SHOWCASE

Republic P-47D-23-RA Thunderbolt MSN 1546, Razorback canopy of Major. William D. Dunham of the 460 th fighter squadron, 348 th fighter group, Phillippines, December 1944. 1:48 scale hasegawa kit P-47D rasorback 3 weekends to complete the kit the paint use alcad aluminum gray / olive green mr hobby use of plastic card static airplane model.

In January 1943, General Dunham deployed with the 342nd Fighter Squadron in Australia and New Guinea and served as operations officer and later commander. In July 1944, he became commander of the 460th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea and remained in this position until December 1944, when he became operations officer of the 348th Fighter Group, Philippine Islands. In January 1945, General Dunham returned to the United States and attended gunnery school at Foster Field Texas, until May 1945. Upon graduation, he immediately returned to the 348th Fighter Group in the Philippine Islands and continued to serve as operations officer and later became deputy commander.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the main American fighters of World War II. It was even the most produced American fighter aircraft during the conflict with 15,660 units built [3]. American pilots nicknamed it The Jug because of its stocky shape reminiscent of a pitcher or jug (stubby jug-like [4]). Its mass (it was the largest single-engine propeller fighter of its time) and its radial engine less vulnerable in combat allowed it to be used as a fighter-bomber. Despite its performance as a leading fighter, it quickly ceded its role of escort in Europe to the P-51 Mustang which, when fitted with the Merlin engine (built by Packard under license from Rolls-Royce), had a sufficient range to follow American bombers all over German territory.