P47 Intercooler ducting color?

am building a P47d razorback and "eileen" scale 1:72.
it seems like the cowling needs more detail...i feel like cutting the ducts but it looks fragile coz of its size.

what do u think guys? should i cut away and fold? or not?

thanks!

JohnP
Sorry I didn't get back sooner - The guy was involved in a deal that brought 8 P-47Ds out of Peru - 4 of the 6 were those birds (They were all P-47D-30s) - He already had 2 and was working on a deal to buy a P-47N in Florida when I left his employment.
Last I knew 1 had gone to England, He rolled one in a ball at Barstow, sold one and it got broken into three major pieces on take off in Tulsa and the rest were scattered around the country when he declared bankruptcy.

Hey snowy, well you are a lot farther along than me, that's for sure.I'm trying to make progress in the interior. I have to detail paint some more of it, and then add all the details from the set. funny you mentioned the wing spar, I had exactly the same conclusion. It's way too tight! As far as paints go, myself I usually stick to Testors enamel, so maybe I lucked out a little there.

well, best wishes with the build, and keep in touch!

Hi josephkukavica,
I found a wartime photo of the "Spirit of Atlantic City" flown by Walker Mahurin (same as kit decals) so I'll try the kit decals and go with that version but you're right Tamiya's decals normally are a little thick. The photo was in Squadron Publication's "P47 Thunderbolt in Action". I did some test spraying with the Olive Drab colour recommended in the instructions for the upper surfaces (Tamiya XF 62) but I feel it is way too brownish, let me know what you think. I could be wrong here but I think I want my plane just a little greener (just personal preference). I am going to try mixing in some XF 58 Olive Green, possibly 1:1 and see how that goes. I'll let you know. I know other manufacturers probably make a better Olive Drab but I really like Tamiyas paint so I'll work with it a little, adds to the fun. I've finished the cockpit, starting the fuselage sides and engine. Just watch out when you get to Step 2 it seems to indicate that part A7 wing spar should be painted before you insert it through the fuselage side but if you do you will scrape the paint off as you slide it through, it is quite a snug fit . It is better painted after fuselage assembly.

Cheers...Snowy.

Thanks for the help guys! qmeistser, you confirmed my feeling that it was going to be pretty messy! And, Snowy, it's great to hear that someone is doing the exact same thing! I probably will go with the interior green as you did. I was a little nervous about bending the ducting, but in the end it was ok. How are you going to finish it? Eagle Editions sells a decal sheet that is the same as what comes in the box, so I picked that up. Don't get me wrong, I love tamiya's kits, but for a few dollars, I don't mind upgrading to some thin decals! and the subject is pretty colorful at the same time. Let me know how your build goes, ok?

Thanks again for the help guys!

Hi Josephkukavica, I'm building the same bird with the same detail set. I used yellow/green (Tamiya XF-4) for this area then dirtied it up with some dark grey and black pastel dust to show grime buildup/steaking etc. It's probably wrong but as you pointed out there's not much visible in there. By the way, how did you go folding those ducts into shape, bit like Origami eh! I managed to find an old P47D pilots manual - great detail shots of the cockpit with explanations of what all the controls are. It's amazing how accurately Tamiya reproduced the whole plane actually, almost to the point where any extra detail isn't really required although it's fun to add.

Cheers...Snowy.

qmiester, were those the Jugs bought from the Brazilian AF? I remember many a magazine article at the time showing them all in formation. What a beautiful sight!

Twenty years ago I worked for a gentleman who owned 6 P-47s, one of which I maintained. The intercooler and turbo ducting was bare metal on that particular bird (although very dirty and oily - not uncommon on an item located behind a radial engine). We had a second P-47 that stayed a couple of weeks with us and it too had bare metal. Hope this helps.