The motor. In a perfect world, I would have put a wiring harness on it. Maybe next time...

If its not to late count me in for a Hasegawa P47 1/72 will start my build after I complete my first Spitfire.  I want to think everyone that posts information and tips on this forum.  You information has been tremendous for a beginner as myself and probably helped with my pocket book on spending on items I didn't need.  On a personal note to Doogs your blog has been a great resource and very grateful for your tips and techniques.  After a failed P51B mustang build I have a short lists I learned

1.  Patience, Patience, Patience

2. There is a fine line between to much or to less glue

3.  When in doubt mask more not less

4.  Canopies can be an adventure

5.  And most important HAVE FUN

Probably going to seek knowledge from everyone on this build so if I try to pick your brains for info let me apologize ahead of time :)

Thanks, James

First, Welcome James! Secondly, there is absolutely no need for apologies as that's how we roll around here. My modeling has improved 100 fold since I joined this forum and asked dozens of questions. I still ask dozens of questions. In fact I have one for the group in my busy little head right now but. I'll ask that a bit later. So for now, ENJOY!!!

                                                         Joe

James - welcome aboard, glad to have you! I've got you added to the roster - but have to ask, what P-47 are you building? Razorback, Bubbletop, etc?

Have to agree with you about the wonders of the internet. When I built models as a kid, I did so pretty much in a vacuum. There was FSM, sure, but not the wealth of tips and techniques and approaches that the internet makes available. When I came back to the hobby in the summer of 2010, I was amazed at the resources that are out there now. It was especially jarring because I stopped modeling regularly right around the time the internet started taking off (~1995 or so). Cars, movies, music, buying stuff...I've been around to see it all evolve, but with modeling it was like encountering the web anew. I'm STILL finding new resources with every build, it seems!

And I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! Keep an eye on it - I've got another giveaway coming up just as soon as I can figure out entry requirements I'm happy with.

All - not much new to report on the Jugs. I've been absorbed in my battle with the PCM Fiat G.55, and I'm waiting on a few bits to arrive from jolly old England - found a vacform canopy for the Revellogram Razorback over at Hannants. Main assembly's nearly done and I should be moving into sanding and putty (ugh) sometime this week.

Oops guess should have included that I am building a bubbletop from the 57th FG of 65th Fighter Squadron "Norma" Italy 1944.  Look forward to getting started......

Alright, I finally got the cockpit all finished up. The seat is ultracast w/ harness and some Eduard PE. I added some wire to the back of the instrument  panel for effect as these are not covered by the forward shroud and thus visible. Unfortunately, the one thing I did not attempt was to sand and polish out the seam down the middle of the gunsight which shows up all to well in these photos. So far my opinion of this here Tamiya Jug is, LOVIN' IT!

                                                     Enjoy, Joe

Wow Joe, looks really nice! Your detail work is top notch! I can't wait to get at the Tamiya kit as well. The Academy kit is very nice, but it just isn't a Tamiya. I can't wait to see more of your progress!

Joe:

That's one nice looking cockpit

Joe - looks great! These Tamiya Jugs are a treat, aren't they?

Speaking of which, if anybody's casting about for a Jug to build...

Nice looking cockpit there, Joe!

I'm glad you like the Tamiya. That's "on deck" for me. I am getting ready to prime and alclad my 1/32 Hasegawa. What's the old saying "measure twice, and cut once"? That's how the sanding has been..

Thank You Very Much Gentlemen. I'm now just settling down with some cleaning, sanding and polishing of parts.

Tom - Good luck on your Alclad application. I really can;t wait to see how it turns out.

     Joe

JOE RIX

Thank You Very Much Gentlemen. I'm now just settling down with some cleaning, sanding and polishing of parts.

Tom - Good luck on your Alclad application. I really can;t wait to see how it turns out.

     Joe

Thanks man. I have some stuff coming in from sprue brothers today. I am thinking of going along DoogATX's recommendation to put the first coat as airframe aluminum. (The base coat will be the alclad balck primer, to see how that goes.). I have duraluminum, aluminum, dark aluminum, and burnt metal. and steel? I plan on misting most of the airframe aluminum with duraluminum for "wear", with some (not overdone) panels in a few of the other ones. I understand that, since the P-47's were in the field, they really didn't have much contrast.

I do have a question for any P-47 enthusiasts. There are some panels along the belly, coming form the exhaust that appear to be darker in photos I have seen. The one coming from the exhaust pipe, in particular. Would this panel be steel, for the heat? Also, along the turbocharger on he rear belly? Again, steel? Or would that simply be burnt metal, due to heat tempering of the aluminum? Thanks

panzerpilot

 

JOE RIX:

 

Thank You Very Much Gentlemen. I'm now just settling down with some cleaning, sanding and polishing of parts.

