Meteor ... Bodge? Mash-up?

[Scotaidh]

I came home from Wonderfest some years ago with a  complete (glued together) 1/48 Meteor fuselage  with one tail-plane and ragged holes where the other wings had been ... It was a donor part for Iron Modeler, and my 'fee' for helping to clean up the aftermath of that madness was as many of the extra parts I could physically bring home. 


Growing up I had very limited access to kits, so I treasure things like these, and try to figure out some way to make it whole again.  I may have a way, by using parts never meant for this aircraft - I found in my stash a complete wing sans engines for a 1/48 Lockheed Lightning that I reckoned, with enough surgery, I could transplant.  It nestles up into the Meteor, no problem


A pilot and cockpit from my parts bin will go nicely enough, and I have some pen barrels from a $$ store that are the perfect shape.  I'll try and source a canopy from Squadron.  Other pen parts and some wheels are on deck for engine gubbins so it's not just empty holes.

My only question now is the tail-plane.  I have a complete one from a 1/72 Victor that, cut in halves, might fit the bill; or I could use the existing stabilizer as a template to make a replica from card-stock.  That's in hand - PSR awaits! 

So here's the lot (sans pilot who is in the lounge) (the grey & yellow bit on the right is the replica tail-plane) :

[Wardukw]

Hey ya matey 😉 😀
This is a ture kit mash up and this im gonna enjoy ..right up my alley of interest   

[Scotaidh]

The biggest problems so far are because of the pen barrels - they're completely empty, and they're just too large to snuggle into the P-38's nacelles ... so gubbins must be bodged.  Normally I'd just stuff some black foam in the engine spaces and call it good - and it usually works fine on 1/72 scale, but it completely doesn't for 1/48. 

Empty engines


Gubbins being ... um, gubbed, but the foam will work to center the gubbins inside the engine tube.  The whole lot will be painted flat black prior to being installed.  I'm contemplating something a bit more sexy to cap the front wire-nut.



I'd thought to leave the back end of the cockpit fairing to help locate the wings into the fuselage, but alas - it all had to be cut away.   So did the nacelle interior to allow the engine even a hope of fitting,  It does now, mostly, so the struggle was not in vain and the way forward is ... if not clear, at least less murky. 

[Tophe]

I found in my stash a complete wing sans engines for a 1/48 Lockheed Lightning that I reckoned, with enough surgery, I could transplant.  It nestles up into the Meteor, no problem

Everything with Lockheed Lightning parts may interest me. We will see the result

[kerick]

Cool!

[loupgarou]

Looks like a quite interesting Frankenstein! 

[mexchiwa]

Could you fit the P-38 wing inverted?  Landing here (maybe) where the turbos were?  Or dumb idea?

[Wardukw]

P-38..twin engined..pile of bits mash up..what is nit to love about this 😍
What I have in mind ( already have all the parts    )
is a pretty serious re-do of a P-38 and its might just be my second build for the Re-engined GB.
Scotaidh mate ya got the spark ignited again 😀

[Scotaidh]

P-38..twin engined..pile of bits mash up..what is nit to love about this 😍
What I have in mind ( already have all the parts    )
is a pretty serious re-do of a P-38 and its might just be my second build for the Re-engined GB.
Scotaidh mate ya got the spark ignited again 😀

Oh, dear! 

[Wardukw]

P-38..twin engined..pile of bits mash up..what is nit to love about this 😍
What I have in mind ( already have all the parts    )
is a pretty serious re-do of a P-38 and its might just be my second build for the Re-engined GB.
Scotaidh mate ya got the spark ignited again 😀

Oh, dear! 

😀😀😄👍

[Scotaidh]

It's PSR time ... not my favourite, but still - has to be done!    Trying to fair the engine tubes into the pre-molded, part-of-the-wing nacelle locations is ... fun.  I've run out of Tamiya putty and am back on my old standby, Squadron Green.  This, too, shall pass ... someday.

[Wardukw]

That's looking pretty damn good so far matey 👍
The cool factor is pretty high right now 😀

[Scotaidh]

You've seen my beautiful engine casings, but I wanted something to put in those casings.  What I tried earlier didn't work - I couldn't make the things sit straight within the casings.  I've been trying to work out how to best fake jet engines without making an actual engine, and to do it within my means, which are limited.  I needed something that would align properly, to be close enough to the center to be believable. 

Knitting needles are too pointy to be realistic.  I thought about just calling them "Dyson Engines" bit figured that was a cop-out ...



But then I realized I was making it too hard for myself.  I already had the wire nuts and the wire - I just needed to get rid of the centre bit of square stuff and replace it all with black foam.  Now that's done, I think it looks great.  Onward and all that! 

Here's my new engine gubbins:


One engine "equipped" and the other a 'dyson' ...


I tried to get a shot of the exhaust end, but ... trust me, it's in there!

[PR19_Kit]

I like the Dysons myself. 

But I probably, couldn't afford one....................

[Old Wombat]

I like the Dysons myself. 

But I probably, couldn't afford one....................

Nor could Boeing or Airbus, which is why they quietly faded away after the over-hyped fanfare of their introduction.