Juan that’s a great scheme amigo! 😜

P-38 Brotherhood submission;
Yellow AC P-38 with DLE 35RA’s with one counter rotating engine.
Still working on rivets! More detail and weathering to come but it’s a proven model with more than a dozen flights. Flies like a trainer, awesome plane! I love the brakes to run up the engines before take off.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...13c4a829e.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...e56a64d26.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...fc11ed08b.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...9f5c08917.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...f60d375fa.jpeg

Props can be easy if you want scale use VarioProp 3 blade adjustable props. They have left and right rotation available. You could probably use the 25 hub. varioPROP

[QUOTE=Chris Nicastro;12704605]Juan that’s a great scheme amigo! 😜

P-38 Brotherhood submission;
Yellow AC P-38 with DLE 35RA’s with one counter rotating engine.
Still working on rivets! More detail and weathering to come but it’s a proven model with more than a dozen flights. Flies like a trainer, awesome plane! I love the brakes to run up the engines before take off.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...13c4a829e.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...e56a64d26.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...fc11ed08b.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...9f5c08917.jpegGREETINGS CHRIS , WHERE DID YOU BUY YOUR CCW AND CW PROPS FROM ????

Juan, I ordered the props from Zinger directly. They cut to order and I ordered both two and three blade props for the DLE 35’s. In the photo those props are called Pro Zinger 18x10.

So I have some access to the owner of Aeria rc aviation. They have mainly concentrated on the sail plane market.
However, he does have experience in designing powered aircraft.
I'm trying to convince him to at least consider doing a 1/5th scale Lightning.
Here's how it would go. The ARF would be composite with balsa/ply inner structure (including wings, control surfaces, vertical and horizontal tail surfaces as well)
It would be unpainted, allowing any scheme to be done by us consumers,
I'd want a collaboration between him, JP Warbirds (oil coolers, guns, cockpit, and turbosuperchargers as basic "kit", makes molding of the big parts a bit more straight forward, but I have to hook him first before approaching the others listed)
either Sierra or Eflite electric retracts, scale doors.
Fowler flaps,
powered by twin 30 cc.
you could paint or flight metal after some minor fill and sanding.
Being a P38 and somewhat complex, personally, I'd expect to pay around 1800 for a strong, composite lightning, even unpainted if scale details like rivets and panel lines were done as part if the composite skins.
the question is, if you guys would.
If you agree that that is a. Acceptable, and B. Desirable, then please start a thread titled Hey Doc and post your pleas to see if we can hook him.
I can say I've gotten a slight nibble already, so he needs more convincing from us warbird guys that this might be worth doing and get him to do a little exploratory figuring on production costs.
I have a US retailer in mind as well. Please do not flood his website or Facebook. It will make him drop the idea like a rotten piece of fish. Do the thread, I'll give him the link if you agree with the above.
He knows how to design and manufacture strong but light. It's convincing him putting his toe in the scale market might be worth his while. For that, I need you guys to help me.

I’d suggest a P-51D or C to start with and then gauge the interest before venturing into a P-38. The most popular and best selling war bird in our hobby is a Mustang.

I agree to a less involved starter warbird but I would vote for a Corsair. Other than the Comparf one, there aren't any available that are composite, structurally sound and scale.

You are right, which is why in a quick search you can find 19 mustang Arfs. 4 kits, etc.

he and his staff have the skill, and the knowledge to do a Lightning. It's convincing him he'd sell enough to warrant the cost of design and development.Thats where he's kind of holding back. If I can show him there's enough interest it might tip the scale.
It's up to you all..Look at what's out there. The zirolli, and the Nexa. There's one that hasn't left prototype in...2 years?
the zirolli is 1/4.5? Unless you got a Ford cargo van, that's a trailered beast. A 1/5 can go in a jeep Cherokee with the seats folded down lol.

like I said, up to you all, but I'm willing to work it and see if it pans.

