Republic P-47D "Thunderbolt" - the American fighter-bomber

P-47 “Thunderbolt” (ball lightning) - US fighter-bomber. Appeared in 1942. The creators, Alexander de Seversky and Alexander Kartveli, both fled the Bolsheviks to the United States. It was perfect for aerial combat, followed by death on the ground. Even eight .50-caliber M2 machine guns, continuously aimed at one location, could easily destroy a tank, let alone enemy fighters. When fully loaded, it weighs as much as eight tons, which includes 10 missiles and more, than a ton of bombs. It is powered by an air-cooled 2535 horsepower engine. A total of 15,686 were produced. Already the first major P-47 battles in 1943 gave stunning results. Escorting the B-17s, 19 German fighters were shot down and only three P-47s did not return. The most famous pilots in Europe in the USAAF: Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski - 31 victories (three were not even allowed to take off from the runway), Bob Johnson - 27 or 28 victories (one is disputed), 56th FG commander Hubert Zemke - 17.75 victories. The 56th FG 665.5 unit alone destroyed 311 aircraft in the air and on the ground, losing 128 of its own aircraft (the most successful Air Force unit of all time). In the Pacific USAAF: Neel E. Kearby - 22 victories, including six in one flight, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Died in 1944. The USSR received only 203 units. All of them were immediately allocated to the protection of the airspace of the most important cities

. A large, colorful, well-designed model with plenty of detail (admittedly, the engine is a bit simplified), intended only for intermediate and advanced modelers. Even without the cockpit equipment, with the chassis included and the engine not detailed at all, the version is not easy and can be undertaken by modelers with little experience, who have already glued several models of higher complexity. And they should work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. Some details are double-sided printing. Things are further complicated by the incomplete graphic instructions.