[Serpiko]

PROS:
- Option to build the unusual M (nightfighter) version
- Internal parts (guns and engines) included
- Excellent decals

CONS:
- Old kit
- Detail level is below current standards
- Fitting problems
- Not for beginners


THE PLANE

You all probably know more than me about the P-38L, so I'm just spending a few words about the less-known P-38M.
In order to face Japanese night bombing raids, in late 1944 seventy-five P-38Ls were converted into a dedicated night fighter version, designated as P-38M. A radar pod was added just under the nose, and the cockpit was modified to host a radar operator behind the pilot (with a new canopy which, IMO, gives the plane a "camel" profile ). The armament remained unchanged, with the chance to carry droptanks and/or rocket launchers under the wings.
Anyway, despite crew training began in january 1945, when the first P-38M became operative the war was already over, so none of them saw active service.



THE KIT

This Revell release comes in a pretty large box with a wonderful boxart. Unfortunately, taking a look inside, the content is less exciting.
Two big grey sprues carry all pieces, a transparent sprue carries the two alternative canopies, and the decals sheet provides 100+ detailed decals for either one L or one M version. The included internals are the most noticeable feature of this kit: engine and gun bays come with separate cowlings, so their interior can be exposed. In fact, not only are pieces for both Allison engines (with their mounts) provided, but there's also the Hispano cannon and the four MGs, plus their ammo belts, to fill the nose.
So far, it sounds nice. What's wrong then? Well, as stated by a nasty raised mark under the inner left flap (which will be visible, unless you sand it off), the molds date 1982! Nowadays, such an old kit clearly shows its age. Raised lines, glossy plastic, plenty of flash and injection marks, and an overall detail which is sub-par even compared to many kits from the '90s. This, of course, also affects the internals, thus reducing the extra value they may add.
The instructions sheet has ten A4 pages, but only 4 of them are actually dedicated to the building (29 steps).



BUILDING

Revell rates the difficulty of this kit 4 out of 5. That's right: IMO the subject itself, even with internals, would be a 3, but the kit requires extra work that is worth the extra point.
Note that internal parts aren't optional, but mandatory: even if you want to build all cowlings closed, the propellers require engines to be in their place (otherwise you will have to glue them or fix them with a pin), and if you don't build the gun group you won't have the muzzles protruding from the nose.
Another IMPORTANT thing: not a kit fault, but the model tends to be very unbalanced. This bird's ass is heavy! If you build the gear lowered, you need to add weight - A LOT of weight - in the front area, or your P-38 will be sitting on its tail. Unfortunately, there's not much room: places where you can put some weight are engines interior, right side of the gun bay, nose tip, leading edge interior and, in case, inside droptanks (front end) and radar pod. Fill EVERY place you can: trust me, when you think you've put enough weight, add some more. I put no less than 19 lead pellets (4.5mm air carbine rounds) inside my model, and it's barely enough!
Since I had no P-38s yet, I built the classic L version.

COCKPIT AND GUNS: a single piece is the "heart" of the central nacelle, as it is the base support for cockpit parts, internal guns and front gear leg.
Apart from the alternative canopies, L and M cockpits are only different in one piece behind the pilot's seat, so if you change your mind, you could be able to change your version of choice "on the run". Cockpit walls are sadly flat, nothing special with seat and stick, the gauges panel has a nice dedicated decal, but once the job is finished it will be almost invisible. There are two pilot figures but, at least in my kit, the pilot had a hole in his stomach, while the RIO is molded holding his, ehm, "jewels" with the right hand, so I left them both apart.
Now the weaponry: the 4 MGs must be glued onto the piece featuring the Hispano cannon and its ammo box (each MG has its own slot, they aren't exchangeable). Then this block is to be set on the main structure, and the MG ammo belts are to be added on the left side.



WINGS: the lower side of the wings is split in three pieces: right wing, left wing, and a central section with the lower side of the central nacelle. The upper side, instead, is a big single piece from wingtip to wingtip, including part of the fuselages with exhausts detail. Good thing, IMO: this makes the whole thing sturdier, allowing you to safely handle the finished model by a single wing (despite the added weight).
The upper piece will also help you to find the correct position of the cockpit-guns block inside the central nacelle. Try dry fitting first! Also, depending on the version, you need to add either a "normal" (L) or "tall" (M) cockpit rear section.

