**** DONE: P-47M Thunderbolt - Lt. Russ Kyler - Aircraft of the Aces GB

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I would have gone NMF as well. Glad to hear you found a solution to your canopy problem. Having done so, you may want to experiment with the messed up one to see if you can bring it back up to snuff with sanding/polishing techniques for future reference.
 
In the future, you can try this:

Squadron.com

Even though it says for the mongram kit, it will work on the tamiya as well.
 
Thanks, guys. The metallizer melted a pretty deep indention into the canopy, so I'll probably go with the Squadron replacement for the D when I get around to building it.

Did some preliminary weathering tonight:





 
Thanks, guys. Rochie - there has apparently been some spirited debate about the actual color over the years. I went with Nige's opinion of flat black since he's actually met the pilot, Russ Kyler.

Decals next, then flat coat and final assembly! Getting exciting!
 
Andy70 said:
Thanks, guys. Rochie - there has apparently been some spirited debate about the actual color over the years. I went with Nige's opinion of flat black since he's actually met the pilot, Russ Kyler.
Click to expand...

I know Nigel has collected several first hand accounts for the coulour of these aircraft,including of course Kyler's,and they all say the same thing. The aircraft were painted black. I did Lanowski's a while ago and went for just that....black!



Very nice progress with yours,it looks very nice.
Cheers
Steve
 
stona said:
The aircraft were painted black. I did Lanowski's a while ago and went for just that....black!



Steve
Click to expand...

Sorry Steve... I don't think so. My sources say the plane and Bolesław "Mike" Gładych's one for instance ,were painted with a very dark blue indigo colour with a purple tonality. Here in Poland it is called as "śliwka węgierka" - a plum ( prunes). The colour looks like a dark blue from a distance but at a close up look it seems to be black. In fact the paint was a mixture made by maintenance crew. If you have a look at the site ( a link below ) you will find a few images of a model of Gladych's P-47 made by his friend ( a RAF pilot) during the war. The model was painted with the same paint the real plane was covered too.

Source... P-47M Boles

also here... http://www.network54.com/Forum/1496...aint+used+on+61st+FS+56th+FG+P-47M's+-+Photos


The mix of paint can be ... Pactra A4 Insignia Blue and Pactra A7 Insignia Red of the mix ratio 80% / 20%
 
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As memo serves neither Lanowski nor Gladych mantioned the black colour. They always stated it was the very dark blue paint.
 
Interesting stuff. Somewhere I have some info which also states the colour was a very dark, purple blue, which appeared black at certain angles and lighting conditions. Interesting to see the codes on the wing undersides - these were added when hostilities in Europe ended, and were an attempt to reduce the activities of very low flying over the English countryside, as a 'joy fligt' for the pilot(s) involved. The idea was that the 'number' could be noted and reported to the 'Authorities', so that disciplinary action could be taken !
 
We unfortunately can't ask the men mentioned above what colour their aircraft were. We can ask Kyler. Here's the relevant part of an email sent to Nigel (Julian) by Russ when asked about this.

"The ORIGINAL 61st FS P-47Ms were painted "FLAT BLACK". In some photos (due to light refraction)
they have a kind of "purplish" look to them. Roger Freeman lists them as being "Flat Black" as does the book
titled "BEWARE THE THUNDERBOLT" by David R. McLaren. (Both are correct)....
The different 61st color schemes that are floating around the web sites are of someone imagining WHAT the color was and making their own wild guesses.
"FLAT BLACK" is flat black. (Period). You can ask any artist they will tell you that all colors take on a slightly different color under
different lighting conditions; hence the wild differences that people dream up !!!!!

The emphasis is Russ'.This was subsequently confirmed by another 61st FS pilot, Col. Vic Bast (ret.)
Opinions will differ and we obviously can't look at the original paint in the 1940s but that's good enough for me.

Cheers
Steve
 
Here is the link to the the site in English.... Large Scale Planes

That's true the flat black is the flat black . Also I don't think the flat black could look like a colour of the purple tonality because of the light refraction. The main component of the paint was soot at that time. And none of contemporary artists can say how it might look like as they use different kinds of colours. I haven't seen the pure black paint been of a such tonality. There must have been something more added. And therefore I'm still not convinced it was used for Lanowski's and Gladych's P-47s.
 
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Wurger said:
There must have been something more added. And therefore I'm still not convinced it was used for Lanowski's and Gladych's P-47s.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to convince anybody,I'm simply presenting the evidence I used to form my opinion. We have two of the most authoritative books on the P-47/8th AF as well as two surviving pilots (and I believe now a third 61st FS veteran has been added to that list) who all say that the aircraft were painted black. To borrow a quote 'it would be good enough for a court of law' and it's good enough for me. It's a free world,in no small part thanks to these men,and everyone is entitled to their opinion,it's what makes all this fun!
If you are suggesting that two of the pilots ( 'Lanny' Lanowski and 'Mike' Gladych) had their aircraft painted differently to other black 61st aircraft that is another issue which I have never seen any evidence for.
Cheers
Steve
 
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