"Snafu"

[Bomber_12th]

Here are some screenshots of the Comanche Fighters P-47G "Snafu", flying around Chino, CA. The aircraft is the non-accusim WOP3 razorback P-47D, with flight dynamics from the WWII Fighters razorback P-47D, adjusted contact points, and a repaint by Smashingtime (converted for use with the D-22 model, featuring the Hamilton Standard propeller assembly - like the real-life restoration). Scenery is ORBX Southern California.

 

[Bomber_12th]

 

[DaveQ]

Great shots John, thanks for posting. While waiting the AH bubble-top I did a rough convert of the old A2A WoP P-47D for my own amusement. This is 44-20209 'Jeanie' of the 23rd.FS, 36th FG, 9th AAF flown by Lt Darryl Legg. With bumps and specs looks stunning despite its age. Not got round to swapping the Hamilton for a Curtiss prop yet...

DaveQ

PS - Your paint kit still gives some of the most realistic metal finishes around!

 

[Bomber_12th]

That looks great, Dave! There are so many wonderful paint schemes for the Thunderbolt - especially the bubble-tops, with all of the late war nose art. I too am patiently waiting for the AH bubble-top Thunderbolt offering. I'm hoping there will be a late-tail version (with dorsal fin fillet) included in addition to the early-tail version they've already shown. Of the 9 bubble-canopy P-47's currently flying, only two have the early tail (no dorsal fin fillet) - those being "Dottie Mae" in the US and "Nellie" (G-THUN) in the UK (formerly "No Guts, No Glory").

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144389583@N06/36609925263
https://www.flickr.com/photos/122876669@N03/41156787384

 

[DaveQ]

Thanks John. And yes we have our Jug back....! I guess we can overlook the fact it's pretending to be a -25 as it was when last here; still has a Hamilton prop and no fillet. And it's painted aluminium. Yuck! But it's here.....!

DaveQ

 

[Bomber_12th]

Curtiss-Electric propellers are extremely hard to come by for the P-47. Even with "Dottie Mae", in which no expense was spared to make it exactly right, for years they couldn't find any available at all (at least not for airworthy use) - finally, last year, UK warbird collector David Arnold provided them a set of original Curtiss-Electric blades, which will eventually be installed on "Dottie Mae" and it will be that much closer to the 100% accuracy factor (to exactly how it was in 1945). Even though the restoration is completed and the aircraft has been flying, they still plan on possibly going back and adding in all of the combat damage repairs/patches it had up until its last mission as well.

I believe the only P-47 that has operated with the Curtiss-Electric prop in modern years is the late Bob Pond/Palms Springs Air Museum example (which unfortunately hasn't been flown since about 2005 - due to Bob Pond's death, and the aircraft still being owned by the Pond family, rather than the museum).