Corgi AA33828 Aviation Archive

Corgi Aviation Archive series AA33828 is a 1/72 scale diecast model of the Republic Aviation P-47D Thunderbolt (Razorback) named “Cripes A’ MIGHTY” with serial number 42-8500/ HO-P of the 487th Fighter Squadron (487th FS), 352nd Fighter Group (352nd FG), United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and flown by Captain George E. Preddy Jr, circa 1943/44.

George E. