RELEASED - 1/72 Early Merlin Spitfire Family - IBG Guessing Game Round 2

[HKR]

I probably won't help much, but it's worth remembering that every company wants to do its project in an economically optimal way - so the question you're asking yourself shouldn't be how much [something] a given aircraft had. It should be which aircraft can be made with the given minimum amount of that [something]. Because these numbers that IBG gives are certainly not the maximum that occurred in “this” aircraft.

[Tbolt]

8 hours ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

P-47 Family 

 

first off you had the P-43 Lancer which was Related development

 

I would say one Protoype will be included 

 

P-47D with two Sub-variants

 

P-47G with two Sub-variants

 

Then P-47 M or N 

 with different Boxings

 

Thats my Thinking 

 

 

The P-47G wouldn't require a different fuselage though.

[zigster]

P-47 sounds good.

One frame for wings / uc / guns / drop tanks

Second frame for fuselages / props

Third frame for bits & pieces in cockpit etc

Fourth frame - clear parts.

How does it looks business wise for you?

zig

[Piotr Mikolajski]

1 hour ago, zigster said:

How does it looks business wise for you?

 

Even with smaller projects, like IAR, IBG Models has much more sprues:

• IAR-80: A, B1, B2, E, F
• IAR-80A: A, B1, B2, F, G
• IAR-81: A, B1, B2, D, J

There will be more IARs and there will be more sprues.

[zigster]

So, Piotr, even with my skimpy plan, P-47 sound like a good choice?

More sprues would be even more choices (or better detailed kit).

zig

[Dennis_C]

Could it be Macchi 200/202/205 family? As I'm reading about Saetta/Folgore/Veltro - production versions were not much modified so 5 fuselages and 7 propellers are probably too much, but there were some prototype versions that never reached production. 

 

Just trying to think about series that are not well covered by modern kits. P-47 family and F4U family are good contenders from that perspective, although I would still probably bet on Antons...

Edited January 20 by Dennis_C

[352nd Fighter Group]

5 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Could it be Macchi 200/202/205 family? As I'm reading about Saetta/Folgore/Veltro - production versions were not much modified so 5 fuselages and 7 propellers are probably too much, but there were some prototype versions that never reached production. 

 

Just trying to think about series that are not well covered by modern kits. P-47 family and F4U family are good contenders from that perspective, although I would still probably bet on Antons...

Fiat G-55 family Then a post war Fiat G-59 ?

[Dennis_C]

31 minutes ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

Fiat G-55 family Then a post war Fiat G-59 ?

Oooohhh Fiat G.59!!! That may be a superunexpected release

[Giorgio N]

26 minutes ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

Fiat G-55 family Then a post war Fiat G-59 ?

 

That would easily need 5 fuselages and more if all the variants are made: G.55 Sottoserie 0, G.55 Serie 1, G.55B, G.55BM ( with Spitfire derived Merlin), G.59A, G-59B, G-59-4A, G-59-4B... that makes it 8 variants with enough differences in the fuselage to require different parts. Not to mention that even within the G.55 produciton there were variations in the tail design that may therefore require another different fuselage.

However I'm not sure that the type ever used 7 different propeller types. IIRC the prototype may have used a German propeller, then the production G.55s all had the same propeller, so it's 2 for the G.55 proper. The G.55BM used a Rotol propeller while the G.59s used Hamiltorn Standards. Even allowing a couple different variants for the latter we don't have 7 propeller types

[Dennis_C]

5 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

IIRC the prototype may have used a German propeller, then the production G.55s all had the same propeller, so it's 2 for the G.55 proper. The G.55BM used a Rotol propeller while the G.59s used Hamiltorn Standards. Even allowing a couple different variants for the latter we don't have 7 propeller types

FIAT G.56 prototype with DB-603 engine? Still not 7 propellers though. 

Also as I understand some G.59 were converted from G.55 plus some spares - any non-standard propellers there?

Edited January 20 by Dennis_C

[Giorgio N]

On 1/18/2025 at 10:09 PM, Tbolt said:

I made an error earlier. I think this is more like it:

 

P-47B

P-47C/D flat keel

P-47C/D to D-23

P-47D-25 to D-40 & M

P-47N 

 

Let's not forget that variation in fuselages on a kit may go beyond what we consider as main variations in a type.

