1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" - Done (pics @ p. 2)

Dizzyfugu · April 23, 2014, 11:44:09 AM

Well, I'll just toss this conceptual pic into the pit, and the rest is up to the crowd...

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Stay tuned!

Gondor · April 23, 2014, 11:51:29 AM

OK, a bubble topped P-47H derivative?

Gondor

Captain Canada · April 23, 2014, 12:37:25 PM

What he said

In one of those Panda profiles.

Gondor · April 23, 2014, 12:41:42 PM

Quote from: Gondor on April 23, 2014, 11:51:29 AM
OK, a bubble topped P-47H derivative?

Gondor

And knowing Dizzyfugu's production rate it will be finished by Saturday too!

Gondor

Leading Observer · April 23, 2014, 02:18:52 PM

What Gondor said

Dizzyfugu · April 24, 2014, 03:01:44 AM

Well, you could be correct with the timing - things move fast, despite major surgery and rather so-so kits as basis. One of these is ugly, but combining them...

Anyway, I had the (X)P-47H on the agenda for some time, and even the respective MPM kit stashed away. But it took some time to start this project - one reason actually being the the simplicity and, well, crudeness of the MPM offering.

I wanted to build a service aircraft, and I wondered how this would have looked like, way beyond 1944? The USAAF started in 1943, and the basis were two Razorback Thunderbolts. That brought me towards the late bubble canopy versions of the P-47D - and suddenly the idea was born to convert the XP-47H into a respective service aircraft which would not only carry the Chrysler XIV-2220-1 V16 engine, but also other late improvements.

This eventually led to the decision to make this build a kitbash, as a spine implantation would be the easiest way to incorporate the lowered back - or so I thought... I chose the ancient Heller P-47(N) as donation kit. Not because it was "good", it just had the right ingredients and was cheap and easy to purchase.

What sound like a simple plan turned into a twisted route to mere success. I took the front fuselage and the lower belly from the MPM kit, as well as the horizontal stabilizers and mated it with the upper and rear fuselage of the Heller Thunderbolt. This could have been easy, if both kits would not have had different fuselage diameters - the Heller kit is about 1mm too narrow, even though the length is fine.

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

In order to compensate I built two new fuselage halves from the salvaged pieces, and once these were stable and more or less sanded even, put together. Another problem is the fact that the MPM kit features engraved panel lines, while the Heller kit has old school, raised details and lots of rivets.

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · April 24, 2014, 03:07:34 AM

Quote from: Captain Canada on April 23, 2014, 12:37:25 PM
What he said

In one of those Panda profiles.

Those were "standard" P-47Hs, and bubbletop P-72s - not the mix that I try to glue together.

Livery will be inspired by real, late war USAAF machines - colorful!

Captain Canada · April 24, 2014, 04:48:36 AM

Boy you work fast ! Looking good so far. Going to be a big aeroplane !

Dizzyfugu · April 24, 2014, 07:33:35 AM

More progress... as per usual, I modify the propeller with a metal axis and a respective styrene tube as adapter. The OOB prop of the MPM kit is SO ugly that I have to build a new one from spare parts, anyway.

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I opened the radiator intake, and again foamed styrene mimics some fine mesh inside (and fills gaps).

And eventually the two shaggy halves are put together. With all the putty residue all around, you can imagine how messy this bodywork is. I'll surely only build one of this kind!

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt" (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

NARSES2 · April 24, 2014, 07:37:37 AM

You live in a different space-time continuum to the rest of us. You must do

?

Great to watch the work progress though whatever planet it's on

I've got that MPM kit. Must admit I had thought of putting a wing on her from the Academy P-47 but I would have left the razor back. Very interested in this build

Captain Canada · April 24, 2014, 08:31:13 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on April 24, 2014, 07:37:37 AM
You live in a different space-time continuum to the rest of us. You must do ?

That's got to be it ! I sit at my 'bench' for hours and all's I get for my troubles is a hangover !

kerick · April 24, 2014, 09:11:31 AM

I wonder how hard it would be to turn that long nose into a turbo prop? I must look into this....

nighthunter · April 24, 2014, 09:32:25 AM

Can't wait to see the finished product, keep up the good work, my friend.

Dizzyfugu · April 25, 2014, 12:57:02 AM

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt", aircraft 'CH-F [bar]' (s/n 44-63483) of USAAF 365th FS, 358th FG, 9th Air Force; based at Toul (France), early 1945 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt", aircraft 'CH-F [bar]' (s/n 44-63483) of USAAF 365th FS, 358th FG, 9th Air Force; based at Toul (France), early 1945 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The propeller from the MPM kit is a joke, so I built a replacement from scratch - from a drop tank front half from an ancient Revell F4U, and the individual propeller blades were taken from an Italeri F4U. Inside the fuselage, a styrene tube was implanted which holds the new propeller on a metal axis, so it can spin freely.

Other personal mods include lowered flaps and the large cooler intake was opened, with foamed styrene placed inside which mimics some mesh. The same method was also used inside of the intercooler outlets (primarily in order to block any light from shining through).
In the landing gear wells I added some structure made from styrene profiles.

Another bigger challenge was the wing attachment - Heller and MPM kit differ here, so that swapping parts is not easy. The MPM kit has the wing roots molded onto the fuselage halves, while the Heller wings are more or less directly attached to the fuselage. As a consequence, the Heller wings hold the complete landing gear wells, while the MPM solution has divided sections. I decided to get rid of the MPM wing roots, about 3mm of material, and onto these stubs the Heller wings were attached.

The landing gear was taken from the Heller kit, but the main wheels come from a (new) Revell Me 262 - both MPM and Heller parts are not recommended for serious use...

Finally, the many exhausts and cooler flaps were either sanded away and replaced by scratched parts, or added - e. g. the vents behind the cockpit.

While the Heller kit features bomb and missile hardpoints under the wings I decided to leave them away - this is supposed to be a fast interceptor, not a train-hunting plough.

1:72 Republic P-47H-25 "Thunderbolt", aircraft 'CH-F [bar]' (s/n 44-63483) of USAAF 365th FS, 358th FG, 9th Air Force; based at Toul (France), early 1945 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

zenrat · April 25, 2014, 01:47:25 AM

Quote from: Captain Canada on April 24, 2014, 08:31:13 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on April 24, 2014, 07:37:37 AM
You live in a different space-time continuum to the rest of us. You must do ?

That's got to be it ! I sit at my 'bench' for hours and all's I get for my troubles is a hangover !

Or, we are travelling faster than the speed of light relative to dizzyfugu and time dilation makes time in our frame of reference appear to pass quicker.

Man, that is one ugly plane. It looks like it should have buck teeth and bulgy eyes. I love it. Can't wait to see it finished (which will be tomorrow at this rate of work).