**** DONE: GB-56 1/48 P-47D "Bubbletop" - Thunderbolts and Lightnings

[le_steph40]

the drawing disturbs me because it is wrong concerning 2 points:
- The antenna mast is not in line with the aircraft
- The inspection hatch is missing.
So the 2 parallel lines at the top of the fuselage look weird to me

The 2 photos you posted seem more logical (IMHO )

 

[Wurger]

Yes I agree, Pal. Therefore I think the correct diagram posted is your first one. Even if there was the central panel line the fitting of the matal sheets had to be very precise and the riveting very smooth because it can't be noticed at all.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[fubar57]

Good stuff Steph. I went seamless on mine

 

[Crimea_River]

- The antenna mast is not in line with the aircraft....

In Terry's build he notes that it is supposed to be offset.

 

[Airframes]

Noticeably offset to port on the "razorback", and very slightly offset to starboard on the "bubbletop", just to the right of the centreline.

 

[fubar57]

Yep, both of mine are on the right, flush fit

 

[Wurger]

Yep I agree with Terry .. the razorback Jug ... to left while the bubbleback one to right ...

the pic source: the net.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Checking both my Tamiya Razorback and Bubbletop, both are correct. Good on'ya Tamiya.

 

[captain Frey]

Rhoooooooo.....
I missed the start.
It started very well and with this kit you will make a masterpiece.
I'm glad you made this deco.
I have just looked at a lot of color photos of the P47Ds of the 56FG, the NMF is indeed very plausible for the underside.

@+

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,

Thanks for the comments and the informations regarding the antenna mast
Wings assembled but no holes drilled for the pylons.

I think to build in accordance with this photo (except for the nose art, because I think i'll put it)

I wonder about the probability of a grey color underside with traces/remnants of NMF at the places of the pylons...?
I wonder too about the color of the main landing gear, it seems to be the same color as the underside and, IMHO, maybe too clear to be NG, so, it could be MSG... Any opinion ?

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Looking at the underside of the picture, where the pylons go it could be either the clean grey as apposed to the rest being a very dirty underside but also it could be just clear metal with the pylons having been in place when the underside was sprayed grey. Just my thoughts.

 

[Airframes]

By the overall "flat" appearance of the underside, I'd say it's Neutral Gray - look at the landing gear doors.
The landing gear legs were normally Olive Drab, and the tones in the photo, allowing for the lighting, suggest this.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[captain Frey]

Hi Steph,
here is a link where there are color photos of P47 bubbletop of the 56FG, for all the underside looks NMF. It's not the same for the Razorbacks which are often in neutral gray underside.
Is this P47 an exception?
To my knowledge, the gear legs were bronze green or aluminum when they left the factory.
No reason this gear got repainted.
It is said (without being certain) that the gears were green on the camouflaged planes and aluminum on the NMFs.
With time and repairs, some P47s had a green gear strut on one side and aluminum on the other.
Bon week-end !

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Explore this photo album by Jeffrey Ethell Collection on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks for all of us in this GB, this is an amazing set of pictures.

 

[le_steph40]

Hello,

Wings and fuselage glued, flaps and rudder installed for the photos but not glued for the moment


Thank you for your comments/opinions and help
I noticed something on the photo in post #71... It seems that there is a part a little more dark than the rest and I wonder if it's the ETO recognition markings ?

In this case, the underside is in NMF (like Gabreski or Schilling "Bubbletops"). Regarding the landing gear, probably OD...
And the traces of the pylons, as suggested by Vic, could be a part cleaner than of the rest of the wing...

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Not all 56th FG "bubbletops" had NMF undersides, and there are photos showing camouflaged aircraft with "grey" undersides, which might be either Neutral Gray, or RAF Medium Sea Grey, as RAF paints were sometime used "in the field" when US paints were not available.
I still think the photo above shows a "grey" underside, with the bare patch where the pylon was in bare metal.
Regarding the possible tail-plane stripe, it's difficult to tell, but the area marked seems to me to be rather too far outboard.

 

[captain Frey]

Interesting,
can you show us Bubbletop color photos of the 56FG with gray undersides?

S Steph : For the landing gear, I can see it the same color as the wing blast tubes, especially the part that is exposed to the light.