1:32 P-47D Bubbletop

The bubble canopy changed the aircraft beyond recognition

The Republic P-47 was born with a high spine behind the cockpit, which took the pilot's view to the rear away. From the subvariant with the block number 28 it received instead a rounded one-piece canopy and a lowered spine, which turned a heavy escort fighter into a machine suited also to attacks on ground targets, where a view to the rear is beyond price. Both subjects on this sheet come precisely from this series, built at the plant in Evansville, Indiana.

Two machines of the Ninth Air Force

The first of them is the aircraft with the serial number 42-28972 and the fuselage letters 2Z-S, which flew with the 405th Fighter Group and carried two inscriptions on the nose at once, one referring to a girl's name and the other to the New York neighborhood of Greenpoint. Its pilot was Captain Stanley Koslow. The second subject is 42-29259 with the code CH-K and the name Helen Jo of the 365th Fighter Squadron. The Ninth Air Force was a tactical formation which after the Normandy landings supported the advancing ground units, so machines of this kind spent most of their time low over the battlefield.

Before you reach for water

Personal paintings are among the most closely watched elements of a whole model, because a visitor to a display case looks for them first. Before sticking them on, try the exact position against the panel lines and rivets on a copy of the drawing. The natural metal surface under the printing must be completely smooth, otherwise the artwork will distort on rough clear coat and the break in the lettering will give it away at first glance. Lay the double inscription on the first subject in stages and let the film set between them, otherwise the adjoining piece will shift on you. The package consists solely of the printed sheet.