CPT Johnson's P47D "Penrod and Sam"

[Juan R-S]

Hello all,

 

Looong time ago, I built the Airfix P47D Razorback with CPT Johnson's markings of "Penrod and Sam". I was wondering if some decal company has this same scheme in 1/72 scale. I looked in my stash and the net but no success.

[Work In Progress]

Patrice, who is @TEMPESTMK5 on here, built a 1/72 rendition of 42-25512 'Penrod and Sam' a few years ago, using the 1/72 Tamiya kit, so maybe now I've tagged him he will spot this thread and be able to say where he found the decals?

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Juan... If you're interested there was a 1/48 issue with the old Arii/Otaki P-47 Razorback kit. Having never finished my kit i may still have them ? If you're interested i can check my files and see if i still have them ? 

[72modeler]

Yep, the only 1/72 decal sheet with Johnson's last mount, a P-47D-21RA, 'Penrod and Sam' (BTW, Sam was Johnson's childhood nickname and his crew chief was Sgt. JC Penrod- thus the name on the Jug.) was on the Airfix/MPC kit 2-1110 boxing and the original Airfix kit 125 boxing. Aeromaster also did the same markings in 1/48 on a sheet titled USAAF Top Guns, but it's OOP and probably hard to find. I traded my Airfix kit markings to a fellow modeler who was hot to do that Jug, as I had no interest in it at that time....but, times have changed, doggone it! IIRC, Kagero also did these markings in both 1/72 and 1/48 included in their monograph No. 17 on the P-47 Thunderbolt, so maybe someone who has that monograph might be willing to sell or trade? Hope this helps! It's a sure 'nuff pretty razorback Jug!

Mike

[Juan R-S]

2 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello Juan... If you're interested there was a 1/48 issue with the old Arii/Otaki P-47 Razorback kit. Having never finished my kit i may still have them ? If you're interested i can check my files and see if i still have them ? 

Thank you for the offer. However, I am trying to stick to 1/72 since it is my preferred scale.

[Juan R-S]

1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

Yep, the only 1/72 decal sheet with Johnson's last mount, a P-47D-21RA, 'Penrod and Sam' (BTW, Sam was Johnson's childhood nickname and his crew chief was Sgt. JC Penrod- thus the name on the Jug.) was on the Airfix/MPC kit 2-1110 boxing and the original Airfix kit 125 boxing. Aeromaster also did the same markings in 1/48 on a sheet titled USAAF Top Guns, but it's OOP and probably hard to find. I traded my Airfix kit markings to a fellow modeler who was hot to do that Jug, as I had no interest in it at that time....but, times have changed, doggone it! IIRC, Kagero also did these markings in both 1/72 and 1/48 included in their monograph No. 17 on the P-47 Thunderbolt, so maybe someone who has that monograph might be willing to sell or trade? Hope this helps! It's a sure 'nuff pretty razorback Jug!

Mike

Thanks for the info. Now it seems that I have to get the Kagero book to get the decals. THAT is a bummer. I am surprised that no aftermarket decal company has reproduced these markings (actually there is a bunch of P47 markings that need to be reproduced to decals).  Hopefully I may find that book on sale in the upcoming IPMS Nationals in Chattanooga. One thing that makes me wonder: some pics of the P47 suggest the text was in red or black and some showed the text with some kind of outline to make it stick out over the red cowling. Could it be possible the markings may have been repainted at different times? This is just speculation. 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning Juan

 The decals that I used in 2016 to build the Tamiya Thunderbolt 1/72 kit in the markings of Penrod and Sam were given to my by a friend and he found this decals sheet  in this  Kagero book https://sklep.kagero.pl/en/republic-p-47-thunderbolt-vol-i.html

 

but I believe it is no more available .I hope that it will be rereleased one day or that a company will produce these markings ..

All the best 

Patrice

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by TEMPESTMK5

[Toryu]

17 hours ago, Juan R-S said:

20 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello Juan... If you're interested there was a 1/48 issue with the old Arii/Otaki P-47 Razorback kit. Having never finished my kit i may still have them ? If you're interested i can check my files and see if i still have them ? 

