1:32 P-47D Thunderbolt Bubbletop

P-47D Thunderbolt with a bubble canopy in 1:32 scale

A plastic kit of the American fighter P-47D Thunderbolt in the late build with a bubble canopy. The large 1:32 scale means a model with a span of about thirty-eight centimeters, that is a piece that will ask for a shelf of its own in a display case.

The real subject

The Thunderbolt was among the largest and heaviest single-engine fighters of the Second World War. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial piston engine supplemented by a turbocharger, which was mounted right at the rear of the fuselage and connected to the engine by long ducting; it was because of that ducting that the fuselage gained its massive bulk. The turbocharger gave the aircraft performance at high altitude as well, which was where the escorting of bomber formations took place.

The version with a bubble canopy came about because the framed cockpit on the fuselage spine took away the pilot view to the rear. A lowered spine and a transparent canopy without framing put that right. The armament consisted of eight 12.7 mm machine guns in the wings, and the machine could carry bombs and unguided rockets as well, so toward the end of the war it worked mainly against ground targets.

Building and painting tips

• The parts are polystyrene and are glued with liquid cement for plastic.
• At this scale you can see well into the cockpit, so it pays to work it up before the fuselage is closed.
• Mask and paint the bubble canopy before you fit it.
• The finished model is heavy, so let the mounting of the landing gear legs cure thoroughly.

Who the kit is for

For modelers who want one large, striking aircraft instead of several small ones, and for those who enjoy adding detail of their own.

Paints, glue and surface preparation products are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.