1:32 P-47D Thunderbolt

One aircraft, two phases of its life

The set is put together in an unusual way. Instead of offering several different machines, it follows a single aircraft in two states, as its markings changed over a few weeks. It is exactly such small differences, the victory symbols adding up or a repainted area, that make the build interesting for a modeler who wants to choose a particular day and the appearance that goes with it.

The pilot and the unit

The machine with the letters HV-A belonged to the commander of the 61st Fighter Squadron, whose name is worth recalling: Francis Gabreski, an American airman of Polish descent, ended the fighting in Europe as the top-scoring fighter pilot of the US air forces in that theater. His career there was ended in late July 1944 by a strafing attack on an airfield, after which he spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. He did return to the air, but a war later, over Korea.

Notes on the build

The Thunderbolt had an enormous barrel-shaped fuselage and prominent white bands on the tail and wings, so it matters a great deal that the light areas are not translucent. It pays to spray them over a white base and only then mask them. The machines of this group had the engine cowling in a bright shade that is easily mistaken for gray in black-and-white photographs, so follow the color drawings.

Working with the sheet

Separate the markings from one another with scissors only just before you apply them, so that they do not get mixed up in the dish of water. Slide the released decal off the paper straight onto a moistened surface, align it in the right position and blot the water away. Finally, even out the sheen with a clear coat. The package holds only decals, not model parts.