Academy P-47D "Eileen"

An excellent kit from Academy with great detail and panel lines. 

The kit decals get terrible online reviews...it is really striking...no one likes them...everyone hates them...people give up in disgust....too thick and break apart easily...

Especially the checkered nose pieces...those get several thumbs down in particular...all this is sending this kit to world of aftermarket decals... 

The aftermarket decal contest was taken by this wolfs head from late in WWII....some graphical flair shown here by the unit staff artist.... 

The decal laid down well after several coats of Solvaset... 

....the spent cartridge slots on the bottom of the wing are filled in with black line decal 

....These wheel photoetch discs are a real upgrade....not sure if it is best to paint them and then assemble or assemble and mask...love the little piece on the tail wheel... 

after...Primer...4 colors...3 maskings...8 decals....a prop for the P47.... 

Off we go with the rebuild of the new kit....A little resin, a little photoetch, a little paint, a little Gizmology and a little plastic and its almost ready to be a cockpit....some painting yet to do. 

...the 1st kit's cockpit fell in to the fuselage...hoping all these braces will prevent that, this time... 

....these gun barrels are a decent upgrade....some gaps will need to be filled around them.... 

....wings attached.....a few little upgrades can now be done to the wheel wells...