P-47D "Pengie V" Built order Plastic Model 1/72 Scale

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, or "Jug" as its pilots affectionately called it was a true workhorse of the USAAF in WW2. Whether it was needed for high altitude bomber escort or low flying strafing missions, the Jug was the best for the job. In fact, it often did both in the same sortie.

Of the many famous pilots who flew the Jug, Gabby Gabreski was perhaps the most well known. He gathered the best pilots he could order to fly with him and among those pilots was Michael Gladysch, who like Gabreski, was of Polish descent. But while Gabreski was born stateside and Gladysch was born in Poland.

As the war progressed, he fought in the Polish Air Force, then the Royal Air Force, and finally in The 8th Air Force of the USAAF. He named each of his planes Pengie, increasing numerically as he lost them, all the way up to Pengie V.

Out P-47D "Bubbletop" is painted to represent Michael Gladysch's Pengie V.