Hasegawa, P-47D Thunderbolt “Nose Art”, 1/48th Scale, Kit No. 09305 (Part I)

I decided to have two blog entries on this build.  The kit has been in my stash for a while.  I have the time now to say a little more about this build, since as I write this we are deep in the Wuhan virus pandemic.  (Sorry if I offend anyone, but the whole world  knows and admits the virus originated somewhere in Wuhan, China, the exact location to be determined.)

I  built the Razorback version of this kit and presented it in this blog on July 9, 2017.

Hasegawa kits are less detailed, and thus less complex, than Tamiya kits in my experience.  Nonetheless, they are fun to build, and I wish they would release some additional kits this century. When I see “new” Hasegawa releases, they are the same old kits I have been seeing for decades.

My stash included the Jaguar P-47D Cockpit Detail Set (64805), which I believe is no longer in production.  I taped up the parts to it first thing to determine if it fit, and it did.  Hooray!  That is not always the case with some of these resin detail sets.  My research told me that Thunderbolts mostly had dark green interiors.  Testors Model Master Acryl Gunship Green was a good match.  Testors is dumping the Model Master line in favor of more craft oriented products.  I have found that Vallejo Camouflage Green in the Model Color line is a perfect match.  The "uninhabited" spaces of the P-47s were coated with yellow zinc chromate, a color available from Vallejo in their Model Air line.  So, I guess I will not miss Model Master.  Over the past few years the line has been slipping away, so the ultimate demise came as no shock.

Hasegawa models are often provided with shiny, smooth surfaces, and this one was no different.  I think that will enhance the natural metal finish I intend to apply.  We will see.

Here are some progress photos:

Basic model done.  Part fit was excellent.

Some of the small parts painted.

I was very pleased the Jaguar resin cockpit fit so well.  It just dropped in.

The finished cockpit looks very nice.

A fret with the two dive brakes came with the kit.

Dive brakes installed.

As always, comments are welcome and thank you for visiting my blog.