Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[davegee]

Thanks, LB. Adding some details to make it a better looking, more accurate flyer for my field. Still fun tinkering with how to do these embellishments mostly with stuff around the house. I'll probably use the 3M foam masking that we have been discussing for the fairly simple paint scheme of OD/Neutral gray on this one.

Cheers

davegee

sounds great! Please post how your spraying goes. You'll find if you practice spraying from various angles to the foam on paper or cardboard first, you'll find just the angle you want to use for your optimum look.

[davegee]

And, into the paint shop! Probably be there for a couple of weeks...

Cheers

davegee

[Grossman56]

Great to see the progress Dave! Now, to me, that is a much better paint scheme, more 'traditional' you might say.

Grossman56

[davegee]

Great to see the progress Dave! Now, to me, that is a much better paint scheme, more 'traditional' you might say.

Grossman56

Hi Dan: I've had a couple very disagreeable surprises along the way in the paint shop. Whatever the paint they used at the factory to paint the bright silver parts of this airplane, especially the plastic parts, has had incompatibilities in some cases with the Tamiya paints I am using for the authentic colors of the plane. After a while, some of these parts started wrinkling of the Tamiya paints, and I had to remove all that paint, do some sanding and use of a reducer to rid it of its intolerance to the paint. A real PITA, if you get my meaning!

I've had three of these FMS kits now, never with any of the issues stated above, otherwise which I would say is excellent in scale detail and overall conformance to the scale design of the real airplane. Sure, the prop is way too short, but I might still eventually try to remedy that as your friend did with a larger prop from a Corsair, I think. Right away, I will be replacing the stock rounder Hamilton Standard prop dome with a 3D printed part of the more sleek bullet shaped Curtiss electric prop dome.

I'm glad you like the simplicity of the paint scheme of one of the first D models (P-47D-1-RE) used by the 56th Fighter Group in England in WWII. At this point, they had no wing pylons, drop tanks other than a belly tank, no bombs or rockets. So, I'll have to fill in all those brackets and holes on this airplane, for accuracy.

Cheers

davegee

[f4u ausie]

davegee I've read what you and others have said about it. It's number one on my list for the next bigger warbird. I had searched for one but gave up.
I admit I didn't know much about the P47 but recently dove into it's development and deployment, it's role and capabilities. Now I'm obsessed and really want one. The 1.5, it looks fast and has some great features as you mention. I'll keep waiting!

Albury rc models and hobby here in australia has these in stock.. im sure shipping wont be cheap.. not sure if thats any help.. dont forget prces will be aus doller.. i have thefms p51 ,, and have been also looking at this.. i also prefer the olive drab type schemes... im a corsair guy,,, but the jug was an appropriate name.. only just thismorn,, on u tube watched an fw 190 unload his whole armament on a jug ,, but could not put him down.. the pilot got back england i think,, was his base.. he stopped counting at 200 holes in his plane... awsome

[davegee]

Albury rc models and hobby here in australia has these in stock.. im sure shipping wont be cheap.. not sure if thats any help.. dont forget prces will be aus doller.. i have thefms p51 ,, and have been also looking at this.. i also prefer the olive drab type schemes... im a corsair guy,,, but the jug was an appropriate name.. only just thismorn,, on u tube watched an fw 190 unload his whole armament on a jug ,, but could not put him down.. the pilot got back england i think,, was his base.. he stopped counting at 200 holes in his plane... awsome

Hi f4u aussie: thanks for that tip. I think I had looked into that a little, but eventually settled on a hobby store in Austria that was first rate and delivered the one plane that they had in stock promptly, and in great shape. Just before that, I was the victim of a scam in the USA by a private seller; they even showed pictures of the plane NIB, but never delivered the model after I had paid them. There is a special place in "modeler's hell" for people like that!!

I have made a number of jugs in the past, some big gassers for RC meets on a national level, and now doing foamies these past several years. One of the gassers I made up in the original early paint scheme with the white nose and tail bands (to try and keep "friendly" but nervous gunners on bombers from shooting at them, thinking they were FW190s!!.

