1/72 Tamiya P-47D

Normandy Dawn

by James Kelley

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  D-Day 60th Anniversary - June 6th 2004    

 

This multimedia collage depicts P-47D-22 Bu.No 225742 of the 83rd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group based at Duxford, England, June 6th 1944.  The kit is the Tamiya 1/72 P-47D T-Bolt. Alclad II Aluminum, Polished Aluminum, and Chrome were used. Black watercolors made up the light wash.  The Invasion stripes and Theatre ID bands were all masked and airbrushed. The cowling checkerboard, personal marking, Squadron ID codes and Bu.No.s are all homemade inkjet decals.  National insignia/stencils are from the kit. The "propeller arc" is a clear plastic disc sized from the kit propeller and airbrushed to simulate a spinning propeller.  Using Paintshop Pro 8.0, the model was photographed against a blue background, cleaned up, and edited into a jpeg of the sky. I don't have any 1/72 pilots, so this one was "CGI'd" into the pic.  This was a fun project that snowballed as it went, but I feel it turned out to be a respectful tribute to those who gave some, and in particular to those who gave all.

James

Photos and text © by James Kelley