P-47D Thunderbolt in 1/18 Scale Totally 3D Printed

[JayW]

Quite some time ago, I spent several years modifying a 1/18 scale 21st Century Toys P-47D Thunderbolt, resulting in this:

 

 

I was happy with it at the time, but it suffers from the inherent inaccuracies of using what is essentially a large toy as a starting point.  Even though it was heavily modified to make it more realistic and accurate.  Since then, I can do much better using an entirely different method of modeling.  

 

For those of you who followed my 1/18 3D printed P-51B Cripes a Mighty, you know how I am going to go about this build.  For those who are not familiar with the Cripes build, I will give a brief description of how I will create this next subject.  

 

Aircorps Library has available engineering drawings of many vintage aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt.  That means parts can be very accurately digitally created essentially from the drawings. I use Rhino 7 for my digital design.  And then, once scaled to the desired scale, can be 3D printed.  I have an Elegoo Saturn 2 that has a large build plate and prints quite well.  

 

Fortunately, the P-47 shape (most of it anyway) is defined by point ordinate data on surfaces drawings.  I can use that point data to make accurate surfaces.   I have started my surfaces layout with the engine cowl:

 

 

Point ordinate data comes from this Republic drawing:

 

 

Using that point data, I can develop a cowling surface, and from it a solid, in Rhino:

 

 

That digital model is not complete of course, but it is what I would call "layout quality".  Once I add a little more structure to the inside, I can then develop the engine, and check clearances and design the cowl-to-engine attachments as close to the real thing as I can.   

 

We all know that the P-47 is powered by the amazing R-2800 engine (a -59 version for the later models).  So is the F4U Corsair (a -8 version), and I actually built one in 1/18 scale for my Corsair, a few years ago, resulting in this:

 

 

 

A year-long effort, it involved tons of scratch built parts, and mini-lathe turned parts as well.  This engine looks pretty good from a couple feet away, but up close, it's a bit rough.  I can do so much better with digital design and 3D print.  And I have begun to do just that:

 

 

What you see there represents a couple weeks work so far, with on again off again effort.  It's been fun so far.  Unlike the airplane itself, I do not have engineering drawings for the R2800.  So there is guesswork.   The Republic P-47 engine-related drawings - the installation drawing, and various system drawings for the engine compartment, the engine mount drawing, usually include the engine outline and critical station callouts and other critical features as reference data such that I can do some good scaling.  And good guessing.  Also, I found the parts catalogue for the R-2800-59 on the internet, and purchased the PDF.  It is very helpful.  And then the internet has hundreds of pictures of the R-2800, many versions.

 

I will start this build with the engine.  It will not take a year like the Corsair engine, but it will take many weeks.  Stay tuned for that; it is going to be alot of fun, no doubt with adventures and challenges. 

 

I have some time, but I am going to have to select a subject.  But not that much - the engine electrical system (magnetos, distributors, spark plug harness, etc) and prop governor depend on the subject selected.  This model will probably be a bubbletop, and will probably have a Curtiss paddle-blade prop as opposed to the Hamilton Standard unit.  Probably - depending on the subject selected.  For instance, should I do Hairless Joe (see below), that aircraft has the Hamilton Standard set-up.  I encourage all who decide to follow this to offer ideas WRT the subject.  There are so many to choose from!

 

My early choices are as follows:

 

 

 

That is the"Whoooooo" P-47D-26RA, 405th FG. 

 

Or:

 

 

That is "Hairless Joe", P-47D-25RE (I think).  56th FG, mount of Colonel David Shilling.

 

Any nose art has to be done specially for this build, as there is nothing out there at 1/18 scale.  Unless I can have a decal maker scale up a 1/32 decal, then some other magic must be performed.  Stencils, etc.  I have irons in the fire....and I can make decals if they are simple and do not have light colors or white.  The above two examples are NOT simple, and would be problematic I think, especially the wolf head.

 

So, here we go!   Buckle up!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8 by JayW

[Jim Barry]

Nice choice! Best wishes on the new voyage! 

[waxdart]

You kids and your new fangled toys.😉

[easixpedro]

Oh boy, here we go again! No rest for the weary, and we’re all better for it!!

Looking forward to the journey Jay!

[Daniel Iscold]

Here we go again.... another master piece!!!!! 

[MikeMaben]

Cool !  Have fun Jay. I'm building a 1/32 Hasegawa Bubblejug currently so will be interesting to watch your progress.

Outta my league but fun to watch anyway.

[Jim MacDonald]

Definitely looking forward to this. Standing by in anticipation.

 

Mac 

[Shoggz]

Yep, looking forward to this so much.

 

I love the Jug - especially the bubbletop!

[jeroen_R90S]

Awesome! I'm taking a chair  

 

Maybe Ben Mayo's "No guts, no glory" is appropriate? 

 

 

Or "Look, no hands"? 

 

Whatever you choose, I'm sure it'll be a stunner! 

[JayW]

5 hours ago, jeroen_R90S said:

Maybe Ben Mayo's "No guts, no glory" is appropriate? 

 

"No Guts No Glory"  Wow what a choice.  78th FG - means black/white checkers on the cowl - AWESOME!  It seems there might be a OD/NG version of it too?  And very importantly the nose art (although not on the nose) is very doable.  Only thing is - that subject is very popular and I would rather do one not often modelled.  I did however do a quick internet serach for 78th FG Thunderbolts and found a ton of examples.    

