Trippple Thunderbolt build
1November 23, 2023
2November 23, 2023
3November 23, 2023
4November 24, 2023
5November 24, 2023
6November 24, 2023
7November 24, 2023
8November 24, 2023
9November 25, 20233 completely different approaches to a cockpit......
10November 25, 2023Hasegawa panel on the left got an unused gunsight from the Tamiya kit -
Hasegawa getting a much slimmed down and de-life vested pilot, something HAS to be put on that massive Hasegawa "THRONE"
Academy seat got some spare seatbelts.
11November 25, 2023Tamiya cockpit is a small kit in itself - BRAVO, TAMIYA! More like this please! The instrument panel IS very nice as is, but this has a Yahu panel on top of it.
12November 25, 2023Small price to fit the Yahu panel -
13November 25, 2023Checking alignment, cockpits glued to one side, drying until tomorrow
14November 25, 20233 different approaches to engines - the Tamiya cowling is damn near perfect
15November 26, 2023Academy panel if instructions are followed; panel seats in floor, too low, and way too far aft.
16November 26, 2023P-47 had large open area in front of instrument panel, all the red area on the Academy can be safely removed without impacting canopy fit. Also need to remove if correcting the inst panel position -
17November 26, 2023My fix, brass posts to hide behind rudder pedals, further forward to allow inst panel a lift and more forward toward cockpit coaming
18November 26, 2023Had to remove some plastic from interior too....
19November 26, 2023Tamiya instr panel has nice rear bodies of instruments, so I made cables and control rods from 24 guage wire
20November 26, 2023Proper behind the panel spaghetti pile
21November 26, 2023Alignment of cockpits and panels after tweaks and glue setting last night
22November 26, 2023Neat feature on Tamiya wings - these two ribs mate, making a very stiff wing that doesn't flex in when handling or during the sanding to come - surface detail is amazing.
23November 26, 2023Fuselages buttoned up, wings together, tomorrow fitting them and the sanding begins
24November 29, 2023Starting to look like 'bolts now - no major differences in outlines or shapes obvious
25November 29, 2023Oy - the old molded on pylons - always fun to work around
26November 29, 2023All three will get the same load, 108 gallon "paper' tank, and a 500 pounder on each wing -
Tamiya 2-piece pylons are very nicely detailed
27November 29, 20233 way different looking P&W 2800s - first colors on -
28November 29, 2023Academy mold has matching divots right at the root on both sides. Smaller ones on both sides near the tailwheel too .
29November 29, 20231K sanded, alcohol wipe down, light primer coats on.
30December 6, 2023Tamiya first color coat
31December 6, 2023Hasegawa first color coat
32December 6, 2023'Paper' tanks - during sanding much of the band details gets flattened, so I added 1mm -strips of yellow tape to bring them back
33December 6, 2023Hasegawa wheels - 'HUBS' are off center a bit, so they will be removed and wheel covers made - most D models had spoked wheels anyway.
34December 6, 2023Pick your favorite curse word, I used it. Currently trying to bring it back to some form of clear - glue on my thumb and had no idea it was there.....grrrrrrrrrrrrr
35December 14, 2023Parts farm
36December 14, 2023Time for glare panel masking
37December 14, 2023Tail feathers on - rudder checker patterns from Rising Decals are great - matches the Tamiya mold perfectly, on both the Hasegawa and Academy molds the decal needs a bit of trimming, as the rudders on both are too short. - using each individual kit's fuselage and wing insignias, Academy is oddly brittle and will crack easily while putting it in place, Tamiya is thick but settles down well, the Hasegawa is a bit fragile.
38December 18, 2023Academy decals - not a fan - very shiny and thick, stubborn to get flat - these will be removed and painted on
39December 18, 2023Proper shade of yellow zinc from Mission Models going in wells and on door interiors
40December 18, 2023Hasegawa wells have almost no detail, so I added very basic stringers -
41December 18, 2023Pylons on, gear assembled. Hasegawa wheels got the Tamiya 'hubcaps', the Academy wheels were filled with putty, and details inked on. Tailwheels on too - Tamiya's is a clever three part trap, angling the doors out at the right angles. Very slick.
42December 20, 2023Stencils and standard markings going on, fun stuff and Sqdn markings will be last, as they would have been painted on in the Field.
43December 20, 2023Tamiya has the most markings of course, even the smallest decals are actually legible when magnified - really impressive -
44December 20, 2023Academy- no cowl on yet as I had to paint the firewall after the engine was installed - have I said the Academy decals are not good? Avoid them if you have spares.
45December 20, 2023Hasegawa pilot is cocked a bit to the left - blame it on the enormous throne of seat, or let's just imagine he's leaning out to see over that enormous nose as he taxis.....
46December 23, 2023Recognition lights drilled out and deepened, Academy depicted them as lumps - bad.
47December 23, 2023Lights after paint and Krystal Kleer. Proper order is red, green, and amber; front to rear
48December 23, 2023Hasegawa has no centerline store details, so it's getting a spare tank from Tamiya kit.
49December 23, 2023Hasegawa with a Tamiya 'paper' tank hung, albeit a bit off center.
50December 23, 2023More Academy irritation, the antenna is much too far forward, the canopy can't be posed open - moving it 13mm aft, basing that distance off of Tamiya's placement. It's also 5mm too tall.
51December 23, 2023Antennas lined up, Hasegawa provides none, so I made it from stretched spue, a bit too thick though.
52December 23, 2023Gear on and aligned, drying time for the day....
53December 27, 2023Excellent Techmod prop logos versus Academy attempt.
54December 27, 2023DONE!
55December 27, 2023Trippple threat
56December 27, 2023First I caught this - Hasegawa and Academy both- main landing gear are too long, noses are too high off of the ground.
57December 27, 2023Tamiya kit - Wave of Destruction, USAAC P-47D-26, 4228326 Pilot Lt Domin, killed while flying another P-47
58December 27, 2023Academy kit - Iron Ass, USAAC P-47D-26, 4228327
59December 27, 2023Hasegawa kit - Here Comes Elmer Now, USAAC P-47D-30, 443102 Pilot Capt Belcher
60December 27, 2023Proper squat, cowl shape and engine details excellent -kit decals very good
61December 27, 2023Academy - too high, cowl not quite right, sketchy engine detail, prop fits sloppy
62December 27, 2023Hasegawa - sits too high, pretty good all around for 50 years old
Comments
Disabled
Album info
Academy, Hasegawa, and Tamiya P-47D kits, all at once, fast, same unit markings from 346TH FS in Italy. No crazy detail sets, just decals and the builds. Well, I AM going to use ONE Yah6u instrument panel just cause I have it.
Black checkertail unit, all natural metal, using same paints on each kit, and yall be the Judges -
Building Tamiya kit as 'Hellsapoppin"
Building Academy kit as "Iron Ass"
Building Hasegawa kit as "Wave of Destruction"
