JUG-OR-NOT? Building the MiniArt P-47D

[quang]

1 hour ago, MikeMaben said:

I'd respectfully disagree about the stainage as I don't see much when enlarged.

 

 

Not a huge deal, just an observation on my part.

As I understood it, @TAG was talking about the darker colour of the heat-resistant panels surrounding the belly (green circle) and not the stain caused by the exhaust manifold (red arrow). Of course I could be wtong 

[LSP_Ron]

The dark metal you circle in green is stainless steel. Its to protect the skin of the fuse from the hot exhaust pipes going back to the turbo (black thingy in the right side of the green circle) is the turbo and the area the exhaust exits the plane. 

 

The area with the stains (red arrow) normally isn't the exhaust on a war time P-47. That is the waste gate for the turbo.  Most restored P-47s have the turbo's removed for simplicity so the original waste gate is used as an exhaust exit.

[quang]

Thank you Ron for your input.

I know nothing about the P-47 and am learning about the real airplane - historical and technical matters - as I build the model.
One of the many bonus of our wonderful hobby 

[chaos07]

This looks like a fun project.  Looking forward to seeing how it comes along!

 

[TAG]

Hey, fellas

 

@MikeMaben @quang I guess I wasn't very clear in my previous post, the stained inner landing gear doors are pointed out by red arrows here, when the gear is down these doors are lined up right up against the waste gate, whose exhaust gases stain the aluminum so that it looks almost the same color as the heat-resistant stainless steel sections adjacent to them.

 

Here's the deployed inner gear door, as you can see it's right in the path of the waste gate exhaust gases, hence the staining.

 

Hope that made sense? Apologies for the confusion, in any case.

 

Looking forward to the next update, Quangster!

 

- Thomaz

[quang]

@TAG 

We got it now Thomaz! I’ll try to reproduce that little-known (from me) feature. As they say in our mini-world, the devil is in the details.

 

16 hours ago, chaos07 said:

This looks like a fun project.  Looking forward to seeing how it comes along!

 

Fun project it is indeed because I chose to build this kit NOT because of the subject (until now, the P-47 was just a passing interest to me) nor the manufacturer (I thought MiniArt = armour). I saw the 3D publicity pics and I wanted to know how far plastic kits have evolved since I started ‘serious’ modelling in the 1970’s.

So this WIP will be mostly  an OOB build with the Miss Fire/Rozzie Gath II decals provided in the kit. 
I’d also take the opportunity to try out some ideas I have about natural metal finish. We’ll see how it goes!

Thank you again for your input.

Cheers,

Quang

[quang]

From what I read on the internet, the main BAD thing about the MiniArt kit is the… cockpit floor.

It’s corrugated like on the razorback and early bubbletop versions. Starting with the D-25 production, it was replaced with smooth metal plates.

IMO our kit which was built at the same period of the transition could have one of either version. Considering the great amount of homework MiniArt did on their P-47, it would be surprising that they let past such a blooper.

Anyhow I decided to alter the stock floor with flat panels to show that it can be easily done.

 

The flat panels are cut from tin foil prior to be installed on corresponding slots with PVA glue 

 

The modified floor with accessories under a coat of primer

 

Cockpit components painted and weathered. All details come from the stock kit.

Note tiny map case decal

Extra placards left over from the last Folgore kit

 

Front bulkhead

Stock IP painted. Instruments from kit decals applied with a drop of MicroSol.

 

Seat dressed with PE belts

Time to assemble the cockpit elements and we’ll be ready to close the fuselage.

Until then, keep well.

Your questions and comments are welcome,

Cheers,

Quang

Edited December 3, 2023 by quang

[MikeMaben]

Hi Thomaz, I understood what you were refering to, and there was definitely exhaust blow by at that location,

but I don't think it was enough to discolor the whole door uniformly like that. Just my opinion tho.

 

hth

[mozart]

Superb work on that cockpit Quang! I know nothing about this company but it seems that their kits are of an extraordinarily high standard…..and yours of course is as “normal” (ie “incredible”). 

[quang]

1 hour ago, MikeMaben said:

 

 

 

 

Ooh look at that burnt metal!
It would be a real challenge to reproduce that. I’m excited already. Thanks Mike for sharing! 

 

1 hour ago, mozart said:

I know nothing about this company but it seems that their kits are of an extraordinarily high standard….

The home of MiniArt is in Ukraine. Nowadays their products are made in Poland.
They’re specialised in 1/35 less-known WWI-WWII period vehicles and armour. Their civilians figures are outstanding and ooze of originality (check out the pig head in the Butchers kit). For the aero-minded, they have a superb series of 1/35 autogiros.

The P-47D is their first venture in 1/48 aviation. The details rival some of the best 1/32 kits, only much smaller. It took me an eternity to handle the tiny parts, not counting the ones I succeeded to recover from the carpet monster.

This kit is so well detailed that the only way to improve it is with a careful brushwork. Most of the details you see in my close-up shots are invisible with my naked eye. The optivisor is a MUST!

Edited December 4, 2023 by quang

[TAG]

8 hours ago, MikeMaben said:

Hi Thomaz, I understood what you were refering to, and there was definitely exhaust blow by at that location,

but I don't think it was enough to discolor the whole door uniformly like that. Just my opinion tho.

 

hth

Hi, Mike

 

Not to belabor the point, seeing as the outer side of the inner gear door will be barely visible if Quang decides to build his Jug with the landing gear down, but I wanted to post some more refs to show how the inner gear doors did indeed get stained quite uniformly from the waste gates, even on OD/NG birds. Here's a mix of modern and period photos, just in case.

 

 

As always, this is all very open to interpretation, so please take with a grain of salt, it's merely my opinion after looking at many thousands of P-47 photos over the years.

 

As for the inside of the inner gear door, the YZC primer did indeed burn off in many cases, so definitely a cool detail to add, @quang.

 

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, folks.

 

- Thomaz

[Joe Hegedus]

deleted, I don't feel like getting involved at this time

Edited December 4, 2023 by Joe Hegedus

[quang]

Considering the severe paint and metal burnt traces on @MikeMaben’s photo, I’d guess that contrary to the rest of the landing gear, the inner door was made of heat-resistant steel, hence the difference in colour.

Whatever the reason, it’s worthy of one’s attention even if the outer face of the door is not apparent when the gear is down.

[TAG]

23 minutes ago, Joe Hegedus said:

deleted, I don't feel like getting involved at this time

That's too bad, Joe, I for one would be very interested in your observations as I have come to trust your knowledge regarding such matters after reading your posts over the years.

 

Cheers,

- Thomaz

[quang]

2 hours ago, Joe Hegedus said:

deleted, I don't feel like getting involved at this time

There’s never been a matter of ‘involvement’ in this forum. Folks here are civil and easy-going. We’re just trying to help and to share.

Hoping you’d change your mind,

Cheers,

Quang