Seac Thunderbolt Colors?

[85sqn]

On 10/3/2019 at 6:53 PM, epozar said:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060025281

There is so much great stuff in this video: uniforms, shoes, wristwatches. The Army pilot has a Bonklip style strap. All really good to see in colour.

[Ryan B.]

Note also, at 7:11, P-47 with blue cowling and wing bands in place of white, which was done when the aircraft were changed over to NMF. The aircraft looks like it's painted two-tone though, although it's probably just filthy--although the other P-47s don't look that bad.

[canberra kid]

Hi all,

I finally bit the bullet and thanks to the National Archives where I managed to get copies of 79 and 34 Sqn's ORB's and diaries for the time my dad was with them I now have the serial numbers for all but one of his Thunderbolts, as a matter of interest the one that is missing is the last Thunderbolt he flew in Burma, which was a delivery flight from Burma to a MU in India, the aircraft letter was B so if anyone knows that would be fabulous! So back to the build as it stands I only intend building one from 79 and 34 Sqn's so I had to pick ones that had a story to them so the first out of the blocks is KJ252 EG-Y this is the aircraft he was flying when VJ day was declared. As I said earlier on in this thread my dad always said the T-Bolts he flew were Green and Grey, but after seeing the fantastic colour film of the 79 Sqn machines, which I think was filmed around the time he was there? I am now thinking he miss remembered it, evidence of this is from something else he said 'I never flew a silver Thunderbolt' but one of the 79 Sqn aircraft he flew was KL338 NV-Z an all silver P.47! So this will be my 79 Sqn build. So here it is, 1/48 Tamiya brush painted, which was a challenge getting the faded brown over grey look, any why this is it,

     

 

 

So any thoughts?

 

John

[85sqn]

2 hours ago, canberra kid said:

Hi all,

I finally bit the bullet and thanks to the National Archives where I managed to get copies of 79 and 34 Sqn's ORB's and diaries for the time my dad was with them I now have the serial numbers for all but one of his Thunderbolts, as a matter of interest the one that is missing is the last Thunderbolt he flew in Burma, which was a delivery flight from Burma to a MU in India, the aircraft letter was B so if anyone knows that would be fabulous! So back to the build as it stands I only intend building one from 79 and 34 Sqn's so I had to pick ones that had a story to them so the first out of the blocks is KJ252 EG-Y this is the aircraft he was flying when VJ day was declared. As I said earlier on in this thread my dad always said the T-Bolts he flew were Green and Grey, but after seeing the fantastic colour film of the 79 Sqn machines, which I think was filmed around the time he was there? I am now thinking he miss remembered it, evidence of this is from something else he said 'I never flew a silver Thunderbolt' but one of the 79 Sqn aircraft he flew was KL338 NV-Z an all silver P.47! So this will be my 79 Sqn build. So here it is, 1/48 Tamiya brush painted, which was a challenge getting the faded brown over grey look, any why this is it,

     

 

So any thoughts?

 

John

Lovely, congratulations!

Edited July 12, 2020 by Julien
DONT QUOTE ALL THE PICTURES

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, canberra kid said:

So any thoughts?

Really nice. This is a scheme I really like the look of, great it has this connection with your Dad to make it so special. I'm liking.

Steve.

[Julien]

Looks good John.

 

I had the pleasure of talking to a pilot who flew these over Burma always on ground attack and support roles as he said there were no enemy aircraft to be seen, Interesting stories of using Napalm by filling drop tanks with it then fitting them with external strikers. Also supply drops for the Chindits which pushed their endurance due to the extra drag.

 

Interestingly he told of wearing ammunition boots to fly in primarily to break through the jungle canopy if they had to bail out. He said they made a bit if a mess of the wing where they used to climb up to the annoyance of the ground crews. 

 

A very interesting guy, never flew again after being discharged, went back to being a printer.

 

Julien

[canberra kid]

On 7/12/2020 at 10:36 PM, Julien said:

Looks good John.

 

I had the pleasure of talking to a pilot who flew these over Burma always on ground attack and support roles as he said there were no enemy aircraft to be seen, Interesting stories of using Napalm by filling drop tanks with it then fitting them with external strikers. Also supply drops for the Chindits which pushed their endurance due to the extra drag.

 

Interestingly he told of wearing ammunition boots to fly in primarily to break through the jungle canopy if they had to bail out. He said they made a bit if a mess of the wing where they used to climb up to the annoyance of the ground crews. 

 

A very interesting guy, never flew again after being discharged, went back to being a printer.

 

Julien

Julien not sure what my dad on his feet, I can't recall him ever saying, The only thing he said was that most of the time he/they flew without a helmet as it was too hot, he blamed that for damaging his hearing, which meant that at his next medical he was told he was unfit to fly so was offered a desk job, which he turned down and left the RAF, but then re joined and went back to flying in Japan and more, he finally left in 1952, and missed it and his friends from that day until he died in 2001. This is the only photo I have of him in Burma, Army tropical fatigues with no rank or wings, no feet either! 

 

    

 

On 7/12/2020 at 9:02 PM, stevehnz said:

Really nice. This is a scheme I really like the look of, great it has this connection with your Dad to make it so special. I'm liking.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, I really enjoyed the project, it's so good to have all the serials, bar one for the aircraft he flew in Burma. All I need now is the ones from Egypt and India, but I'm not holding out much hope for them.

 

John