Thunderbolt 2

[S5 modeller]

Hi chaps.

I will soon be building the revell 1/48 thunderbolt 2, and have decided to use elements of the italeri detail set to add the details on the engine. As I would like to make a static display with the engine cover open I need to modify the engine housing to show it off.

Has anyone got any pictures showing the engine cover arrangement? Specifically which way the covers open?

The instructions in the detail set show that the italeri kit has a cover that seems to be hinged at the top of the nacelle and folds upwards, would this be correct? It would be easier to do it that way, but I would like to do it the correct way.

Thanks for looking in.

Matt.

[Giorgio N]

Yes, it is correct. Have a look at some of the pictures on this webpage:

http://warthognews.blogspot.it/2011/04/74th-expeditionary-fighter-squadron.html

Interestingly the old 1/72 Monogram kit offered the same option for one of the nacelles

[Jennings Heilig]

I don't think anyone has called the A-10 a "Thunderbolt 2" since Fairchild went out of business

[Shalako]

Hi Matt,

Don't you think that you will have some fitting issues with this detail set?

I mean, Revell's Thunderbolt must be the good old Monogram kit.

Wish you all the best.

[S5 modeller]

Thanks for the photos Giorgio, they're really helpful.

Didn't know what else to call it, apart from a warthog!

I have had a look at the bits that are in the detail set, and looked into the revell parts that fit into the nacelle and I think I can see a way to work it. Going to have a look over the weekend and will let you know.

[S5 modeller]

Quick update.

Have been playing with the parts I have, and have come up with a solution. Bit of a mix of kit parts and upgrade parts.

Looking at the instructions with the resin parts it seems the italeri engine exhaust is longer than the revell part. After a quick dry assembly it became apparent that I needed to fill a gap of 9mm, this has come from the shorter exhaust pipe and not using the resin fan inlet. I chose not to use the inlet fan because it is a different design to the revell one, and would look odd.

The revell fan is shorter than the resin part.

To overcome the gap, I machined a 9mm spacer from aluminium at work, tapered to match the diameter of the resin engine and the exhaust outlet.

I think this will give a more natural progression between the 2 parts, and looks more like it should be there ( if you get what I mean).

There is a radius cast into the end of the exhaust, so I machined an alignment dowel that fits into it, and drilled through my spacer. This way I can align the 2 parts perfectly.

I have held all the parts together with masking tape for now, just to see how they fit.

I think that when the parts are glued together without tape in between, they will fit perfectly with the exhaust mounting points dropping into their slots.

Just remains to open up the panel on the nacelle, following the panel lines. For some reason revell have seen fit to mould in a dotted line across the top of the nacelle maybe with the idea of opening it up. Just need to work out a hinge now.

Unfortunately the dotted lines don't show up too well on the picture, my iPad camera doesn't want to pick them up.

Any comments or suggestions?

Edited November 16, 2013 by S5 modeller

[Giorgio N]

Good work, I like the way you sorted the exhaust. Guess you'll need a lot of nose weight now with all the added resin and aluminum at the rear

Edited November 18, 2013 by Giorgio N