Tamiya's 1/72 scale
P-47D Thunderbolt

by Tetsuro Matsuo

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Here is Tamiya’s 1/72 scale P-47D finished as ”SHACK RAT”. I drew my inspiration from another Tamiya Thunderbolt painted in these markings. Moreover, I was initially made aware of the charming nose art after reading the decal review here.

As I expected, I did not need to make any major changes to the surface of this excellent kit. I only rescribed some panel lines and added rivets.

[Photo1]In the cockpit, I replaced hoses, levers and wires with scratch built parts to enhance their three dimensional appearance.

[Photo2]Clear parts were vacuum-formed using the original parts as masters, packed with clay. To make this, only the time to drag the vacuum cleaner and a clear sheet of 10 square cm were required.

[Photo3] I installed my home made spinner and sway braces, but its coloring and metallic bands are doubtful, I know.

[Photo4]Paints I used:

Base: gloss-black, ground-color & spinner: Creos super-metalic chrome-silver, light area: alclad 102 “Duraluminium ” (filtered by 2 sheet of tissues and thinned), dark area: alclad 111 “Magnesium”(ditto), tone: 102+111, moving blades: alclad 101 “Aluminum”(ditto). This was an experiment for the painting with Alclad. I think that I succeeded because the layer of paints are not too thick.

[Photo5] Nose-art and all marks are painted but the Curtis propeller logo marks are decals.

[Appendix: how to express the difference of height]

I want to answer Mr. Steve Heeb’s doubt of B-26 in “DISCUSSION FORUMS” on September 13, 2007. I introduced the method of putting the difference with the instant adhesive by using "waterproof aluminum tape for kitchen".

STEP1: The tape is pasted to the area where low is left.( If you want to be thick, pile several pieces and cut ) This can be used as a instant template, too.

STEP2: Glue is piled up in the raised area.(I always black instant glue, it is not too hard and easy to find the leaving.)

STEP3: Sand down the glue until surface of the tape planed by the sanding-paper.

STEP4: The edge goes out beautifully by putting the pause before peeling off the tapes.

This method is effective to represent a hatch or an armour plate, and the wing root fillet
 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images: 

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Tetsuro Matsuo
Page Created 18 December, 2007
Last Updated 18 December, 2007

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