1:32 P-47C Razorback Decal Sheet

From Spitfires to a seven-ton giant

The 4th Fighter Group of the US Army Air Forces grew out of three volunteer squadrons in which Americans fought under the British flag even before the United States entered the war. When in 1943 they exchanged featherweight Spitfires for Thunderbolts, it came as a shock. The new machine weighed more than twice as much, climbed worse, and its strength showed itself only in a dive and at altitudes above seven thousand meters. The letters QP on the fuselage belonged to the 334th Squadron of this group.

The real subjects on the sheet

The first variant belongs to the aircraft with the serial number 41-6358 and the letter G, whose nose inscription referred to a journey to California. Captain Archie Chatterley used to sit at its controls. The second option is machine 41-6538 with the letter B, which carried the Hawaiian inscription Wela Kahao and flew with Lieutenant Stanley Anderson. Both machines still have the original high fuselage spine, that is, the form that modelers call a razorback after the sharp ridge of the spine.

The display case and the technique

A large scale makes it possible to get the most out of a sheet, because even tiny lettering is legible to the naked eye. All the more important is a smooth surface. A layer of gloss clear belongs under the decal, and once dry the excess sheen is evened out by giving the whole model a matte overcoat. Lay the printing while the surface is still damp and fine-tune the position with the pressure of a soft brush. Keep the rest of the sheet; the small numerals and letters come in useful on later builds too. The Hawaiian inscription on the second subject is long and narrow, so seat it from one end and hold the other until the first half sits on the aluminum surface exactly along the line of rivets.