Mike Grant Decals

1/48 P-47 Thunderbolt Part 1 decal sheet

product # MG48-048 

Review by Steve Bamford on Jan 30 2008

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This latest release from Mike Grant Decals decal sheet features 5 different P-47's.  These decals are designed to fit the Tamiya kit.

The first plane is a F-47N-20-RE, 44-89238, All Weather Flying Center at Clinton County AFB, Ohio in 1948.  This aircraft is overall natural metal with an olive drab anti-glare panel and insignia red nose, tail and wing tips.  There is also yellow border/stripes on these red areas.  It is thought that this was the Commanders personal mode of transportation. 

The second plane is a P-47N-23-RA, 42-27884, "Bonnie", 460th FS, 348th FG in the Phillippines in early 1945.  The pilot of this P-47 was Major Bill Dunham, one of the 348ths top scorers, and his "Bonnie" is shown here sporting his final tally of 15 kills.  This aircraft is overall natural metal with an olive drab upper fuselage anti-glare panel.  Theater stripes on the fuselage and wings are black and the rudder has red horizontal stripes.   The word "Bonnie" appears on both sides of the engine cowling.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

The third plane is a P-47D (subtype & serial unknown, probably a D-30-RA), 86th FBG, out of Neubiberg AB, Germany in 1950.  This aircraft was used to simulate 'Russian Yaks' during the filming of "Berlin Airlift".  This aircraft is overall natural metal with an olive drab upper fuselage anti-glare panel and a red forward engine cowling and a red prop hub.

The fourth plane is a P-47D-4-RE, 42-22668, "Fiery Ginger IV", 348th FG, New Guinea in March 1944.  This is the plane in which Col Neel Kearby was killed on his fateful mission of 4 March 1944.   This aircraft is overall olive drab with gray undersides with a white tail and white wing leading edges.  The words "Fiery Ginger IV" appears on the engine cowling.

The fifth plane is a P-47D-4-RE, 42-22684, "Miss Mutt II / Pride of Lodi Ohio", 341st FS, 348th FG in New Guinea in late 1943 or early 1944.  This aircraft was flown by Lt. Col. Robert Rowland to gain the last of his kills before converting the the P-51 in the Philippines later in the war.  This aircraft is overall olive drab with gray undersides with a white tail and white wing leading edges.  The words "Miss Mutt II" appears on the engine cowling and the words "Pride of Lodi Ohio" appears on the rear fuselage.

The decals are flawlessly printed and some decals come in two layers to ensure no bleed through of colors.  The instructions are in full color and provide specific details about each aircraft to help you get your model as accurate as possible.  I enjoyed seeing the colorful selection of aircraft with the big variety of paint schemes.  It's good to see markings for the P-47's from the Pacific Theater of Operations.  Another fine decal sheet from Mike Grant Decals.

Steve

I would like to thank Mike Grant Decals for providing me with this review sample.

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford