French Thunderbolts

Empire City Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Squadron.com

Empire City Decals is based in New York City, USA and its owner Brian Wiedemann is a modeller who likes to build models other than Mustangs and Messerschmitts.  That in itself is sufficient to give you an idea that the decals that he produces are out of the ordinary. 

In keeping with the owner’s penchant for “different” subjects ECD4805 provides markings for four P-47 Thunderbolts of the French Air Force during WWII.  The individual options are: 

• P-47 D-25 44-19591.  An olive drab over neutral grey machine with thinner than usual D-Day markings on the wings and fuselage of GC 111/3 “Ardennes” from the winter of 1944.

• P-47 D-30 44-40938.  In natural metal finish with a red rudder, full length olive drab anti-glare panels to the top of the fuselage and the tops of the wings belonging to GC II/3 “Dauphine” at Corsica in the May of 1945.

• P-47 D-25 44-26520.  Belonging to GC I/4 “Navarre” from the winter of 1944, this option is finished in olive drab and neutral grey camouflage with a red front to its cowling, and yellow bands over its vertical stabiliser and around its wings.

• P-47D-30 44-33397 in overall natural metal finish with a red front to its cowling as well as its spinner and an olive drab anti-glare.  It was operated by GC II/5 “Lafayette” in Corsica in late 1944.

The decals themselves are silk screen printed by AviPrint in the Czech Republic and are a vast improvement over the earlier Empire City efforts that were realised by the ALPS method.  They are thin, sharp and in perfect register.  No stencil data at all is provided. 

Support information/placement guide is via large colour profiles for each option printed on what looks to be the paper you find in your printer. 

The decal sheet, placement/information support guide come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

Empire City Decals first round of products copped a little flak when they were first released.  Thankfully, the shortcomings that were pointed out in various reviews have now been addressed and rectified in this sheet. 

The sheet is also available in 1/72 scale as ECD7205.  No suggestion is made on their website as to their availability in 1/32 scale, but the new 1/32 scale Hasegawa Thunderbolt would certainly ook good finished as one of the natural metal schemes featured on the sheet!

Recommended.

Thanks to Empire City Decals for the review samples

Empire City Decals are available online from their website

Review Copyright © 2007 by Rodger Kelly
Page Created 25 June, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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