The other planes, almost all from my favorite unit, the 56th Fighter Group, had varying paint schemes, some pretty wild, near the end of the war. For this project, I've returned to the more subtle paint scheme used earlier in the war, about 1943 time frame.

The incident that I think you might be speaking of was from this august fighter group. His name was Robert S. Johnson, one of the top scorers in USAAF history in Europe. He was attacked by a German fighter from behind, severely damaging his plane. Even the cockpit canopy was damaged so he couldn't try baling out. Plus, his turbo supercharger was damaged so he was essentially a "sitting duck:." And as you mentioned, the German pilot unloaded on him, but fortunately the armor plating behind him took the rounds and he survived to fly another day. Quite a story!

I totally agree with your sentiment for the Corsair. I think three of my favorites are the P-47, the Corsair, and the F6F Hellcat. All used the same type motor, the P&W R2800, one of the finest recip. engines I think that was ever developed.

Cheers

davegee

[f4u ausie]

Hi f4u aussie: thanks for that tip. I think I had looked into that a little, but eventually settled on a hobby store in Austria that was first rate and delivered the one plane that they had in stock promptly, and in great shape. Just before that, I was the victim of a scam in the USA by a private seller; they even showed pictures of the plane NIB, but never delivered the model after I had paid them. There is a special place in "modeler's hell" for people like that!!

I have made a number of jugs in the past, some big gassers for RC meets on a national level, and now doing foamies these past several years. One of the gassers I made up in the original early paint scheme with the white nose and tail bands (to try and keep "friendly" but nervous gunners on bombers from shooting at them, thinking they were FW190s!!.

The other planes, almost all from my favorite unit, the 56th Fighter Group, had varying paint schemes, some pretty wild, near the end of the war. For this project, I've returned to the more subtle paint scheme used earlier in the war, about 1943 time frame.

The incident that I think you might be speaking of was from this august fighter group. His name was Robert S. Johnson, one of the top scorers in USAAF history in Europe. He was attacked by a German fighter from behind, severely damaging his plane. Even the cockpit canopy was damaged so he couldn't try baling out. Plus, his turbo supercharger was damaged so he was essentially a "sitting duck:." And as you mentioned, the German pilot unloaded on him, but fortunately the armor plating behind him took the rounds and he survived to fly another day. Quite a story!

I totally agree with your sentiment for the Corsair. I think three of my favorites are the P-47, the Corsair, and the F6F Hellcat. All used the same type motor, the P&W R2800, one of the finest recip. engines I think that was ever developed.

Cheers

davegee

U no ya stuff thats him ,, could not bail out have funbf109:

[davegee]

U no ya stuff thats him ,, could not bail out have funbf109:

G'Day, mate!!😁😁

[davegee]

Another thing I am doing to make the model look a little more accurate is to put a Curtiss Electric Prop hub on it. Many, maybe most, had this more slender, bullet shaped dome on their propellers. The other kind, that comes with the FMS kit, is the rounder, squatter, Hamilton Standard prop dome, which is fine, too.

I scaled up some drawings of the real airplane with the Curtiss prop dome, and then sent them to someone who made the 3D prints for me. He made several of them. They are a bit rough on the outside, but very sturdy. I hope to use putty to make them smooth looking, and then paint them silver. These you get the basic idea in the photos. I have another FMS P-47 that I will do tests on to be sure they are safe and suitable to use for flying. I don't expect any problems.

I really like the look of these scale prop domes for my P-47 that I am making over for a specific paint scheme. I may have one made up out of aluminum to avoid having to smooth out the skin of the dome.

Here's a couple of pics on my P-47 now in paint and later detailing to finish it up.

Cheers,

davegee

[Grossman56]

I've found that the best method with stubborn factory paint (at least for me) is Krylon Foam primer, you've probably tried it. BTW, if you need any aluminum color, I have a fair amount of Flite Metal left if you 'd like to try it.

