1/48 P-47 WIP

Looking good Jim!

Tell us more!  What's going on around those exhaust ports?

I really like the wiring harness on the engine.

What are you using for the barrel extensions?

Keep us posted.

m@

Thanks for the kind words Matt.

I'm opening up the exhaust ports. I have to get a set of smaller files to finish the job. I also thinned the turbocharger exhaust ports. The plastic was too thick. There is blue masking tape around the ports so I wouldn't scratch up the surrounding areas.

The engine was a lot of fun. I broke 4 drill bits while drilling all the holes.

The gun barrels are Stainless Steel hypodermic needle tubing. One of the guys in our group found a place where you can buy it in 6ft lengths. I also have a list of what size tubing to use for which size MG in whatever scale you are working in. If you want a copy of the list and a copy of the sheet from the S. S. tubing place, I can send them to you.

I took the Pit and the pilot to our group meeting last month. When I gave it to the 1st guy, he looked at it and said it looked like Joe (the real pilot). I thought he was just being funny. The other guys said the same thing. I guess it's a mental thing because the more I look at it, the more it does looks like him. Going to set it up with Joe getting in the cockpit and the Mechanic getting ready to help him with the belts.

Take Care.

Jim

Looks like a good start.  Keep us posted on progress.

Regards,  Rick

Love what you did with the engine.  Looking forward to seeing how you progress and how the pilot likes the finished model.

Excellent work!  I like your superdetailing, and am looking forward to more progress.

I may have missed this, but which kit is this?  And who made the figures, if they weren't included in the kit?  Everything looks great!

Best regards,

Brad

Am I correct in assuming this is the Monogram kit with the included PE? 

Got the very same one sitting in my stash's on-deck circle and I'm itching to get started on it. 

I've got a set of Master's brass blast tubes that are intended for a Tamiya Razorback, and I've been thinking about using the Tamiya tubes on the Monogram, but I'm leaning toward going straight OOB for an apples-to-apples of my skills now versus the last time I tackled this kit (16 years ago):

Fox - great job so far!  A question about the seat - I know the early war P-40's that I'm currently working on had the NM seat color, but did the later war fighters like the P-47 have them also?  I've always thought the later ones were always Int. green color. . . .

Doogs - is that your 16 yrs ago effort?  If so, I think it looks great as is! 

I also have this one in my stash and was thinking about getting it out one of these days and working on it.  This thread might just be the inspiration I need!

Looking Sweet~! I'm currently doing a Koster Conversion.. making the XP-47J Superbolt..

Thanks a lot for all the kind words guys.

The Baron + DoogsATX - - -The kit is indeed the Monogram 1/48 w/PE. The figures are ICM USAAF Pilots and Ground Personnel, kit #48083. 5 figs. for approx. $7. 2 Pilots, 1Officer, 2 Mechanics. Really well molded with great detail and you can mix-and match 3 of the figs.

jschlechty - - - While talking with Joe, we were told a few things that his group had or did that were not the same as all the rest. I don't know whether the later ones had Int. Green or not (I'm old and if I knew at one time, I forgot)(LOL), but his group had NM seats. The cockpit was Interior Green, but the seat was not. They were not permitted any nose art, pilots name, mechanics name, kill marks, or any other "art" on the plane. Joe had a name on his plane but was told to remove it. I can't find the paper where I wrote the name down.  The 40th FS was known as the Fightin Red Devils. At one time they did have the red devil with the lightning bolt in his hand on their planes. A new CO made them remove the emblems. Later on, they were permitted to put the lightning bolt only on their rudders. OOps, this old brain just remembered something, they did have red cowl rings with 4 scallops going back to the cowl flaps. I guess they had a really tough CO.

Got some work done on the plane today and hope to get more done this weekend.

Thanks again for the kind words.

Jim

You know I read something about a Joe Potts somewhere. I'll look for it.

Interesting thread!  I'm finishing up a book right now called "Hell Hawks:  The Untold Story Of The American Fliers Who Savaged Hitlers Wehrmacht".  It pertains to the P-47 pilots of the 365th FG.  Very interesting read.

nice work so far, is that a old monogram kit if so did the figures come with it?

p51mustang - - - That is the old Monogram kit with the PE included. The figures were aftermarket. I listed the Company and kit # above in this post with other details. I bought 2 sets from Squadron, one for this build and one for a P-40 I'm working on also.

