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1/48 Zotz ZTZ48/038 Last ever P-47s Part 1 of 4

 

 

 

 

Zotz

ZTZ48/038

1/48 Last Ever

Thunderbolt decal Project

(Pt 1 of 4)

 

 

Kit no: ZTZ48/038

Sheets: 2

Scale: 1/48th

Recommended Kit: Academy P-47N and Tamiya Bubbletop & Razorback

Colour Schemes : 5 USAAF

US $20.00 / UK £15.95 + shipping

Direct from Eli - PayPal address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .or from his distributers

 

http://www.zotzdecals.com/reviews/Zotz48038/zotz48038.htm

 

 

New and APPARENTLY ;-) the last of the line for P-47 decal sheets comes from  Zotz decals to my mailbox today. Shipped with a hard cardboard backing in just about a week from Mexico to the UK. There have been five P-47 sheets from Zotz before this, one in 24th scale and the other four in 32nd. The reason I am upset is that these are the last  decals from Zotz of the P47 in  48th scale.

 

 

Some of these schemes are represented in the 1/32 release by Zotz – I can tell you that thy have been further shrunk to just as good a standard as they were in 32nd scale. Details are almost photographic quality, really stunning and the shading on the artwork is very well done, just right. Colours are strong, whites are white and not see through, and the decals are perfect in register. Before I bang on too much about the individual examples I can say all of these schemes have the same quality of both artwork and research.

Handily Zotz have pointed out aircraft details and the correct propeller to use with each aircraft. They have as well given instructions on all of the small details of decal placement and the intricacies of each airframe.

 

· P-47 "Screaming Red Ass Commander" HDD Serial Number 228961 with noseart.

Man this Is my fave aircraft just on the name!  I believe the "ASS" is the animal kind – This natural metal Jug flown by Major Hugh D. "rowdy" Dow from the 350th fighter Group/ 347th Fighter squadron – from December 1944.

The "Screaming Red Ass " squadron's leader had five circular kills under the port side cockpit, with the squadron emblem emblazoned on the front. A massive "Screaming Red ass Commander" emblazoned in red on the port side and HDD as the buzz letters on the rear fuselage. Lastly there was a large Red "A" on the tail next to the airframe number.

For a detailed account from the pilot look here – it's very interesting!

http://www.warwingsart.com/350thFG/P47/347thFS/index.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

· P-47 "Virginia" B2 Serial Number 228608 with partial D-Day stripes and sexy noseart

Bob Brulle's plane – "Virginia" was destroyed while he was flying a borrowed plane, with this is the version of "Virginia" with sexy noseart so this is the one we are interested in! This features a Pyn –up on the port nose cowl and the pink with back outlined writing "Virginia" (The "Virginia " nose art was actually a Vargas pin up from February 1941 in Brulle's calendar.) Here the nose art is reproduced in stunning detail in 48th scale  -  it looks like a picture!

 

 

This is "Lullaby For A Dream" from the February, 1941 issue of Esquire

And the decal in 48th..

 

•          P-47 "Magic Carpet" B2 H Serial Number 276516.

Just as clear here as it is in the 32nd scale version of Eli's sheet - A really interesting Razorback which is a mix of olive drab fuselage and cowlings with natural metal front cowling ring and flaps with all-natural metal wings (bottom and top) The canopy frame is also in natural metal. Four circular kill marks are on the port cockpit side (3.1/4 kills) credited , with a large mission board on the port front in front of the cockpit. A unique scheme I haven’t seen before. The details of the pilot on a magic carpet are very clear, again the artwork is outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have found some interesting info on this plane at this site on the net – everyone knows the net is full of holes but cross referencing it with "Angels two Zero " I found it to be credible "Gen" - here is the lnk to the page - i have coppied the best of the info below...

http://forum.armyairforces.com/Bob-Brulle-m150149.aspx

 

 

"It was green OD  and neutral grey lower surfaces. The wings had been
stripped of paint top and bottom surfaces except for the national
insignias.   There was also a red "No Step" area at the left wing root.
The paint on the canopy frame had been stripped as had the front portion
of the engine cowling and the engine cooling flaps.  Crew names would
have been and in this order top to bottom:
Pilot Col. H N Holt
Crew Chief Sgt. Fritz
Ass't Cr Chief Sgt. Tingley
Armorer Sgt. Shields
Radio Mech SSgt Hayward


Artwork.  There appears to be clouds above the figure on the magic
carpet.  In the name area, the reads "Holt Rug Co." and right below
"Phila Pa"

The various markers are ( as best as I can see and you may want to
contact Col Holt and see if he remembers) bombs top 2.5 rows, brooms
right and leaning to the left second row, a vertical row of "hash"
marks, 9 white rabbit head profiles on yellow disc. Finally, 21 yellow
bomber type aircraft silhouettes  over a white vertical 1 or vertical
hash mark.  Below the cockpit frame are 3.3 black and white swastikas.  
There was no artwork on the right side of the Thunderbolt.  The serial
number on the vertical stab would have been yellow."

 

 

P-47 "Sack Happy" 93 with sexy noseart and black and yellow stripes on the tail

 

# 93 ''Sack Happy''  Republic P-47N-25-RE Thunderbolt  -  Le Shima, Ryukyu Islands flown by Lt. Robert Redfield in July 1945   this was in the same outfit as "I've Had It" below – Sack happy was another Pyn-up poster like the last example very impressively rendered in 48th scale and showing no signs of reduction in quality in artwork. "Bar Flies" the unit badge is on the port side below the cockpit.

 

The decals are so finely printed you can read the stencil data right off the sheet – incredible really!

 

 

 

 

•          P-47 "I've Had It" 26. with sexy noseart and black and yellow stripes on the tail.

 

 

This P-47 - "N" model  with "I've had it" decal with a sexy blonde lady on the port nose and an equally attractive second lady (A brunette) on the lower nose starboard side I have a picture of the port starlet (the blonde) and  the decal is nearly a  photo reproduction of the aircraft photo – my money is with the artist on this on – I really couldn't pick them apart if they were both in black and white.

 

They even captured the "cartoonish" look of the women on the nose of the real thing perfectly. This aircraft was at Le Shima near Okinawa in Summer 1945 – some references of these squadron's aircraft are of a non striped tail but these photos were taken in the "striping" process, where some are completed and some are just plain yellow. The aircraft's tactical number "26" is included on the landing gear cover and the 333rd fighter squadron underneath the cockpit port side. There is a picture of both of these nose art ladies on  P32 of Kagero 20  - P-47. This sheet matches those pictures directly.

 

 

 

 

 

What do We Think?

 

I am upset ONLY that all of these schemes aren't in 1/32 as well !

 

Perfect swansong for the Jug -  stay tuned for the other sheets here.

 

 

9.5/10

 

Thanks to Zotz for the review sample – contact them directly This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get yours

Adam Norenberg

http://www.zotzdecals.com/reviews/Zotz48038/zotz48038.htm