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Hey all,

Well, I've opened the boxes and done an initial assessment. I think I may be going with resin engines and wheels for both builds, but I'm going to keep the kit cockpits.

First up will be the Razorback, since I actually have a tail number for Lt. Kelly's bird, even though I don't have any photos of it yet. I'm still researching whether or not it was OD or NMF, but I'm leaning towards OD for an April 1944 bird.

Major McClung's bird is somewhat of a mystery, but I'm thinking it may have been 44-19567, since I've got reports of him being shot down and evading back to friendly lines, but nothing to substantiate it. Finding MACR 9794 will confirm whether or not that was his airplane. If not, I've still got a ton of research to do!

I'm headed to drill this weekend, but I'm looking at starting to cut plastic on Monday!

Jon

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I figure since I started collecting Jug Pilot uniforms, I should have a model of their airplane to be displayed with each one. I'm hoping if all goes well that I'll be getting a khaki service jacket from a 507th FS P-47N driver in the not-so-distant future, so I'll have to decide between the Promodeler and the Academy kits!

But for now I'm concentrating on 9th AF Jugs.

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As far as the P-47N goes, I think I like the Pro-Modeller version a little better. Academy's kit is very nice as well so maybe its a toss up, but I do like the PM decals better.

How many Jugs must you build to have one for each uniform? Sounds like a huge project!

Aaron

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As far as the P-47N goes, I think I like the Pro-Modeller version a little better. Academy's kit is very nice as well so maybe its a toss up, but I do like the PM decals better.

How many Jugs must you build to have one for each uniform? Sounds like a huge project!

Aaron

Aaron,

Right now, on single engined fighters I've got:

P-40F for Joe Davis Bell (66th FS, 57th FG, 1 Me109F kill on 30 Oct 42, shot down and captured 18 Nov 42)

F6F-3N for Sutton Lester Jaynes (VF-74(N) in the Mediterranean)

P-47D bubbletop for Ray Swinfield McClung (22nd FS, 36th FG, Squadron commander, 3 ground kills)

P-47D razorback for George Kelly (377th FS, 362nd FG, 1 Me109 kill on 8 Apr 44, shot down and captured 24 Apr 44)

I've also got a B-24 for F/O Orazio Ciccozzi and I'm researching a couple 9th Air Force NCOs whose uniforms I own to see what units they were with and if they were actually aircrew. I've got a couple others too, but haven't been able to find out information on what they flew and when. I've got Gordon Codding's A-2 jacket from when he flew with Air Transport Command, but all I can find as far as airplanes he flew is an AT-6A that he was flying when he got hit by another AT-6A being piloted by a WASP when they were doing a formation landing.

A daunting task to be sure, probably more than I'm going to be able to handle in the near future, but I've gotta at least start on the Jugs!

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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377th_FS.jpg

Thanks to Nigel Julian over at P47.kitmaker.net for this photo!

Ok, here's what LT Kelly's bird looked like. Not sure if this was his bird (most likely not), but it is a good starting point. Two interesting pieces on this particular bird. Firstly, the individual aircraft letter is actually a number and the trim tab is painted white as an extension of the theater ID band.

Ok, Monday hopefully I'll have some pics up of my first progress.

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, started cutting plastic tonight. Still don't have Tenax, so I'm not gluing anything just yet. I've got the magnetos picked and I've gone with the 13' Curtiss Electric prop for a P-47D-15-RE with an R2800-21 engine.

Like the rest of the 48th kits from Tamiya I've built, the fit is beautiful. Doesnt look like there's gonna be much filler needed. I'm painting the cockpit now and should have some pics up tomorrow.

I think I'm going to just build this one out of the box. I could get all super-detaily, but I think I'm going to get this one done first and then once I get some photos of Major McClung's bird, I'm going to go nuts with that one.

In any case, I'm rolling!