Jim

Just a head's up on a fine-lookin' build so far... Those aren't exhausts up there under the Jug's nose... Those are waste-gates that allow bleed-air from the turbo to pass when it's not running... The exhaust proper is the "horseshoe" forward of the tailwheel...

Thanks, Jim!  I suspected it might be, because of the way the wheel wells were molded, but I wasn't sure.  That is a great kit.  I built a razorback earlier this year, have a bubbletop on the bench, and another razorback in the stash.  I'll build Jugs by the other makers, too, but I have a soft spot for the old Monogram kits.

Thanks for the info on the figures, too!  I picked up their recent P-51B on sale at Squadron, just for the extra figures in the kit

Best regards,

Brad

my bad i didnt scroll down before i posted!  again nice work i did the same engine detail on tamiyas wildcat a few years back

Thanks for the heads up HvH. I learn something new about this bird every day.

Constructor - - -  Let me know if you find what you read about Joe Potts. He was really surprised that I found out so much info about him on the computer (he doesn't like computers and doesn't have one).

DoogsATX + the Baron - - - I have a question for either/both of you as you both built this kit. On both sides of the fuselage, about 1/4 inch forward of the rudder, there is a small hole. It is even shown on some of the drawings on the instruction sheets. There is no part for this in the kit.  Is there a part or should I just fill these holes?

Jim

fox

DoogsATX + the Baron - - - I have a question for either/both of you as you both built this kit. On both sides of the fuselage, about 1/4 inch forward of the rudder, there is a small hole. It is even shown on some of the drawings on the instruction sheets. There is no part for this in the kit.  Is there a part or should I just fill these holes?

Jim

Hey Jim - do you mean just the rudder or the entire vertical stabilizer? 

P-47s do have a small hole in the fuselage below and slightly forward of the stabs. If you click to embiggen the Jug below you'll see it just under the aft bar of the national insignia.

I have absolutely zero idea what it's for. Maybe it's a weep hole like on houses, to let moisture out so the plane didn't corrode from within? 

I'll check out my kit when I get out to the bench tonight just to doublecheck that that's the hole you mean.

Thanks a lot I appreciate it. That's it. That's amazing. There is a hole there. I'm glad I asked or I would have probably filled it in. I'll have to ask Joe what it's there for the next time I see Him.

Jim

That's for the bar that gets inserted through the fuselage and held up by the jackstands (or a crane) that're used raise the fuselage up into a level position, for zeroing and harmonizing the guns on the range...

Hans von Hammer

That's for the bar that gets inserted through the fuselage and held up by the jackstands (or a crane) that're used raise the fuselage up into a level position, for zeroing and harmonizing the guns on the range...

I'll second that.  There's a somewhat famous picture in the P-47 D&S book showing a P-47N with it's tail hoisted up on the gun range.  I've always wanted to do a diorama of something like that.

If I'm not mistaken, if one has extremely good quallity decals, they'll notice it says something to the effect of "LIFT HERE" right next to that hole.

Eric

HvH to the rescue again. Thanks again for your help.

Jim

No sweat, man.. LOL, I was such a ramp-whore... I wiped a lotta wings in order to get up close & personal to the aircraft on a regular basis, since I didn't have the money to sponsor one for a lotta years... Butned my leave time too many times following the show circuit...

fox

The gun barrels are Stainless Steel hypodermic needle tubing. One of the guys in our group found a place where you can buy it in 6ft lengths. I also have a list of what size tubing to use for which size MG in whatever scale you are working in. If you want a copy of the list and a copy of the sheet from the S. S. tubing place, I can send them to you. 

YES!  I would very much like to have that list.  Is the SS tubing very difficult to cut?  What do you use?

Thanks,

m@

echolmberg

Hans von Hammer:

That's for the bar that gets inserted through the fuselage and held up by the jackstands (or a crane) that're used raise the fuselage up into a level position, for zeroing and harmonizing the guns on the range...

 

I'll second that.  There's a somewhat famous picture in the P-47 D&S book showing a P-47N with it's tail hoisted up on the gun range.  I've always wanted to do a diorama of something like that.

I got the same idea...  Doing my Monogram P-40B thusly, along with a Tamiya 1/48 Duece..

Note the engine's running... This was due to having to have the interupter gear working when bore-sighting the .50 cals... Pretty windy work...

Thats exactly right. Heres a look: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?topic=9630.345