1/144 P-47D Thunderbolt kit (Platz / Eduard)
The moulds are from Platz, but Eduard has made the Platz moulds, both the bubbletop and razorback variants (which differ only in the fuselage and canopy parts), available for the Western market.
The Platz packs come as 2-in-a-box while the Eduard packs contain a single kit. The injection moulded branches are pretty good, the fit is perfect, the details are sharp and decent. There is a set of printed photo-etch parts from Eduard that include a cockpit, but the main cockpit parts are also included in the kit.
Cartograph decals are included with the Platz packaging. Eduard has included their “new” decals, which are probably a matter of taste, but in this case poorly printed!
I love this kit and have built it several times. The only missing parts are 108 and 75 gallon tanks (luckily I can steal these from my P51B/Cs from Sweet and the P51D from Platz). But the Platz P-47 castings include bazookas and 500-pound bombs as armament!
As always, the pilot figures from Heroes Models fit perfectly (at least with minor modifications).
War-Weary Saviour
May 1944: An old P-47 Razorback armed with lifeboats and smoke markers circles above a ditched B-17 crew – the USAAF Air Sea Rescue unit detachment B of the 65th fighter wing, later known as the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron was born.
Painting and weathering A war-weary P-47D
Painting and weathing a war-weary P-47D Razorback of 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron without decals in 1/144 scale
Building a war-weary Air Sea Rescue P-47 Razorback in 1/144 scale
Building an 1944 USAAF Air Sea Rescue P-47D Razorback from the 1/144 Eduard/Platz kit and scratch building dinghy packs and smoke markers
Lady Ruth – Gun Harmonisation in the Fields
Saipan, 1944: Ground personell of 19th Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group, 7th Air Force during gun harmonisation prozess on Republic P-47D-15-RA Thunderbolt 42-23289 “Lady Ruth” – 1/144 scale vignette