Oops, I did it again.....Taiwan RF-47N

[kitbasher]

OK I know I should be concentrating on the Hunter PR.11 and I've broken another New Year's Resolution but I couldn't resist this.  Bought the kit absolutely convinced that the proposed 'Old Kit, Bad Kit' GB proposal would be a winner.  Well it wasn't, but I'm combining that proposal with this GB and getting as close as I can to a 1-Week GB effort.

The kit?  It's the old and execrable Heller P-47N (see Thunderbolt P-47N, Heller L084 (1974) (scalemates.com) and typical reviews at https://www.modelingmadness.com/review/allies/us/mesnerp47n.htm and Heller 1/72 P-47N, by Joel Hamm (modelingmadness.com)).  And yes, it really is that bad.  Sorry forum buddies from France, but it's true.

So let's start with the instructions.  They're satisfactorily laid out and easy to interpret, but some of the images do leave a lot to be desired.  Take for example this:

which makes the P-47 look more like a Martin Mauler or Boeing XF8B with a prolapsed reduction gear casing.

And this:

which would have dissimilar plastic parts look the same, when they don't:


Fit of parts is OK, but some of the location points are a bit vaguely moulded and/or not so clear on the instructions, such is the case with the engine and cockpit area.  Also wing construction is a tad odd - the kit may have been engineered by a trainee (that or a practical joker).  Why?  Well take a look at the parts breakdown for the 1/72 Academy P-47D (http://www.modelingmadness.com/scott/allies/us/acadp47da.jpg): the underwing parts (left of picture) fit into the upperwing parts - as is so often the case with wing parts - thus enabling neater flap and aileron joins.  Not so this kit - the smaller upper wing part fit into larger lower wing parts making for a very ugly join.  But hey ho, that's the least of our wing worries!



Anyway, building.  Started yesterday, commencing with the removal of the stubby underwing rocket pylons.  I say 'rocket', the kit parts look more like school sports day javelins.  Bombs are dispensed with and a little bit of detailing informed by https://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?t=22316 is added.


All now painted up following overnight drying, some drybrushing and thin washes added to draw out/highlight detail, for example in the cockpit:


The fuselage is firmly taped up and left to set hard overnight, ditto the wings.  Ah, yes, the wings.  This is what the Heller P-47N is best known for - its upside down wings.  The wing root clearly shows the upside down aerofoil section.  How?  HOW??


No matter, building this for a laff.

Anyway, the cunning plan is to create a Republic of China RF-47N.  Of course there was never, ever such a beast.  Cameras can't fit the fuselage 'cos it's full of supercharger, so they'll have to hang under the wings.

More in the next thrilling installment!

[NARSES2]

Good progress 

[kitbasher]

Good progress 

I'm building it so no one else will have to!

[The Rat]

There is whiffing potential in any kit, no matter how bad. 

[buzzbomb]

Why not.. adds to the party. Cockpit is tricked out nicely

I have to agree with The Rat's sentiments as well. Personally I find ordinary -> awful kits better to whif with as a base. Probably a discussion for elsewhere though.

Keep up the good work

[Dizzyfugu]

There was actually a proposal/concept for a recce P-47, and it had AFAIK a camera in/behind the port intercooler vent under the front fuselage. Does not sound very effective to me, and it was apparently not adopted for service.

[Flyer]

Reading the thread title I pictured a Taiwanese B-47 Stratojet...

[kitbasher]

Ratty/buzzbomb: fully agree with you, my whiffery makes a lot of use of such kits.  My reply to NARSES2 was tongue-in-cheek.

Dizzy: didn't know that.

[kitbasher]

Quick bit of post-holibobs glueing and sticking:

1.  Wings, tailplanes and tailwheel bay doors fitted.
2.  Checked main u/c legs against Academy P-47D parts.  Build pics of the Heller P-47N suggest the legs are too stalky but they match up pretty well against the Academy legs.  Am assuming the latter are accurate, based on kit reviews.
3.  Worked out how to fill the void on the N's instrument panel, again using Academy parts as my reference.
4.  A spot of home-made decal planning.

[kitbasher]

Building mostly done, undercarriage and sorting out the camera arrangement to follow.  Some initial PSR done and the home-made decals are designed.  I've some 'home alone' time next week so fingers crossed there will be some major progression between now and the end of next week.

As you can see, no attempt to scribe panel lines, etc.

[kitbasher]

More RF-47N progress:

Credit where credit's due, the Heller kit's main components fit together well, and despite the wing errors there's not much filler required at the wing/fuselage joint, nor with the tailplanes.  All hidden after a base coat of Humbrol 56 Aluminium.


Heller for some reason decided the drop tank pylons warranted an irregular leading edge, so the offending notches were treated with some plastic card and a little bit of filler.


The camera installation - to be explained in the backstory but linked to reality (and a later republic product):

Need to square off the camera ports a little more.

[buzzbomb]

Moving along very nicely

[kitbasher]

Well the wheels are on (tailwheel was a pain in the derriere, in the end replaced by a Ye Olde Worlde Airfix MiG-15 nosewheel), and I'm pleased to say the beast doesn't look as lanky as I feared.  A P-51 drop tank from the spares box has been added.

A coat of Xtracolor High Speed Silver has been applied, will let that dry over the weekend before checking it's OK, touching up here and there and then masking a few places that'll get some Xtracolor Duralumin.  Other general paint tidying will be needed, too.

Pics at the next update.

[kitbasher]

Oh, did I mention that the canopy is waaaay oversized?  Not to worry, eh?

[kitbasher]

Almost there.  Some tidying up of the paint job and the rudder stripes needed, and a final coat of varnish, then it'll be done.

All of the markings are home made, bar the fuselage and upper wing roundels.