FCM 32-06: P-47D Thunderbolt

For those who like their P-47s to be super sized, FCM Decals offers this new sheet. It is not surprising that it would mostly contain Brazilian aircraft as Brazil was one of the Allied countries who flew the Thunderbolt in the last year of the war. Many of these planes went on to form units back in Brazil after the war years.

This sheet includes seven different aircraft, with most of them in unpainted metal with black or OD anti-glare panels on the upper nose.

Four of these planes are WWII vintage when based in Italy in 1945. Three are shown above. These are planes piloted by Ten.Cel. Nero Moura, Cte. Rocha, Cap. Lagaresand Asp Mendezes. These planes all have mission tallies on the fuselage side along with the large unit badge. Wing markings are the Brazilian insignia without the white bars and blue background.

Next there are two aircraft used after the war. These are the ones without a fuselage insignia. Black 5 was based with 1/1 G.Av.Ca at Rio deJaneiro in 1949. The other is one based with 1/4 G.Av. at Fortaleza in 1957. This latter plane has a yellow forward cowling. Note that all Brazilian planes sport the fin fillet.

The seventh aircraft is a British Thunderbolt with 134 Squadron based at Ratnap in Burma during 1944. This is in the standard brown/green/light grey camo of the time with a white forward cowling and white tail bands. Note that this aircraft does not have a fin fillet.

The kit that is recommended for this sheet is Hasegawa #8007, so I have to assume it is a filleted plane that can be built without it. The decals are superbly printed by Microscale and without registration errors. The sheets come with full color instructions that provide color information as well as upper and lower views of the sheet subjects.

In all, a superb sheet and if you want to do your big P-47 in a scheme that is a bit different, this one is for you.

October 2012

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.