Jon

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey guys,

Been bogged down with finishing my L-19 and P-40F, so the Jug's taken a back seat for a bit. I spent about an hour working on my Razorback tonight and made some significant headway. The fuselage is together and the wings are mounted. Now it is a matter of building and painting the R2800-21.

I've gotten decals so I can do the white E4* codes and will be getting yellow numbers so I can do the tail number 276167.

Jon

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Ok guys, I finally got the camera and the model in the same room!

Pretty much got the airframe together and the basics of the cockpit. I've got a Curtiss Electric Asymmetric paddle blade prop ready to be mounted on the R2800-21 (which is in the paint shop). I'm still trying to find shots of 377th FS D-15s in April 1944, but so far, the above pic is the only one. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out the individual aircraft letter when I get the entire MACR.

IMG_0118.jpg

IMG_0119.jpg

IMG_0120.jpg

IMG_0121.jpg

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Work's been beating me senseless lately, so I haven't been able to paint much. Just been doing some gluing while sitting in front of the TV watching the olympics with my wife. Should be able to get it primed tomorrow so I can see all of its flaws and then sand and fill.

I need to paint the cowling interior and the engine and mount all of that crap tomorrow too...

Then it'll be on to the bubbletop!

Jon

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  • 2 months later...

I'm still in the fight guys!

Been working on a few other projects (L-19, L-4, P-40F, ACH-47A and MH-65C), but I'm getting back to Lt. Kelly's Jug. I probably won't get to Major McClung's bubbletop before the end of the GB, but I'll get Kelly's bird finished. It has been a royal pain researching this particular aircraft. I've got some great info on it, but still have not been able to determine the individual aircraft letter. I'm going to prime her this week and then get cracking on the OD/Neutral Gray.

Jon

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Well, I broke out the Jug last night, and realized that I hadn't added a couple things on the interior, so I ripped it apart and fixed those issues. Not pretty, but it worked. Now to graft the damn thing back together and make the cracked portions disappear....

I will say, I am not happy with the tailwheel design on this kit.

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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OK, cockpit is fixed, tailwheel is passable. That stupid strut keeps snapping off, which I see as a potential nightmare for display. BUT, I was able to get the fuselage back together and made most of the cracks disappear. It'll take some major sanding and polishing to get it 100% gone, but I think I can do that.

She'll be ready for paint as soon as I get that finished.

Jon

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Ok, so, fuselage is back together, cracks have been filled and sanded, cowling's on, engine's painted. Now, I need to mask the canopy and the opening on the engine cowling and prime the crap out of it!

I'll have some pics shortly!

Jon

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Thanks guys.

She's coming along. I've re-filled the seams with super glue and will finish sanding them out tonight. I primed her tonight and I'm in the process of fixing any imperfections and then I'll preshade and be ready to spray Model Master enamel OD and Neutral Gray over it. I've already got white numbers for the codes and white decal sheeting for the ID bands. Only thing I need now is a sheet of yellow numbers so I can do the tail numbers. It would be nice to find out what the nose art on this particular bird was, but photos of the 362nd FG/377th FS in the March/April 1944 timeframe are few and far between. I've found two so far in nearly six months of looking.

I did get copies of Lt. Kelly's mission reports though, up to and including where he's listed as NYR (Not Yet Returned - the New York Ranger fan in me had to do a doubletake when I saw it the first time!)

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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Made some major progress last night and I promise I'll get pics up tonight. Primer coats are finished. I then preshaded the entire model, painted the wheel wells yellow zinc chromate and then sprayed the neutral Gray undersides. She's drying now and then I'll move on the OD upper surfaces tonight.

PRAYING I don't screw up this paint job....

Jon

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Ah progress!

Ok, so I've painted the OD and started picking out details. Still got a long way to go, but things are really starting to come along well. It looks like there's a smudge on the rudder, but I think it was just a trick of the flash on the wet paint.

A-2021.jpg

A-2022.jpg

A-2.jpg

A-2023.jpg

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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