1:72 P-47D Thunderbolt Bubbletop LooKplus

The Thunderbolt with the bubble canopy: LööKplus in 1:72

A smaller scale makes greater demands on detail, and that is exactly why the LööKplus range makes sense here too. The package is intended for the late version of the Republic P-47D fighter-bomber, which modelers know by the nickname Bubbletop after the glazing without a spine behind the pilot. It adds equipment for the cockpit and further cast parts to the 1:72 model from the Czech maker Eduard.

A heavy brute with a radial engine

The P-47D was among the heaviest single-engine fighters of the Second World War. It was powered by an air-cooled radial engine with a turbocharger placed in the rear part of the fuselage, which explains the bulky underside of the airframe and the long ducting. Eight 12.7 mm machine guns made it a feared machine for attacks on ground targets. The late series with the bubble canopy did away with the dorsal spine, so the pilot could finally see behind him as well. It was in this form that Thunderbolts flew over France and Germany in the last year of the war.

A procedure that has proved itself

In 1:72 scale it pays to tape the small parts to a wooden stick and work with them only then. Try the cockpit dry while both fuselage halves are still loose. The bubble canopy calls for a clean joint without glue residue, so fix it with canopy glue or with varnish. Mask the glazing before you start spraying the base color.

Intended for

• builders of the Thunderbolt in 1:72
• modelers who want detail in the smaller scale too
• anyone interested in American fighter-bombers over Europe
• advanced modelers who can handle fine work with tweezers