CliffB Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Pre-dating the UK's 'Matchbox' kits by about 5 years, were a range of 1/100 scale 'Match Kits', produced in 1967 by the Japanese manufacturer Eldon. They were called 'Match Kits' because of their packaging, which resembles a book of matches (even down to having a pretend, black striker strip). I've recently bought a group of eight Match Kits via eBay, including this P-47N. Most of the other kits only provide generic national markings on their decal sheets, but in the Thunderbolt's case decals are provided for a specific aircraft, namely FE-416 of the 37th Fighter Squadron. This was based at Dow AFB (now Bangor International Airport), in 1948 and had responsibility for the air defence of the NE USA. There's a bit more info and a photograph of the actual aircraft here. First impressions of the kit itself are mixed: on the plus side there's not too much flash and the major components seem to fit together OK. There's an odd mix of raised and recessed detailing though, and the underside of the port fuselage half obviously took flak in the moulding machine! See you later... Cliff 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joss Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 What a cool looking kit! Do you have any planes on how you are going to fix the hole? Best regards Joss 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Fascinating. I'd never heard of Eldon, but Googlng gives them as a US importer with a very wide range of models reboxed from Japanese companies. Rather like Richard Kohnstam in the UK using the RIKO label. I gather that 1/100 was popular to some extent in Japan as a metric equivalent of 1/96, but I think that only the later Tamiya jets saw much distribution in the UK. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 23 hours ago, Joss said: What a cool looking kit! Do you have any planes on how you are going to fix the hole? Best regards Joss Thanks Joss. I'll be using two-part epoxy putty (more specifically Magic Sculp), but will probably need to put in some scrap plastic bracing before I start. 7 hours ago, Graham Boak said: Fascinating. I'd never heard of Eldon, but Googlng gives them as a US importer with a very wide range of models reboxed from Japanese companies. Rather like Richard Kohnstam in the UK using the RIKO label. I gather that 1/100 was popular to some extent in Japan as a metric equivalent of 1/96, but I think that only the later Tamiya jets saw much distribution in the UK. Thanks Graham. The US connection makes sense - it's certainly where most of the secondhand ones can be found. The back of the packaging actually has the price (39 cents), printed on it, so presumably inflation was less of a worry in 1967..... Outside of Japan, other metric countries were also producing 1/100 scale kits at this time - most notably France (Heller), East Germany (VEB Plasticart) and Austria (Faller). 1/144, 1/96, 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales are of course Imperial ones - being based on feet and inches . Cheers Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 I thought I would make a start now and the first task of course is to address the flak damage. I'm going to fill the hole using epoxy putty, but I will need some internal structure to fill against. The wing structure provides some of what's needed and I've added additional support using plasticard and scrap sprue. Here's everything in situ. You'll noticed that the positions of the national insignia are marked on the wings and fuselage sides. This is not that uncommon with old kits, but usually the positions are marked using raised lines, which can be easily removed. However, this is a quality kit and so the positions are marked using recessed lines ! Cliff 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 You'll be making no mistakes with misplaced decals then cliff, nowt wrong with old kits, Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 I'd say that kit is definitely worth the $0.39 sticker price... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Trying to decide whether this is a better kit than the Italeri version (that I bought).....I'm thinking it might be! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 On 7/5/2018 at 6:08 PM, Hewy said: You'll be making no mistakes with misplaced decals then cliff, nowt wrong with old kits, Glynn I can see you are a 'glass half full' man Glynn 13 hours ago, Killingholme said: I'd say that kit is definitely worth the $0.39 sticker price... I paid £5 for it, which equates to a 35% p.a. simple interest rate. I think it's time for me to re-invest my ISAs! 8 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Trying to decide whether this is a better kit than the Italeri version (that I bought).....I'm thinking it might be! Oh dear - things must be bad. Is it going to make an appearance in the GB Sarge? Cheers Cliff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 5 hours ago, CliffB said: Oh dear - things must be bad. Is it going to make an appearance in the GB Sarge? After what just happened to me with their Mitchell? No sane person (especially one who owned, the full selection of Academy, Revell and Tamiya P-47 kits) would even consider building the hideous Italeri P-47N! So yeah.....It probably will! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 It's now looking more like aThunderbolt. Although I still need to fill the 'stars and bars', the flak damage has been repaired . Overall, I'm quite pleased with the kit - but an engine would have been nice..... Cheers Cliff 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Morning all. A little more progress to report. I've filled in the 'stars n bars' outlines (I masked around them first, to protect the adjoining detail). and also finished off the simple cockpit. Breaking out the Olive Drab paint prompted me to think about the OD spine that is a common feature of natural metal Jugs. The painting instructions state that this should run all the way from the nose to the tailplane, which is what pretty much every P-47 photo shows too. However, in this photo of my actual aircraft it looks like the OD stops at the cockpit. Strong sunlight may make the photo difficult to interpret though (for example, is that really a 'step' in the OD line on the engine cowling?). Any thoughts that you may have on this OD conundrum would be very welcome! Thanks Cliff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) Hey @CliffB ... I blew the photo up, and played with it some. Its a 3rd color in the form of a stripe and tail in yellow. The Squadron trim color It runs along the bottom of the O.D. Anti glare from the cowling back. The leading edge could be a flight or unit color ? The 37th Fighter squadron trim colors are Yellow & Black. Heres a color photo from the same era after the traded up to the F-84’s. Hope it helps ? Dennis Edited July 20, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 