Now where were we?

[Mangas]

I think Bertrand knows the answer since he made some exceptional Lightnings a while back...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think if those are B.50' barrels, they should be black only
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...gun_detail.jpg
even if the plane itself is in polished metal:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4146/4...f4b470b9_o.jpg
But if it's a part of some machinery -- JFR made it just fine:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...px-Plane-3.jpg

[GiantFlyingRobots]

Take a look at Putt Putt Maru its got NMF 'sleeved' .50 cals, and there are lots of other examples to be found, I'll post them up if you like.

It would appear that that there is a number of different types of barrel, and if the barrel is 'perforated*' it was black, if its 'sleeved*' it was painted but it appears that it soon wore off leaving it in NMF like PPM. I'm no expert on these things tho, just my observations.

Considering that these are little more than blank canvases at this stage its a pretty moot point anyway as the style of armament will change depending on the paint scheme that I apply.

*For want of a better term.

[BLOWHARD]

I don't think anyone is arguing about whether or not the .50 Browning was black or not. I think the point is what are we seeing in the profile, since he has a black .50 there, it makes sense he is showing something else, like a sleeve as he says. There other examples, P51s and P47s come to mind, were the barrel with the cooling jacket is sometimes covered with a metal tube.
I looked but couldn't find any war time photos of P38 noses in the few seconds I have while I'm at work. I'm sure if you look at enough period photos you'll find some with covered barrels.

barrel is 'perforated*For want of a better term.

I think the word you want is fretted, as in fretwork

[Skyraider3D]

This is looking superb GFR!

The Lightning is a bird that has been growing on me ever so slowly over the past few years and I like it more and more... I might have to do one in 3D one day.

[GiantFlyingRobots]

Further proof that my work never dies, it just goes to the bottom of the draw for a period of quite introspection, then it hopefully comes out sometime (13 months apparently) later better for the experience.

[pkassak]

If I may comment..excellent work but just one thing pop to my eyes. Lower part of the cabin evokes to me like it is not round...see my excellent drawing of the front view of P-38

[GiantFlyingRobots]

Peter, As excellent as your drawing is. I'm just not seeing a similarity with the reference images that I have at hand.

To my way of seeing things the fuselage pod looks more like a slightly elongated egg from the front.

Do you have any images showing it concave like your most excellent drawing?

[pkassak]

GFR. The shape I drawn in my drawing is expression I got from looking at yours picture...the shadows in the area I circled evoked this expression to me...but who knows I am wearing glasses, might be an opt. illusion

[GiantFlyingRobots]

Oh...I see. Its not a shadow, its the reflected light from underneath causing the issue.

I'll play with the opacity and see what I think.

[BLOWHARD]

Excellent work GFR!!! I do see what Peter sees though and I had thought maybe that really was the shape of this model. I'm not sure what to do to fix it. Except maybe use the similar shadow and reflection proportions like what you have on your engines/booms. Those read very nicely.
The detail on this one is really KILLER!