Grossman56

[davegee]

I've found that the best method with stubborn factory paint (at least for me) is Krylon Foam primer, you've probably tried it. BTW, if you need any aluminum color, I have a fair amount of Flite Metal left if you 'd like to try it.

Grossman56

Thanks, Dan. I was not familiar with the Krylon Primer, good to know. I did wipe the silvered plastic parts in the kit with an automotive paint reducer. That seemed to take whatever was on the surface off that was causing the paint not to stick.

Appreciate the Flite Metal offer. I think I'll see how well I can prep these for painting once I get it glass smooth. Then I'll probably paint these silver. Flite Metal might be a better way to go, not sure. I now have a pattern that I can have someone who can fabricate small parts and maybe have one made out of aluminum, which would be my top choice.

Cheers

Dave

[davegee]

Success!! Did an operational test of the new printed Curtiss Electric prop hubs today. Started by putting one on my other P-47 that normally has the rounder, blunter (FMS kit supplied) Ham Stand prop dome. I had pretty high confidence in this new part, but if it were to come loose or shatter under the stresses of flight, the prop would probably spin off and the airplane might be lost, or at least damaged.

So, I did a couple of full power static runups, it was staying on very well, and then took it up for two flights. Ran it through all the power settings, and it is solid as a rock. So, I think I'll be good to go smoothing out the skin of the prop hub to make it glass smooth, and plan on using it on my under construction P-47. Very pleased with today's results. Plans are to eventually have this part fabricated out of aluminum.

Attached are some photos. In one photo I placed the Ham Stand FMS supplied prop dome for comparison.

Cheers

davegee

[Grossman56]

Great to hear Dave, nothing like success!
Finally get a free morning off tomorrow, maybe see you there.

Grossman56

[davegee]

Great to hear Dave, nothing like success!
Finally get a free morning off tomorrow, maybe see you there.

Grossman56

I'll see if I can stop by tomorrow morning to fly something.

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

I've set the fuselage/tailfeathers aside for the moment, and am heavy in-work on the wings. Lots of stuff to do: fill in areas where the pylons and mount for the rockets would go, make a scratchbuilt removable scale pitot tube, install a scale (simulated) landing light in the "up" position, add some details to the wheel wells with scale looking hydraulic tubing, and many more. This work will probably go on through most of next week. Once I get it ready for paint, I'll spray them and continue on with other details. Included is a top view on a cardboard painting mat of the underneath sides of the wings. The orange area on the left wing with the hole in it is .010" plastic where the landing light will go.

[davegee]

Things progressing fairly well with the Jug. I did put on a few of Callie's decals that I ordered, however, one of the stars and bars didn't go on well (my bad!) and when I pulled it off I took some of the paint off, too. Typical. So, I spent some time doing the paint repairs and ordered a replacement from Callie. I like the red surround on the stars and bars; I hadn't done a plane with those markings before. I know they were only used on USA aircraft for a few months in 1943 during WWII.

I'm posting a few pics of some embellishments I am doing on the wings as I continue to work on the plane. One photo is a closeup of some scale looking brake lines on the two main wheels. Another one shows some hydraulic line detail in the wheel wells and a landing light that I added from a small flashlight I had lying around. And a third photo is how I solved the stock tailwheel door issue I've described before, by stringing a small extension spring across the gear doors to do the retraction/extension of the doors. Works great!