Thank you for the offer. However, I am trying to stick to 1/72 since it is my preferred scale.

 

@Corsairfoxfouruncle perhaps suggests that you scale the 1/48 decals down for printing. It's rather easy. I've got them here, too - so let me know.

 

Cheers, Michael

[Juan R-S]

1 hour ago, Toryu said:

 

@Corsairfoxfouruncle perhaps suggests that you scale the 1/48 decals down for printing. It's rather easy. I've got them here, too - so let me know.

 

Cheers, Michael

THanks for the offer. I will see first if these book is for sale at the Nationals.  I understand scaling from one scale to another with the use of a printer(percentage reduction).  It is how you manage to not lose the graphic sharpness when doing so that has me intrigued.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, Toryu said:

 

@Corsairfoxfouruncle perhaps suggests that you scale the 1/48 decals down for printing. It's rather easy. I've got them here, too - so let me know.

 

Cheers, Michael

Actually that is another idea ? Though i think if my understanding is correct. You would have to scan it then using one of the programs reduce it slowly to keep it legible. I just thought to offer the decals in case Juan was willing to go with 1/48 if he couldn't find the 1/72 set. 

[Toryu]

2 hours ago, Juan R-S said:

THanks for the offer. I will see first if these book is for sale at the Nationals.  I understand scaling from one scale to another with the use of a printer(percentage reduction).  It is how you manage to not lose the graphic sharpness when doing so that has me intrigued.

 

46 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Actually that is another idea ? Though i think if my understanding is correct. You would have to scan it then using one of the programs reduce it slowly to keep it legible. I just thought to offer the decals in case Juan was willing to go with 1/48 if he couldn't find the 1/72 set.

 

Yeah, I do this frequently. Sometimes I even scan the inscription from a good photo of the original.

My approach as follows: Scan it to jpg-format, then import the picture into an empty Word or Powerpoint document, pick the edge of the picture and hold the caps button to draw it down propropionately until the size is correct, then print it on a clear sheet of inkjet decal.  After a couple of test prints it'll be good.

Try it, Michael

 

[tempestfan]

On 8/6/2019 at 8:46 PM, 72modeler said:

...was on the Airfix/MPC kit 2-1110 boxing and the original Airfix kit 125 boxing. 

Markings and box art were retained for the 1973 copyrighted Type 4 box 2055. 125 was not a boxing but a bagging 😬😬😉 The blue used for the SNB‘s at least was rather pale on all sheets I have seen.

20 years ago you could have woke me at 2 am reciting the markings options for most Airfix kits, but then I am 20 years older now. If memory doesn’t fail as usual the 1979 boxing had Bud Mahurin‘s Spirit of Atlantic City and an RAF SEA bird, so is no help. 

Would the JoHan decals help? They had Bailey‘s Zombie IIRC (but no Malcolm hood)  - but thinking about it the option would have been a bubbletop by necessity. 

I have a rather early Krasel sheet somewhere, but I guess they would have duplicated kit markings only if they felt they could improve on them - so I won’t go looking unless someone says it’s featured there.

Apologies if I have been no help whatsoever...

[72modeler]

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

125 was not a boxing but a bagging

You of course, are correct! I meant by boxing another release, but I thank you for correcting me! 👍

Mike

[greatgonzo]

On 8/6/2019 at 10:07 PM, Juan R-S said:

One thing that makes me wonder: some pics of the P47 suggest the text was in red or black and some showed the text with some kind of outline to make it stick out over the red cowling. Could it be possible the markings may have been repainted at different times?

Anything is possible, but there's nothing to prove the idea. 'Penrod and Sam' was written with a colour other then red, as it contrasts on the red cowling. The writing has no frame, but it drops a thin shadow, mostly black. 'Pe' letters have red background and their shadow is white. It seems other interpretations come from poor quality pics, where these details tend to disappear. The colour of the letters? Well, it's grey on black/white pictures.