Duxford, 1944 (P-47D Thunderbolt “bubbletop”, 1/72 Tamiya)

[Dazey]

Hello all,

 

This is my first RFI (although I did take part in a GB last year), and my first attempt at a base/vignette. It is modelled as the aircraft flown by Lt. Col. Benjamin Mayo, 84th FS, 78th Fighter Group, USAAF, based at Duxford, England, 1944.

 

My wife picked the kit based on the cover art – something to put on her work desk (she’s American and instinctively drawn to the stars and bars). It probably wouldn’t have been a subject that high on my to-do list, but I really enjoyed getting into the project, as you always do once you start and do background research. I also thought a base and figure would be good to go with it, so the project grew…

 

In addition to the many images that I used for reference, these are two which helped me compose the proxject. The first is of P-47s at Duxford, the second is of Capt. Dewey E. Newhart (who was killed in action on the 12th of June 1944 during a mission over Northern France. Incidentally, Benjamin Mayo survived the war):

 

 

 

 

 

Tamiya 1/72 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, kit decals (some electrical wiring and stretched sprue added for brake lines, wheel bay hydraulics and instrument panel wiring), Hasegawa figure, MDF/particle board base, 600 grit wet and dry sandpaper, Woodland Scenics grasses on top of sand/ground up cork/paint/PVA mix, and some DIY, including scratch-built wheel chocks.

 

Acrylic paints (Model Masters silver, Tamiya olive drab), acrylic gloss “varnish”, with oil washes and some silver pencil “chipping”. The tarmac also got some pastel and oil treatment.

 

The Tamiya kit is fantastic, but I wish I had done something other than use the kit decal for the seat harness. Many of the decals took some wrestling and involved quite a bit of MicroSol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback welcome (and I appreciate that some of the oil washes are on the heavy side, now that I see the photos!).

 

Thanks for looking,

David

 

 

Edited March 25, 2017 by Dazey
Added more detail on materials used

[James G]

Nice work! I personally don't think the washes are too heavy.

[polo1112]

Great job.

Looks fantastic.

Bravo!!!

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

My only nitpick is my most common one for P-47's and that is the rockets. The 8th AF did not like the rockets, the 56th FG used a few on a mission and reverted back to bombs, when it did some ground attack work. I don't know if the 78th FG (as modelled here) trialled the rockets or not but I would have modelled it with bombs or drop tanks under the wings if anything, as they most certainly used them.

 

thanks

Mike

 

Just spotted something else. The Razorback's in the pics have the paddle blade props fitted, so I would suggest that 78th FG bubbletops would have most likely have the paddle blade props too but the model has the early style prop fitted.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Mikemx

[stevej60]

Cracking build

[dogsbody]

7 hours ago, Mikemx said:

My only nitpick is my most common one for P-47's and that is the rockets. The 8th AF did not like the rockets, the 56th FG used a few on a mission and reverted back to bombs, when it did some ground attack work. I don't know if the 78th FG (as modelled here) trialled the rockets or not but I would have modelled it with bombs or drop tanks under the wings if anything, as they most certainly used them.

 

thanks

Mike

 

Just spotted something else. The Razorback's in the pics have the paddle blade props fitted, so I would suggest that 78th FG bubbletops would have most likely have the paddle blade props too but the model has the early style prop fitted.

 

The Jug in the first photo has a Curtiss prop while the model has a Hamilton Standard prop. I'm not sure about the prop in the second photo and I'm don't know what props were on that squadron's bubble-top Jugs.

 

Oh, that's a great looking build. David.

 

 

Chris

[Dazey]

Hi James, polo, Mike, Stevej and Chris,

 

Thanks for the kind words and useful feedback. 

 

7 hours ago, Mikemx said:

My only nitpick is my most common one for P-47's and that is the rockets. The 8th AF did not like the rockets, the 56th FG used a few on a mission and reverted back to bombs, when it did some ground attack work. I don't know if the 78th FG (as modelled here) trialled the rockets or not but I would have modelled it with bombs or drop tanks under the wings if anything, as they most certainly used them.

 

thanks

Mike

 

Just spotted something else. The Razorback's in the pics have the paddle blade props fitted, so I would suggest that 78th FG bubbletops would have most likely have the paddle blade props too but the model has the early style prop fitted.

 

Mike, I take your point about the rocket launchers, and agree that it is more likely than not that these Thunderbolts did not have them (and if my wife is unhappy with the historical accuracy of the rocket launchers, I can always clip them off pretty easily). I’ve gone back and found an image of bubbletop with similar markings with some kind of attachment points under the wing that look to be some kind of rocket launcher, but different to the kind provided with the kit:

 

 

However, regarding the choice of propeller blades, I think I made the correct choice. Below are some other images of different 78th Thunderbolts, presumably at later times, with the Hamilton Standard props:

 

What looks like Benjamin Mayo’s Thunderbolt:

 

…and applying decals (he he), 78th FG, 83rd FS, Spring 1944:

 

 

Actually, I really thought I would get pinged for having the canopy open!