Tom - Good luck on your Alclad application. I really can;t wait to see how it turns out.

     Joe

 

 

Thanks man. I have some stuff coming in from sprue brothers today. I am thinking of going along DoogATX's recommendation to put the first coat as airframe aluminum. (The base coat will be the alclad balck primer, to see how that goes.). I have duraluminum, aluminum, dark aluminum, and burnt metal. and steel? I plan on misting most of the airframe aluminum with duraluminum for "wear", with some (not overdone) panels in a few of the other ones. I understand that, since the P-47's were in the field, they really didn't have much contrast.

I do have a question for any P-47 enthusiasts. There are some panels along the belly, coming form the exhaust that appear to be darker in photos I have seen. The one coming from the exhaust pipe, in particular. Would this panel be steel, for the heat? Also, along the turbocharger on he rear belly? Again, steel? Or would that simply be burnt metal, due to heat tempering of the aluminum? Thanks

Let me STRONGLY urge against using Alclad Steel as an airframe shade. I attempted to use it on the steel exhaust plates on the La-5 I built awhile back, and yeah...

It's very dark.

Ultimately went with Dark Aluminum instead:

Really great work so far guys!  I finally picked a kit and got started just the other day.  I'm working on the Arii/Otaki P-47D.  It's a nice, cheap kit.  Detail is sparse in some areas, but that's ok.  Fit seems to be pretty decent so far. It's no Tamiya kit, but it'll do.  Anywho, here's the box art:

Instructions are, well, in Japanese..

Since there was hardly any detail in the tub, I decided to try my hand at some minor scratchbuilding:

After some paint and ready to get the fuse closed:

Belts are Tamiya tape and copper wire.

As she sits right now:

For now that's all I've got.  Have to see what else I can do to this jug.  Enjoy!

Mike

Oh and...finished main assembly on the Tamiya Razorback last night. Now it's time to move on to seam cleaning and getting it and the Revellogram ready for paint.

Note to anyone building the Tamiya Jug - if you want to do flaps up, I'd recommend installing them before you attach the wings to the fuselage, rather than after as the instructions direct. I had a very slight misalignment in the starboard wing that prevented me from doing so after the fact. It's not noticeable with the flaps down.

Mike -Looks great!

DoogsATX - Thanks. No steel it is. I looked at a schematic of the P-47 last night. Interesting! From waht I gather, the "exhaust" just aft of the lower cowl is actually a waste gate. The primary exhaust, perhaps at higher altitudes when the turbo is kicked in fully, is in the rear belly turbocharger outlet.

Those panels along the belly are right where the exhaust pipes go, either side, aft to the exhaust. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but those will be Burnt metal, with dark aluminum on the forward most panel. This is in line with pictures I've seen as well.

At any rate, I am going to shoot the primer soon...

panzerpilot

Mike -Looks great!

DoogsATX - Thanks. No steel it is. I looked at a schematic of the P-47 last night. Interesting! From waht I gather, the "exhaust" just aft of the lower cowl is actually a waste gate. The primary exhaust, perhaps at higher altitudes when the turbo is kicked in fully, is in the rear belly turbocharger outlet.

Those panels along the belly are right where the exhaust pipes go, either side, aft to the exhaust. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but those will be Burnt metal, with dark aluminum on the forward most panel. This is in line with pictures I've seen as well.

At any rate, I am going to shoot the primer soon...

Hmm...I need to crack my refs tonight and have a look at the underside. Jugs were fairly unique in that they exhibited little exhaust staining.

Also, forgot to mention it earlier, but I got a nifty package from Hannants last night that included some of HGW's new microtextile seatbelts. They're about the same or maybe a bit cheaper than Eduard PE belts, but the belts proper are made out of a material that's very malleable, and apparently the PE hardware is actually workable, if you can believe it. 

I'm dying to try these out - got sets for a 1/48 P-47, 1/32 P-47 and 1/32 P-40 - and each set contains two complete belts - so I'll probably be getting to them sometime in the nearish future.

Mike - Sweet job on the cockpit. I always thought about picking up one of those Otaki kits as didn't seem to bad of a kit for their age.

Doogs - Wow, those are choie looking seatbelts. I very well may have to invest in some. definitely if they have sets for Corsairs.

Those belts look really nice! Thanks for the heads up.

