D-Day 3 Plane Set – C-47, P-47 & P-51, USAAF 1/144 scale

Corgi Aviation Archive 1/144 scale AA99148: D-Day 3 plane set comprising: C-47 Skytrain of 438th Troop Carrier Group, P-47D Thunderbolt “Oregons Britannia/ Happy Warrior” of the 56th Fighter Group and P-51D Mustang of the 375th Fighter Sqn, 361st Fighter Group. Limited edition set of 4,000 pieces, looks great on display.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain Length 5.25 inches Wingspan 8 inches
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Length 3 inches Wingspan 3.5 inches
North American P-51D Mustang Length 2.75 inches Wingspan 3 inches

Part of the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron, the Long Beach built Douglas C-47 Skyirain, Lily Bell II, of the 438th Troop Carrier Group was based at RAF Greenham Common. The 438th had four squadrons (87lh, 88th, 89th and 90th) and was activated at Baer Field, Indiana during June 1943 where they were trained on C-47s. They were moved to the UK in February 1944 and became part of the Ninth Air Force. The Unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for dropping paratroopers in Normandy during the D-Day, June 6th 1944 invasion and for towing gliders with reinforcements in the following invasion of France, Later it dropped paratroops during the airborne attack across the Rhine in March 1945 and after VE Day evacuated Allied prisoners of war before returning to the USA in September 1945. P51-D Mustang, ‘Betty Lee III’ was flown by William T. Kemp. He scored a total of six air-to-air victories with the 361 si FG. all of them in a P-51D. He won a Distinguished Service Cross for his defence of bombers in June/July 1944 during the Normandy invasion and beyond. During this escort he closed to within 15 yards of a FW 190 he downed when 3 of his guns jammed. ‘Oreoons Britannia/Happy Warrior’ was the last Thunderbolt to be issued to Hub Zemke before he left the 56th FG to become CO of the 479th FG. It is one of the last known War Bond subscription aircraft to reach the ETO and was used by Zemke to score six kills prior to his departure. It was used most iamously in June 1944 from Boxted in the support of the D-Day, June 6th 1944 landings. After Zemke left it was flown by Harold Comstock and other pilots to help make up the shortfall of serviceable airframes following the grounding of all P-47M’s.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Designed to meet an American Airlines requirement for an enlarged version of the DC-2, the DC-3 was first flown on December 17th, 1935. Capable of carrying 24 passengers at a cruising speed of 180 mph, the DC-3’s speed and long range revolutionized commercial air travel in the 1930s and 40s, when it carried 90 percent of the world’s air travelers. Early DC-3s used Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, but Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp Radials were fitted to later versions; these engines had better single engine performance and allowed the DC-3 to fly at higher altitudes.

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Designed by Alexander Kartveli meeting a USAAC requirement for a heavy fighter, the P-47 was first flown on May 6th, 1941. Later models featured a “bubble-top” canopy rather than the sharply peaked “razorback” fuselage which resulted in poor visibility for the aircraft’s pilot. The P-47, a deadly pursuit aircraft, featured 8 x 12.7mm machine guns; all mounted in the wings. Even with the complicated turbosupercharger system, the sturdy airframe and tough radial engine, the P-47 (“Jug” or “Juggernaut” as it was nicknamed) could absorb damage and still return home. Built in greater quantities than any other US fighter, the P-47 was the heaviest single-engine WWII fighter and the first piston-powered fighter to exceed 500 mph.

North American P-51D Mustang
Designed to meet an RAF requirement for fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-51 Mustang was first flown on October 26th, 1940. This versatile aircraft was capable of escorting bombers on long-range missions, engaging in dogfights, and dropping down to destroy German targets on the ground. At least eight versions of the P-51 were produced, but it was the definitive P-51D that gave the Mustang its classic warbird appearance. Britain and the US both tested the airframe with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which gave the aircraft tremendous performance gains. The Truman Senate War Investigating Committee called the Mustang “the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence.”