Miniart 1/48 P-47D Bubbletop: And how it compares with Tamiya's
Miniart's P 47D is a very good kit. It is highly detailed and has a complete textured riveting array that represents the real deal. However, parts are very delicate and the plastic is soft. This results in an added building effort in cleaning and positioning parts. In addition, delicate parts such as, pitot tube, blast tubes and tail wheel strut are more prone to breaking. I left the skewed tail wheel intact during the photo session for the fear of breaking the strut again. Engine cowling is a tricky business. I found that removing the hardly visible filter bulkhead (part D24) eliminates most of the difficulties in engine installation.
Next to the Tamiya Bubbletop, the difference in surface texture is obvious. In all, Tamiya can boast with a cheaper and a fun build while Miniart's P-47D can boast with texture detailing for the purist.
Thanks for the comparison, Rafi, and nice job on both.
Thank you, Gary.
Excellent result on both, Rafi! Thanks for the notes on the Miniart build and for the comparison with Tamiya!
Thank you, Spiros!
Both are awesome, Rafi @blackmopane
Thanks for sharing your opinion on both kits.
Thank you, John.
They both look great, but cheap & fun sounds appealing to me.
Thank you, Jay.
Good choice.
Great work on these! So in the end do you think the extra detail on the miniart justifies the higher price tag?
Thank you, David.
Excessive detailing reduces the final evenness of the model.
Nice job on both, Rafi.
I found that reinforcing the tailwheel and leg with C-A glue (which is practically invisible and at least not prominent) solves the tailwheel problem on the Mini-Art kit.
Thank you, Tom.
Will do!
Excellent article, photos and review! Thx for a great post.
Thank you, Bob.
Great work as usual from you. So… this plane had a different name on each side? Unusual
Thank you, Mark.
This practice was not uncommon in the USAAF, especially with the P-40 aircraft.
Excellent builds, that Miniart kit looks awesome. I'll have to try one when I feel the need for more P-47s!
Thank you Chas.
Be prepared for a bouncy drive.
That is a very handsome Jug - they both are!
Thank you, Greg!