P-47D Thunderbolt

by Filippo Rossetti

Hasegawa's 1/48 scale P-47D Thunderbolt Razorback is available online from Squadron

This is the Hasegawa 1/48 Razorback Thunderbolt. My model depicts “Zombie”, an 83rd FS, 78th FG P-47 D-21 RA as it appeared in England on the eve of the D-Day.

I replaced the kit cockpit with the resin KMC set designed for a bubbletop. I adapted the cockpit by removing the rear bulkhead and replacing it with the kit’s one. For the instrument panel and rudder pedals I used a Part photoetch set and some Waldron placards to make the cockpit more interesting.

Cockpit interiors were painted Dark Gull Green FS 34079 overall. Piculars were picked up with semi-gloss black, aluminium, white, yellow and red using reference photos as a guide.

This kit started its life with an early –D model in mind so I filed away the panel coaming and added the rear instrument casings and cables. Always having an early Razorback in mind I scratchbuilt the early tube gunsight mount which is incorrect for a –D 21, but we are free men and we can change our mind, can’t we?

Other aftermarket items I used were the Aires wheel bays (which fitted like a glove and surely improved that area, solving the Hasegawa seam problem), a Verlinden 150 gal. paper belly tank and slightly modified True Details resin wheels.

Minimeca 0.9mm tubes were used for the .50s’ blast tubes, bevelled at the muzzle end. They look nice.

I detailed the gear legs with lead wire brake lines and generic Reheat “instruction” plates and Bare Metal Foil straps.

The propeller is the Monogram Hamilton Standard that was included in their Bubbletop P-47.

Paint is Alclad II Aluminium overall base sprayed directly over well polished plastic. Selected panels were masked and sprayed with different Alclad II shades, duraluminium, steel and a mix of 80% Chrome 20% aluminium for the wing roots, ailerons rudder and elevators. Wing leading edges are Testor's Model Master Metalizer Aluminium.

On panel lines I used a wash of very heavily thinned Vallejo acrylic black, while D-Day Stripes are Tamiya Acrylic that I did not weather on purpose as if they had been just painted on. Exhaust area was weathered with Model Master Metalizer Exhaust and dark brown pastel powder.

I painted the antiglare panel Tamiya Flat Black after I found two colour pictures that showed 78th FG Natural Metal Razorbacks with a black panel.

Wheel bays and the inner sides of the landing gear doors were painted Model Master Enamel Chromate Yellow and weathered with dark grey pastel powder, the small metal panel on the inner door was added from Bare Metal Foil aluminium foil.

Decals

As for the checkerboard cowl, I tried to use the Aeromaster checkers meant for Miss Behave but I made a real mess. After painting the cowl Tamiya Gloss White, and being dissatisfied with the gloss finish, I sprayed a coat of Model Master Clear Gloss. Now this product is great, gives an excellent gloss finish, dries very fast but, for some reasons, the decals stuck to it, instead sliding into position despite tons of Micro Set.

The starboard half went in place more or less well, but the port half was a disaster. I was compelled to cut many small rectangles and trapezes from black decal stripes. They are not perfect but I can live with it

Other decals are a mix of generic Aeromaster US Black codes and numbers, Aeromaster national insignia. The stencils come partly from an old Superscale sheet and partly from the box decal sheet. They set down nicely with no silvering due to the extremely smooth finish of Alclad 2, requiring no Gloss coat, just the usual Set and Sol liquids.

The “Zombie” red letters were hand painted on Bare Metal Foil clear decal film and sealed with some Microscale Clear Decal.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2003 by Filippo Rossetti
Page Created 13 August, 2003
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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