 

"Look No Hands" - Ha!!  Years ago I made a Rutman resin 1/32 jug and made her into "Look No Hands".  So, been there done that.  Also I do not think the nose art pin-up gal would be easy to create.  

 

Keep em comin'!

[JayW]

So a couple days ago Jim McDonald asks me if I could use a drawing of the R-2800.  Here are a few screen shots of it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

To which I said something like "Are you kidding me???"  I have already built two R-2800's in 1/18 scale, from scratch, over quite a few years.   And they have been done with a whole lot of educated guesswork.  What diameter are the cylinders, what is the distance from the cylinder flats to the centerline?  What is the distance between cylinder rows (well, some digging got me that one - it is 10 inches), how long and what diameter is the front reduction housing?  I mean - practically everything was a guess.  And now I get this?  This drawing is literally festooned with dimensional data!  Well better late than never.  Thanks a million Mac!

 

I do not think this is a P&W drawing, and it is labeled "ref only".  Who knows where it came from.  But it sure seems accurate, and dimensionally it defines a helluva lot of features, and I can scale many more.  It is also not the P-47 engine (the -59 version); it looks to me like it is the Corsair engine (the -8 version).  But there is a ton of commonality between the two that I can take advantage of.  What a treasure.  

 

But now, that two weeks worth of Rhino work I showed last post will have to undergo a whole lot of changes to get into compliance with this newfound definition.  I mean nothing is too far out, but enough for me to redo it all.  Just the way I roll....  Stay tuned as I post progress on it.  I am having lots of fun; I hope you will find it fun to follow along.

Edited July 8 by JayW

[Dennis7423]

If you're looking for something off the beaten path, I highly recommend taking a look at some of the 365th FG "Hell Hawks" birds. Often a conglomeration of various airframes, and they have an incredible story, being essentially the pioneers of close air support. To boot, they have some really attractive looking aircraft, and nose arts.

 

 

 

 

 

- Dennis S.

   Mt. Juliet, TN USA

[brahman104]

Amazing Jay!!!!! haven't had much time to peruse the forums lately, so I've got some catching up to do on your Mustang. Very excited to see you embark on this one though!

 

Great work on the radial so far!

 

Craig

[jeroen_R90S]

On 8/6/2025 at 10:50 PM, JayW said:

 

"No Guts No Glory"  Wow what a choice.  78th FG - means black/white checkers on the cowl - AWESOME!  It seems there might be a OD/NG version of it too?  And very importantly the nose art (although not on the nose) is very doable.  Only thing is - that subject is very popular and I would rather do one not often modelled.  I did however do a quick internet serach for 78th FG Thunderbolts and found a ton of examples.    

 

"Look No Hands" - Ha!!  Years ago I made a Rutman resin 1/32 jug and made her into "Look No Hands".  So, been there done that.  Also I do not think the nose art pin-up gal would be easy to create.  

 

Keep em comin'!

I'm not a fan of doing something twice myself, so I understand that! No Guts No Glory was apparently thought to be in RAF colours when camouflaged, personally I like that more, and as a subject it is less common than the natural metal version, but I can imagine covering a whole model in metal & then painting over it would be, well... odd....

Personally I think the checker noses look better when combined with the camouflage, but that's me I guess. Like this one from the 1/48 MiniArt kit.

https://miniart-models.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/web_48009_side-views-2.jpg

 

One that's really nice but the nose art is probably not doable is "Jay" walking Molecule -can't seem to find any photographic reference, but some of those sim skinners are really serious about accuracy so it is either really well made up or photo's are not on the Internet. Just for fun: 

 

Big Stud combines the red nose with yellow/black tail and tailplanes on metal, combines well IMHO  

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/P-47D/MTO/images/45-49355-P-47D-Thunderbolt-15AF-325FG319FS-88-Big-Stud-flown-by-Colonel-Robert-Baseler-FRE9400.jpg

 

Same for 353FG but seem mostly razorbacks? 

 

So much cool schemes....  

[JayW]

On 8/15/2025 at 7:54 AM, jeroen_R90S said:

Big Stud combines the red nose with yellow/black tail and tailplanes on metal, combines well IMHO  

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/P-47D/MTO/images/45-49355-P-47D-Thunderbolt-15AF-325FG319FS-88-Big-Stud-flown-by-Colonel-Robert-Baseler-FRE9400.jpg

 

I could not access this site.  Wish I could - you have provided some pretty cool subjects!  

 

Folks - I have changed the title of this thread from "this might be a P-47D" to "it definitely will be", or something to that effect.  One would be hard pressed to find a more bad-a_s aircraft to model than the P-47 Thunderbolt, either razorback or bubble top.  Both equally bad-a_s.  Now, had the Tiffie or Tempest had available to me a full set of engineering drawings, that is what I would have done - because those aircraft are equally bad-a_s, only British.  But I do not have that.  And if the F6F Hellcat (also very very bad-a_s) had drawings that were actually readable on Aircorps Library (too many are not readable), I would have considered that as well.  But it is going to be the Thunderbolt.  First though - the engine.  I have a tiger by the tail.  Update soon.

Edited August 16, 2025 by JayW