1/72 Revell F-47D-30 Thunderbolt

Chilean Air Force 

by Javier "Jacarre" Carrera

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  Chilean Air Force Day Sept 19 2005 

 

Some History:

Chile bought 12 P-47D-30 Thunderbolts in 1946-47, all of them for the Grupo de Aviacion Nº11 (11 Aviation Group).  Another 17 F-47Ds arrived in 1953 for the same group based in Quintero Air - naval Base. Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACH) 762 was one of this second batch, with all of the Chilean Thunderbolts written off of the inventory in 1958. FACH 750 still lives (but is not airworthy) in ther Chilean national air and space museum in Santiago.  In Chile the F-47 was called the "P-47" like the planes of USAAF in WWII.

The kit:

This kit is the excellent Revell new tooling in 1/72 Scale P-47M. I have to say that the "M" model has a very little differences with the D-30 model. It has compressibility flaps, and a fin fillet. Only the engine crankcase has some difference, but I don't take care of that, also the rocket stubs that Chilean planes would have to had.

The model is one of the most accurate representations of the real plane. Nice engraved panel lines, a very good amount of detail in cockpit, wheel bays and engine, and a canopy that works for real!  With excellent fit, it was a very fun model to build. In 1953 all of the Chilean F-47s where painted in silver lacquer with a black anti - glare panel. Cockpit was painted in chromate green, while the wheel bays in yellow chromate. This colors would change due to successive overhauls (these where second - hand USAF planes).

This was my first contribution to ARC and I send a salute from Chile to all modelers of the world. 

Hope you enjoy.

Javier

Photos and text © by Javier Carrera P.