1:48 P-47 M Thunderbolt (Advanced Kit)

Republic P-47M Thunderbolt 1:48 — MiniArt, Advanced Kit

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:48 scale from MiniArt, capturing the P-47M — the last and fastest production version of the Thunderbolt. At first glance you recognize it by the bubble canopy and the cut-down spine, which gave the pilot an all-round view. That is what distinguishes it from the early razorback machines with a framed canopy and a high spine (the razorback P-47D-10 RE is a separate kit — these are two different models, not two variants in one box). The designation Advanced Kit at MiniArt means a fuller package than the parallel Basic line: besides the plastic it contains a photo-etched sheet, a well worked-out radial engine, openable gun bays, separately packed clear parts and decals for three marking options. Masking templates are not included.

The real subject

The P-47 Thunderbolt, nicknamed the Jug, was the largest and heaviest single-engined fighter of the Second World War; its capacious fuselage hid the ducting to the turbocharger mounted at the rear, which gave the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine its performance at high altitude. The M version came about as an answer to fast German targets: it received the uprated R-2800-57 engine and became the fastest Thunderbolt of all. Only around 130 were built and they were used practically exclusively by a single American fighter group, which at the close of the war in Europe hunted the jet Messerschmitt Me 262 with them. Beyond its proverbial toughness and its role as a ground-attack machine, the P-47M is therefore above all a rare, performance-stretched machine — and for that reason a rewarding subject.

Building and painting tips

This is a detailed kit with a great many small parts. Glue the plastic with thin cement for polystyrene, fix the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate glue and degrease them before painting. Finish and paint the cockpit and the engine before you close up the fuselage. Spray over a primer; an airbrush helps markedly on the large smooth surfaces. Lay a gloss coat under the decals and then take the surface back to matte. Because there are no masks in the box, get masking tape or a separate set of masks ready for the large bubble canopy.

Who the model is for

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.

• For more experienced modelers who want to show the engine and the open gun bays.
• For collectors of American fighters of the Second World War in 1:48 scale.
• For anyone interested in rare, performance-stretched versions — few P-47Ms were built.
• For those who want the late bubble canopy, not the early razorback.