I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than finishing a P-47 Thunderbolt in a colorful "yellow wings" scheme.
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was called the "Jug" by its pilots. Most think this was short for Juggernaut but others say it's because the large fighter looked like a milk jug. You be the judge.
This iconic aircraft first flew in 1941 and through the little-known P-43 Lancer, it could trace its lineage all the way back to the Seversky P-35.
Unfortunately, by the time the P-47 entered service, the U.S. Army Air Corps' eye-catching "yellow wings" scheme was long gone.
Still, it's fun to imagine what it might've looked like and with those rudder stripes it's certainly appropriate for the holiday.
The kit is an Academy 1/72 P-47D "Razorback" a good friend sent me a while back (thanks a million, hamsterman!). It was built entirely OOB, which is a rarity for me. Speaking of the box, you've got to admit that's some mighty fine box art.
This was a pretty nice kit with good details for the scale and a close fit which surprised me given the maker can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes. This was one of their best I've built yet.
As you can see from this shot, I painted as much as I could before assembly. While the multiple coats on the wings & tail feathers made it feel like slow going but once that was done things came together quickly.
The model was painted mostly in Model Masters acrylics. The fuselage was done in Drab and the flying surfaces were given a primer coat of Polly Scale Aged White and then three coats of Model Masters Insignia Yellow on top.
Decals were a mix. The roundels were from an F-4 Wildcat and the rudder stripes and U.S. Army titles came from a P-36. The squadron badge on the fuselage and wing walks were from an old P-26 Peashooter. The big white "1" came from the kit and the rest were all odd spares.
It took me about a week to complete this model and it was a fun, relaxing build. The only issue I had is that this kit isn't really designed to be built gear up but I didn't let that stop me.
I hope you have a Happy Fourth of July!
Brian da Basher