liquorboxracing
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
- Messages
- 62
I've been working on this one for about a month and a half now. Pretty much finished her up tonight, just a couple little details and she's done. I live next to Wright Patterson Air Force Base so this project was super fun for me. This is based off the actual F-47D-40 that patroled the air space over the base during test flights and development testing of flight and safety systems during the late 1940's. Most civilian aircraft of the time were not equipped with radio's and this plane was used to keep the airspace clear over the base. Note the guns, HVAR rocket stubs, and bomb racks have been removed. The plane still carries it's buzz number under the left wing though.
I started with a 1/72 scale Academy P-47D bubble top kit. I opened the cowl flaps, and made the spine from the rear fin to mid fuselage like the later F-47D's had. I cut the wing tip lights off the wings that were molded in and made clear lenses and attached them in there place. Those are tough to see in the pics below. I also added tape seat belts. The rest is just box stock. as you can see I bare metal foiled it, and I am not thrilled with the results. The grain from pulling the foil off the backing sheet has been permanently embossed in the foil. The only upside is being able to polish the plane to a mirror shine. The main wheels are not the correct style for this build so they are held in place with Micro Scale liquid tape until I get the correct ones. I still need to install the canopy mirror, and under wing lights as well as a couple decals I haven't applied yet.
Here are some pics.
I started with a 1/72 scale Academy P-47D bubble top kit. I opened the cowl flaps, and made the spine from the rear fin to mid fuselage like the later F-47D's had. I cut the wing tip lights off the wings that were molded in and made clear lenses and attached them in there place. Those are tough to see in the pics below. I also added tape seat belts. The rest is just box stock. as you can see I bare metal foiled it, and I am not thrilled with the results. The grain from pulling the foil off the backing sheet has been permanently embossed in the foil. The only upside is being able to polish the plane to a mirror shine. The main wheels are not the correct style for this build so they are held in place with Micro Scale liquid tape until I get the correct ones. I still need to install the canopy mirror, and under wing lights as well as a couple decals I haven't applied yet.
Here are some pics.