Just an example based on the P-47: there were bubbletop Ds with and without tail fillet. A modelling company may decide it's easier to make two different fuselages rather than have a separate insert for the fillet. That would make 2 fuselages for what we may see as a single variant.

Of course the same company may take this to the extremes, for example moulding small variations in panel lines or the presence of armour as completely different fuselages. It all depends how a company want to be accurate and how they feel in the choice between adding many smaller separate parts to a single main part or moulding totally different larger parts.

We know that IBG take accuracy seriously so I wouldn't be surprised to see them offering different fuselages to take into account relatively minor differences

[Giorgio N]

11 minutes ago, Dennis_C said:

FIAT G.56 prototype with DB-603 engine? Still not 7 propellers though. 

Also as I understand some G.59 were converted from G.55 plus some spares - any non-standard propellers there?

 

All G.59s used Merlin engines, so the propellers they could use were those associated with this engine. Most had the uncuffed HS type we usually associate with postwar Mustangs but it was possible to see these replaced with other Mustang units, for example the common cuffed HS type as used in WW2.. and I've seen pictures of what looks like the cuffed type with the cuffs removed. So it would make 3 prop types, to which we can add the Spitfire propeller used on the prototypes.

[Dennis_C]

Just for the record - An-2 provides options not for 5 fuselages but maybe for 25 fuselages especially if you take care about interiors. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

So it would make 3 prop types, to which we can add the Spitfire propeller used on the prototypes

Getting closer to 7!

Edited January 20 by Dennis_C

[352nd Fighter Group]

I Think is between a Spitfire and P-47 family I would prefer a Spitfire family 

 

Spitfire

Seafire

Spiteful

Seafang

 

 

 

 

 

[Dennis_C]

2 minutes ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

Spitfire

Seafire

Spiteful

Seafang

Attacker!

[Tbolt]

33 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Let's not forget that variation in fuselages on a kit may go beyond what we consider as main variations in a type.

Just an example based on the P-47: there were bubbletop Ds with and without tail fillet. A modelling company may decide it's easier to make two different fuselages rather than have a separate insert for the fillet. That would make 2 fuselages for what we may see as a single variant.

Of course the same company may take this to the extremes, for example moulding small variations in panel lines or the presence of armour as completely different fuselages. It all depends how a company want to be accurate and how they feel in the choice between adding many smaller separate parts to a single main part or moulding totally different larger parts.

We know that IBG take accuracy seriously so I wouldn't be surprised to see them offering different fuselages to take into account relatively minor differences

 

Of course, it was just a guess of what they might do if they went the Tamiya route instead of the MiniArt route.

[352nd Fighter Group]

This is my last Guess until untill the 28th 

 

P-51H

 

 

[Dennis_C]

8 minutes ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

This is my last Guess until untill the 28th 

 

P-51H

 

 

Did you say Cavalier Mustang/Piper Enforcer?

[352nd Fighter Group]

1 minute ago, Dennis_C said:

Did you say Cavalier Mustang/Piper Enforcer?

No

[alt-92]

1 hour ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

a Spitfire family 

Y tho

 

I'm more partial to a proper F4U series. Especially the later postwar models are sorely lacking.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

8 hours ago, zigster said:

So, Piotr, even with my skimpy plan, P-47 sound like a good choice?

 

This plan is very skimpy, the whole project has many times more frames. I'd say it's a huge project.

[DominikS]

But is it as niche project as previous one? Or something more, let's call it, mainstream?

Can you tell us if anyone was close to guessing the type?

[HKR]

8 hours ago, DominikS said:

But is it as niche project as previous one? Or something more, let's call it, mainstream?

Can you tell us if anyone was close to guessing the type?

Patience, after all, it's not the end of the guessing game. I'm sure there will be more hints before the Nuremberg event begins.

[Adam Poultney]

58 minutes ago, HKR said:

Patience, after all, it's not the end of the guessing game. I'm sure there will be more hints before the Nuremberg event begins.

I'd expect another hint tonight if following the pattern of every three days

[John Thompson]

While I like the idea of a series of F4U Corsairs, these would need more variations than just five different fuselages and seven props, they would also need maybe three different sets of wings, would they not? That would make each release almost a totally different kit. Now I'm really curious, even though I know it won't be a series of Yak-9's. I hope @Adam Poultneyis right, and we get a new clue tonight!

 

John