Please, need some help tp identify this P-47D...

[Aramis]

Hello, guys... I've been searching the net trying to identify this P-47D (1:48 diecast model) of my collection. It's a beautiful model, but I'm not sure if it's historically accurate. As you see on the pics it shows a serial LH-L 490447. I appreciate any info on that. Thanks.

[Crimea_River]

Try this. LH-L shows up under 350th FS but I dind't see the same s/n.

8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk

[Colin1]

It's a P-47D of the 353FG, 350FS and was based at Goxhill, then Metfield where they remained until April 1944. Pretty sure by then, or soon after, the FG had converted to P-51s.

More when I find it

Edit: P-51D 44-63197 'Mascara Maggie' took on the codes of LH-L for the 350FS. Trying to establish a conversion date.

Edit2: LH-L 'Maggie V' was a P-47D-25, one of the first Thunderbolts to be fitted with the bubble canopy. Operated by 350FS out of Raydon, England. Pic to follow but interestingly (and I hope I can resolve this enough for you to discern) but the number appears to have been doctored in the picture - die cast model does not appear to be historically accurate.

Edit3: So, four rows of chequers on the cowl, three rows on the die cast, no fin strake with the tail, fin strake on the die cast, anti-glare olive-drab (appears so), interior green (appears so) on the die cast, named Maggie V, no name on the die cast, no rudder colouration, yellow rudder on the die cast.

It entirely possible of course that any number of P-47s went through several incarnations of LH-L.

[Crimea_River]

There's also a modern P-47 flying around with that s/n but aircarft code LH-I called "Jackie's Revenge"

Photo Search Results | Airliners.net

[Airframes]

The serial number 44-90347 is for a P47D-40-RA, built at Evansville, Indiana. Not sure, but i think the group had already converted to P51's by the time this model was introduced. Also, the blue code letters are possibly not accurate for the time the Group used P47's, August 1943 to early November 1944. When the Group changed to P51D's, the code letters were mainly black, later outlined in yellow on some aircraft.

[Aramis]

Thanks a lot, you guys. Very clarifying. So, as I see from you the S/N of this diecast is not accurate. Did all P-47 of the 353FG have the black/white strips on the fuselage? Can we say that the painting scheme of this model is also wrong?

[Airframes]

If you mean the black and white 'Invasion' stripes, then yes, these would have been carried (in full) from the evening of June 5th 1944, reduced to undersides only by about July. Even when P51D's were recieved, these carried the stripes on the underside of the fuselage at least until December. It's possible/probable that the model is representative of a preserved aircraft painted in those colours.

[Aramis]

Thank you, bro. Very very helpful. The model itself is very beautiful. Too bad it's not accurate. This seems to be a problem with those Yat Ming models. Thanks, anyway.

[Matt308]

Yat Ming... well that in and of itself is rather telling in accuracy expectations.

[Airframes]

Sounds like one of those puzzle games, with wooden blocks. Or a nasty disease..........