NOSE AREA: here come the troubles, as this part of the job is much like a "3D puzzle". You get the nose cone (gun muzzles must pass through its holes), right and left gun bay cowlings, a lower piece that goes between the gear bay and the nose cone, and a small rectangle that will fill the gap between the cowling and the windscreen (why these two "gap fillers" come as separate pieces, instead of being molded with the main nacelle structure, is a mistery to me). Fitting becomes a problem here: some slicing and adjustment work is required to make the right cowling (necessarily closed) fit in a way that won't interfere with the nose cone, while its curve doesn't correctly match that of the nacelle. As you can see in the pics, the result I got is far from perfect. Anyway, we could pass over this, since this model is best seen from its left side with the exposed weaponry, right?... Actually, you'll probably find that guns MUST be exposed, because the left cowling is too small: as the WIP pic shows, when it's closed it leaves about a 1mm gap all around itself, thus forcing you to leave it open!



ENGINES, FUSELAGES AND TAIL: each engine is split in two halves: before joining them, you have to put the pin that will support the rotating propeller in its place. Then, you can add engine mounts on both sides of each engine.
Fuselages come split in halves as well, the outer half of each one having a separate engine cowling. First, you need to fix engines into their bays on the two inner halves, then you can add the outer halves. Luckily, things are easier this time: Engines fit correctly in their bays, and the edges of fuselage halves match without major problems. The same for the two frontal parts with the intakes.
Unfortunately, the fitting between the fuselages and the wing section is not that good, leaving wide gaps and offset edges. Puttying and sanding will be required to fix them. Make sure fuselages are parallel and straight, so that you don't end up with a twisted tail (this, alone, would make the model look crappy).
Engine cowlings, though not perfect, can fit decently after a little slicing job. Each propeller consists of three parts: a piece with the blades must be enclosed between front and rear side of the spinner. The assembled propellers are easily fixed onto the pins protruding from the engines.

GEAR AND CANOPY: while the front gear door can either be fixed open or closed, the kit provides two alternative main gear doors sets.
If you are building the model wheels up, just close the holes under the fuselages with door panels. Instead, to build the gear lowered, you get two separate main gear bay pieces: they fit (decently) into the fuselages and, while having no internal details, they have the gear doors molded open at the correct angle.
All gear legs fit properly in their dedicated holes, staying in the right position. Main gear wheels come split in halves.
As for the canopy, whatever version you're building, you just need to glue the correct one. The upper door comes separately in case you want to build it open.

EXTERNAL LOADS: the kit provides a nose radar pod (necessary for M version), two droptanks, two racks with a total of 10 rockets and two bombs (apparently 1000 lbs). According to instructions, ground ordnances are for L version only (although technical notes mention some P-38Ms being equipped with rocket pods). There is also something that looks like an arrestor hook, but this looked strange to me, so I omitted it.
Inner pylons are molded with droptanks and bombs: they should be added under the plane even if in "clean" loadout.



PAINTING AND DECALS

As I said, there are decals for one "L" and one "M" machines:
-The P-38L, n° 100 "Putt Putt Maru", is the personal mount of Colonel Charles H. MacDonald, CFG of 475th Fighter Group, in February 1945;
-The P-38M is a plane from 421st Night Fighter Squadron in July 1945.

None of these two liveries requires particular efforts, since the first plane is full aluminium silver with bronze green antidazzler bands (upper nose and inner engine sides), while the night fighter is full black with anthracite antidazzlers.
Decals, instead, will take you quite some time, as there's a LOT of them! More than 100 decals are on the sheet, and your model will require about half of them: every single maintenance marking is provided both in black (L version) and red (M version) ink.
IMO, decals are probably the best part of this kit: their number and small size may be a challenge but, apart from that, they are top quality. They detach with little water time, stay easily in position and, above all, they're perfectly printed with an AMAZING precision despite the minimum dimensions (I.E. see the nose detail picture). I dare say they are ALMOST perfect, the only problem I had with them was with the nose side decals, since they don't exactly match the shape of the wing root.
The open gun bay cowling will require a little "surgery": you need to close it, apply nose decals, and then cut them along the border of the cowling, then you can open it. This is not necessary with engine cowlings.

NOTE: in this model, wing panel lines were highlighted by manually "cutting" the paint (with a pinpoint) following the existing raised lines, then the "engraved" lines were filled with an eyeliner pencil. Details on engines area, though, were too much "fine" (not enough thick) to do that.



CONCLUSIONS

I'm usually pleased with Revell kits, but this time, it looks like they're selling a vintage kit as new (and not even cheap). Let's face it: this may have been a state-of-the-art kit in 1982, but today it fails in keeping up against current standards. A re-boxing and new decals, good as they are, can't do miracles.
Honestly speaking, I'm not completely disappointed by the result I got, but I'm not completely satisfied, either, because despite the time and work I spent on this kit there are still some flaws I couldn'r overcome.

So, people who want an easy P-38 build had better look elsewhere. Experts who don't fear extra work (or long-time modelers, used to old kits) may consider this kit for the "stock" internal details and/or the chance to build a different P-38 in the night fighter version.