, like this one.

And this one celebrates an era in my life, the era of Secondary School, that last moment of lack of responsibility in life, when the border between the carefreeness of childhood is replaced by the audacity of youth, when you change spending your weekends at home, painting and assembling for going to the cinema or in my time to the Disco, with some beautiful woman.

The model, as I said, is Lodela, 1/72 scale, the paint is Pactra (Green) and Lodela (Aluminum), the decals are the originals, the whole model was retouched by here and there, with El Viejo Marino Paint, only small peels and the darkening of the white, at that time I did not varnish my models.