**** DONE: 1/48 P-47N Expected Goose - Pacific Theatre of Operations II

[T Bolt]

463rd Fighter Squadron, 507thFighter Group, Le Shima, 1945

User Name: T Bolt
Name: Glenn
Category: Advanced
Kit: Academy P-47N "Expected Goose"
Scale: 1/48th
Accessories: True Details resin wheels. Eduard PE seat belts. Scratch-built modifications to correct the cockpit for a P-47N

The P-47N was the final model of the mighty Thunderbolt, and what a way to go out. It was designed for use in the Pacific where long range was a necessity. The wing was extended 3 feet by adding an 18" plug in each wing at the fuselage. This gave a wider wheel track and room for an additional 200 gallons of internal fuel. Two 310 gallon drop tanks could also be carried giving it take-off weight of 20,000 pounds and an operational radius of over 1,300 miles. The P-47N shared the more powerful Pratt Whitney 2800 C-series with the P-47M used Zemeke's Wolfpack, so even with the additional weight and size it was still a formable fighter. It also had built in attachments for 10 under wing rockets. To help the pilot out on missions that could last up to 12 hours it was equipped with an auto-pilot, arm rests, and rudder pedals that folded down so that the pilot could stretch out his feet.

 

[ozhawk40]

Way to go Glenn! Marvelous choice. um a little bit 'expected' though.

This should turn out great.

Cheers

Peter

 

[muscogeemike]

I think I read somewhere that these aircraft flew the longest single engine fighter missions of the War (from Australia to the E. Indies).

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Love it Glenn, really great choice.

 

[N4521U]

Gonna watch this one.
How's the kit at first look?

 

[rochie]

good choice Glenn

 

[Wurger]

With all.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice!

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Glenn, and interesting info about the 'pilot comforts'.
If the kit is anything like Academy's 'D' bubbletop, it'll be a good one.

 

[T Bolt]

The kit is good, very good. The only thing that keeps me not saying it's excellent is by comparison to the Tamiya P-47s that are so far above the bar that no other P-47 kit has a chance. Surface detail is very nice although it looks like some raised skin panels might be a tad overdone. Plenty of under wing stores on two sprues, enough to start a war in a third world country.

At a quick glance showed that it had the correct control panel for an "N", but I did find a couple of things wrong. The floor is for an earlier model "D" but this is an easy fix with a bit of plactic card. The included prop is a Curtiss Electric asymmetrical wile what I've read says that the P-47N used only the Curtiss symmetrical prop. I'll have to use a spare from the Tamiya kit. Also the wrong engine is supplied. The "N" used the P&W 2800 C-series engine which had an entirely different shape to the gear housing up front wile Academy supplied the engine from earlier model P-47s. The funny part is that the box art wile not great shows the correct type engine. Not sure what I can do about this.

It might be a little wile before I get rolling on this one as the chores around the house have been neglected wile I rushed to finish up the last group build.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Glenn. Looks like Academy have utilised some common sprues from their 'D' kit, which is understandable. But, having provided a new fuselage and wings, it's a shame they hadn't done the same with the engine and prop.
There's a 'C' series resin engine available from Vector, which looks very nice, but it's almost the price of the kit.

 

[Wurger]

 

[T Bolt]

Good stuff Glenn. Looks like Academy have utilised some common sprues from their 'D' kit, which is understandable. But, having provided a new fuselage and wings, it's a shame they hadn't done the same with the engine and prop.
There's a 'C' series resin engine available from Vector, which looks very nice, but it's almost the price of the kit.

Yea, Terry, I've been looking around the net and the cheapest O saw was $14 not including shipping. It did look very nice but most of that detail would be hidden unless you were to depict it without the cowl, and the cowl is the whole point of building "Expected Goose". I think I'll either try to modify it myself to look like a C Series R-2800 or else just leave it alone and live with it.

 

[mikewint]

The "Jug", eight tons of aircraft. Most produced fighter of WWII, more kills than the P-51, carried 1/2 the bomb load of the B-17
The "Fatty from Farmingdale" with 8 - .50s firing.. awesome. Loking forward to your build, Glenn

 

[Totalize]

Glenn,

I was thinking somebody is going to do a Pacific P47 and here it is. Good choice.

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking forward to this one Glenn.

 

[Catch22]

Nice one Glenn!

 

[N4521U]

I've got an "N" for the 34th FG, a Davidson I want to build but will have to go to the Start to Finish thread.
Anxious to see this one go together.

***The Jug in my siggy!

 

[dneid]

Ooooohhhh, T-Bolt doing a t-bolt! I am gonna love watching this build.

 

[T Bolt]

I am looking forward to this one!

I've been looking around the internet and there aren't many pictures of the real aircraft out there. The two B/W photos below are the only ones I've found so far, so if any one else has some go ahead and post them.

The colored pictures are of the P-47N at the US Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, and I'm almost positive that it is not the original "Expected Goose". It's been repainted if it is anyway.