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Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 9:51 am 
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Location: Stratford, CT.
A project started over ten years ago is finally finished up within a week! Since I first discovered this picture of a P-47N in Connecticut Air National Guard Markings, I always thought it would be cool to model it.

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Its been the source of some renderings for older books,

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And more recent digital drawings:

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I even found an example that someone modelled a skin for a flight sim!

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In 2009/2010 I was "hot" on this CT ANG P-47 idea, and decided to build it in multiple scales. I started building this plane initially out of a 1/18th scale 21st Century P-47D, but have since stalled due to the need for extending the length of the wings on the N model. Someday I'll come back to it!

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A few years ago I also decided to build a 1:72nd Heller P-47N with an aftermarket cowling, engine, and prop, and eventually put it on display in the museum. This is the only shot I can find of it at the moment in the top right corner.(I'm kind of upset with myself for not trying to be more accurate with this model as I just went with the closest sized letters for the fuselage as I could find, instead of trying to find the right decals OR make my own.) I still might go back and spray of the fuselage and reapply more accurate markings.

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Around the same time I also decided to model this P-47 in 1/144th scale by using a 21st Century P-47D "Snortin Bull" (Which were in great supply after multiple raids my father and I conducted to Walmarts across our area!). Since this model was preassembled I decided not to lengthen the wings, but give it all the other attributes this variant had. The only picture I can find of it is from a top down picture of my work bench back at my parent's house in 2010. You can see the P-47 on the middle right side. I started by clipping of the wing tips and......... that was it. For 10 years it remained that way.

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I don't know how it happened, but as sudden and strong of a desire to build that model came, it went. In that time the canopy went wandering, along with one of the gear doors, and landing gear to boot! Not to mention a prop went missing too. It wasn't until last week while looking through one of the ever shrinking boxes of half finished or prebuilt Gasphon kits (a.k.a. "Land of misfit 144 Models") that I saw the old and battered P-47. I figured, "What the Heck!".

Thankfully the missing canopy, landing gear, and spare prop were sourced from my parts tray. But the other small gear door was nowhere to be found, so I decided to make a new one out of plastic. I remember the one big thing that stalled me on the project was how to remove the prop and hub piece without damaging it. By this point with already one prop missing, I felt more empowered to just try and get it off by any means. I ended up taking a pair of smaller snip pliers and placing them behind the hub, and gently pulled the unit off. It thankfully came off in one piece with a part of the shaft with it! After a little sanding around the edge of the shaft, the whole prop unit could easily be reinserted or removed without issue. I attached the landing gear, new door, new prop to the hub, and scratch built the two wire masts and the strake along the top of the rear fuselage. I also ended up scratch building a pitot tube and a new ADF Football Loop and glued that on as well.

Afterwards I spray painted it silver, added the interior green, black for tires and engine, anti-glare OD, and oil stain washes for the panel lines. This was the end result:

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I showed my father a picture at this point and he commented on why I put a 1/72nd ADF Loop on it? :oops: I went back into my parts box and decided to use one of the few 1/144 loops I had. (somebody should make a set in resin or 3d print them!) I kit bashed the decals together. Stars from one sheet. The larger letters / numbers on the wing from another sheet. The smaller letters on the fuselage are from I-94 Enterprises. While the tail stencils and larger underwing numbers were custom printed. I also had a sheet of Hamilton Standard decals I applied to the prop, and painted the tip of the tail orange. After that, I called it good!

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Maybe some eagle eyed viewers will notice my mistake! After looking at the multiple references above, I put "314" on the wings, but designed and printed the tail markings for the plane: "316"! A fairly easy fix I know. But I'm content with the result for right now. Somehow it looks better in person then these photos are proving to show! If I ever get a Platz kit (or someone comes out with a 1/144th N model) I might try and REALLY do this one right. But until then this one will suffice. Thanks for looking!

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Christopher Soltis

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 1:54 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:12 am
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Location: Just outside of Grosse Ile N.A.S.
Nice results!


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:50 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:18 pm
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Location: Meriden,Ct.
Nice job Chris... :)

Phil

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