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Nick Newell
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Hasegawa 1/32 P-47D-30 “Eight Nifties”

May 14, 2018 · in Aviation · · 27 · 5.3K

P-47D-30 (08174) ‘Eight Nifties'

I sometimes wonder whether I should read kit reviews as this kit received the entire spectrum. I guess the moral of the story is that if you like the subject and scale then just go build, which is precisely what I did when I started this project last October and have just completed.

For those who're wondering I found it to be a great kit, not without its foibles, but if you take your time with assembly etc. By being careful I used virtually no filler, just a smidgen along the wing to fuselage joint. Measure twice, cut once…sage advice and I only wish I would remember it!

The Subject

I'm sure those more knowledgeable than me will debate my colour/marking choices however I was only able to find one picture of the actual aircraft (included here).

After some research, and considered reflection, I disagreed with the Kits World instructions and went my own way as follows:

  • Added blue stripes above/below the tailplanes (not shown on the decal marking instructions)
  • Didn't extend the anti-glare panel into the blue engine cowling ring (the decal marking instructions show it otherwise but I couldn't see it from my reference picture)
  • Increased the distance (I cut the decal in half) between the words ‘Eight' and ‘Nifties' as the image I worked from indicated it was slightly higher.

I replaced the long range fuel tank with a bomb – again, the photo I had showed the aircraft with a centre-line bomb. However I confess I only did this because it dawned on me late in the day that there wasn't going to be much ground clearance for the tank as I was using ‘flattened' tires…which is probably why you see some of these kits without the tank but with their associated sway braces installed!

Kit Modifications

  • Engine wired (all 36 plugs even though Hasegawa only provide 18)
  • Replaced the instrument panel, machine guns and wheels
  • Added fabric seat belts and a centre-line bomb/rack
  • Dropped the engine cowl by a bee's d**k to avoid a step between it and the fuselage

Accessories Used

  • Barracuda – P47C/D Block Tread Mainwheels (BR32059) – excellent, highly recommended
  • Eduard – Paint Masks (JX066) – indispensable
  • Yahu – Instrument Panel (YMA3223) – yes, I know it's cheating but it's the best $15-95 modelling money I've ever spent!
  • HGW – Seatbelts (132820) – it took me three hours to assemble the 24 components but by the end I was thoroughly enjoying myself
  • Kits World Decals (KW132031) – excellent, highly recommended
  • Hasegawa – brass machine gun barrels (QG12) – because I could!

Paints Used

  • AK Interactive – Xtreme Metal Aluminium and Dark Aluminium – nice stuff, they spray beautifully right out of the bottle.
  • Testors, Tamiya (AS-12) and Humbrol paints
  • 502 Abteilung Oil Paint - Raw Umber (ABT007), Black) (ABT110), Dust (ABT003) – this is the first time I've used artist oils and I can honestly say they're fantastic.
Reader reactions:
17  Awesome

23 additional images. Click to enlarge.


27 responses

  1. Excellent work Nick. Looks great!

  2. Always loved that particular 'nose art', Nick - and appropriate for the "Jug". 🙂

  3. Nice work. Did you clear coat it? If so, what did you use?

  4. If you can use the term 'Exquisite' in the same sentence as 'P47 Thunderbolt' then you've nailed it perfectly. Attention to detail, finish, weathering all excellent. A great job Nick.

  5. Perfect build and most perfect NMF paint job. Could not do better when it comes to a NMF!

  6. Beautiful P-47, Nick. The nose art plus the light blue is gorgeous! All the details look outstanding.

    Beautifully done, Nick!

  7. Having build more than a couple of these myself, I really like what you have done here. That's a great scheme and very well-done.

    On a FWIW, Republic did a very counter-intuitive thing with their landing gear - they painted the legs Olive Drab! At least at the Long Island factory. Not widely known and when I first read it i thought someone had made a mistake, but an old Jug driver actually remembered that (pilots are usually useless on color information). They also did it with Long Island produced F-84s.

    • Of course, I should've checked in with you Tom - I will next time. It would'd saved me a heap of head scratching! Thanks for the info and the kind words, appreciate it. Hopefully I got the cockpit colour correct - I used Testors Euro Green which is a sort of blue/green and I think is more representative of the actual colour used.

      I looked at a number of your builds so I probably pinched some of your ideas anyway!

      Cheers...Nick

      • Yeah, that's the right green, you can go a little darker, some people say Dull Dark Green and RLM70 like each other.

        As to the gear, you can just say it's a P-47D-25RA (RA - Evansville IL plant)

  8. That's one beautiful Jug! Love the NMF work, and the finishing. All around beautiful model.

  9. That sure is one AWESOME Juggernaut! You did a real stunning job on this one. Well done!

  10. One nifty P-47!

  11. Hi Nick

    Great work on "Eight Nifties". Done this one myself in 1/48. I used the KW decals as well and they are very good.
    I have the 1/32 Hasegawa P-47 and plan to do a few special builds with this kit, some schemes that I really like...

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

    • Fair dinkum Darren, I thought I was looking at my own model! Nice work old son! The Hasegawa kit takes some effort to get the best out of it but it can be done. Cheers! N

  12. Profile Photo
    said on May 15, 2018

    Great finish on your jug. Cracker.

  13. Beautiful Jug! Masterful finish, looks like you could strap in take off.

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