A GAGGLE OF JUGS

This gaggle of P-47s were my latest completed project, with kits coming from 3 different manufacturers, including some heavy profile corrections and cross-kit adaptations.

1) P-47 "Elsie", "Y8-E" represents an aircraft flown by Major Clay Tice of 507th FS, it is built from Tamiya's P-47, and the decals used are from Eagle Cal.

2) P-47 "Jeanie" was built using the veteran Academy's P-47 kit. Mine became a bit of a “Frankenstein” kit receiving many parts from other kits, including a spare Tamiya P-47 cowling, a spare Revell landing gear, resin wheels, Tamiya propeller, Tamiya bomb racks, etc. The engine was replaced with a Quickboost one.

The nose art decals come from a Kagero's book :SMI library: P-47 Thunderbolt with the USAAF - European Theatre of Operations.

3) P-47 "HV-M" represents an aircraft flown by Capt. Boleslaw Gladych of the 56th FG, the model used was Revell's P-47, that required a lot of work to correct the ventral profile ("fat belly"). Other area that needed some great attention was the engine cowling (with horrible open cooling flaps) that were completely replaced on the close position.

The Decals for Gladych's aircraft are from 3 different decal sheets including a cartograf sheet from a Hobby 2000 boxing of Revell's P-47 and some Techmod as well. Besides the troubled ventral area, the Revell kit captures the P-47 lines very well and its surface detail is as good as the Tamiya kit.

4) P-47 "A1", in Brazilian markings is a Revell kit as well, heavily modified and upgraded. The kit comes from one of the first Revell issues of the kit and had a much better moulding quality. The Hobby 2000 boxing seems to show the moulds wearied and damaged, with a lot of flash and ill formed parts. decals for "A1" are from 3 different sources too, including FCM decals and DK Decals.

Note: The Hamilton standard propeller on "A1" is a temporary one, the aircraft's propeller should be a Curtiss symmetrical, the reason for this inaccuracy is because we currently don't have a Curtiss propeller at hand that we can use for the kit.

Common details to all kits:

-For the NMF Mr Color Super Metallic II paints and Vallejo Metal Colors acrylics were used. The rest of the camo on the NMF P-47s and Gladych's aircraft was painted with Ak Real Colors and Tamiya acrylics.

Note: The controversial Night Blue colour for Gladych's aircraft was home-mixed (looks much lighter on the photos below that on natural light)

-Eduard Photo-Etched was used for the interior in all the kits

-Brassin wheels were used on the Tamiya and Revell kits

-Scratched-built sway arms and fuel lines were added to all the models.

-All radial engines had ignition harnesses, details and even manufacturer plates added

-All kits' canopy bubble sections are vacform parts

P-47 "Elsie" was awarded David Hannant Memorial award, first place, at Scale Model World 2023.

Happy Modelling and Happy New Year to all!

Marco