Hobby Master 1:48 Air Power Series Diecast Model

Republic Aviation P-47M Thunderbolt – “Devastatin’ Deb”, Captain John C. Fahringer, 63rd FS, USAAF, March 1945

1:48 Scale.  Length: 9".  Wingspan: 10.2”

During his time with the 63rd Fighter Squadron, Captain John C. Fahringer flew two P-47s. Both aircraft wore UN-F and named “Devastin’ Deb”. The first aircraft was a P-47D Thunderbolt while the second was a P-47M No. 44-21160. On March 25 1945, 44-21160 was being flown by Major George Bostwick, newly assigned to the 63rd FS, when he shot down an Me-262 and damaged another. On April 5, 1945 Capt. Fahringer, Operations Officer for the 63rd, scored his fourth and final aircraft when he downed an Me-262 while flying “Devastatin’ Deb”.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a single-seat fighter aircraft used by the U.S. and Allied air forces during World War II. It was one of the largest, heaviest, most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single piston engine. First flown on May 6, 1941, the first production P-47 was delivered in May 1942. The Thunderbolt was very effective as a short-to-medium range escort fighter and, as a fighter-bomber, proved especially suited at ground attack. The aircrafts eight .50 cal. (12.7mm) machine guns could inflict severe damage on lightly armored targets. In the fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry up to ten five-inch rockets or a bomb load of up to 2,500 pounds.

The first P-47 combat mission took place on March 10, 1943 when the 4th FG took their aircraft on a fighter sweep over France. By 1944, the P-47 Thunderbolt was in service with the USAAF in all of its operational theaters, except Alaska. Although the P-51 Mustang eventually replaced the P-47 in the long-range escort role in Europe, the P-47 still ended the war with 3752 air-to-air victories claimed in over 746,000 sorties. A total of 15,678 P-47s of all types were built, the last being a P-47N, which rolled off the Republic Aviation production line in October 1945. The P-47 Thunderbolt served with the U.S. Army Air Force (U.S. Air Force after 1947) until 1949 and the Air National Guard until 1953.

The P-47M was a higher-performance variant of the Thunderbolt with a 2,800 HP R-2800-57 (C) engine and a new larger super-charger. The M variant was developed with the goal of matching the speed of Germany’s jet aircraft and V-1 flying bombs. However, the aircraft suffered serious teething problems in the field due to the highly tuned engine. 130 M variants were built.


Hobby Master offers a wide selection of quality, pre-assembled, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted to a high level of accuracy using specifications of the original aircraft. They are constructed with precision-made diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of a P-47M Thunderbolt features: