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1/72nd Revell Thunderbolt Mk.II,.. was also to be 73 OTU, but now...SEAC,....KL849, FJ-G of 271 Sqn in 1945,.....FINISHED!


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Posted (edited)

Hiya Folks,

Like the Tamiya kit, I`ve been pre painting this one this morning and as the engine nacelle is awful I have robbed an old Hasegawa cowling and Curtiss electric prop from the spares box in case I can use these. Here are the parts;

DSCF7307_zps2hdtnjfp.jpg

Cheers

Tony

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 2
Posted

I'll look forward to this Tony, SEAC T/bolts are some of my favourite aircraft, those camo schemes, (if indeed thats what you end up doing?) really set them off well to my mind. Are you sure that's a Hasegawa cowling? From a distance ( 12,000 miles. ;) ) it looks rather like the old Airfix one with the lower intakes set flush with the front rim. Watching in anticipation.

Steve.

Posted

I think you are right about the cowling Steve,......I`ve not checked to see if it has the cooling gills included,....oh no! I do have a Hasegawa cowl in my spares somewhere,.....better have another look!

I like SEAC camouflaged Thunderbolts too and have already built quite a few of them,.....but always room for more!

Hope that Hurricane e mail reached you safely?

Cheers

Tony

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Hiya Folks.

Here is a quick update,......got the fuselage and wings together;

DSCF7392_zpsbcp0e5m9.jpg

DSCF7398_zpsc0ir2zgg.jpg

A closer view of the cockpit,....I`ve yet to paint the moulded in seat harness and also the engine crank case cover;

DSCF7394_zpsjtjbcfqz.jpg

The spares box engine cowling was no use so I`ve elected to retain the Revell item, but the opened cooling gills which look so inaccurate have been flattened down and they look a bit better.

I believe that this model has the later D-30 wing with speed flaps,.....so I thanks to Patrik`s advice on my Tamiya Thunderbolt WIP I`ll now be making this one as the 73 OTU aircraft rather than my Tamiya kit? I`m just prising the dorsal strake from the Tamiya kit now!

Cheers for now,

Tony

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 2
Posted (edited)

Hiya Folks,

The wings and tail are on now and the Revell strake has been removed from the Tamiya kit and attached,.....making this a D-30 variant. I`ve filled the cowling cooling gills in the hope of making them look a bit better and mounted then closed;

DSCF7399_zpswbqncpui.jpg

Cheers

Tony

I`ve since had to change the subject of this model to .KL849, FJ-G of 271 Sqn in 1945, which is the upper one on the instructions seen here.

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 4
Posted

Hiya Folks,

Here is the model after a couple of coats of Tamiya Bare Metal Silver from a rattle can;

DSCF7436_zpsoshli7gt.jpg

Just need to add the Olive Drab anti glare panel now,

Cheers

Tony

  • Like 1
Posted

Tony,

Have a look at this image here, I don't think it shows a dorsal fin I'm afraid. Hopefully you'll see this before you get to the decalling stage!

Regards,

Mark.

  • Like 2
Posted

Whoa, nice fine, Harry! Doesn't look like there's OD on the back fuselage either, to my eye.

  • Like 2
Posted

Cheers Harry and Precopius,......I actually own a copy of that photo and have been searching for it in my albums this afternoon as I wasn`t sure about the O/D on the rear fuselage myself but I`d totally forgotten about the strake not being fitted,.....bugger! Also forgot that it was in the Osprey book too!

If I cannot remove the strake I might just make another SEAC machine instead.

Timely warning lads,......thanks again!!

Cheers

Tony

  • Like 1
Posted

Hiya Folks,

Well the strake won`t come off without ruining the model this time so I`m not going to build it as a SEAC machine instead,......KL849, FJ-G of 271 Sqn in 1945,.....I`ve got another Tamiya kit which I will use to build the 73 OTU aircraft,....which was the original plan anyway!

Cheers for your help again lads,

Tony

Posted

Hi Tony, again another build I didn't see earlier.

You have been/are being busy, I do like the finish you got with the silver straight from the can.

