The man and the machine! Frank Tiano shows how to build the ultimate warbird from WW2. His CARF-Models P-47 Thunderbolt has become one of the most popular airplanes flown at national events including Top Gun.. Frank, the father of the scale Invitational event in Lakeland, FL, considers the model to be one of the finest P-47s he has ever owned.
Frank Tiano and his crew ready the big CARF Models Thunderbolt for a day at the flying field.
I like the fact that I’ve paid enough dues that occasionally someone acknowledges the experience I have acquired in building and flying model airplanes. So, naturally when Gerry Yarrish from Model Airplane News called and said, “I hear you have a Composite-ARF P-47, would you be able to write an article about it for our readers?” Obviously, the answer to his question was “Yes.”
Composite-ARF, now known as CARF-Models, has been manufacturing scale models for many years. So, I almost had a heart attack when I heard that their next release was going to be a model of my all-time favorite, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (commonly called “The Jug”). I have been a Thunderbolt nut since I don’t know when, and have probably built at least one from every kit or plan ever produced. Let me see, Don Smith, Nick Ziroli, Meister Scale, Top Flite, Bob Holman, Aerotech, Bud Nosen, ParkZone, Troy Built, and Hangar 9 readily come to mind and I’m sure there’s a couple of others I forgot! This model is not only the finest P-47 I have personally owned, it just may be the consummate ARF WW II scale kit available in the modeling world today….
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