[f4u ausie]

Fms did great job on this plane,, with the wheel well paint,, looks greener in some pics i believe its zinc chromate primer salmon pink,, or green.... i beleive it was a great anti corrosian..on the original planes,,, daveegee the brake line add looks really good .. simple to do, with no dissrespect,,, i hate politically correctness,,..... and i think the tail wheel spring mod they used on the p51... so great job .. iv done enuf painting on foam planes to apprecciate what the likes of u and lb etc do.. im an auto painter... and every time i unmask ,, and pull paint... off my plane,,, a reedoo,,, i cuss..... paitence is a virtue.. but i hav none so great job.. i now have 2 warbirds to do brake lines on

[davegee]

Fms did great job on this plane,, with the wheel well paint,, looks greener in some pics i believe its zinc chromate primer salmon pink,, or green.... i beleive it was a great anti corrosian..on the original planes,,, daveegee the brake line add looks really good .. simple to do, with no dissrespect,,, i hate politically correctness,,..... and i think the tail wheel spring mod they used on the p51... so great job .. iv done enuf painting on foam planes to apprecciate what the likes of u and lb etc do.. im an auto painter... and every time i unmask ,, and pull paint... off my plane,,, a reedoo,,, i cuss..... paitence is a virtue.. but i hav none so great job.. i now have 2 warbirds to do brake lines on

Thanks, F4U Aussie. The brake lines are pretty simple to do. Most don't bother, and for foamies, I generally don't bother with such details, but in this case decided to add a few. Still, it dresses them up a bit. The ones on this plane are pretty rudimentary compared to some larger contest birds I did in the past.

Regarding the tail spring, at the time I did this, in about 2016, I don't think it was widely used yet. I don't recall any other planes using this technique back then, but there might have been, I don't remember. It was new to me, anyway! And, I have several planes created later like the Tigercat that do use this very reliable, inexpensive way to open and close the gear doors.

I repainted the wheel wells and inner gear doors yellow zinc chromate, as that was the color that came out of the factory. Most jugs were built on Long Island, NY, but were also assembled at two more plants, one being in Evanston, IL and another in upstate NY. All the Farmingdale, NY jugs had yellow zinc chromate paint, although some might have had green zinc chromate at the other factories. Since mine was a P-47D-1-RE (Long Island, NY) I repainted those areas with the yellow zinc chromate. A minor point, but I try to be accurate where I can, even with foamies!

I can imagine the satisfaction and the frustration you would have as an auto painter when things turn out perfect, or near perfect which I bet yours usually are, or the occasional time where some paint pulls off where you least expected it. I, too, first cuss, then get the sandpaper and paints back out again to do the repair. I've already ordered a replacement star and bar from Callie, so hopefully I won't mess up the Next one!!

On my larger contest birds, I painted on most Every decal, marking, nomenclature, etc. That is much superior to the stickers, but unfortunately, I haven't found a good mask that won't pull off the paint when removed from the foam!! I'll attach a couple shots of one of my planes, now in a museum in Titusville, FL. Most of the details are completely scratchbuilt, on this 1/6 scale P-47M-RE aircraft. It competed well for a couple of years.

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Making steady progress on the painting and detailing of the Jug, with just a few setbacks. First, I screwed up one of Callie's star and bar vinyl transfers trying to get it around the fairly complicated intercooler doors area. Other side went on fine, waiting for Callie to send me a replacement. Had some paint issues on a few parts, mainly plastic parts that had been painted silver at the factory. Caused my spray paint (Tamiya) to not hold and had to be redone in those areas. I think all is well now on the paint side.

I'll attach a few pics of the fuse. Wings still in-work, but do have them painted. Later this week, some special weathering colors for my airbrush I'll use on various parts of the plane. I also like to use chalks, as needed in certain areas.

On the fuse, there is an unusual marking on the left side: Hewlett-Woodmere Long Island. For those not familiar, back during those days, they initiated drives to have cities or other groups of people to "sponsor" an airplane. In this case, it was a town in New York that helped out the war effort and was recognized by this marking on the aircraft.

In WWII, there was a popular comic strip, Li'l Abner, by cartoonist Al Capp. Besides Daisy Mae, Li'l Abner and the rest of the gang, another one was Hairless Joe, who carried a big club. His likeness is featured on this aircraft, flown by Col. (then Maj.) David Schilling, of the 56th Fighter Group in England.

[Grossman56]

Looks great Dave! I'll be interested to see how you work with chalks.

Grossman56