The Republic F1R-4-7 Navy Thunderbolt Habakkuk Fighter

[Brian da Basher]

While the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is one of the iconic aircraft of W.W. II, little is remembered regarding canopy development from the "Razorback" to "Bubble Top" versions.



Even less remembered is the aircraft that was at the core of this, a failed carrier version of the famous Thunderbolt known in official U.S. Navy BuAer nomenclature as the Republic F1R-4-7.





In early 1942, Republic was asked to modify their existing P-47 for ship-board service on the first American Habakkuk aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Admiral Peary.



The P-47 was seen at the time as being the only fighter for the job as it could carry the navigational aids needed for the vast expanse of the North Atlantic and it also had the range when fitted with auxiliary drop tanks.



Various names for the navalized P-47 Habakkuk fighter were proposed and Tsunami was briefly considered until it was determined this sounded too Japanese.
In the end, BuAer threw up their hands and went with the wildly creative Navy Thunderbolt.



The Republic F1R-4-7 came about due to subsequent improvements between designs F1R-1-1 and F1R-4-6.



Perhaps the most significant change was the introduction of a bubble canopy and a cut-down rear deck which gave all-around visibility. The Navy Thunderbolt also featured a partially-retractable tail hook and the latest long-range navigation aids topped off by an ADF "football" on its spine.



Unfortunately, the Republic F1R-4-7 Navy Thunderbolt would never be built in great numbers and only a small service test-batch were completing land-based trials when the entire Habakkuk aircraft carrier program came to an abrupt end. Failure to resolve issues with large-scale refrigeration doomed the U.S.S. Admiral Peary and its Navy T-bolts to ignominy.



All was not lost as design improvements made for the F1R-4-7 were quickly incorporated into the P-47 production line. Still to this day, due to a paucity of declassified documentary evidence, the so-called "experts" fail to acknowledge the Navy Thunderbolt Habakkuk fighter and insist it all must be the product of a mind in melt-down.



Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

This all started when I just had to have a P-47 Bubble Top. I don't know what it is but something about these just grabs me.

So I grabbed a 1/72 Academy P-47D Bubble Top for cheap and if that box art doesn't grab you, nothing will.



What's inside the box might grab you too. This is a very nicely detailed kit with some neat extras as the sprues show.



My only criticism is that this kit isn't designed to be built "gear up" but having faced this challenge in a prior build of their P-47 Razorback, I knew how to work around that.



Except for the landing gear, I was looking forward to a nice, simple project. I always wanted to see a navalized P-47 in a North Atlantic scheme and I figured this would be a breeze. Well, it's the simple things that get you sometimes. While the build went smoothly, I had to completely re-do the paint job because I spilled glue attaching the canopy. Then the prop kept coming off in the touch-up phase and it was crazy squirrel time until the stars finally aligned and allowed me to call it done.



The old hairy stick was loaded up with acrylics for that North Atlantic scheme, Model Masters White Primer and Light Sea Gray. The Canopy was tinted on the inside with Insignia Blue. The prop was done in Flat Black and Insignia Yellow with an Aluminum shaft & spinner.



The inside of the cowling was done with Polly Scale Weyerhauser Green filling in for zinc chromate. The engine hub and cylinders were painted with custom mixes as were the guns. I added a bit of light dry-brushed exhaust staining and I gave the tail hook some wear with a wash.



Decals were a mix. Those lovely mid-1943 red-surround stars-and-bars come from a 1/72 P-59 Airacomet (thanks, Bill!) and the codes are spares Mr Gimper generously sent. The Habakkuk squadron logo is a defaced badge from spares as are the belly landing lights.

Before I forget, here's a couple of "money shots" with a U.S. penny for scale.





I hoped to build this as a quick "slammer" but a bunch of goofs, weather too cold for modeling and a host of other things got in the way. Still it only took me about eight evenings of bench time all told to put this together.



I hope you enjoyed the Republic F1R-4-7 Navy Thunderbolt Habakkuk fighter and reading a little more forgotten aircraft history even if the so-called "experts" haven't exactly warmed to the whole thing.



Brian da Basher

[FAAMAN]

Nicely melted mind there Mr DaBasher, great work and story 

[finsrin]

Never guess there were such finishing challenges by seeing final F1R-4-7.  Them paint gremlins are always out to get me, don't wish them on others.
Far as painting goes that is scheme I would not thought of and it looks like it belongs.
Another interesting background story.  You do the deep research, we read and learn from it.

[GTX_Admin]

 

[arctic warrior]

Wow. 'nother great build and story. 

[Frank3k]

The camo looks very Arctic! Looks great on the P-47

[Robomog]

nice looker Brian!  and a history lesson to boot

Mog
>^-.-^<

[finsrin]

Besides F1R-4-7 being right on,,,   CVH-1 USS Admiral Peary pictured above is super interesting.  Can't miss B-17 on elevator.

[Camthalion]

awesome work

[Alvis 3.1]

That's awesome!!!!!