Introduction

The Hasegawa P-47D in 1/32 scale has been on the market since about 2007, and while it has received good reviews, it still may be daunting for some. Number 3 in the Comprehensive Scale Model Aircraft Manual from Mike Ashey Publishing covers the construction and wdetailing of this kit.

Book

Comprehensive Series Scale Model Aircraft Manual Number 3
Building and Detailing the Hasegawa 1/32 Scale P-47D
Mike Ashey Publishing
26 Pages

Review

The manual is printed in a 8.5" x 11" format on glossy paper, with the front and back pages printed on card stock. The manual is not bound, but does contain three holes along edge for use in placing in a binder type holder. The text and images are very well printed, and all the images are in color.

Through the display of pictures of the build process and description, the manual takes you through a step by construction and detailing for the P-47D in 1/32 scale. In this build Mike Ashey does use the Eduard photo-etch set for detailing the cockpit. There are also steps showing how to improve the kit part instead of replacing, which can be helpful and better in some cases.

The manaul also provide tips and tricks for detailing with different parts of the build, these could be applied to almost any build. Some of these include how and where to add extra strength to the plastic to ensure a more sturdy build. It does also include some specific areas on the specific model and how they can be dealt with.

After assembly, Mike Ashey then walks through the masking and painting, although he mentions the general color used, he does not go into specifics on paint brand, type or exact color he used. I would think this would be useful, especially for the more novice builders. He also discusses application of decals and use of softner to better adhesion, but again no details on brand preference.

And while the end result looks very good, it might be nice if there was some information on weathering, as that sometime can be a big question for some modellers.

Overview

Overall this in another great looking build manual from Mike Ashey Publishing, The manual, while more geared to the novice builder, does include tips and trick that would be useful for the more experienced builders as well. The only real drawback I see is there is no discussion of type and brand of paint used, as well it would nice to see what the exact colors used were. As I am not that much of a builder, I do find the information in the manual useful, and I would definitely recommend this manual.