P-38, jet powered, project BUNSEN- finished

[kerick]

Ditto about the new nose. Makes it look faster even when standing still.

[Captain Canada]

Agreed. The new nose does look good....sleeker. Wonder if it will even be noticeable once the guns are in tho ?

[sandiego89]

Thanks guys, yes the nose does actually look better with the 88 nose cone. Tempting me to do a different weapon set up. Perhaps a pair of 20mm? Photo recon? Hmmmmm.  Thanks to the carpet monster for giving me this dilemma.

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks positively good! 

[sandiego89]

Complete, turbojet powered P-38, with twin Welland engines.

Project BUNSEN called for us manufactures to quickly adopt existing aircraft to jet power.  Several Welland engines were shipped to the US and were built under license by General Electric.

BUNSEN guidelines issued in 1943 called for minimal airframe changes as possible, with the desire that aircraft could be switched to jet power at overseas depots, or at stateside modification centers, without a disruption to production lines.

Below is the Lockheed prototype rolled out at Burbank.

The Kit- a very old Matchbox 1/72 kit found on the bargain bin at a local hobby shop.  Forward nacelles from a 1/48 me-262.  New jet pipes from bent aluminum, and some cockpit mods.  I wanted to keep this one simple, in honor of the BUNSEN guidelines and in keeping with a rather basic kit. 

[PR19_Kit]

Pretty impressive, that is. I like it. 

[FAR148]

I like the way you think. Very Cool 

[Tophe]

Marvelous!

[zenrat]

Great.

[Tophe]

Interesting project! I plan to draw the final result in my gallery of fantasy Lightnings.

I've done it... with further developments, less easy to include on the production line but maybe more adapted to the jet(s):

Thanks again, sandiego89!

[sandiego89]

Thank you Tophe, those look great.

Thanks for the comments guys.  I enjoyed the project, I could have gone hog wild on it, but kept it simple.  My first use of bent aluminum, and no I won't go into how to pronounce it correctly. 

Dave- sandiego89

[NARSES2]

I like that mate - nice one 

[McGreig]

I really like this, especially your solution to the jet exhausts 

[Captain Canada]

Nice work ! She looks awesome finished....love the colours as well. Would have been quite the surprise for the enemy when that showed up out over the battlefield !

[kerick]

The bent exhaust pipes make me think turbo prop.
Excellent build! Great idea, great execution.