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John Healy
151 articles

1/48 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt.

March 13, 2020 · in Aviation · · 22 · 2.4K

This is the 43 year old “Razorback” that was based on their 1967 “Bubbletop” kit. I found this original 1977 issue of the kit at a recent show and bought it for $5. The deal of the century! I realized while building it that it is the first that I've built since 1977, when I built one of these same kits. It assembled with zero drama and has a high level of detail molded onto a small number of parts. It's still a great kit. I added belts and a 75 gallon drop tank from an P-51B kit. The kit supplies the 108 gallon paper tank that wasn't used in the MTO. I also removed/filled the tongue and groove joins between the bombs and wing pylons. A couple dabs of CA join the sway braces to the pylons just fine and look a lot better. EZ line for the aerial and it was finished. I painted it with Xtracolor and Humbrol enamels and used Berna decals to model a French example on Corsica in 1944. These old Monogram kits still provide a lot of modeling fun.

Reader reactions:
13  Awesome

11 additional images. Click to enlarge.


22 responses

  1. The old Monogram kit holds up! Looks great!

  2. These old Monogram kits still hold their own.

  3. That turned out very nice. Love the markings

  4. Beautiful job on this kit John @j-healy. Really nice!

    "Liked"

  5. Definitely your usual really nice work John. Just goes to show that just because it's old doesn't mean it isn't still great. A definite "like."

  6. Fantastic job, John. It' s great to see masterpieces coming out of old kits.
    All the best!

  7. Hi John, brilliant work on a golden oldie! I shudder when I see these old kits! You have knocked this one out of the park!

    • Thanks, Paul! Examining and building this kit in 2020 makes one appreciate the old school tool makers art. The cockpit consists of three parts and looks decent today with careful painting.

  8. Well John you've shown that old dog will still hunt. Really looks great, nicely done.

    • Had a flash back John, I also built the old Monogram/Revell Jug that I too bought for $5. Great minds think alike I guess. It was a decent kit especially for the time it was produced and still is IMHO. Got some of the colors wrong but I was still on a learning curve, Still am.

      1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  9. Great looking Jug, and always nice to see these old kits brought to life! Well done.

  10. Great job on a good old Monogram kit. You did a good job and ended up with a great overall presentation. The cockpit turned out nicely, amazing for a kit of its age, and I know how hard it is to paint inside that molded tub. When I was a kid, I built a bunch of those Monogram P-47 kits, modeling as many of the 56th FG as I could. They flew proudly across my room hanging from the ceiling in flight formation.

    • Thanks, Walt! Enjoyed it so much that I started a Bubbletop!

      2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  11. Top job! Their bubbletop Thunderbolt is an all time favorite of mine, and you’re right: these old Monogram kits are great.

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