17 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Hey @CliffB ... I blew the photo up, and played with it some. Its a 3rd color in the form of a stripe and tail in yellow. The Squadron trim color It runs along the bottom of the O.D. Anti glare from the cowling back. The leading edge could be a flight or unit color ? The 37th Fighter squadron trim colors are Yellow & Black. Heres a color photo from the same era after the traded up to the F-84’s. Hope it helps ? Dennis Thanks Dennis, I hoped that you would pick up on this . I hadn't thought at all about additional colours, but can now see that this could be the answer. I can't convince myself about a yellow tail though. I can see that it looks different to the adjacent NMF, but I think this may be simply because it's a vertical surface. In other areas of the photo you can see that the vertical surfaces appear white due to reflected glare from the sun. Also, post-war Jugs seem to be much less colourful that wartime ones and NMF tails seem to be almost universal (from the few online photos that I've found). The area that particularly interests me is that apparant step in the OD on the engine cowling. I'm now thinking that the OD only extends forwards as far as (and including), the cooling gills. The gills below the OD are NMF, and the cowling in front of the gills is actually painted a different colour - I'd go with your suggestion of yellow (gloss). Like this in fact. Again following your suggestion, the leading edge of the cowling would then be black. I think this explains what I'm seeing in the FE-416 photo, but I'm prepared to be persuaded otherwise! Thanks again for your suggestion, which has moved my understanding on considerably. Cheers Cliff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Hello Cliff You are very likely correct about the vertical tail. Though the spine/fillet does appear to my eyes to be some other color than natural metal or O.D.. However I would offer up the possibility of a removed O.D. Panel behind the cockpit. Thus making the N.M.F. a different tone to the rest of the aircraft ? I agree the cowling could look like the example you gave of yellow/black. Edited July 21, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 I'd agree the spine doesn't look quite as polished or metallic as the majority of the airframe.....Could the spine and tail be yellow and the rudder NMF? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Hello @Sgt.Squarehead .. Its a definite possibility. I have found a few photos of the 37th’s F-84’s, and thats exactly how theyre painted. But have yet to find a picture of a P-47N, that's more clear that shows this. I keep researching and if I find the correct photo I will pass it on to Cliff. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Hello Cliff ... I have exhausted google and all my research materials. I haven't found anymore photo’s of 37th FS P-47N’s. They're about as rare as rocking horse 💩. I have found Two more P-84B’s that are in color. They are from the 49th F.S.. The 37th, 48th, and 49th were part of the 14th F.W. The photo’s show the spines and you can see how the color parallels the O.D.. Whether they did this to there P-47’s is unknown ? Its up to you how you finish your model. I think the way you decided in the earlier post is probably your best option. If I can help anymore let me know. Dennis 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 15 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: I'd agree the spine doesn't look quite as polished or metallic as the majority of the airframe.....Could the spine and tail be yellow and the rudder NMF? Thanks Sarge. I agree that the rudder definitely looks to be NMF and that the tail/spine appear different. However, closer inspection shows that any tail colour actually appears to extend backwards to beyond the hinges on the rudder, which is presumably unlikely. I am pretty convinced now that over-exposure of the film due to glare is distorting what we see. A good example is the area of fuselage below the 'star and bars', which seems to have identical tonal qualities to the spine (and yet must be NMF). It's all good fun! 7 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Whether they did this to there P-47’s is unknown ? Its up to you how you finish your model. I think the way you decided in the earlier post is probably your best option. If I can help anymore let me know. Dennis Thanks again Dennis for all your help with this. It is a hard one to pin down. As things stand, I will go with a black/yellow engine cowling and OD anti-glare only as bar back as the canopy. Everything aft of this will be NMF. I've very much enjoyed the colour photos of the P-84s too, I just need to find a 1/100 scale kit (never say never)! Cheers Cliff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 I'm ready for some primer now. On top, I've masked the canopy and added a couple of extra antenna from some scrap PE. Underneath, I've added some u/c doors. None are provided in the kit, apart from those moulded to the legs and wheels. In the photo of the original, the underwing pylons appear to be 'clean' (e.g. with no sway braces etc.), so I've left the kit parts as they are. Cheers Cliff 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 It looks like it's exactly a month since I last posted At least there's some progress to report.... Unfortunately, my attempt at using contrasting shades of Alclad looks a bit severe. Less contrast would probably have been better. Here's hoping that some colour and decals will help to diffuse the situation! Cheers Cliff 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 The colour's on now - a simple scheme, but quite bright I rarely use straight black on my models (prefering instead a less intense option, such as Tamiya's Nato Black), but made an exception this time in an attempt to disguise the fact that I don't have an engine. The result is pretty intense! I still need to gloss the yellow and the black. I may try buffing to start with, so hopefully no need for Klear. Cheers Cliff 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Looking real good Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Oh dear cliff, how in heaven's are you going to get the decals in the right place now you've filled over the lines, Lovley bit of silver mind, Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 Finished at last Despite their age, the decals behaved perfectly - it's just a pity that the 'stars n' bars' are too small! The decals were noticeably yellowed, but responded well to a couple of days' sun bleaching (this was my first attempt and it really does work ). Thanks to all of you who have supported this build and especially to Patrice for hosting so well. I'll put some more photos in the Gallery later today. Cheers Cliff 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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