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P-47D Thunderbolt

a build story by David W. Aungst
5
Comments

Background

I have read many postings lately concerning the camouflage and markings of Gabreski's P-47D Thunderbolt. I decided to throw my hat in the ring and post my model of this famous aircraft. I completed the model in 1989 using what I thought were the correct markings at that time (based mostly on the Monogram kit instruction sheet). I have since learned that the camouflage and markings I applied to the model may not be correct.

  • The camouflage colors may have been British colors, not American.

  • The bottom may well have been Light Gray, not metal.

  • The invasion stripes may have only been the white stripes with thin black outlines, leaving the camouflage intact to show through where black stripes would have been.

Conjecture abounds over these points. Whatever the truth is, it was this camouflage (in American colors) with the metal bottom and the full black and white stripes that got me to want to build the model. Whatever works is fine by me. Right or wrong, it looks nice on my display shelves.

 

About the Author

About David W. Aungst (DWAungst)


Comments

Merlin
What a fantastic looking model!! :-) Proof for everyone that we don't need to trash all those old classic models we've got stashed away, just because "Tamigawa" have released a new super-kit! :-) Wonderful job... All the best Rowan
JUL 13, 2003 - 06:15 PM
Holdfast
:-) Superb P-47, this is one scheme I have been aiming to do. With so many interpretations of this scheme it will be difficult to get it right. Whatever the truth it's a striking scheme. Thanks for showing it David Mal PS I'm intrigued about this out of the box category. I would have thought drilling out gun barrels would be exceptable?
JUL 14, 2003 - 08:00 AM
tazz
thats a great palne he built i hope that my planes will look like one day
JUL 14, 2003 - 08:52 AM
JPTRR
Hi Alles, Wonderful model! Brings back memories. I must have built it several times as a kid. I have another with Monogram's p/e, but not Gabreski's. The colors? Who knows. Gen. Gabreski died recently but some other Wolfpack members are still alive. I wonder if any of them know what paint was used? I always read they were from RAF stock as at the time we were operating NMF. Then again, Dana Bell writes that Du Pont was producing a lot of RAF paint and I recall him writing that despite RAF standards and quality control, a lot of RAF paint was almost imperceivable from A/N colors. About the invasion stripes. Don't know about Gabreski's, but I have seen photos of stripes that were a). crudely brushed on, and b). masked with overspray. In some cases it was obvious that the painters didn't worry much about how straight the edges were. I have a close-up of a F4F where the star was obviously masked and sprayed, because there is a big shot of overspray clearly beyond where tape had been. Still, for 'scale effect' I intend to have my stripes as straight and crisp as able--I just won't sweat a wiggle here or there. :-) AND! can someone help me with this? I recall reading that on some OD planes, only the white stripes were on the upper surface. Keep up the inspirational work!
JUL 14, 2003 - 12:16 PM
Tin_Can
You mentioned Dana Bell in your comment. He wrote an article in the March2003 issue of Fine Scale Modeler that went over the history of the stripes and when they removed from upper surfaces, fuselage, etc.
JUL 14, 2003 - 12:37 PM
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Copyright ©2021 by David W. Aungst. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely the views and opinions of the authors and/or contributors to this Web site and do not necessarily represent the views and/or opinions of AeroScale, KitMaker Network, or Silver Star Enterrpises. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved. Originally published on: 2003-07-14 00:00:00. Unique Reads: 10206