Yes, I have only seen very light staining on Jugs. That is a lighter oil colored staining, on the lower belly rear. I have seen pics of a darker exhaust staining on the inboard gear doors, however.  I'll weather along those lines, with an emphasis on the appearance of the metal.

I'm pretty sure the panels behind the wastegates were stainless steel, same material as the panels around the Mustang exhausts.  The waste gates would be more likely to be open at high throttle at low altitude, and more closed at low throttle or as altitude increases.

While I would reccomend a drive to the Lone Star Flight Museum, Panzerpilot, these pics might tide you over.  Taken over the Thanisgiving and New Year's holidays.

 Hope ya'll  enjoy.  What are you all using for DDG?  I think someone mentioned a modelmaster Euro color being close?

lewbud

While I would reccomend a drive to the Lone Star Flight Museum, Panzerpilot, these pics might tide you over.  Taken over the Thanisgiving and New Year's holidays.

Hope ya'll  enjoy.  What are you all using for DDG?  I think someone mentioned a modelmaster Euro color being close?

 

Thanks for the pics! Those help a lot.

DDG?  I used Vallejo Bronze Green. I did read on some other forums, and here, that MM Euro I Dark Green is close.  Apparently, they used a variation of these and differed a bit, depending on manufacture location. If you're up for some alchemy, apparently Tamiya can be mixed to make it:  2 parts X-4, 20 parts XF-11, and 1 part XF-2.

Incidentally, they had tried green zinc chromate, but it was "too much".

Panzerpilot, the engine in the Tarheel Hal at Lonestar is the later type used in the P-47M and N, and has the later gear reduction case on the nose.  Also, the wastegates are larger than normal, I suspect the turbosupercharger is not being used and that is now the exhaust.  The old GE turbos and their complex control system are hard to maintain on a "warbird".

Doogs: Oh those seatbelts are the bee's knees! When I ever get around to doing the 1/32 P-47 I've got to get some of those- I assume they have to do them in giant scale.

Lew: Love those photos though I wonder how a North Carolinian ended up in Texas

Gamera

Doogs: Oh those seatbelts are the bee's knees! When I ever get around to doing the 1/32 P-47 I've got to get some of those- I assume they have to do them in giant scale.

Yeah I got Jug belts in both 48th and 32nd so I know they exist.

Great news - I got the seams and sanding wrapped up on the Jugs last night...at least as much a I can tell before I put any primer down. Even got a second set of  eyes on my work. He didn't see anything either.

Priming starts tonight after bay and cockpit masking!

Mike: Think I missed you before but I love those great Otaki kits. I think lots of people overlook them, but she should build into a very nice model.

Doogs: I think the Captain is confused as to why the USAAF is now sitting their planes on the nose instead of their landing gear They're looking good, I'm at the same stage. Well, I've been at the primer stage for weeks now, hoping I'll get a nice smooth coat soon, Maybe I should have warmed up with the Tamiya kit instead of starting the Promodeler first.

Gamera

Doogs: I think the Captain is confused as to why the USAAF is now sitting their planes on the nose instead of their landing gear They're looking good, I'm at the same stage. Well, I've been at the primer stage for weeks now, hoping I'll get a nice smooth coat soon, Maybe I should have warmed up with the Tamiya kit instead of starting the Promodeler first.

Yeah I just realized over the weekend that the big SATX contest/show is February 18th. Less than three weeks out. And I'm hoping to enter "Magic Carpet". Time to get crackin'!

Gamera

Well, I've been at the primer stage for weeks now, hoping I'll get a nice smooth coat soon, Maybe I should have warmed up with the Tamiya kit instead of starting the Promodeler first.

Same here. I put the wings on last week. They fit very well, except for the inboard trailing edge topside. Looks like I should have shimmed the wing halves a bit, in that area, with some strip styrene, when I put them together.  (heads up to anyone building the Hasegawa 1/32nd)

No big deal, as it puttied up nicely. I have a feeling the Tamiya's will be a bit better fit. I'll be priming mine as well in the next few days.

Okay...a bit of inspiration for the group! United News newsreel from 1943, introducing the P-47. 

I was all set to prime the Jugs tonight. Stepped out of the office into a friggin' downpour. No paint tonight...

So I focused on getting everything masked up, did some more work on the big Fiat, and knocked out the stencil data on the CE props.

For the Revell, I'm just using kit decals, which are decent enough. 

For the Tamiya, I'm trying a set of dry transfer stencils (that are WAY more complete than any I've ever seen, even in 1/32 scale!). PITA burnishing them down onto the prop sleeves, but here's how they came out: