Exterior Enhancement & Cowl Flap Sets
for Tamiya P-47D
 

ScaleQuest

Tamiya's recent 1/48 scale P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback" is a beautiful and accurate kit, but the dedicated superdetailer will always want to improve the level of detail.

The debut releases from new resin accessory company ScaleQuest focus on this excellent kit. These initial products are:

• SQ-001 P-47D Thunderbolt Enhancement Set with EARLY pattern cowl flaps

• SQ-002 P-47D Thunderbolt Enhancement Set with LATE pattern cowl flaps

• SQ-003 P-47D EARLY style cowl flaps

• SQ-004 P-47D LATE pattern cowl flaps

The enhancement sets each contain ten parts in pale cream coloured resin. The focus of the sets is the open cowl flaps. These are delicately rendered, and feature exquisite detail on the inside surface of the flaps that will be visible on the completed model. The instructions also detail how to add flap actuator rods to the back of each individual flap, but you will have to source the .010 rod yourself.

The cowl flap assembly is supplied as a single part cast onto a flat block. This is a good idea, as it will prevent warpage of the thin resin prior to securing to the Tamiya engine cowl. Removal from this block is very fast and easy. It only took me a few minutes with a razor saw to cleanly remove the part safely in one piece.

A resin air divider is also supplied. The remaining parts include the circular oil cooler vent, shroud and wastegate. These are also useful accessories that will be an improvement to the equivalent area on the kit.

The final parts are intercooler ducting for each side, which blank off an opening when the intercooler flaps are depicted open.

The cowl flaps are also available as standalone items for either the early or the late variants as SQ003 and SQ004 respectively.

I test fitted the resin flaps from the Late Cowl Flap Enhancement set.

Even without glue, the part sits perfectly in the locating ridge at the rear of the plastic engine cowling.

The cowl flaps will certainly be an impressive component of any P-47D superdetailing project. These will presumably also fit the forthcoming P-7D Bubbletop kit from Tamiya due soon.

Whether you just want to replace and detail the prominent cowl flaps, or go the whole hog with the oil cooler exit, wastegate and intercooler ducting, these accessories will be worthy companions to Tamiya's Thunderbolt kit.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to ScaleQuest for the review samples

Scale Quest may be contacted at corsair13@compuall.net for orders and inquiries, or visit their website at http://www.scalequest.com/

Text and Images Copyright © 2003 by Brett Green
Page Created 14 May, 2003
Last updated 14 August, 2003

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