Tamiya 1/72 P47-D Bubbletop Kit #60770

[walkerccw]

I am currently building the Tamiya 1/72 P47-D Bubbletop Kit #60770. I have a few questions about the kit.

 

Step 4: Part #A21,#A22 What are they for?

#A33: What is it for?

 

Thanks.

[72modeler]

Tamiya evidently engineered their 1/72 P-47D-25 kit so that a P-47D-30 or P-47M could be released at a later date. On the P-47D-25 and earlier, the retractable landing light was located under the LH wing adjacent to the wheel bay opening, which part A21 allows. The P-47D-30 and P-47M had retractable flaps under the wings to help the airplane recover from a dive if compressibility  was encountered; the landing light was also moved outboard to allow the installation of these flaps. If Tamiya had released a 1/72  P-47D-30 or P-47M kit, parts A21 and A22 would have been replaced with parts that incorporated these compressibility flaps, and another part with an opening for the landing light would have replaced part A33. on your kit. You will also notice that your kit has two parts, G2 and G3, that allow for a fin without the dorsal fin strake, On the P-47D-30 and P-47M, there was a dorsal fin strake fitted- since the 1/72 Tamiya P-47's were derived from their 1/48 kits, they inherited most of the features of the bigger scale kits- unfortunately for 1/72 scale modelers, not the option of dropped flaps!

 

 Tamiya did release a 1/48 P-47M and it had the lower wing panels with the compressibility flaps and the new landing light location as well as the dorsal fin strake. If Tamiya ever decides to release a 1/72 P-47D-30 or P-47M, it will have the same parts to convert their P-47D-25 kit. I hope this explanation makes sense.

Mike

[Tbolt]

16 hours ago, walkerccw said:

I am currently building the Tamiya 1/72 P47-D Bubbletop Kit #60770. I have a few questions about the kit.

 

Step 4: Part #A21,#A22 What are they for?

#A33: What is it for?

 

Thanks.

 

If you do want to do a D-30 or later or an aircraft with a dorsal fin, Quickboost do resin drop in parts for the Tamiya kit.

[Wm Blecky]

14 hours ago, Tbolt said:

 

If you do want to do a D-30 or later or an aircraft with a dorsal fin, Quickboost do resin drop in parts for the Tamiya kit.

Obscureco also does a filleted tail fin:

 

Depending how far you want to take your details to, Obscureco also does a correct cockpit floor for the Tamiya P-47D-30 onward:

 

Army Cast does a wonderful resin flap set for the Tamiya P-47 kit.  As a side note, I have purchased several of their P-47 and P-51 sets and have not been disappointed.  They are very well done.  The casting is flawless:

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Wm Blecky

[Wm Blecky]

Here is a review of the Quickboost tail set with the dorsal fin from IPMS USA.  The review includes some tips on installing the set.  I am sure that those tips would be applicable if you choose the Obscureco set as well.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Wm Blecky
typo

[Tbolt]

9 hours ago, Wm Blecky said:

Obscureco also does a filleted tail fin:

 

Depending how far you want to take your details to, Obscureco also does a correct cockpit floor for the Tamiya P-47D-30 onward:

 

Army Cast does a wonderful resin flap set for the Tamiya P-47 kit.  As a side note, I have purchased several of their P-47 and P-51 sets and have not been disappointed.  They are very well done.  The casting is flawless:

 

 

 

 

 

I would like the flat cockpit floor, but I don't know of anyone in the UK that carries Obscureco stuff.

 

Just as a note, I believe the flat cockpit floor came in during the D-25 production run, so it's a much needed part for the Tamiya kit and I'm surprised Quickboost haven't done one.

[72modeler]

8 hours ago, Tbolt said:

I believe the flat cockpit floor came in during the D-25 production run,

That's what I have also found after looking at written references; it appears the flat floor was introduced late in  D-25-RE production and subsequent; I couldn't any reference as to what block it was introduced on -RA P-47's. Gabreski's D-25 was a very early example, and it did have the corrugated floor. 

Mike

[Tbolt]

14 hours ago, 72modeler said:

That's what I have also found after looking at written references; it appears the flat floor was introduced late in  D-25-RE production and subsequent; I couldn't any reference as to what block it was introduced on -RA P-47's. Gabreski's D-25 was a very early example, and it did have the corrugated floor. 

Mike

 

Like you say when did Evansville start fitting it, most likely the D-26, but unless someone comes up with some Republic documents it’s just one of a long list of things we will never know when they were added to production aircraft. At the moment I just stick to the general rule of if it’s a D-25 or later then I’ll use a flat cockpit floor.

[Wm Blecky]

Might be worth dropping Obscureco an email to see what reference they used when they produced their floor set.  Might provide clarification.

[Tbolt]

3 hours ago, Wm Blecky said:

Might be worth dropping Obscureco an email to see what reference they used when they produced their floor set.  Might provide clarification.

 

Since they just state D-30, rather than D-30-RA, I suspect they have just used something like the Detail & Scale book which incorrectly states the flat floor was introduced on the D-30-RE and RA.

[Ed Russell]

On 7/24/2021 at 7:27 PM, Tbolt said:

I don't know of anyone in the UK that carries Obscureco stuff.

I ordered directly from them, paying by PayPal and the whole procedure was no trouble at all. Mr Obscureco seems a pleasant guy and I liked his products - good instructions, casting and research.

[72modeler]

18 minutes ago, Ed Russell said:

good instructions, casting and research.

Plus, the product descriptions are so funny!

Mike

[Tbolt]

3 hours ago, Ed Russell said:

I ordered directly from them, paying by PayPal and the whole procedure was no trouble at all. Mr Obscureco seems a pleasant guy and I liked his products - good instructions, casting and research.

I guess if I order enough the postage will work out reasonable. I think I'll contact them first to make sure they are still selling to the UK, as some companies like Ultracast don't anymore ( and it's not clear on their website ).