As I had mentioned after completing my FJ-4B Fury kit, I was going to do two models. One would be my first ship model since I was a teen and that is ongoing in the USS San Francisco Project thread.
https://imodeler.com/groups/aircraft-modeler-building-a-ship/forum/topic/uss-san-francisco-project/

The other kit is going to be another aircraft in 1/48 scale. Specifically, ProModeler's 1/48 scale P-47N Thunderbolt.

Now let me start off by saying that I am aware that this is not a "Shake And Bake" kit. I've heard enough about it to know that it will require some extra attention. This doesn't scare me as I have tackled these sorts of kits before. The "Shake and Bake" phrase actually has a different meaning in this context, one which I will get into a few minutes. First, let me introduce the build.

This kit has been around since the early 1990s and the detail is pretty good as there was a noticeable uptick in model kit quality starting in the 90's. It's a complete kit with underwing stores and Scale Master "Vitachrome" decals (whatever that means). They look okay and other than their age, would probably be fine to use (with care).

However, I plan on using some aftermarket accessories for this build and something else related to the "Bake" part of "Shake And Bake". I have the Kits World decals for the yellow tail scheme. Ultracast wheels, although the kit wheels aren't too bad either. An Engine And Things R-2800 radial (which I hope will fit in the cowling). Master turned metal gun barrels, and two accessories designed for the Academy kit of the P-47N which I am going to try and make work, Eduard's 3D printed cockpit and painted PE detail set, and Eduard's canopy mask set.

Now for the last bit. You'll notice that the yellow tailed scheme is natural metal. I've always wanted to have a natural metal finished Thunderbolt, especially the P-47N with its larger squared wings. This is a beast of an aircraft and lends itself well to this type of scheme. Now when someone bakes something, they often use a common household product to facilitate that baking. What am I talking about? Aluminum foil of course.

Yes, I am going to foil this aircraft. Why? Because I want to try it out. I've been studying the technique for awhile in preparation for this, so hopefully it will all work out and I will have not only a natural metal Thunderbolt, but one that has real metal for a finish.

My focus will continue to be on the USS San Francisco build, but in those moments when I have to wait on that, or when I might be bored with it, the P-47 will become the focus. I will continually post progress here as I go.

Another superb entry, my friend @clipper! Great extras and awesome decision to foil it! Looking forward to it!

Thanks George(@gblair), Spiros (@fiveten), and John (@johnb).

The ship build is waiting for putty to dry so I thought I would shift over to the Jug today. The first order of business was to add some small bits of styrene plastic to give me more positive locations for the cockpit tub. The kit instructions would have you install it from underneath after the fuselage is glued together, but this wasn't very positive fitting and wouldn't have worked with the changes I had to make to fit the 3D printed parts (more on that in a moment).

The Eduard Space set for the cockpit is designed for the Academy P-47N kit and is larger than the Promodeler IP. This meant that the side walls of the cockpit and the side of the fuselage would need some changes in order to accommodate the wider panel.

It was necessary to chop off a small portion of the fronts of the sidewalls to give adequate clearance. Fortunately, there was no significant detail on this part that was removed.The Space kit will significantly improve the look of the cockpit, so the extra effort is worth it.

In order to accommodate the wider panel, I needed to make a wider piece to hold the 3D part. I used some clear acetate to trace out the shape of the IP and then started testing it in the cockpit for fit issues. That's what's going on here.

The seat is rather crude with the seat posts molded to the back and mold seams. I filed down the sides and removed most of the molded on seat posts. I replaced them with plastic rod which I still need to detail a bit more. I am going to add some stretched sprue around the edge of the seat sides to simulate a rolled edge. THe Space kit includes PE seatbelts and harness.

The aft bulkhead also had a molded on bar above and behind the seat which is supposed to be part of the seat posts (or possibly attached to the bulkhead). I sanded away the molded on part and will be scratchbuilding a replacement for that as well.

The kit comes with a fairly nice pilot which would be nice to include, but I am not sure it will work with the changes to the IP. If not, then I'll either modify him to work or build the kit without a pilot.

That's my attitude on this sort of thing as well George (@gblair). A combination of what works, what is absolutely necessary to change, and what may be more trouble than it's worth to use or fix. It's a balance on nearly every older kit I work on and each is different. That's a part of the fun. 🙂

Excellent modifications to improve the cockpit, Carl @clipper

Carl Smoot (@clipper)
This is a wonderful project ! I look forward to your next steps. I like using foil on my aircraft models, as I believe it better replicates the real thing when the aircraft model you are building requires a bare metal finish. The only hard part is applying foil on compound curves. The foil tends to wrinkle in these locations. The foil also has a grain in it. So you can take the same piece of foil and get it to look differently from the adjacent panel by simply rotating it 90 degrees.

I'm definitely following your journal as you have also picked out an excellent subject.

It would have flown under the radar had not George Blair given me a heads up about it. Thanks George !
George R Blair Jr (@gblair)

Carl Smoot (@clipper)

I made a mistake and accidentally deleted my first posting. This might be why it is not showing up. I had posted a few pictures of a real P-47N that I used to play in as a child on occasion.

We lived nearby and my Dad would bring me there where the P-47N was parked outside of the Museum of Speed. Dad would place me on the wing, climb up, and then open the canopy. Once the canopy was open, he would sit me in the cockpit and I would play until Dad got tired. He would then remove me from the pilot seat, close the canopy and we would go home. This P-47 was the very first aircraft I ever sat in...and I had the chance to do this on many occasions.

This Museum is no longer there, and the P-47 disappeared sometime in the late 1960's or early 70's.

It came from the Puerto Rico ANG and was in excellent condition when it arrived. In fact it was flown in from Puerto Rico by a man named Lieutenant Ralph Delgado who flew P-51D's in the ETO and was credited with a Me-262 kill. Mr Delgado remained in the military and I believe he eventually was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

I have a few pictures posted here of the plane as it was flown into the Daytona Beach airport. In these pictures you can also see the pilot, who was at the time a LT, and also see a man named Bill France Sr. Bill France is the man who founded NASCAR and built the Daytona Beach International Speedway.

After landing at the airport, the P-47N was towed on the city streets late at night from the airport to the Museum of Speed, where it sat outside for years... and I got to play in it for some of those later years .

The aircraft disappeared sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's. The last thing I heard about the P-47, the wings were being used to help get the CAF P-47N airworthy again. The fuselage is still intact, and will likely be restored as well.

I would absolutely LOVE to build a model of this P-47N, but decals for it are not available. I have enough pictures of the plane where I could make an accurate depiction of it. I'm thinking it would be best to get a scan and cut machine, and make my own stencils to paint the markings on, and then build it using a Trumpeter 1/32 scale kit.

This is basically the post that I accidentally deleted. Sorry.

Great progress here, my friend @clipper!