Guillow's kit #1001 P-47D

[Ray Klein]

Great "static" build!

[heywooood]

thanks Ray - I have been away from my project(s) for a long while - life intervenes and so on..








as you can see, some progress has been made recently..
the LG is meant to be retractable, the mains and the tailwheel - the flaps and canopy moveable.. and the prop spinnable

[heywooood]

more stuff has also been furbished...




with the use of a terrific reference guide - that I occasionally reference - there will be some added details along with some of the features I'm trying to build in to the Jug.

[heywooood]

pilot figure - checking his mask for ice..as he was molded by Guillow.

[Ray Klein]

Looks like you're back at it,,, Great!!

[heywooood]

Yes - finally got motivated or inspired to finish the P-47D

[Scott]

Very nice!!!

[heywooood]

thank you, Scott
here are a couple of new images of the project




now with the belly pan and dorsal fin installed..

[heywooood]

I don't know if I've said it here on this board or not before - but over the years that I have been building these balsa kits there has been a constant and reliable FACT that has been revealed to me.
These Guillow kits have maintained a very high standard of quality and consistency for decades. The company has likely contributed to the ranks of more aviation and aerospace related professionals than could ever be counted - pilots, engineers, designers, fabricators, restoration experts, you name it.
Probably a fair percentage of the 8-10 generations of kids who loved airplanes and built the gliders and Skystreaks in their summer days moved on to careers in aviation. I hope the company will continue to provide these kits and products for many more generations to come.
As for me - I gained perspectives and skills attained by building the more involved kits that helped me in my professional life - things like organization of time and materials, attention to details, the value of patience and of research and preparation when tackling a new project or task.
I've been a blue collar worker almost my entire life, and with that comes a lot of pressure to provide for the family and 'the future' - having these projects to work on has kept me together and helped make it possible for me and my family not just to get by - but to succeed.
Thank you to Guillow's Model Kits, from the head man to the most recent hire - what you are doing matters in ways you may or may not be aware of.

[Scott]

I don't know if I've said it here on this board or not before - but over the years that I have been building
these balsa kits there has been a constant and reliable FACT that has been revealed to me.
These Guillow kits have maintained a very high standard of quality and consistency for decades. The company has likely contributed to the ranks of more aviation and aerospace related professionals than could ever be counted - pilots, engineers, designers, fabricators, restoration experts, you name it.
Probably a fair percentage of the 8-10 generations of kids who loved airplanes and built the gliders and Skystreaks in their summer days moved on to careers in aviation. I hope the company will continue to provide these kits and products for many more generations to come.
As for me - I gained perspectives and skills attained by building the more involved kits that helped me in my professional life - things like organization of time and materials, attention to details, the value of patience and of research and preparation when tackling a new project or task.
I've been a blue collar worker almost my entire life, and with that comes a lot of pressure to provide for the family and 'the future' - having these projects to work on has kept me together and helped make it possible for me and my family not just to get by - but to succeed.
Thank you to Guillow's Model Kits, from the head man to the most recent hire - what you are doing matters in ways you may or may not be aware of.

Great additional pics of your build.She's going to be a beauty when completed.

Your tribute to Guillow's was a good read.At least 52 years ago or more,my dad built
me the Guillow's Hellcat (503).Warm memories for me.

[heywooood]

yes Scott - while I didn't have memories like that as a kid, I did build a few balsa kits, both flyable and for display in my son's room when he was a boy, to see if he was inclined toward aviation. We would go to the local municipal airports occasionally to do some plane spotting - and we have
a fairly renowned aerospace museum here to visit..but he just had no predisposition toward aviation or the hobby whatsoever. It just wasn't in the cards to be able to share that passion with him. But he DID like to play hockey as I did - and go to the local stadium for MLB and NFL games - so we have those memories.

FWIW - the first model of any kind I bought was the Guillow SE5a Scout in 1967 - it was the box art that got me.

[heywooood]

a couple of progress pics

LG and weapons pylons are attached, along with the pilot and canopy - not permanently installed - I just wanted to get a sense of it.


The prop is assembled but not permanently attached - I have to do all of the painting and detailing of the aircraft first.

[heywooood]

still unable to resize my images on Imgur...

[heywooood]

let's see if this worked..


Ok - lot's of work yet to do. I have finally put some paint on a few of the parts since this picture was taken.
In the next phase I'll be putting a coat of primer onto the airplane and checking for flaws to fill and sand. Then an overall sanding and prepping of the entire surface for color coats.

All I have to be concerned about at this point is just what those colors will be...

[heywooood]

here are a couple I have pinned to the board..


and another


maybe this one..