**** DONE: GB-56 1/72 XP-47J - Thunderbolts and Lightnings

[T Bolt]

User Name: T Bolt
Name: Glenn
Category: Advanced
Kit: Academy 1/72 P-47D Razorback
Scale: 1/72nd
Accessories: Fastrodney resin/vacuform conversion kit and homemade decals for nose art and the tail fin.



I decided to attempt the XP-47J. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

I already have the Academy donner kit and just ordered the conversion kit from the same maker as the XP-72 conversion kit I've been struggling with. From the pictures on eBay I can see there are the same bubbles under the surface on the resin cowl, but I'm hoping I won't have to open them up with excessive filing like I did with the XP-22. The good news is that the new fuselage underside is not resin this time, but vacuform which I am confident will supply its own set of problems.

I will be making up decals for the Superman nose art, tail serials and under wing "buzz" number.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Wow. What world was that first photo taken in? Tourists, I assume, in hats, coats?? Youngsters (kids) in neat outfits. No T-shirts or hoodies?? From the look of the autos in the backgroung I would say late 40s, early 50s? My, we have come a long way....

 

[T Bolt]

A little background Information

In early 1943 the Army Air Force gave Republic Aviation the go ahead to construct two prototypes of a lightweight P-47. It was similar in appearance to the P-47B without the 8" fuselage extension forward of the wing but had a close-fitting cowl with the turbocharger intake stepped back from the front and a cooling fan ahead of the engine similar to the FW-190. It did not have the prominent intercooler doors on the fuselage sides of all other Thunderbolts. I would assume it vented out of one of the underside openings but have not been able to confirm this.

Only one of the prototypes was build as it was decided that there was more potential in the XP-72 which was also in development at the time. In any case neither the XP-47J of the XP-72 reached the production stage due to the advent to jet engine aircraft.

The sole XP-47J prototype 43-46952 reached a top speed of 502mph, 505mph of 507mph depending on what you read, but which ever is correct it is the highest level flight speed reached by a piston engine aircraft during World War II.

 

[T Bolt]

Wow. What world was that first photo taken in? Tourists, I assume, in hats, coats?? Youngsters (kids) in neat outfits. No T-shirts or hoodies?? From the look of the autos in the backgroung I would say late 40s, early 50s? My, we have come a long way....

It was taken at an airshow at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1947

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Glenn.
Doctor P.Lastick will see you in his surgery at your convenience, and he's got the couch ready for your therapy session......................

 

[T Bolt]

Got his phone number? I'm sure I'll be needing some therapy before in done with these two builds.

 

[T Bolt]

Here's the donor kit with the last picture being a picture of the conversion kit taken from eBay .

I am thinking I may start working on the cockpit before the conversion kit comes to get a jump on it.
Standard cockpit color for a Republic built P-47 is a bronze green but there are no pictures of the P-47J cockpit so being a prototype I thought I would do something a bit different and paint the cockpit silver and pick out some details in the bronze green. What do you guys think?

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Another interesting choice and I do admire your pluck Glenn, another resin nose............................"bubble the trouble"....................OK, I'm out of here and I don't need a coat, its summer.

 

[Wurger]

 

[T Bolt]

I worked on the graphics for the decals last night and here is what I came up with. They still have to be re-sized and printed on decal paper. The nose art will be in 2 layers. The first on white decal and the second on clear.

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

Very nice project Glenn

 

[Vic Balshaw]

They look good Glenn.

 

[fubar57]

Neato. PM sent

 

[fubar57]

Looking at the photos I noticed that the landing gear scissors were pointed inwards as opposed to forwards. The kit also has this so when did this change?

 

[T Bolt]

Good catch George, I did not see that and don't member ever hearing about sideways drank links on P-47s anywhere
It may be because a lot of the a "J" model was based on the "B" model which was the first production version and had quite a few differences from the razorbacks that were first used in combat.
I'll have to dig through my references when I get home tonight.

 

[T Bolt]

I found a picture of a "B" on the net and the drag links were facing forward just like every other 47.
Maybe it had something to do with the "J" being a lightweight, some type of weight savings in the gear design.
It shouldn't be a problem to cut the drag links off and glue them on sideways.

 

[Crimea_River]

Interesting project Glenn.

 

[T Bolt]

Here's a f picture showing the inward pointing drag links

Unfortunately the drag links are not the only difference. It seams that the gear covers (and wells) were made smaller because the drag links had been moved (see below for comparison) so I will have to reshape the covers and modify the gear well openings.
A closer look at the XP-72's landing gear showed the same sideways drag links and modified gear doors so I will be working on that one too.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Yet again different from your XP-72 build.