P-47D Thunderbolt
"Bubbletop"

Kinetic, 1/24 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

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Vintage Fighter Series released their 1/24 scale P-47D Thunderbolt Bubbletop back in 2008.

Kinetic has now given this model a new lease of life with its reissue. New decals are supplied for two aircraft.

When I received this package, I was amazed at the compact size of the box. The VFS release was packed into a very large box, but Kinetic seems to have performed some sort of magic trick by fitting the sprues into an almost cube-shaped package.

The 258 grey plastic parts are supplemented by twelve parts in clear plastic, and two parts in grey vinyl. The sprues are essentially the same as the VFS release except that the seated pilot figure is no longer included. This is no great loss!

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Thumbnail panels:

Surface texture is smooth, with just a hint of eggshell satin. Light sanding and polishing should result in an appropriate surface for a natural metal finish. The exterior surfaces feature crisply recessed panel lines plus rows of fine rivets. These rivets are extremely fine on the fuselage and only slightly heavier on the wings. They are subtle enough that they should not be a distraction from the overall shape of the aircraft even under a shiny coat of metallic paint.

Moulding quality is generally very good. The most noticeable issues are some missing surface detail on both sides of the upper forward fuselage (the detail peters out above the line of the canopy for some reason), and a raised section around the port side supercharger vent (probably the result of a mould insert misalignment). Some of the sprue attachment points are very large, so care will be needed when removing them to avoid damaging the surrounding plastic.

The interior of the model is well detailed, but only in areas that can be accessed. For example. we do not see the mass of supercharger plumbing that was supplied with the 1/32 scale Trumpeter P-47 kits. Most modellers will probably breathe a deep sigh of relief, as this will make the construction of VFS's Thunderbolt relatively straightforward.

The cockpit is adequate in this large scale, although I think that the sidewalls and seat are a bit underdone. There is certainly potential for superdetailing this area. Harness straps are not provided.

One very nice aspect is the inclusion of both the flat and corrugated floors, making it possible to depict a range of sub-variants. The quadrant with its separate handles is nice too.

The engine is well done, supported by equally detailed intake ducting, exhaust manifolds and firewall detail. This is a miniature model in its own right (and maybe not so miniature!)

Surprisingly, the cowl does not seem to have been designed to display open, as the cowl ring is moulded to each separate section of cowling side. Some extra surgery will be required to display your Pratt & Whitney masterpiece. Also surprising considering the large number of options available with the kit, only a single set of closed cowl flaps is supplied.

The upper rear deck is supplied as a separate part, suggesting that we might be seeing later variants with fin fillets in the future.

The machine gun hatches are separate on both wings, with detailed .50 cals supplied. The port wing also offers the option of displaying the long ammunition trays, either full of shells or empty (alternate parts are supplied for this option).

A large number of ordnance options are included, such as bombs, a flat centreline tank, two Lockheed teardrop drop tanks, two paper tanks and underwing bazookas. A full compliment of four different propeller assemblies is also included.

The twelve clear parts are admirably thin and the large bubble top canopy is completely seamless.

The main tyres are presented in black vinyl. Although the detail is very crisp and there is no centre line seam, the tread pattern overlaps in the middle of the tyres.

Engineering of the kit is quite straightforward and, in most respects, appears similar to the Tamiya 1/48 scale P-47 family. Separate flaps may be depicted dropped or raised, while a number of inserts in the wings will permit later variants with the outboard landing light (although the later inserts are not supplied with this release).

The decals are a real highlight, featuring two colourful options.

Printed by Cartograf, they are glossy and well saturated.

It is nice to see this kit back, now under a Kinetic boxtop.

Despite its size and the number of options, the engineering of Kinetic's 1/24 scale P-47D Thunderbolt is actually quite straightforward, ensuring that any modeller with a couple of kits under their belt should be able to manage this one without any real problems.

Detail is generally good but there is scope for adding more, especially in the cockpit.

With the recent release of the Airfix Typhoon, 1/24 scale is capturing the imagination of many modellers. Even six years after its initial release, I would rate Kinetic's P-47D Thunderbolt as a very good 1/24 scale kit, and one that could sit proudly beside your big Airfix and Trumpeter models of the same scale.

If you are a Thunderbolt fan and have plenty of display space, this one is for you!

Thanks to Kinetic for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2014 by Brett Green
Page Created 24 October, 2014
Last updated 24 October, 2014

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