I’d love to see someone do a p-38. I was very disappointed with hangar 9’s choice of the ov-10 bronco over the p-38. They did an amazing job and checked every box with the bronco to include size, retracts, price, and scale appearance. My belief is a P-38 would sell better than an obscure, relatively unknown twin like the bronco. If the bronco doesn’t sell well it may be seen as “giant twins don’t sell” by horizonhobby instead of the ov-10 doesn’t sell. Again I think the bang for the buck is amazing and I’d have a p-38 on order.
When you see a kit p-38 in the classifieds it is gone within minutes. I missed 2 opportunities to own a fiberglass p38 due to timing a couple months ago. To have someone make fiberglass parts for a ziroli or yellow/Bert baker p-38 would do a lot of us a favor that love the 38.

Not enough money in a small fiberglass parts market..tooling of molds etc for just that wouldn't be gained back
For him to be profitable with it it would have to retail at a 1600 to 1800 dollar price point, tooling alone looking at 9 to 10 thousand easy for molds strong enough for mass production.
understand, If I manage to convince him, you are still looking at, at least, a year before you could pre order the first kits off the line...minimum.
those pre-orders would probably determine if full scale or limited production run. Have to be enough to fill a small shipping container, get some flying, Guage response, etc.

I think $1800-2000 would be a very fair price point if:
1. 30cc+ size gas engines fit
2. 100inch (ish) wingspan and SCALE
3. Current production retracts for the p-38 are used and available for purchase (Sierra or robart)
4. Jp fiberglass components are included
5. Comes in basic ready to cover parts like the top flite arf/arc’s.
6. Boxed ready to ship. Shipping cost not included

Basically, I want a yellow size p-38. Any bigger requires a trailer. If your acquaintance can figure out a price point and provide a prototype I think you could get a lot of preorders. I’m uncomfortable with deposits, but I’m sure if we get to that point an agreement can be made. Nobody else is making one!

Well, I've worked on him for nearly 3 hours straight, got him to run some numbers..it would be 50k to develop, prototype, make molds and do preproduction. At that cost, he simply can't. Not being so unsure of the market himself. I see his point. It's an area he's not used to dealing with and he doesn't know, for himself if he could recoup that kind of initial outlay. I'll keep searching and trying. I want one myself.
I know there's one languishing in prototype somewhere....gotta keep nudging till someone decides it's worth the risk. NEXA does a 16th..I think..can be powered by 15 cc gas...maybe give them a nudge next..see if I can't shake some more trees.

Why not test the market with a nice 100 laser cut kit? There are still some builders out there and you can sub the cutting out. Make a prototype and test it plus use it for press and if nothing else you have a nice custom P-38. Then you can make your own fiberglass parts like cowls and nose cone and eventually the whole kit.

I don't have the knowledge to design a kit lol

wait...you have one??? Where did you get it?

I tried responding in Russian but the forum is blocking it.
I sent you a private message.
please let me know when you are ready for full production and who is distributing in the US.

Tease us some with pictures too..we like to be teased!

Until you have ten posts, I'll post them if I have your permission.

Guys, until I have his permission I won't post what he just sent me. I will say that I doubt you will be disappointed. Even in prototype it looks absolutely beautiful.

Szanders... can't keep these to myself. The plugs look fantastic. I hope you don't mind me posting for the rest if the guys to see.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...bf54af500c.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...f01ca1876a.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...d8c3ec0a78.jpg

guys, remember, what you are seeing is the plugs that will be used to make the molds.
from there, molded prototypes will be made to develope the inner structure, servo placement etc.

again szanders,, this is already gorgeous to look at. Please see this through.

Upon getting zsander's ok. I've reached out to the owner of one of my favorite, online, rc shops.
zsanders..he's circling the bait but wants more details, and wants to know if you have other ARFs in production.
he may be considering offering, not just the lightning, but your others as well.
probably not big orders at first, but a few to stock and see how they do in the US market.
It gets your foot in the door.

Alexander sent photos of another of his designs.
Structure wise, it's strong as an ox. Absolutely beautiful plane for those that fly 3d..
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...37c6ae3fc1.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...f550a9e25c.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...74ce30aaae.jpg

He uses a composite sandwich, if you will, formed under vacuum so the floppy, eggshell thin glass skin we are used to, is not an issue.
it's a foam core sandwich, gel coated, then painted.