P-47D 1/87 scale Scissors and Planes

[talls6]

Hello All,
This weeks installment is Titled "addition by subtraction" or "2 steps forward, 1 step back.

It was a busy week for the family and at work so very little building got done. Kids spring choral concerts, chorus rehearsal for myself, NCAA basketball Tournemant fever, Neighbors over for a pizza party....so many things, so little time to build.

I was able to attach the back 2 sections of the Fuselage. I used Leif's medical paper tape trick. It worked pretty good to hold the sections together while I tried to get the alignment correct. I then attached the Verticle stabilizer to those sections. This is when the "subtraction" took over.

I had already decided to start the cockpit over. So started over on that piece. Not much progress other than getting it cut out and a couple frame pieces attached. Nothing worth photos. Then I managed to over handle one of the Horizontal stabilizers and it creased horribly over the internal bracing. This will require a reprint and do over. In my disgust over that mistake I decided to work on the Bazooka Launchers and found they were about a 1/4" to short. So back to square 1 on those.

Needless to say this was not a productive week. Hopefully next week I will have more good things to share.

I do need some input or advice on how I can clean up my seams. Due to the paper choice I made my seams are pretty thick and I am having a hard time smoothing them out. If you look at my wing pictures above and if you look closely at the tail you will see what I mean. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks for checking in.
Darren

[jagolden01]

Looks quite nice, Darren. Yes, the metallic paper really brings the whole thing to life.
Excellent work and we'll all be here no matter how long it takes.
I love documented builds, even the two steps forward, one step back posts. There's always something to see, learn, and appreciate.

Joe

[talls6]

Thank you Joe for the Encouragement, it is appreciated.
Thank you all for looking in. I have hit a wall with building this past week and change. Lots of little fiddly bits that make for slow progress. I was able to get the tailplane together after my mistake last week. I am still trying to find a good solution for sealing up the leading edge seams. The most promising is to use CA on the seam, then file down with an emery board until the seam melds together. The good thing on messing up a part is that you can use it for testing purposes without damaging the real build. This week was all about the cockpit. This is the hinge point that leads to being able to get the fuselage together and wings mounted. I found a good photo of some P-47D photo etch parts. I made a copy and shrunk them down to match my scale. I hope I didn’t violate any codes by doing that? As you can see they are quite small and the notorious carpet monster ate 3 or 4 before it was full. I laminated them onto some old cardstock (actually old Christmas cards) to give them some depth. I repurposed the seat from my 1st cockpit attempt as it was the only part I liked. The stick is a toothpick with a paper wrap for the grip. I also include a picture of the Cowling and the weathering that I keep talking about. Bruno I can’t imagine how long and tedious it was to get it to that degree.
Did you know that 15,686 P-47’s were produced During WWII? Did you know they cost $85,578 per copy? That equates to $1,342,376,508.00!!!! That is for 1 aircraft. From 1942 to September 1945 the United States lost an average of 170 planes, of all types, per day.
Thanks again. As always Feedback is appreciated.
Darren

[nighthawk78]

This model is looking good, the facts you posted are fascinating
NH78

[scissorsandplanes]

Originally Posted by talls6

I also include a picture of the Cowling and the weathering that I keep talking about. Bruno I can’t imagine how long and tedious it was to get it to that degree.

Hi, Talls6,

the strange thing about the weathering is that I actually did nothing. I only put on a little shading. I think the effect has been created by the printer.

Ow, I lost some credit there

Bruno

[talls6]

Thanks NightHawk.

Bruno - You should have taken the credit. I probably wouldn't have thought of that, nor would I have said anything.

Darren

[scissorsandplanes]

Originally Posted by talls6

Thanks NightHawk.

Bruno - You should have taken the credit. I probably wouldn't have thought of that, nor would I have said anything.

Darren

I could have, but than the next person trying this model would have been very disappointed.

[talls6]

Ok Bruno - I see your point. I still think the quality of these little birds is excellant. If I would change 1 thing it would be that the wings and tailplanes were connected on the leading edges to avoid the seams. Not a big thing, but a thought for future designs. - Darren

[talls6]

Hello Everyone. My apologies for the lack of forward momentum on this build. 2 weeks and all I have to show for it is 1 picture, and not even a good one at that. I was able to get the engine done. For all you rivet counters out there, please look away in 3, 2, 1……I modified a Wright Cyclone engine to look sort of like the front of the Pratt and Whitney R-2800. Was it the best solution, probably not, but it was that or really stall the build. I did get excited and find a clear dome that was part of the packaging on a small light bulb that my wife bought and behold it is extremely close to the bubble canopy shape I need. My wife looked like I was crazy, but hey, little things like this make me happy and the Canopy was weighing on my mind as I don’t have the vacuform capability yet.
Some background to this particular aircraft, thanks to Bruno for getting me the initial plane information. The particular aircraft I am modelling was flown by Lt. Col Robert Coffey. Lt. Col Coffey and his plane “Coffey Pot” were attached to the 365th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force also known as the “Hellhawks”. Their history can be found here
http://www.hellhawks.org/history.html
Here is Lt. Col Coffey’s Bio.
Robert Coffey was born in Chattanooga, TN, and moved with his parents in early boyhood to Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University. He was employed in coal mines in all positions from coal loader to engineer. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Forces. He flew as a member of the 365th Fighter Group, called the "Hell Hawks," piloting the P-47 Thunderbolt. He commanded the group's 388th Fighter Squadron and was later deputy commander of the group. He was the group's top air ace with credit for six aerial victories.
He was the military air attaché for the United States Embassy in Santiago, Chile, from October 1945 to April 1948. He resigned his commission as a lieutenant colonel to pursue a political candidacy. He was commissioned a colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve. During his military service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Presidential Citation, and Belgian and French Croix de Guerre.
He was elected as a Democrat to the 81st Congress in 1948, defeating incumbent Republican Congressman Harve Tibbott, and served from January 3, 1949, until his death in an airplane accident at Kirtland Air Force Base near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coffey was a colonel in the Air Force Reserve and was killed in an F-80A Shooting Star. A fellow 365th group veteran, Lt. Col. William D. Ritchie, was flying with him at the time of his death.
Coffey is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, sEction 30 Grave 752-SH

Thanks for looking. As always Comments are welcome.

[talls6]

Hello everyone and thanks for Checking in.
I finally was able to carve out 4 hours of construction time yesterday. My thought process was that I would be able to put this project to rest. Boy was I wrong. 2 hours into my work time and I was ready to toss the whole project into the recycling bin and call it done. But, I forged ahead and hopefully the really bad parts are past. I was able to get the cockpit installed, the fuselage sections mated together (the source of my angst); get the wings installed, engine mounted and I started the landing gear and wheel assembly. Earlier in the week I was able to get the framing done on my scratch built bubble top canopy. I used some light bulb packaging for the main canopy and some very thin clear plastic that came in one of my children’s toys for the front windscreen.
What I am learning on this build is that I have a really long way to go in my learning curve. Every time I work on this little bird I learn something, most of the time it is how NOT to do things. My skill set has not caught up with my minds vision yet. I guess that is the joy of a new hobby is learning how to get better each time. I guess that is why we are part of this great forum as well, to learn new techniques and maybe learn what doesn’t work. Well enough of my tale of woe. Here are the latest pictures and as always comments are welcome - Darren