Kansas titled P-47s
P-47D Razorback. “Kansas Tornado” 510fs 405FG Europe.
Pilot: Howard Curran Served in Europe and Korea. Debate exists regarding ace status.
Kit: Trumpeter. Generally a good kit except for the Hamilton Standard prop- prop hub is too big, but since I couldn't locate a Hasegawa HS, I went with what I had. Added about 2 mm to the length of the struts to get a better stance. Some modifications done to the cockpit. Mounted a Tamiya P-51 paper tank on the midline of the fuselage. 500lb bombs added and opened the ammo section. I left out some of the internal structures to improve the tricky fit when it is all built up.
Paints: AK & AK extreme metalizer, Model Master, Tamiya, Alclad and gloss coat. Nose and canopy frame are insignia blue per the FS squadron color with star from decal box for wheel hub. Decals: Barracuda. Very nice to work with.
Stains: guns and under fuselage- pastel chalk and pastel chalk with Future. Fuselage and wing top-pencil graphite heavily applied and wiped down to give the look of remaining black paint stains after removal in August of ‘44. Applied white pastel chalk with same method to give the same stain look for the white areas.
P47N. “Miss Kansas”. 463fs 507FG.
Pilot: unknown. Location: Ie Shima. AC number: unknown, but I took a guess for an aircraft whose number would have belonged in this squadron.
Kit: Trumpeter P-47N. Basically like the D bubble top with different wings and dorsal strake. The wheels aren't correct. The kit has 6 spokes- I used Barracuda 8 spoke wheels.
Paints: same as above.
Decals: Kitsworld. The fuselage decorations were made with custom masks by me and hand painted details.
Engines: both from the kits with wiring added and different magnetos per instructions.
Nice work.
The Trumpeter kit is the Tamiya 1/48 kit pantographed up to 1/32, warts and all, with extra detail put in. One of the things they pantographed up is the Ham-Standard prop, which also has a too-big hub in the Tamiya kit (compare the Tamiya prop to any Hasegawa prop to see).
The P-47N is the Academy kit, pantographed up to 1/32, including the too-big windscreen (a mistake all the Academy kits have in common with the Monogram kit - compare windscreen size on the Hasegawa kits and the Mono-Revell P-47N, which are correct)
We should thank Trumpy for at least not copying the old Revell 1/32 P-47s, which are cans of wriggling worms regarding details. As the old saying goes, "If you're going to steal, steal from the best, and make it your own."
Nice work on the NMF on both and nice results overall.
Thanks for the input. I don’t think I have ever seen such a hamfisted attempt on a prop these days. Hope I can locate a Hasegawa prop.
Steve, I really like both builds. They must look pretty nice on the table or shelf. Nice work!
Cool work on these two, they must take up a lot of display space, definitely liked.
Beautiful work, Steve! Those are some amazingly imposing Kansas P-47s!
Thanks @tcinla for the info on the kits. Yes, to steal the better is better! And they are good kits, both of them. Minor glitches aside, they both produce fanastic models. My only minor "complain" is their price tag: approaching the $100 region, I believe it is a lot to pay for a "pantographed" kit.
Awesome builds, Steve.
Love a pair of Jugs and that is a great looking pair.
Very nice Thunderbolts! Well done - the paint work looks great.
Nicely done!