Reviewed by Rodger Kelly
 

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FirstLook

CED48203 is the lead sheet of a new series from Cutting Edge Modelworks that will cover the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.  Markings are provided for three machines. 

P-38G (no serial number given) "TOMMIE'S/LUCK PENNY" as flown by Lieutenant Sidney W. Weatherford of the 48^th Fighter Squadron, 14^th Fighter Group in the North African theatre in August of 1943.  Finish is olive drab over neutral grey with red-bordered national insignia.  Markings comprise: 

• Yellow names "TOMMIE'S" AND "LUCKY PENNY"

• Yellow 11 plane in squadron number.

• A scoreboard consisting of five white swastikas.

• Nose-art comprising an Indian's head wearing a war bonnet

• The red bordered national insignia.

• Red No-Step stencil warnings placards (for the canopy).

P-38L-1 (no serial given) "Billy's Filly" as flown by Lieutenant William Fowkes of the 12^th Fighter Squadron, 18^th Fighter Group out of Zamboanga in the Philippines.  The aircraft is in overall natural metal finish with blue spinner caps, bands around the rear of the fuselage booms and trim.  The boom mounted intakes also sport blue chequers as do the sides of the engine cowlings.  Markings comprise:

• Nose art in the form of a scantily clad female with the words "Billy's Filly".

• The chequers for the intake.  These markings are provided as three-part decals to ease placement.  I'm sure that getting applied correctly these will provide hours of fun.

• The blue bands for the fuselage booms.  These bands have a thin black border.

• 218 plane in squadron number.  This marking is provided as two decals so that you overlay the black one onto the red one to produce the 218 as black with a red border.

• The smaller blue chequers for the sides of the engine cowlings.

• A fair amount of stencil data in red and black.

P-38L-5 44-25600 of the 432^nd Fighter Squadron 475^th Fighter Group.  The markings depict the aircraft when it was being flown by Captain Elliott Summer in 1945.  The machine is in overall natural metal finish with yellow trim and the rear of the spinners in the same yellow.  Markings consist of:

• Black outlined yellow 140 plane-in-squadron number for the outer surfaces of the engine cowlings and vertical stabilizers.

• 432^nd Fighter Squadron insignia for the nose.  Two of these markings are provided and the accompanying notes sheet advises that it was unsure if the markings were carried on both sides of the nose.

• A green four-leaf clover for the nose cap.

• Yellow stripes with thin black outlines for the tail booms.

• Yellow tips for the tops and bottoms of the vertical stabilizers.  The placement sheet advises that two sets of these markings are provided, one with a thin black stripe and one without.  I could only find one set on the decal sheet.

• A small amount of stencil data in red and black.

• A black scoreboard.  This marking is supplied in two parts – the black background with the pilot and crew chief's names in yellow and ten white squares over which you apply a separate decal that comprises the red of the Japanese rising sun flag to complete the kill marking.  A further black background is also supplied for the right hand side but it does not bear any further markings.

Two sets of national markings are provided.  One set has the red boarders for the first option and the other two options have to share a single set of blue bordered ones. 

Decal placement is guided by an A-4 sized sheet that shows colour side profiles of each option as well as a top plan view of the olive drab option and a top view of a natural metal finish option.  Note that the olive drab option incorrectly shows a blue bordered national insignia.  These is also a smaller single-sided sheet that provides instructions on how to apply the decals as well as matches of popular model paints to olive drab and neutral grey and brief notes on each aircraft. 

The decals look like they have been printed by Microscale.  Everything is in perfect register and there is minimal decal film surrounding each design. 

The decals, placement and notes sheet are all packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

The recommended kits are the Hasegawa and Academy/Minicraft ones. 

A nice sheet from Cutting Edge.  Especially welcome is the inclusion of the stencil data. 

Recommended.

Thanks to Cutting Edge Modelworks for the review samples..

Review Copyright © 2003 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 30 August, 2003
Last updated 03 September, 2003

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