**** DONE: GB-63 1/48 P-47D Thunderbolt - Stormy Weather

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Almost correct. But not pre and post but just post only.

1. the order introducing and difining the D-day markings was issued on April 8th 1944. But these markings were applied with a special order issued only at night of the 4/5th June 1944.
2. the full set of the D-day markings was used until the September 1944 when removed the markings from tops.
3. the markings at the undersides were used until beginning of year end.

To sum up .. the two images seem to be taken in the September 1944 and slightly after that. Perhaps in October.
 
Thank you Sir!
 
The Underside painted up using Mr. Color SM201 Super Fine Silver thinned with Mr. Color Rapid Thinner. This is what Eduard also recommends for their P-51 model kits. A big shout out and thanks to Wojtek for his help in getting the underside color for Button Nose correct. Wings, flaps and stabs just dry fitted for now. Flaps will be raised on this bird.




 
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Wojtek, Just returning to the invasion stripes question. For the overpaints of the stripes on the top wings and upper fuselage. The Kitsworld decals say to paint these areas Olive Drab. Would you agree?

The Olive Drab is very possible. However if they had the RAF green colour to paint almost all of the squdron planes why they had to use the another coat. Unless they didn't have it at that moment what is also very possible because being on the continent the US squadron workshops could be supplied with the OD colour. Also it should be kept in mind that the D-day strips were painted with the quite washable paints. So there should be no trouble with removing it more than with overpainting. I'm not sure but I would say that the different appearance of the areas where the ID marking were, could be the result of washing the strips colours with a thinner and the dirty rags usually.
Here the good examples of the contradictions .. the wings at the D-day markings are dark as the overpainted ID strip on the tail. Contrary to these areas the top fuselage behind the antenna mast where the invasion strips were applied looks light similar to the wing tips. And the colour shot .. entirely different effect at the fuselage tops. There is something else ... if the B&W strips would be overpainted these had to be covered with quite a thick coat in order to hide the two different tones of the background. It would cause the matt paint looking more shiny. But if these markings would be washed the different tones at the areas should be minor and almost unnoticed. And the matt paint there would become slightly darker and more shiny. The effect can be noticed in the color image.







And here someting what we can call overpainting ... but the smudges at the demarcation lines between the old and new coat may suggest washing than painting rather. Unless they used a brush.



the pic source: the net.

Because there is no evidence that the overpainting could be done with the RAF coat I would follow the Olive Drab. IMHO it would be worth to check both ways of removing a such markings applied on a spare part of a scrap model for instance. And then compare the effects with these seen in pics of the 56th FG Jugs. Or just checking on the appearance of the overpainted with the OD color surface coated with the RAF Green as the background firstly.
 
Thanks Wojtek. An excellent analysis.

I am going to configure Button Nose for Ground attack with the rocket launchers, 500 pound bombs and drop tank on the centerline. My book Zemke's wolfpack states the 56th got the rocket launchers in the late summer and used them in ground attacks. One such being the marshalling yard at Braine Le-Comte in August 1944.
 
I believe P-47 UN-A is flown by Francis Gabreski. My favorite WW II pilot and president of the Long Island Railroad.

Actually it is not Francis Gabreski's mount. It's 2Lt. John Ross of the 63rd FS one. He was the pilot of the P-47D s/n. 42-75217 of the name "George".
As you may notice the letter "A" of the code is underlined what indicates the another plane with the code in the squadron.



Here is the another P-47D of the code UN-B with the last letter underlined. Contrary to the 42-26299 seen in my post above ( the "B" not underlined) the 42-26466 is the bubbletop kite.



IIRC the P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback" that is associeted with Lt. Col. Francis Gabreski is the s/n. 42-75510 and belonged to the 61st FS and being coded HV-A like his later mount but the "Bubbletop" Jug type s/n. 42-26418. So not the UN-A of the 63rd FS but the HV-A code of the 61st squadron.
 

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