Hasegawa P-47 Thunderbolt Eggplane

THE KIT

No history needed on the T-bolt, but I'm sure you'd be interested in seeing what the P-47 looks like when it is all stretched out of shape.

In line with most of the current releases, this is a reissue with better decals. There is no pilot, no cute anime girl figure in with this one. Interior is a seat and a decal instrument panel. Many of the parts have ejector pin marks and this includes the lower part of the one-piece wings. However, we are talking about a 30 year old kit design. Very few panel lines and those extant are raised. The rest is smooth as an egg. . There are inner gear doors that slot into the lower wing. No wheel wells, but a large peg for those provided. Bombs and racks are also given with the rack part of one bomb half. A generic engine and a sort of Curtiss-Electric prop are part of the package.

Instructions are two construction steps to be sure you get the 20 odd parts in the right place. Markings for two unpainted metal planes are given. These are the 'new' type decals so should behave as any aftermarket sheet and are well printed, providing all the stripes and bands you'll need. Painting information via Gunze and generic paint references and you'll need to paint the cowling colors. As you might expect, this one has also had ransom paid to Northrop Grumman for the privilege of using the P-47 or Thunderbolt name. 

I have said it every time I've reviewed one of these that they are fun to build, quite relaxing and actually look pretty neat on your shelf. No worries about scale or shelf space with these.

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the review copy. If you see these, buy one as they generally do not stay on the shelves very long.

September 2008