Caribbean Thunder(bolt): F-47D-40 of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; 1965

Dizzyfugu · July 18, 2014, 11:54:22 AM

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some backgorund:
The Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti was formed in 1943 with some aircraft from the United States. Its main task was transport and communication. Headquarters were at Bowen Field, Port-au-Prince, a former U.S. Marine Corps airfield, which was the main air base of the Haïtian Air Force until 1994. During the 1940s Haiti received small quantities of training aircraft. The first combat aircraft, six F-51D Mustang and four F-47D-40, arrived in country in 1950 - just in time when things turned rough.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Haiti elected a legislature in May 1946, and after two rounds of voting, Dumarsais Estimé, a black cabinet minister, was elected president. He operated under a new constitution which expanded schools, established rural farming cooperatives, and raised salaries of civil servants. These early successes, however, were undermined by his personal ambition, and his alienation of the military and elite led to a coup in 1950, which reinstalled the military junta.
This was just the moment when the ex USAF aircraft arrived. The Mustangs were reserved for the fighter role, ground attack being just a secondary option. The Thunderbolts were primarily intended against ground and sea targets, and they were equipped to carry HVARs under the wings.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The Republic F-47 Thunderbolt (P-47 until 1948) was one of the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single piston engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to eight tons, and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack roles could carry up to ten five-inch rockets or a significant bomb load, for a total of up to 2.500 pounds of external ordnance.

After WWII the USAAF Strategic Air Command had P-47 Thunderbolts in service from 1946 through 1947, as escort fighter for heavy bombers, but they were quickly retired until 1953. The four Haïtian aircraft were taken from this overstock, and unlike the Mustangs, which had to be modernized and made airworthy by Cavalier in the USA, the F-47s could be put into service immediately.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

When Haiti announced that its first direct elections (all men twenty-one or over were allowed to vote) would be held on October 8, 1950, Paul Magloire resigned from the junta and declared himself a candidate for president. In contrast to the chaotic political climate of 1946, the campaign of 1950 proceeded under the implicit understanding that only a strong candidate backed by both the army and the elite would be able to take power. During that uncertain phase, all the Haïtian Air Force aircraft were kept in store and were disarmed, for fear that they'd be abused in another coup d'état.

Facing only token opposition, Magloire won the election and assumed office on December 6th 1950. Magloire restored the elite to prominence, and the Haïtian Air Force resumed its duties. The business community and the government benefited from favorable economic conditions until Hurricane Hazel hit the island in 1954. Hazel devastated the nation's freshly renovated infrastructure and economy. Hurricane relief was inadequately distributed and misspent, and Magloire jailed opponents and shut down newspapers.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

After refusing to step down after his term ended, a general strike shut down Port-au-Prince's economy, and Magloire fled, leaving the government in a state of chaos. When elections were finally organized, François Duvalier, a rural doctor, was elected, on a platform of activism on behalf of Haiti's poor.

Both Mustang and Thunderbolts were superseded in October 1973 with T-28D Trojan from France, which were replace by O-2A Skymaster in 1975. It was also in 1973 that Haiti got its first helicopters from the United States.

Eventually, the Haitian Air Force was disbanded in 1994, after United Nation sponsored forces came to Haiti to reinstall president Aristide.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.42 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,535 kg)
Loaded weight: 13,300 lb (6,032 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)

Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine, 2,535 hp (1,890 kW)

Performance:
Maximum speed: 433 mph at 30,000 ft (697 km/h at 9,145 m)
Range: 800 mi combat, 1,800 mi ferry (1,290 km / 2,900 km)
Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
Rate of climb: 3,120 ft/min (15.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 44.33 lb/ft² ()
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (238 W/kg)

Armament:
8× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (w. 3.400 rounds total)
Up to 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of bombs or10× 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets/HVARs

The kit and its assembly:
An exotic topic, since I suppose that hardly anyone could imagine what a Haïtian Air Force aircraft (much like a Nepalese one) is or would look like? I found a profile of a Haïtian F-51 in a book and was... inspired. Building a model of the real aircraft could have been an option, but doing a whiffy alternative appeared more entertaining.

My choice finally fell on the P-47 Thunderbolt. The kit is the Hobby Boss P-47D (bubble canopy version), but the ordnance was replaced – instead of WWII drop tanks or iron bombs I settled for a rather anachronistic load of two LAU-68 launchers for 2.75" FFARs on the wing hardpoints.

Otherwise the kit was only marginally modified: I added a dashboard and a respective cover with a gun sight inside of the cockpit, the canopy was cut in two parts so that it could be presented in an open position, and I added a scratched antenna fairing on the P-47's back – similar to an installment that Haïtian F-51s carried in their late career.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting an markings:
The Haïtian P-51s were originally delivered in bare metal finish, but during their modifications at Cavalier painted all-gray, with some red trim on spinner, fin and wing tips. Except for the roundels only a three digit tactical code on the fin was carried – all very basic, but with potential.

