P-38J Lightning

The Italeri P-38J Lightning finished to depict “BAMBI” of 55th FG 338th Fighter Squadron in its D-Day ground attack role.

I’ve painted a set of July 1944 invasion stripes and had to quite a bit of cutting and filing to rework the undercarriage flaps to go for the wheels up config as one of my scale modelling buddies, mr.airfox asked for.

The undercarriage and wheels are actually very nicely moulded but in order to avoid the inevitable tail sitter issues this will be mounted on a stand. 

As I’ve messed with Italeri’s plans to have their kit  finished with undercarriage lowered, I’m not now going to be able to display their lovely detailed cockpit interior with open canopy as many others have done.  An aircraft in flight, after all, has to have a pilot so I’ve had to raid my spares box! 

It looks good and sleek in the painted plastic but difficult to really see its beauty on its stand. I fitted drop tanks as just after D-Day Allied planes were still flying the channel as airfields were built and just check out those rocket launchers!