1:48 MiniArt P-47 D-30 Thunderbolt- Advance Kit

[Fran]

 

1:48

 P-47 D-30 RA

Thunderbolt

 Advanced Kit

 

 

 

MiniArt

Catalogue number n.º 48029

Price tag: €48,40

To buy get it here.

 

And we are back with MiniArt here on Large Scale Modeller.

 

And to start this restart, nothing better that an 1:48 aircraft…

Yes, MiniArt is not known for 1:48 Aircraft… (some what-if in 1:35, some little helis) but nothing with wings.

 

But since last year, MiniArt is releasing a series of P-47 in 1:48, and with two lines: basic kit and advance kit.

 

And today we are going to look to the brand-new P-47D-30RA Thunderbolt, advance kit.

 

The advance kit is a bit more expensive that the basic kit but gives the modeler a lot of other options for detail like engine open (and more detail engine with new several plastic parts) wing gun bay open with some really nice PE, a seat without seatbelts to use the PE ones.

 Also give you 3 decals options and the basic kit line only brings two.

  

This advance version gives the modeler the possibility to choose in making a basic line or advance line.

Both choices are very good ones and invites modeler to get one of each at least. One advance to make it with all in and several basic line to make all those beautiful markings that you ever dream.

 Knowing MiniArt work in 1:35 AFV, anyone expect nothing but quality by MiniArt and lots of parts also.

 I always liked MiniArt gray plastic and this is no exception. It`s a good plastic to work with, very helpful with extrathin Tamiya cement glue and does not brittle easily.

 

So, there is a quite lot of plastics parts with a lots of sub-assemblies.

 First that we can notice is the surface details of the fuselage and the wings…. Gorgeous.!

 

All the rivets are present and fantastic raised and recessed detail. Having P-47 from other brands (Hasegawa, Academy and Tamiya) this one is the one who has the better, by far, surface detail of all. Kudos MiniArt.

 But this exquisite detail is present in all the model, cockpit parts, wheels bay and engine (the engine is fabulous even the basic version) are great pieces of fine and impeccable detail.

 

Checking all sprue and starting with the sprue E.

 

 

 

This sprue is for sure different from the basic version as the top panels are removable so you can show the wing gun bay in all beauty. It`s a crime not to do it!

 

 The sprue Gc has the main parts for the engine. There’s a lot of sub-assemblies to make this fantastic engine that you must leave it open… MiniArt even gives you separate cowling sections that will be handy to expose the engine.

 

 

Well you have the option in closing the engine but…. For that go for the basic kit option. I know I will in some marking I want to do that the nose art is a center piece!

The engine has fantastic detail straight from the box with the PE adds up given by MiniArt. Yes, you can detail even more, specially with some wires and some connectors that you now can get in 3D printing but that is for the ultra detailers.

 

The cockpit (sprues B, Db and E). It’s another piece of detail art! The side panels and console are very good molded with superb surface detail.

 

You can choose the seat with the seatbelts on or the seat and use the PE seatbelts that come in the advanced version.

 

One quite fantastic extra detail: the landing gear with two position, chassis normal or chassis under load, as included all possible external equipment for this aircraft.

 

 

 A wonderful detail, quite realistic, to have a P-47 with different heights.

 and weight as you get a full load to put on the P-47

 

The Tail wheels come with two options.

 

 The PE sheets in full brass looks a bit more stick that the usual PE I see from Eduard for example.

 

However, the detail on the PE looks good (seatbelts) the other pieces area complementary detail on the engine, wing gun bay and cockpit.

I would probably would go to an AM seatbelts like ASK seatbelts but that is me. You can get a good replica straight from box.

  

The clear parts are present in a separate bag to not have any danger of risking it.

 

The parts are in fact quite clear with no distortion and makes the possibility to left the canopy open which is great specialty with all the cockpit detail.

The Advance kit version doesn’t have any templates to mask the clear parts but the P-47 canopy is quite easy to mask even without masks.

 

 The decals.

First are printed by Cartograph so the quality on application and color registration are granted.

Second, these are beautiful draw by MiniArt. They look spot on.

And the schemes are perfect.

Speaking of schemes, this model box gives you 3 options that are:

 

·         366^th Fighter squadron 358^th Fighter Group “Orange Tails”, 9^th Air Force, Spring 1945 Pilot: Lt. Ike Davis.

 

 

 

 

·         509^th Fighter Squadron 405^th Fighter Group, 9^th Air Force, Germany, May 1945, Pilot Capt Milton William Thompson;

 

 

 

·         379t Fighter Squadron, 362^nd Fighter Group 9^th Air Force, Germany Spring 1945. Pilot Col. Josesph L. Laughlin

 

 

You got two sheets so if one is with markings and nose art, the other is full of stencils.

As usual from Cartograph, the printing is very good with the letter being quite perceptible even in 1:48.

 

 

 

Well now passing for the instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do have a lot of Miniart kits and already made several reviews and this manual is a typical MiniArt manual which means that is a quite good instructions manual with good color indications and a good parts indications and constructions indication of parts gluing connections.

This one has 21 pages and kind of 44 steps (with a lot of sub-assemblies steps) and the profiles in full colors and in all sides which is great to help put place the decals (a lot of them specially the stencils).

 

 

I leave here a few more pictures of the remain plastic... It`s pure modelling parts.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Well, this advance kit MiniArt P-47 D is in fact, the best P-47 in any scale, straight from the box.

And now that is not an easy thing or an achievement easy to get as the rivals are Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter… and more recently Dora Wings (also a great kit).

All of thn make very good P-47, but none will give all the detail you can get diretlly from the box that MiniArt P-47 gives you.

 

The recessed and raised detail, the detail on the landing gear and the option of airborne/no airborne landing gear, the engine, the movable surfaces and all that in a single box, directly with no extra whatsoever, is the receipt for the best P-47 model available.

 

10/10 MiniArt!! Perfect box!!

 

Thanks to MiniArt for producing the beautiful model kit.

 

[CANicoll]

Fran,

Thanks for this review - you do amazing reviews, very much appreciated.  I would not have looked twice at this kit, but for your review I may have to take a look.  I have never done a P-47 but I do like the 1/48 scale.