P-47D Thunderbolt 82 FG / 78 FG . . .

Very, very nicely done. Thanks for sharing your process. I have a Silhouette Portrait but I didn't cut any stencils, only used tape. I have plans for two more Thunderbolts, one with a yellow and black cowling. I'll have to try your method. I did measure the circumference of the back of the cowling and at the front. I divided the circumferences by the number of squares and that's how I came up the the 4mm and 3mm size for the checkerboard.

Maybe I should clean the paint off mine and paint it again using your method.

Thanks again for sharing. The cowling looks terrific.

fotofrank

I used Tamiya tape and Tamiya vinyl tape to mask the cowling on my build. The vinyl tape is pretty thick and I had some leakage under the masking tape. Looks like our builds will be from the same unit. Did you make stencils or use tape to mask the cowling? Your squares are 4mm at the cowl flaps and 3mm at the front edge of the cowling?

Hi Frank, Luckily I photographed this process extensively.  I don't know how big the squares are. I think what I did was the measure the circumference of the cowling at the rear edge then divided by total number of checkers...  From my photos looks like I added the back row first, then the 3rd row from the back, then free had masked the 2nd row, using the 1st and 3rd row as guide.

Next I extended each individual row to the front of the colwing with thin strips of tamiya tape and then used your friend (the Tamiya Vinyl tape) to break up the forward rows into checkers... 

I used my silhouette cutter to create masks for the 1st and 3rd rows.. HTH

Masking carnage -- The 'After the battle' photo.

cbaltrin, I wish my checkerboard cowling looked as good as yours. I used Tamiya tape and Tamiya vinyl tape to mask the cowling on my build. The vinyl tape is pretty thick and I had some leakage under the masking tape. Looks like our builds will be from the same unit.

Did you make stencils or use tape to mask the cowling?

Your squares are 4mm at the cowl flaps and 3mm at the front edge of the cowling?

Me too!

Nice Work Frank.  I have a weakness for checker cowled P-47's myself. I have several more I need to build.. This was my last addition.

Very, very well done! I wouold never attempt something like that.

BrandonK

Amazing work. I did the same thing on my Big Beautiful Doll and it was a ton of work. I completely understand how you feel when you pull it off, cuz it ain't easy. Well done.

BK

 

Thanks, guys. Much appreciated. Now that I've accomplished this I have at least one more Thunderbolt to try. It's interesting, once you have done one checkerboard cowling, a dozen more ideas pop into your head.

Amazing work. I did the same thing on my Big Beautiful Doll and it was a ton of work. I completely understand how you feel when you pull it off, cuz it ain't easy. Well done.

BK

Well done Frank!

I did it! I painted the checkerboard cowling for the Thunderbolt. Wow! Masking and Re-masking five or six times until I got it right. So, here it is. Not perfect, but good I think. I'll clear coat the cowling with some Tamiya X-22 Gloss Clear later today. After that I'll paint the inside of the cowling Chromate and Aluminum.

I vaguely remember an article in FSM many years ago where they explained how to mask a cowling on a P-47 for a checkerboard.  good luck with your project!

TJS 

jeaton01

Mucho patienski!

 

Thanks, John. Maybe I can get the cowling out to the paint bench today.

Mucho patienski!

EasyMike

Good luck in the paint booth.

 

 

Thanks, Mike. Ain't no easy task. I'm cutting new tape and masking the cowling again.

Good luck in the paint booth.