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
|