**** DONE: 1/48 P-47D Razorback - Your Favorite Aircraft of All Time GB

T Bolt · Feb 9, 2012

P-47D Razorback "Little Demon"/"In The Mood" Favorite Aircraft GB

User Name: T Bolt
Name: Glenn
Category: 1, Advanced
Model: P-47D-
Kit: Tamiya Republic P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback"
Scale: 1/48th.
Accessories: Colorado Decals, True Details Resin Wheels

My first entry for the Favorite Aircraft of All Time Group Build is a P-47D Razorback. I can't quite decide if I'll do it as Capt. Walter C. Beckham's "Little Demon" of the 351st FS/353rd FG, or Capt Gerald Johnson's "In The Mood" of the 61st FS/56th FG. I have decal sheets for both and since the paint schemes are similar I'll decide later in the build and keep both in the title until the decision is made.

The Tamiya kit is to put it flatly, the best kit I have ever pieced together. The detail is wonderful and fit of the parts incredible. I started test fitting it and soon had the entire cockpit and airframe together with no tape(except a little piece to hold on the rudder pedals). I foresee very little if any filler needed. The last pictures are the test fitting of the cockpit showing the wonderful detail.. (I forgot to take one when I had the whole thing together). I plan to start in on the cockpit right away.

ozhawk40 · Feb 9, 2012

It's a very good kit, that's for sure. You should turn this one into something really special, no matter which scheme you choose. My vote's for Johnson's bird though!

Wurger · Feb 9, 2012

Andy70 · Feb 9, 2012

This kit is in my stash, so I'll be following this build with great interest!

T Bolt · Feb 9, 2012

Here are some pictures of "Little Demon

Picture 1 A nice profile of the aircraft
Picture 2 Capt. Walter C. Beckham in front of "Little Demon"
Picture 3 A period picture
Picture 4 What I believe is a period picture
Pictures 5-7 Pictures of a P-47G finished as "Little Demon"
Picture 8 That same P-47G at Duxford being taken apart prior to being refinished as "Snafu". I had this same picture as the wallpaper of my computer for well over a year so I'm somewhat leaning toward this choice.
Picture 9 The decals

T Bolt · Feb 9, 2012

Here are some pictures of "In The Mood"
Pictures 1-2 A couple of nice profiles of the aircraft
Picture 3 Capt. Gerald Johnson and the aircraft
Pictures 4-6 Some color pictures
Pictures 7-8 The decals

Wurger · Feb 9, 2012

Excellent....

brucejscott · Feb 9, 2012

Great choice Glenn. I've heard great things about this kit. If you can't decide which to do, make two.

hub · Feb 9, 2012

Nice choice Glenn!

Are you going to do the over spray on the nose?

T Bolt · Feb 9, 2012

brucejscott said:
If you can't decide which to do, make two.

Don't think I haven't thought about it but at $40-$50 I don't know how soon that will happen.

hub said:
Are you going to do the over spray on the nose?

The trick to that would be to not make it look like I screwed it up :lol:

meatloaf109 · Feb 9, 2012

Gotta love those jugs!

brucejscott · Feb 9, 2012

$40.00-$50.00... Ouch! That hurts! Can't blame you there. Go for Little Demon.

T Bolt · Feb 9, 2012

The test fitting of the cockpit showed me that quite a bit would be visible forward of the control panel so the forward bulkhead will be seen. In the early P-47s this bulkhead was corrugated vertically similar to the floor (later models were corrugated horizontally. Tamiya didn't put any of this detail on so I added it using thin slivers of tape which was painted and weathered as seen in the first 2 pics.
The back of the panel will of course be visible so I added some cables made from thin copper wire (picture 3)
The rest of the pictures are of the detail painting of the cockpit parts.