 

I think I’ll now take on a small, simple kit (but something that’ll allow airbrush practice).

 

Regards,

David

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I think I might have been confusing the prop blades. The late Razorbacks came off the production line with the larger 13ft diameter props either the Hamilton with symmetrical blades or the Curtiss asymmetric paddle blades. I had previously read about and seen on documentaries, that they changed over to paddle blade props when it should have been stated they changed over to larger props, of which some had paddle blades. So that being the case all bubble top P-47's should have either of the 2 types of larger blade props - so ignore that point about the props. It would also suggest that pretty much all the Razorbacks would have the larger props by summer 1944 as they were also retro-fitted in the field, so let that be a lesson to all!

 

There's some good pics there, note the 108 gal tanks could be silver or neutral grey and could be carried on any hardpoint. Not sure what them things are strapped to the wing pylons on the first pic, it looks to me like they tied British rocket rails onto something, mind you all sorts were strapped to 9th and 12th AF P-47's, usually bundles on incendiaries, sometimes they incendiaries were strapped to high ex bombs.

 

On a modelling note, how did the checkerboard decals behave? I've got the decals for MX-X 'No Guts No Glory' to use on one of my Tamiya kits and I always dread putting large decals on curved surfaces. If you do want to do a legit P-47 with rockets, I think I might have some spare decals for the 'Trojan Warhorse' which is a 12th AF P-47 from a squadron known for using the Bazooka rockets.

 

thanks

Mike

[dogsbody]

David, I think the first pic you posted shows a Jug fitted with 20mm. cannons on the pylons. I have seen another image of a Jug so fitted. I believe this was just a test and was not used on operations.

 

Chris

[dogsbody]

Some intel:

 

http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p47/p-47-of-the-78th-fg-with-20-mm-mounted-on-the-wings-duxford-england-24-october-1944/

 

 

Chris

[Dazey]

Hi James and Chris,

 

On 24 March 2017 at 11:26 AM, Mikemx said:

On a modelling note, how did the checkerboard decals behave? I've got the decals for MX-X 'No Guts No Glory' to use on one of my Tamiya kits and I always dread putting large decals on curved surfaces. If you do want to do a legit P-47 with rockets, I think I might have some spare decals for the 'Trojan Warhorse' which is a 12th AF P-47 from a squadron known for using the Bazooka rockets.

 

thanks

Mike

 

James,

Thanks for the kind offer, but I suspect it will be a while before I get to do another P-47 – there are too many other things on the to-do list. As for how the kit’s checker decals behaved on the cowling, it was a bit of a struggle (although not as bad as the invasion stripes on the fuselage). The cowling ones were put on earlier than the other decals, and if I had known the trouble coming, I might have put one piece on at a time, allowing them to completely settle with Microsol before the next one. As it was, they went on in quick succession and I needed Microsol over a number of evenings with some added persuasion from cocktail sticks and sharp blades. A bit of sanding and masking with silver paint “chipping” helped (you may be able to see some recalcitrant creases in the decals in the images!). That said, I would use these decals again.

 

On 24 March 2017 at 0:01 PM, dogsbody said:

David, I think the first pic you posted shows a Jug fitted with 20mm. cannons on the pylons. I have seen another image of a Jug so fitted. I believe this was just a test and was not used on operations.

 

Chris

 

Chris,

That’s interesting – I wouldn’t have guessed they were cannons. But that does make me wonder why there were no common Thunderbolt versions with cannons, especially as it was such a good ground-attack plane. Perhaps there was less need in that part of Europe compared with North Africa or the Eastern front?

 

Regards,

David

[Meatbox8]

That's a great looking Jug.   I immediately thought it must be 1/48th.   A very nice paint finish.

[russ c]

Really nice `Jug there, great job esp` in `72nd !

[Dazey]

Hi Russ and Meatbox,

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Regards,

David

[old thumper]

That's a really nice model and always enjoy seeing the original pictures along side. 

[Dazey]

On 28 March 2017 at 8:53 PM, old thumper said:

That's a really nice model and always enjoy seeing the original pictures along side. 

 

Hi Thumper,

 

Thanks for the kind words. I think it is good to have some context to the model – I also enjoy reading the anecdotal stories that go with some builds I see on BM.

 

Regards,

David

[Mark4700]

Superb job, looks amazing.  

[DennisTheBear]

That is a fine looking Jug, with a simple yet effective base!

 

Keep safe and dry down in Brisbane (Lalaland as I like to think of it).

 

DennisTheBear

[Dazey]

5 hours ago, Mark4700 said:

Superb job, looks amazing.  

 

Thanks for the comments Mark and Dennis,

 

5 hours ago, DennisTheBear said:

Keep safe and dry down in Brisbane (Lalaland as I like to think of it).

 

DennisTheBear

 

Ha! thanks, Dennis. The one thing I certainly was not yesterday was dry. Still, today's clear and there was no major flooding or trees down in our suburb... just a bit of minor cleaning up. How did Townsville fare?

 

Regards,

David

[kapam]

Love that Jug and the way you have displayed it!  Great work.