Eduard P-47D Razorback & Bubbletop Update Sets (for Tamiya)

[Mike]

P-47D Razorback & Bubbletop Update Sets (for Tamiya)

1:48 Eduard

 

 

If you thought you’d missed out on the wave of super-detailed aftermarket parts using new technology for your older kits, you might be right in some situations, but if you have one of Tamiya’s still excellent P-47D Thunderbolts, whether it’s the Razorback, or the Bubbletop with the cut-down fuselage to improve rearward vision, you’re in luck.  These relatively old kits still hold up incredibly well given their age, but any styrene instrument panel can be improved by aftermarket that is pre-painted or printed in the correct colours to begin with.  Add to that a set of paint masks to keep your canopy in pristine condition, and you’ve got a great way to upgrade your kit relatively quickly and easily.

 

The cockpits of the two variants of the Thunderbolt were subtly different, so both the sets are broadly the same, but with those minimal changes between them, which seems to extend only to the instrument panel, they still build essentially the same.  The masking sets are vastly different from the windscreen aft, as you will be able to see in the drawings below.

 

P-17D Razorback & Bubbletop SPACE (3DL48077 & 3DL48078)

The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet.  They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print.  In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals.

 

The printed sheet contains the beautiful instrument panel, with copious additional decals for the side consoles, stencils and sidewalls after removing the moulded-in detail, while the PE includes a set of four-point pre-painted seatbelts with comfort pads under the buckles; a raised stand for the floor with a decal with some controls on the floor; wiring loom on the sidewalls linking various parts together; backup ring sight on the gunsight with a bead externally in front of the cockpit, and adjustment ratchets on the rudder pedals, where you are also told to drill holes in the bottom of the foot pedals.  Externally, there are a pair of circular mesh grilles for the intakes in the nose; stencils for the main gear legs, and a fuel cap for the flattened fuel tank often carried under the belly.

 

The difference between the Razorback and the Bubbletop extends only as far as the former has a cut-out in the top centre of the panel, while the latter has the notch in the styrene panel covered over with additional informative stencils.

 

P-47D Razorback (3DL48077)

 

 

P-47D Bubbletop (3DL48078)

 

 

 

Tface Masks (EX881 & EX882)

Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy both inside and out, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape.  In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels and formation lights, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.

 

 

P-47D Razorback Tface (EX881)

 

 

 

P-47D Bubbletop Tface (EX882)

 

 

 

Conclusion

It’s great to see these sets coming out to improve the cockpit of these ageing gems of kits that many of us have in our stashes already.  I was tempted to get a Tamiya Bubbletop now, even though I built the Academy kit some years ago when Eduard reboxed it.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of