1:32nd P-47D-25-RE of Lt. Col Francis Gabreski, June 6th, 1944 Group Build

Bucksnort101 · Feb 8, 2010

OK, but I know I've never seen a picture with just that portion removed. Every pic I've seen is the portion includind the "nose" section of the cowl all in one peice. A P-47 Erection and Maintenance Manual would clear things up. Have not found anywhere to download this for free like the P-51 manuals.

Airframes · Feb 8, 2010

The last pic of the model looks about right. I think I have a pic of a P47 with just one panel removed, to gain access, I believe, to the oil tank or pump. The forward cowl ring had to be removed complete,in sections.
Normally, control locks were used, but when not, the elevators normally drooped, and flaps were left 'Down'.
Here's a few detail shots I took at Duxford, I'll include the rest on the CD, with pics of 56 FG aircraft showing similar detail. I'll also include an illustrated build and review from a magazine when the kit was first released about a year or so ago - might point out some helpful bits and pieces to watch out for.

lesofprimus · Feb 8, 2010

Awesome Terry, thank u....

Airframes · Feb 8, 2010

You're welcome mate.

Heinz · Feb 8, 2010

Great choice Dan this will be pretty f**king cool 8)

seesul · Feb 9, 2010

Hi Dan,

my friend Joe, from my siggy, told me once, that while he was captured he met Gabreski at the train station during one of the transfers somewhere in Germany. They spoke about their stories and Joe asked Gabreski: were you shot down? No. Technical problem? No. So what in the hell are you doin´ here? And the answer was: I´ve forgot my machine guns and tried to chop up a German airfield with my prop.

Vic Balshaw · Feb 9, 2010

Wow Dan, great kite and with you and the WingCo gunning for the same machine, what a contest. Question though, where the hell do you find the room to display these huge models?

lesofprimus · Feb 9, 2010

Thanks Dan, Roman and Vic....

Well Vic, once the Stuka is done and the Thunderbolt squared away, Im gonna have problems with storage....

Ill start poppin into thrift stores and garage sales lookin for some sort of display case...

Bucksnort101 · Feb 9, 2010

Scrounged through half my P-47 Reference books last night and have yet to find a picure with the cowl ring in place and the other panels removed. Found a picture of a model in one of my modelling books that had it left in place and the rest of the panels removed. I can scan that if you want, but don't think it's what you are looking for.

drgondog · Feb 9, 2010

lesofprimus said:
May also try to move the elevators and rudder some to give it a customized look....

ANy detail on how these areas look when plane is at rest??? Elevators always centered, rudder always straight???

Dan - two things. When hydraulic pressure bleeds down, both flaps and door covers 'droop' down.

Second, the ailerons, elevators and rudder are where the crew chief left it when he was scrambling around - post return to hardstand - and checking the control surfaces and movements before the pilot pre-flighted his bird himself..

The rudder was usually centered after landing because your rudder pedals were then connected to the tail wheel for ground handling back to the hardstands - so the rudder was pretty much where it belonged in neutral.

MOST of the time the wing tanks were filled and left alone - unless the Field Order called for a change (like bombs, or long range 110 gallon tanks instead of 75 - in which case the cc and asst cc and armorer were even busier before the next mission.. so leaving tanks on the model is realistic for a combat ship.

Bombs would NOT be installed post mission until some time before take off.

lesofprimus · Feb 9, 2010

Appreciate the effort Buck, Ill keep lookin and pokin to see if I can find a "real" reference, lotta time before I have to make this call...

Excellent info Bill, thanks... Kinda agrees with my assessment as well... I'll have the flaps and elevators down and leave the rudder alone....

lesofprimus · Feb 10, 2010

Alright, got some outside info concerning a couple things, from some professional P-47 geeks...

As well as a couple pics....

It looks like on D-Day, ALL fighter aircraft had complete sets of white and black... Even Gabreski's... No black band around white stipes till black was removed...

Also, on the tail, there is yellow overspray around the serial number... The hub cap is bare metal/aluminum, and the engine panel comes off all the way to the hub... The turbocharger hood was not painted, but burnt natural metal due to the heat...

The cowling panel is one piece... Thanks to Nigel and Tom @ P-47 Heaven SIG...

lesofprimus · Feb 10, 2010

This is what I'll be aiming to accomplish then... Good luck to me...

lesofprimus · Feb 10, 2010

Heres all the ref pics of Gabbys crate I have....

Airframes · Feb 10, 2010

Some nice pics there Dan, including a couple I hadn't seen before.
Note, the black edging to the white fuselage stripes is there ! It's visible in all of the shots of the full fuselage B&W stripes, and was common on 56th FG aircraft. Wheteher it's true or not, I had heard this edging was black tape, like electrical insulating tape, used for masking, and not paint.

B-17engineer · Feb 10, 2010

Here..

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF3YR-1ucIU

Kinda interesting.

Bucksnort101 · Feb 10, 2010

Great Pics Dan, many I've never seen either. Where did you snag them from?
I was looking through the remainder of my books last night and reached the conclusion that you just confirmed, that the engine panel were one piece from the hub back. Good to have confirmation and a new P-47 reference web-site to boot

lesofprimus · Feb 10, 2010

Terry, I believe that when the entire white and black stripes were applied on June 5th, the black tape was not present...

Not until the black was either removed/painted over or just washed/wore off does the black tape show its face....

Unfortunatly, there doesnt seem to be a pic showing Gabreski's Jug with the full compliment of stripage....

Heres the link to the other forum Buck...
P47 Heaven :: AeroScale's Special Interest Group for the P47 Thunderbolt

Heres the thread I started....
P47 Heaven :: Gabreski's P-47D-25 on D-Day...

Airframes · Feb 10, 2010

Hmm. Interesting. But, in the second pic in Post#54, where the black stripes are clearly visible on the fuselage (not removed, and showing 'paler' as in the other pics), the black edging to the white is viible, and also on the underwing stripes.
Still, even in the relatively large 1/32nd scale, whether the edging is there or not probably can't be noticed.

lesofprimus · Feb 10, 2010

Terry, judging the date by the # of kills, the black areas on the upper fuselage and upper wings is gone... The only black left is on the underside...

And I agree with u, those pics, and infact all the pics, have the black tape outline....

I gotta add the pic u emailed me to the list here Terry.... Thanks again...

1:32nd P-47D-25-RE of Lt. Col Francis Gabreski, June 6th, 1944 Group Build

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