Don't get too excited about removing the dorsal fin! SEAC Thunderbolts Mk. II's mostly didn't have the dorsal fillet but there were quite a few that did, either they had the retrofit carried out on them (like most of the USAAF one's) or they were later production aircraft. I've got a great picture of NMF one with the fillet, flown by Squadron Leader Fletcher KL-849 "G - FJ" 261 Sqn. and it has the small Dull Blue/Lt. Blue roundels. I'll try and put up a photo for you.

Anyway, good luck with this build as well.

Posted

Hiya Folks,

Well the strake won`t come off without ruining the model this time so I`m not going to build it as a SEAC machine instead,......KL849, FJ-G of 271 Sqn in 1945,.....I`ve got another Tamiya kit which I will use to build the 73 OTU aircraft,....which was the original plan anyway!

Cheers for your help again lads,

Tony

Ok this is the only one I can find for the moment.

KL-849_zpssyrqmdqi.jpg

and by chance you have the decals for this exact aircraft as well!!!

So if it's not too late stick with it!

  • Like 1
Posted

Hiya Rich,

Cheers for posting the photo mate,....yes this is the one that I`m now doing as I like the ring around the small SEAC roundels where the original roundel was,......I`ve just applied the Olive Drab anti glare panel and blue nose ring,..and I`ll add a piccy of the model in the morning.

I`ve decided to start from scratch with the 73 OTU aircraft using a Tamiya kit and convert it into a D-30 myself with a bit of filler and tape,....thereby saving myself around £8 at Hannants for Quickboost resin, including postage,.....plus something else to make the order up to £5 before postage!

Cheers

Tony

Posted

and..... if I'd read the post above mine I would have seen that!! :doh:

well at least you have an actual photo os he aircraft now!

Posted (edited)

No worries Rich,....I`ve got the excellent Air Research Pubications RAF Thunderbolt`s book too which is an excellent reference,....have you got one?

Just for interest,....here is another 1/72nd Thunderbolt Mk.II kit that I built in the silver scheme with SEAC markings for 30 Sqn some tome ago,...using the Tamiya kit;

seac%20thunderbolt%205_zpsnxdj1zef.jpg

Ooops....dincked the pitot tube!

Hopefully I`ll post some pics of the Revell model later on,

Cheers

Tony

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 7
Posted

Gosh you are a fan of the Thunderbolt...they are some nice models you've done previously!

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Glad you like the 30 Sqn Thunderbolt,.....I did an article in Model Aircraft Monthy some years ago about RAF Thunderbolts and built quite a few back then,....including quite a few 1/48th scale ones too. It was in the days of 35mm wet film so I don`t have digital pics of these,...I should dig them out of the cabinet and take some fresh ones.

Anyway,.....here is a bit of progress on this model,.....but I`ve gone and lost the bloody windscreen!;

DSCF7442_zpsnasnlyyk.jpg

DSCF7441_zps5zjk7yhy.jpg

So a coat of varnish and then ready for the decals which include the wing/tail stripes.......I`m scouring the house for the windscreen!

The real aircraft had scuff marks on the anti glare panel and I`ve had a go at replicating this.

Cheers

Tony

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 3
Posted

opps, shame about the windscreen!!

I'd say your weathering is almost picture perfect! :D

  • Like 1
Posted

Hiya Folks,

Well I couldn`t find the windscreen so I`ve robbed one from another kit! I`ve painted on some silver rings to represent the locations of the previous full sized and coloured RAF roundels as seen on the real aircraft and tonight I`ve added the decals;

DSCF7457_zpshmmncxql.jpg

DSCF7458_zps5yi29vya.jpg

I hope that the painted out roundels show up OK?

Cheers

Tony

  • Like 8
Posted

Those painted-out roundels look amazing, Tony. Really nice. Did you do it by eye, or use a template?

Posted

Cheers Mr. P,.......I drew the circles on using a compass and then filled in the circle using a small brush and some Humbrol dull aliminium metalcote.

Tony

  • Like 2
Posted

Tony,

I have to echo the above comments, the removed roundels do look rather good. Will have to 'borrow' the technique when I get round to doing that option from the Xtradecal sheet.

Mark.

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