Trumpeter 1/32 Lockheed P-38L Lightning
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Background
The P-38 Lightning started life as the Lockheed Model 22, the inspiration
of a young engineer by the name of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson,
who would later become Lockheed's chief engineer. The Army issued a 1935
requirement for an interceptor aircraft that could fly over 360 mph at
20,000 feet, fly at full throttle for over an hour, carry twice the armament
of current aircraft, and still operate from relatively short runways.
Johnson's XP-38 had a top speed of 417 mph at 20,000 feet, a range of
almost 1,400 miles, and could climb to 20,000 feet in an impressive (for
that time) 4.5 minutes.
The P-38 would grow and improve through operational experience. The
Luftwaffe dubbed the aircraft "The Fork-Tailed Devil" due to
their encounters with the Lightning. The Lightning was so fast that compressibility
flaps had to be added to late-model Lightnings to counter the adverse
affects of approaching the speed of sound during dives.
With its twin engines and long range, the P-38 was a natural for the
Pacific theater. The P-38J would become the high-altitude workhorse of
both theaters. Carrying a wide variety of air-to-ground armament, the
P-38J Lightning was a true 'swing fighter' able to sweep the skies of
enemy aircraft and tackle ground targets as well. The P-38L was the final
production version of the Lightning that standardized rocket loads with
Lockheed's new five-round "Rocket Tree" in addition to other
avionics updates. A total of 3,924 P-39Ls were produced before production
was halted with the end of the war.
The Kit
Wow!! I know I keep saying this with many of the new Trumpeter releases,
but I can't help it. This kit is literally hot off the presses, so hot
that Stevens International sent it without the box (which is why the title
graphic is just a gratuitous P-38 photo from my collection). Moreover,
the bloody thing is gorgeous!
The kit is molded in the usual Trumpeter light gray styrene, and of
course the scribed detailing is well done. There are 18 parts trees in
this kit (duplicate trees not shown) comprising 362 parts! The engineers
have taken care with the parts layout to keep the ejector pin marks away
from areas that would be visible after assembly.
As with other Trumpeter kits in this scale, the flaps and flight control
surfaces are positionable using the photo-etched hinges. Another photo-etched
fret is also included containing intake and exhaust radiator grilles.
And as with other Trumpeter kits in this scale, the two Allison engines
are highly detailed models unto themselves, complete with all of the plumbing
to/from the detailed radiators and superchargers. The level of detail
under both cowlings is some of the best yet from Trumpeter, but once again,
there is no provision in the kit for any open cowl panels nor clear panels
to see into the engine. The modeler will have to do a little surgery to
the kit's booms in order to display one or both engines, and with this
detail, you're going to want these cowlings open!
As with the real aircraft, the cockpit builds atop the nosewheel well.
The kit features photo-etched throttle, mixture and propeller pitch levers
for the nicely detailed throttle quadrant, and an equally detailed avionics
tray behind the pilot's seat. Even the unique boarding ladder that retracts
into the bottom of the fuselage is included.
A detailed gun bay that can be displayed with a removable panel rounds
out this highly detailed aircraft. External loadout is your choice of
drop tanks or bombs on the inboard pylons and the P-38L signature five-shot
rocket trees on the outboard wing panels. Given that these rocket launchers
are the main visible difference between the P-38L and the late-model P-38J,
it would be a simple matter to backdate the kit to a P-38J with the addition
of bazooka rocket launchers and/or whatever standard ordnance your P-38J
might carry.
Markings are provided for two aircraft:
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P-38L-5-LO, 36 FS/8 FG as flown by Major Donald Campbell
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P-38L-5-LO, 425568, 54 FS/343 FG, 'Itsy Bitsy II', as flown by Major
George Lavin Jr.
The color profiles in the kit (and likely all research for the decals)
were done by Eagle Editions.
Conclusion
I know, you don't want to hear this again, but WOW! It is hard to fathom
how Trumpeter can top itself with many of these releases, but this P-38L
is a beauty. I poked around at some of the key parts to see if there are
other variants on the horizon, but the wings don't have any additional
flashed over holes indicating a P-38J. The nose layout is such, however,
that an F-5E Recce Lightning might be possible - if not from Trumpeter,
I'd bet that an aftermarket house will conjure up a resin conversion.
As beautiful a kit as this is, I'll be we'll see the contest tables turn
into Lightning flightlines at Nationals this year.
My sincere thanks to Stevens International for this review sample!
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