Hobby Master 1:48 Air Power Series Diecast Model

Republic Aviation P-47D Thunderbolt – "228878," Lt. Frank Oiler, 84th FS, 78th FG, USAAF, England, autumn 1944

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

Lt. Frank Oiler served with the 84th Fighter Squadron/78th Fighter Group from June 26, 1944 to March 28, 1945. The 84th FS was stationed at RAF Duxford in England between April 1943 and October 1945. On February 22, 1945, Lt. Oiler was made CO of 'F' Flight. During his tour of duty Oiler flew two P-47’s, 42-75429 and 42-28878, both wearing his girlfriend’s name “Eileen”. Late in 1944 the 78th began receiving P-51 Mustangs, with Oiler assigned to P-51D WZ-S “Sherman Was Right” and his P-47D #42-28878 transferred to the 56th FG.

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. The P-47B was first flown on May 6, 1941 with the first production aircraft being delivered in May 1942. The Thunderbolt was very effective as a short-to-medium range escort fighter and as a fighter-bomber proved especially adept at ground attack. The aircrafts eight .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns could inflict severe damage on lightly armored targets. In the fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry 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.


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-47 Thunderbolt features: