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The Staff of SOH
Best P-38
- Thread starter dc10boy
- Start date
Peg o my heart
Members +
Get MilViz P-38. You can still use FSD repaints which there are hundreds of them, so dont worry about thr availibilty of repaints. One thing thou, I have fps issue with the P-38, while other more complex addons (avionics wise) run very smoothly on my system. This could be me only, al though several users report the same issue. But generally, MilViz P-38 is the best out there 
henrystreet
Charter Member
Kat, I've looking for a "good" P-38 but wanted a military version. Will this one be such?
Hi,
The L is the military version.
The plan was (and remains) to put out the Red Bull version (which has been released) and then, when we had time, to release the military version.
We have not yet decided if we will redo the external uv's (which would ruin all of the old repaints) but we might just do that to increase the resolution. The VC was not only remodeled but also repainted and is now, without a doubt, the nicest P-38 VC out there... We can show a pic or two if you wish!
As well, the FPS issues with the Red Bull version are more likely due to the usage of the default glass. The P-38L will have no glass and will therefore be smooth as silk (not my words!).
Thank you.
Kat
The L is the military version.
The plan was (and remains) to put out the Red Bull version (which has been released) and then, when we had time, to release the military version.
We have not yet decided if we will redo the external uv's (which would ruin all of the old repaints) but we might just do that to increase the resolution. The VC was not only remodeled but also repainted and is now, without a doubt, the nicest P-38 VC out there... We can show a pic or two if you wish!
As well, the FPS issues with the Red Bull version are more likely due to the usage of the default glass. The P-38L will have no glass and will therefore be smooth as silk (not my words!).
Thank you.
Kat
Stickshaker
SOH-CM-2023
What a nice surprise, Kat!
Peg o my heart
Members +
P-38 deserves one more chance. Thank you MilViz for the development of P-38L. 
henrystreet
Charter Member
va va varooom!
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
The updated P-38L VC looks absolutely fantastic! I've always loved the original Kevin Miller/Milviz/FSD model, but I've always felt that the VC had a lot of missed potential in texture details (at least as per authentic colors/markings/placards, etc.) Comparing the before and after, the enhancement/improvement is superb. I can't really tell if for sure or not from the screenshots posted, but the gunsight will have glass, correct?
Just to further show how accurate you've got it, here are a couple of photos I've scanned of the Smithsonian's P-38J (updated to later standards, including dive-flaps), which is by far the best preserved un-restored example in existence (left as-is since 1945/46). Note that this one was used State-side during the war, as a test-bed, and the yellow stripe around the flying instruments wasn't a factory-item, rather it was added later-on. (Richard Bong actually flew this aircraft on August 16, 1945, when State-side, for one of its experiment-related flights at Wright Field). Obviously too, there were many different cockpit configurations between P-38 variants, even between L production blocks alone. The exterior of the NASM aircraft, as seen in these photos at David Copley's (DCC) site, still has its original wartime paint and all of the preserved stencils and paint chipping/wear & tear: http://www.kazoku.org/xp-38n/walkaround/smithsonian/index.html
Photo from Fighters of World War II by Jeffrey Ethell and Robert Sand.
Photo from The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: In the Cockpit by Eric Long, Mark Avino, and Dana Bell. (Note the word "MIC" stenciled on the mic button on the yoke, using a typical US wartime-era font-type)
Just to further show how accurate you've got it, here are a couple of photos I've scanned of the Smithsonian's P-38J (updated to later standards, including dive-flaps), which is by far the best preserved un-restored example in existence (left as-is since 1945/46). Note that this one was used State-side during the war, as a test-bed, and the yellow stripe around the flying instruments wasn't a factory-item, rather it was added later-on. (Richard Bong actually flew this aircraft on August 16, 1945, when State-side, for one of its experiment-related flights at Wright Field). Obviously too, there were many different cockpit configurations between P-38 variants, even between L production blocks alone. The exterior of the NASM aircraft, as seen in these photos at David Copley's (DCC) site, still has its original wartime paint and all of the preserved stencils and paint chipping/wear & tear: http://www.kazoku.org/xp-38n/walkaround/smithsonian/index.html
Photo from Fighters of World War II by Jeffrey Ethell and Robert Sand.
Photo from The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: In the Cockpit by Eric Long, Mark Avino, and Dana Bell. (Note the word "MIC" stenciled on the mic button on the yoke, using a typical US wartime-era font-type)
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
I appreciate the level of detail even down to the smallest, like the coloring/texturing of the knobs for the cockpit heat on the sides of the canopy and the knobs on the elevator trim wheel and canopy window roll-down levers - these parts all being made of un-painted phenolic resin, they have a brownish/maroon color, just as you have them. The original seats were also made of the same material (molded phenolic resin).
One of my grandma's lived in Marin, California in 1945, and worked in the shipyards there, manufacturing liberty ships. Always interested in aviation, she still distinctly recalls seeing brand-new P-38's in the skies over California, including what she believes were pilots conducting mock-dogfights with each other.
One of my grandma's lived in Marin, California in 1945, and worked in the shipyards there, manufacturing liberty ships. Always interested in aviation, she still distinctly recalls seeing brand-new P-38's in the skies over California, including what she believes were pilots conducting mock-dogfights with each other.
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
BTW, if needed, here are a couple of detail photos I've taken of a P-38 mirror and fairing (something that's quite rare these days) - in this case mounted on a P-51, but is unchanged (don't mind the Spitfire mirror).
woo hoo!!!!!!!!! Sold
Thanks to all who provided their input on this.I bought the FSD model yesterday and am having a blast with this thing.It's pretty realistic.Last night I flew escort from Munda to Kahili flying with a formation of B-17s in Jan's "Miss Virginia" repaint.Talk about immersion!A big THANK YOU to everybody who contributes to this great hobby.
Stan
Stan