LPS Hobby 1/72 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Decals
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
The Tamiya 1/72 P-47 is one of those models that is just a joy to build. Everything fits perfectly, it's accurate in shape, and there's no shortage of markings. LPS Hobby has added to the latter with three new sheets aimed at both the razorback and bubbletop kits.
8th Air Force Thunderbolts Part 2
This is a follow-on sheet to one of LPS Hobby's earlier sheets that featured a mix of P-47 types. This one is purely razorbacks, and all of them are in olive drab and neutral gray. The first option is Capt Michael Quirk's P-47D from the 61st FS, 56th FG out of Halesworth, England in March 1944. This plane has a red cowl band and a yellow rudder, along with the large underwing national markings on both wings. It also features an irate Donald Duck on the cowling. The second choice is Maj Charls Keppler's "Isabel", from the 375th FS, 361st FG out of Martlesham Heath, England during the summer of 1944. This plane has a yellow cowl band and the Isabel name in large script under the cockpit. The final option is Maj Winslow Sobanski of the 334th FS, 4th FG out of Debden, England in the summer of 1944. This option has the large underwing insignia for both wings, as well as a white cowl band and the name "Mike IV" under the windscreen.
Malcolm Hood Thunderbolts
The second set of Thunderbolt decals will require some aftermarket accessories for your Tamiya P-47D Razorback kit. All three options on this sheet are for Malcolm hood P-47Ds, and that option is not available in any of the Tamiya releases. For those who think they can just plop on a Malcolm hood from a Mustang kit, sadly the sizes don't match. There are vacuform options out there, though, and a web search on that will turn those up for you. For the decal choices, there are two olive drab and neutral gray options, and a single natural metal option.
Starting with the NMF choice, this is "Turtle", flown by Lt Charles Dooney of the 509th FS, 405th FG out of St Dizier, France in the winter of 1944. This plane has lots of red: spinner, cowl band, canopy framing, tail bands, and rudder trim tab. A turtle adorns the cowl, and the name runs along the forward half of the fuselage.
For the camouflaged examples, the first is "Zombie", flown by Capt Ronald Upp of the 361st FS, 356th FG out of Martlesham, England in November 1944. This plane has invasion stripes that are mostly painted over, along with the Zombie name on the nose. The second choice is Lt Walter Gabrowski's plane from the 511th FS, 405th FG out of Zima, Italy in 1944/45. This plane has a yellow forward cowl, yellow canopy framing, and a yellow outline to the rudder trim tab. It also has an interesting treatment on the cowl flaps, with every other one painted yellow.
RAF Aluminum Thunderbolts
LPS Hobby has released several decal sheets for RAF P-47s, but this is the first sheet that features aluminum Thunderbolts. As with the other sheets here, this one comes with three options. The first two are from the Far East, while the last is from Egypt.
Starting with the Far East, the first is a Thunderbolt MkII flown by Squdron Leader M M Soutter of No 42 Squadron out of Melktila, Burma in 1945. It has a blue front cowl, blue bands on the tail, and is coded AW-F, with the AW in white on a black square. The second Far East option is a Thunderbolt MkII from No 81 Squadron out of Kemajoran, Java in 1945. This plane has the same basic markings as the one above, but features the extended dorsal fin and the FL-O codes all in black.
For the Egypt option, this is a Thunderbolt MkII flown by Sq Leader D H "Nobby" Clarke of No 73 OUT out of Fayid, Egypt in 1945. This plane has a Sky band around the rear fuselage, an ace of spades emblem on the cowl, and a large 14 for an identification number on the fuselage sides.
Conclusion
Printed by Microscale, these decals should present no problems in application, and all three sheets provide some colorful alternatives to the kit decals. My thanks to LPS Hobby for the review samples.