P-47D GC1/III 'Normandie-Niemen' Oran-La-Senia Airfield, Algeria, 1950-51
The F6F Hellcats the Normandie-Niemen used in Vietnam were left behind when the squadron returned to the middle east in 1950 (to be fair, they were extremely second-hand when the French Air Force received them, and they were used hard against the Viet Minh so they were probably at the end of their useful lives). The Hellcats were replaced with almost new late model P-47Ds which were used until 1954. Very little seems to have been written about their service in the AdlA, at least in English, but they were the last prop-driven aircraft that GC III used.
And very nice they look too, IMO. This was the 2002 Revell boxing of the aircraft, a splendid kit in most respects rather let down by the nasty brittle aluminium plastic it is shot in. However, i have to say it went together easily enough, needing only the tiniest amount of filler along the wing roots. Probably the best Thunderbolt on the market, at least in gentleman's scale.
The decal sheet was for French Thunderbolts, put out by Berna Decals, a French company with good coverage of French subjects in most scales. they are as nice a set of decals as the Carpena ones on my last build weren't . As a bonus, they had a spare NN Squadron badge attached, so the Hellcat I built last month is now properly decorated:
Coming up next is the first NN jet, a SNCASE Mistral (A Vampire FB.VI to you and me).
P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
- Spaceowl
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: July 1st, 2011, 8:41 am
- Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples' Republic of Teesside
P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
- iggie
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 23436
- Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
- Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
- Contact:
Re: P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very nice! You've got to love an NMF jug!
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- Stuart
- Raider of the Lost Ark Royal
- Posts: 19447
- Joined: February 25th, 2013, 4:55 pm
- Location: North Wales
- Contact:
Re: P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very nice - You're knocking them out rather quickly!
Cracking pair of builds that.
Cracking pair of builds that.
Stuart Templeton I may not be good but I'm slow...
My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
- DavidWomby
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 11759
- Joined: May 1st, 2011, 8:09 pm
- Location: Florida, USA
Re: P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very nice indeed. This is starting out to be a great collection.
David
David
- FAAMAN
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 404
- Joined: October 14th, 2014, 3:49 am
- Location: Sydney Australia
Re: P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very nice
Been modelling for years, still learning . . . .
Model kits are meant to be assembled . . . . . . . . . . eventually.
Model kits are meant to be assembled . . . . . . . . . . eventually.
- Old_Tonto
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 8063
- Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
- Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.
Re: P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Lovely job mate.
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)