Profile Photo
Pedro L. Rocha
39 articles

New P-38 from Tamiya

July 23, 2019 · in News · · 26 · 2.9K

Read their Facebook page earlier today, and to me it sure looks like their “new 1/48 aircraft” is the everyone was hoping for.
Here's the link to the page that has some revealing photos
https://tamiyablog.com/2019/07/a-new-star-is-on-the-way/?fbclid=IwAR1alub1BX5mXI6QB2sY8zTzDQD4yKkk5qH56gZb7WcAB_VmAN-Xfflbnpk

Reader reactions:
10  Awesome

26 responses

  1. Sounds like a great idea to have a new P-38 from Tamiya. Think there are plenty of aircraft in need of Tamiyaisation, both classics but also the occasional odd one. How about an accurate C-47 in 1/48?

  2. Quite right Stellan. Personally I would love a 1/48 Hampden or a accurate Fiat G-91, regardless of the maker

  3. GR8 news - thanx for sharing pedro.

    Can one make a wish, then a Cessna 172 series would be nice 🙂

    It is a shame that the most built plane - EVER - does not get better coverage (they are near the 50,000 mark). There are quite a number of 172's that could make up a series, even some in military use (the latest being Diesels for Iraq!)

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  4. Anything coming out of the Tamiya brain trust is bound to be welcomed!

  5. If it is a P-38...more than likely a " J " or a "L". to better market kits with Bong and McGuire, the two leading P-38 aces. Making a early model G or H with out the chin radiator ...anything resembling the planes that shot down Yamamoto would not be in the interest of sales in Japan. The lightening is a bread and butter kit for most manufactures.

    The String Bag was the most radical kit for Tamiya. This aircraft taught the Japanese that you could use torpedo's in shallow water and thanks to that British aircrafts success with taking out some of the Italian fleet we in the states got Pearl Harbour. Whether that inspired Tamiya to make a British Bi-plane is subject to debate but, thats my theory or story and I am sticking with it. Until other wise...

  6. Never thought about why Tamiya made the Swordfish Stephen... you might just hit the spot there.
    As for the P-38 version, it would be a surprise within the surprise if it isn’t the J version, or at least the L as you say. Just look at the 109 and Spit released earlier, always the most emblematic versions for the general consumer of the brand

    • The Swordfish was done because it was Mr. Tamiya Sr's favorite airplane. Tamiya scored better when it was the old man making choices, since he was actually a modeler himself. Jr's just a jumped-up marketing executive.

  7. A Lightning from Tamiya would be a dream.

  8. Yeah, that's definitely a P-38 - you can tell from the upper wing part with the access panel to the hydraulic system for the aileron boost. Which means a P-38L - well, you can turn it into a J easy enough with some filler in some panel lines, like the aileron boost inspection panel, since only the L had that.

    • “you can tell from the upper wing part with the access panel to the hydraulic system for the aileron boost” - Tom, you ARE the man.

      @tcinla

      • I certainly am. 🙂

        It helps to have been around a couple P-38s over the years.

        FWIW, I published a bunch of shots of a NMF P-38L taken in good light a few years ago, that you can find in my "blog" here, which give a very good view of what an unpainted airplane looks like.

    • Tom, we will all count on your first hand build and insights about this kit no doubt sooner than later!

    • Well well well... it looks like a P-38 F or G according to Tamiya.


      Hmmm.

  9. It would be great to see them finally release the 1/32 F4U-4!

  10. Yes please!

  11. This is great news Pedro @holzhamer

    It's definitely a P-38... just like you guys mentioned. 🙂
    Here's one of the photos that Tamiya posted from the link you mentioned above. I'm using it as a reference to "Positively" identify the subject beyond any doubts. The Tamiya website doesn't state what type of aircraft the new star is.

    But your keen eyes have nailed it... You guys are good.


    Compare the panel lines in the plastic part, to those from the Port Side fuselage panels that have been removed (from the "Port Side" fuselage boom) in this next photo.

    I took this picture a few months ago of a full sized 1 to 1 scale P-38 as it was getting "freshened up". Sorry but the photo is a bit blurry...


    It's definitely a P-38... which is great news !
    Thanks for sharing this with us. I'll definitely put this one on the Christmas wish list.

    This new kit release is the perfect excuse to use the set of decals from a book I picked up by Kagero publishing. It's called Pacific Lightnings Part 1, #40 from the Topcolors series...

    I can see myself purchasing a few of these.

    "liked"

  12. How about a F-5 photo recce and P-38 night fighter too?

    If they could produce Do 335 in 3 different versions why not the P-38...

    • Hi, Stellan.
      I also hope F-5! If Tamiya releases the type, I would certainly want to build the legendary machine flown by Saint-Expery at his last flight. Does anyone know the exact marking of the plane?
      By the way, I recommend Tamiya to release a versatile kit like that of Monogram: you could build a wide range of subtypes!

Leave a Reply