With pix starting a 1/48th monogram kit, Grandpajohn asking questions about the Academy line of tbolts and Dr.Cemento-gotta love that nic- getting on with a 1/72nd scale version . I kinda feel like I am jumping on the band wagon here by posting my completed Academy P-47D bubble top.
Anywhose, this is the 1/48th Academy “nose art” kit with superscale decals for Major Glen Eagleston of the 353 FS/354 FG. If I remember correctly, he finished his casreer as a Lt. Col. with 22.5 kills this plane represents 18 of those kills. I saw a painting of this plane flying over the English channel and knew I had to have one for my collection of AC. I did add the eduard PE set and some miscellaneous wire and soldier around the wheels and PW engine.
Nicely Done Wibhi2 - What did you use for the NMF? looks likr you may have had luck getting a clear cote over te NMF or is that an Acrylic Wash? With a mustang on deck and my T-bolt close behind I’m gonna have to get over my NMF Fear. Sounds like Alclad puts most every thing to shame, though I think I’m still gonna do a few panels with SNJ and possibly some Bare metal foil. I have a great scheme in mind - the trick will be finding the decals! Cheers, -J
Dont feel bad man as soon as iam done with my helldiver iam gona start my 1/48 Acadamy kit LOL my be we should have started a gruop build specificly for Tbolts.
Doc, having seen my neighbor Bud’s Jug in the flesh, I can assure you the NMF is more than up to high standards, and the sort of green, monochrome effect is the lighting. And if I may embarrass him, I’m still drooling on his most recent WW II bird – his Avia La-7, which I still consider the best 1/48 example of the type I’ve seen built in styrene (he wisely left off optional the resin three-gun insert that comes in the tarted up version of the kit he used).
As for Col. Eagleston, in addition to his 18.5 confirmed kills in WW II, he had three more flying the F-86A as commander of the 334 FIS/4 FIG in Korea. Which makes me wonder why I can’t find an F-86A model. It is not an easy conversion from the E’s and F’s that are so common among kit makers, largely due to the surgery required in the windscreen itself and the area around it, as well as the non-all-flying tail it carried. There are still old Korean War jocks out there who will swear the F-86A was the finest version of that classic ever made, but that’s for another thread. Personally, I think I would have preferred the all-flying tail to get around in over the old elevator and stab system against the MiG’s, but that’s just me. And to the best of my failing recollection, I’ve never had a MiG kill. Nor, come to think of it, a single hour in the Jug or the Sabre.
Back to the Jugs, the Osprey book on modeling the Thunderbolt says the Tamiya P-47D-20 Razorback is one of the finest 1/48 scale kits ever made, as far as detail, accuracy and fit are concerned. Do others find this to be true? I haven’t seen one in the box, but they build up quite nicely based on those I’ve seen here. I’d like to have a Razorback since I got this incredibly sweet Kagero monograph on the Jug with Kagero’s usual fine pull-out drawings and every conceivable detail covered with a drawing or photo or both.
No Argument 1/72 or 1/48th the Tamiya Razorback may be the finest injection molding I have ever seen… So fine I thought I might be so bored by just painting it and gluing it together that I bought the academy kit to challenge myself instead (and save 15 bucks!) ! No doubt thats a Fine NMF finish, setting the bar high for our impromtue jug build. -J
Jabbe and DrCemento:
I took a very simple approah to this NMF. First I could dig any photos on the net which showed anykind of variation for the metal panels. So I decided to do very subtle shading while maintaining a monochromatic finish as what I had seen suggested. I sprayed the whole thing SnJ and put 2 light coats
of future on it for decaling. Once decaled I sealed again with future. I did a very simple oil based wash wash on the control surfaces then applied a finish coat leaving some futured, some a 50/50 mix of dull/gloss laquer and some dead flat lacquer. I find that SnJ takes future very nicely , although it does change it’s “metallacy” a little bit.
Very nice. Im doing the same scheme for the Jug GB thats starting in a couple weeks. I hope I do the same justice that wonderfull bird. I havent decided yet but I may be going the BMF route, I dont know yet and there is still some time yet before I need to decide. Anyway gratz on the build and thx for the pics.
Nice looking build. All this talk about the p-47 makes me want to get off my but and finish a few projects so I can get to the p-47 I have in my stash. I have the Aeromaster 48-029 : Pacific P-47D Thunderbolts decal set so I can depict the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force 201st Fighter Squadron. I also have the Academy p-47n with the pyn-up decals “Too-Big and Too-Heavy”.
