P-47 Thunderbolt Francis Gabreski Die-Cast Model

Flown by top US fighter ace Francis “Gabby” Gabreski.

Piloted by Lt. Col. Francis S. “Gabby” Gabreski, 34.5-victory aviator and leading American fighter ace of WWII, P-47 Thunderbolt 42-26418 was assigned to the 61st Squadron, 56th Fighter Wing in the European Theatre. Taking command of the squadron in April of 1944, Gabreski had tallied up an impressive 193 missions of service during his lifetime, with another three months still to go before he was scheduled to return home. Deciding to participate in one final mission, his aircraft’s propellers touched the ground during a strafing run, forcing Gabreski to ditch the aircraft in a nearby field. Though evading capture for several days, he was eventually detained as a prisoner of war, released in April of 1945.

Features:

• Authentic paint scheme, engraved panel lines, printed decals, antennas, and surface details
• Deployed or retracted landing gear
• Display stand included
• Measures 6.25”l with a 7” wingspan at 1:72 scale
• Officially licensed
  

History and Specifications:
Excelling in support of infantry and anti-tank combat during WWII, the venerable P-47 Thunderbolt deployed over 130,000 tons of explosives across the wartime effort. Flying over 500,000 missions in USAAF service, it was powered by the massive Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, which output 2,000hp at full throttle. Boasting an impressive arsenal of eight 0.50 caliber machine guns, it even excelled at air-to-air combat, with 7,000 aerial victories credited to Thunderbolt during WWII. Destroying heavily armored emplacements or lightly armored pillboxes, P-47s could swoop in against surface targets with their full ordnance load then transition to airborne threats as the battle went on. Consistently improved throughout the 1940s, more than 15,600 aircraft were built, attaining legendary status in the world of aviation.