1:32 P-47D Razorback

Olive spine, or bare metal

The Thunderbolt in its older form, with the high spine behind the cockpit, lived through a fundamental turn in the way American aircraft were painted. At first it had olive drab above and neutral gray below, because it was assumed the machine would be looked for on an airfield from above. As soon as the Allies gained superiority over Western Europe, however, that finish lost its point and something more down to earth decided the matter: every kilogram of paint took speed away and hours of spraying cost money. From 1944 machines therefore left the factories in bare polished metal and paint stayed only on the recognition elements. A collection of aircraft from one squadron can therefore be half green and half silver.

In the package you get

A pair of sets of film for the glazing, one for the outer side and one for the inside, three masks for the national insignia and eight turned metal tubes for the machine guns in the wing. Eight barrels are the recognition sign of this type and on plastic parts they tend to be the most visible, because they cannot be decently drilled.

A sharp edge against a soft one

American marking had sharp outlines, whereas the camouflage itself was sprayed at this factory with a soft boundary. The star in a circle therefore has to have an edge as if cut with a knife, while the transition between the spine and the sides of the fuselage takes a soft blend. Masks for the insignia secure that sharpness better than a decal, which can wrinkle on the curve of a wing.

Recommended procedure

First finish the glazing and let the paint mature, then apply the film and spray in several passes. Under a bare metal surface a very smooth base coat comes in useful, otherwise polished shades will pull out every scratch. The film follows the shapes the Trumpeter kit has in this size; the plastic parts of the model, however, are not supplied.