P-47D Thunderbolt
"Razorback"

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 gave this model a new lease of life last year, and now they have released a Razorback version with new plastic parts and decals.

Kinetic seems to have performed some sort of magic trick by fitting this big model into a fairly compact, almost cube-shaped package.

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Thumbnail panels:

258 grey plastic parts are supplemented by 15 parts in clear plastic, and two parts in black vinyl. The sprues are mainly the same as Kinetic's 2014 Bubbletop release, with the exception of two new fuselage halves.

The model will be big when finished, as suggested by this photo of one fuselage half - minus cowls - next to an Airfix 1/72 scale Beaufighter.

The fuselage halves are brand new mouldings presented in one piece per side. Unlike the bubbletop, the spine and tail are integrated with the fuselage halves, so there won't be any seam lines or inserts to clean up.

Surface texture is smooth. The exterior surfaces feature crisply recessed panel lines. There are also rows of fine rivets. These are subtle enough that they should not be a distraction from the overall shape of the aircraft.

Moulding quality is generally very good. Some of the sprue attachment points are large though, so care will be needed when removing them to avoid damaging the surrounding plastic.

The interior of the model is quite 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 for 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.

Both the flat and corrugated floors are included, although only the corrugated version is required for this kit. The quadrant with its separate handles is nice too.

The engine is well done, supported by 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.

If you would like to show the cowl flaps open, Mastercasters offer a resin open cowl set which also provides all-resin wheels. The modeller is given the choice between spoked and covered main wheels.

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 good selection 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.

Some of the detail parts are a bit chunky for this scale, notably the sway braces and some of the wheel well interior. If you are a super detailing fan, you might like to weave some magic in these areas.

The clear parts are admirably thin and the large canopy sliding section 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. Elevators and the rudder are fixed in neutral positions, but the separate flaps may be depicted dropped or raised.

Markings

The decals are a real highlight, featuring two options in Neutral Grey and Olive Drab with colourful markings:

• "Squirt II" 405th FG Pilot: Lt R. Parker.

• "Miss Mutt" 348th FG Pilot: Lt Col. Robert R. Rowland.

The decals were designed by Kits-World Decals.

Printed by Cartograf, they are glossy and well saturated. The half-tones of the big nose art items are very impressive.

It is great to see Kinetic expanding the 1/24 scale Thunderbolt family with this Razorback variant.

There is a lot to like about this kit. Despite its size and the number of options, the engineering of Kinetic's 1/24 scale P-47D Thunderbolt Razorback 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. The number of useful options - props, ordnance, alternative position panels etc - are also very pleasing.

Detail is pretty good but there is scope for adding more, especially in the cockpit and the wheel wells.

With last year's release of the Airfix Typhoon, 1/24 scale is capturing the imagination of many modellers. 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 © 2015 by Brett Green
Page Created 3 December, 2015
Last updated 3 December, 2015

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