Ratch Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 (edited) Came across this and thought I'd join in Matchbox's usual 2-coloured runners Matchbox's transfers Instructions The decals I shall use References The runners have been washed Edited December 21, 2017 by Ratch 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 Great to see this kit turn up Ratch,welcome aboard! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 17, 2017 Author Share Posted December 17, 2017 I've been reading up and was looking to use the Super Scale decals (sheet 72-887) to make LM*A of the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group. I'd like to depict the aircraft as it was when the unit was based at Wittering, Northamptonshire, from 13th January to 5th April 1943. The 56th were the first unit to be equipped with P-47s from July 1942, but they were Cs whereas the kit is a D. Early Ds were almost identical to Cs, though I'm not too sure how close the kit is 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Cs normally had a couple less cooling gills on each side Ratch & some earlier ones had a slimmer belly. I guess its the kind of subject you'd want to check against photos if poss, the cooling gills would be easy enough to do, the belly less so but not so obvious either, it was quite subtle. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 17, 2017 Author Share Posted December 17, 2017 I'll see what I can find. So far I've only found one photo from their time at Wittering, and that's not too helpful/explicit/clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 I think I misread your earlier post a bit Ratch, an early D would be closer to anything D rather than C, afaik, late Cs were vitually identical to Ds & were often brought up to D standard in the field so go with your D kit & be comfortable with it I'd reckon. The real mine field might be the prop type, & they were often swapped out in the field. The decal sheet says Hamilton Std, spare in Academy & Tamiya kits I think. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 17, 2017 Author Share Posted December 17, 2017 Cheers Steve, the decal sheet, as it stands, is for 1944 at Boxted, but I shall use red-outlined stars'n'bars and try to backdate the markings. Looking forward to starting work on her tomorrow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 Republic P-47C Thunderbolt 41-6224 LM-X 62FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF Jan-43. Also P-47C 42-7870 LM-R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 Type 4. Blue circle, white star, red central dot. Late 1919 to mid 1942. USAAC. United States Army Air Corps. USN. Marines. Type 5. Blue circle with white star, Mid 1942 to July 1943 USAAC, now USAAF As type 4, but red dot removed so the red would not be thought as a Japanese Hinomaru [aka the 'meatball'] Type 6, Blue circle with white star, surrounded by a thin yellow ring. October to December 1942. Used mainly on aeroplanes which took part in Operation Torch, November 1942, but also seen on reverse lend-lease aeroplanes in UK [Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mosquitos] Type 7. Blue circle, white star, white bar each side, all with a thin red outline. July to August 1943 Short lived as forces still fighting the Japanese argued against the re-introduction of red into the markings. Type 8. Blue circle, white star, white bar each side, no surround. July - August 1943 Concurrent with Type 7, red surround left off on some Pacific theatre machines to partially meet regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 And so it begins... I thought I ought to put some stuff in the cockpit The jockey will be riding, so I've no idea how much will be seen 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 Hi Ratch, you have an impressive library on the P-47! That's good to see. I have built many Matchbox kits in my more tender years, but never this one, so my curiosity is tickled. Remembering the general clear parts' quality of these kits, what you scratchbuilt in the cockpit should be more than enough with a pilot on top of it all. Keep having fun! JR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 Thanks Jean. A bit more done today. Pilot painted No, you can't see much with him in there Tail planes on Canopy on and masked, cowling ready Undersurfaces airbrushed Vallejo Model Air 71047 US Grey Topsides Tamiya XF-62: Olive Drab 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 20, 2017 Author Share Posted December 20, 2017 The main paintwork was airbrushed; the undersides with Vallejo Model Air 71047 and the upper surfaces with Tamiya XF-62. I had not sprayed Tamiya paints for a long time, with a little Xtracrylics Thinners mixed in, it went on perfectly. The white nose ring was hand painted Humbrol Acrylic 34 Matt White. I brushed SC Johnson Wax Klear over the model to provide a gloss coat for the decals. To replicate the markings of an aircraft for which I have photographic evidence, I sorted suitable stars with yellow surrounds for the fuselage sides, one plain blue star roundel on port upper and two on undersides, to make LM*X s/n 16224. The serials were compiled from Techmod sheet 72118 and the squadron codes were from an Airfix Spitfire sheet (MX*D) with the D trimmed to become an L. I used DecalFix and Microsol in their application. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the effect that DecalFix has upon Tamiya paints; runs of diluted paint seeped over the underside of the fuselage. To fix this I used Post-it notelets to mask and lightly sprayed over the affected areas of the underside of the fuselage. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Hi Ratch, it is a sober but great looking scheme. I love it. Great save regarding the streaked paint! Well done. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Nice progress Ratch, well that did not take long. Finished tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 20, 2017 Author Share Posted December 20, 2017 Thanks guys In the old days this would have taken a couple of hours to slap together, and would be flying around the room before bedtime So yes, I'm hoping to put the finishing touches to her tomorrow 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 21, 2017 Author Share Posted December 21, 2017 I put the finishing touches to her this morning. Thanks to everyone who has commented and followed the build. There are a few more pictures in the Gallery. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 Nice looking bird and I love the diorama! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 Cracking job Ratch,love it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 So good to see this P-47 kit make it within this GB and displayed in the gallery Ratch. It's funny how we probably associate you as "Mr. Airfix" however you don't do a bad job of these old Matchbox classics as well! Cheers.. Dave. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Cheers chaps I do build other stuff too Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Fantastic result, love the Thunderbolt and well impressed with the research on the 'stars'n'bars'. More learning for me. Cheers. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Cheers Mike, photos of the 56th during this period are hard to come by. I had to change my original plans as I couldn't find supporting evidence, and my reference for 16224 is at a distance with her flying in formation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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