I just transplanted this concept on the P-47. The red spinner became a red ring around the engine opening, and in order to make the aircraft not look too uniform I layered the paint, with an aluminum basis coat (Revell Acrylics) over which a thin and cloudy coat of light gray (IJN Gray from Modelmaster) was brushed. This was, after a light black ink wash, wet sanded in order to achieve an uneven, worn and even bleached look, esp. on the upper surfaces.
The anti glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted with matt olive drab (Humbrol 66 & 155), also inspired by the real Haïtian P-51s, and some small panels and trim tabs were painted in shades of gray.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The roundels were completely scratched with separate white circles and bars, plus RAF Type B roundels – the circles are actually blank start numbers for slot cars and the RAF roundels belong to a British F-4 Phantom! The tactical code actually belongs to an IAI Kfir in Israeli service.
After having dried, the roundels also received a light sanding treatment, as well as some dry painting to blend them into the overall look of the aircraft.

There actually is an aftermarket decal sheet for Haïtian P-51s in 1:72, but its sports the later roundel which shows a circle in a red and a blue half – but I wanted the earlier variant.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some more wear was done with dry-brushed Polished Aluminum and silver, as well as grinded graphite for soot and exhaust stains. The aircraft was supposed to look used and worn.

Finally, everything was sealed under coat of matt varnish.

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Republic F-47D-40 'Thunderbolt', aircraft '845' of the Corps d'Aviation d'Haïti; Bowen Field AB, Port-au-Prince; summer 1965 (Whif/Hobby Boss kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A rather simple project, concerning both the build and the livery (expect for the special weathering effects, maybe), but the result looks convincing and has a certain exotic charm. Nothing you'll often come across.

PR19_Kit · July 18, 2014, 11:57:19 AM

Are you SURE this is a Whiff Thomas?

It looks very real to me...........

Dizzyfugu · July 18, 2014, 12:15:07 PM

kitnut617 · July 18, 2014, 12:34:21 PM

Well why not, the Dominican Republic had them for real ----

sandiego89 · July 18, 2014, 12:55:23 PM

Great worn look Dizzy.

Jesse220 · July 18, 2014, 01:39:58 PM

Sexy I love it

scooter · July 18, 2014, 01:45:53 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 18, 2014, 11:54:22 AM
My choice finally fell on the P-47 Thunderbolt. The kit is the Hobby Boss P-47D (bubble canopy version), but the ordnance was replaced – instead of WWII drop tanks or iron bombs I settled for a rather anachronistic load of two LAU-68 launchers for 2.75" FFARs on the wing hardpoints.

I did the same thing on a Revell 1/32 Razorback I had, that sadly didn't survive the trip home from Grand Forks AFB 20 years ago. I was still trying to figure out how to mount Sidewinders on it when I left the base.

Glenn Gilbertson · July 18, 2014, 03:58:03 PM

That looks very convincing!

Dizzyfugu · July 18, 2014, 11:47:34 PM

Quote from: kitnut617 on July 18, 2014, 12:34:21 PM
Well why not, the Dominican Republic had them for real ----

The DomRep actually bought the four Haitian P-51s in 1974 and flew themm until 1984 - the last operational Mustangs in military use!

comrade harps · July 19, 2014, 05:49:37 AM

Love your weathering skills!

Inspiring.

Captain Canada · July 19, 2014, 06:14:35 AM

Beauty. Looks like she's good and worn eh ? Lots of action for that bird ! And as always, your photography skills really set off the build.

Wonder if they kept a few around to help the pirates ?

Dizzyfugu · July 19, 2014, 06:43:53 AM

Harrrr! Thank 'ye, gentlemen!

Dizzyfugu · July 19, 2014, 07:07:03 AM

Quote from: comrade harps on July 19, 2014, 05:49:37 AM
Love your weathering skills!

Inspiring.

Thank you - to be exact, the model was not really weathered (e. g. buidling it in a psitine look in the first place and then add dirt), it was from the start painted that way, so that the result looks a bit rotten. It's a bit salt technique, just without the salt, just with a sparse use of paint and a soft, flat brush. I have been experimenting with this approach on several kits now and I must say that the results are IMHO more convincing than the "traditional" way (which can look just like silver paint applied on top of the basic tone instead of worn or flaked paint on top of metal or a primer), as only a minimum of paint is applied. Comes out very natural, and in this case it makes the 'bolt look interesting - I can hardly imagine how dull it must look in a clean, all-grey finish?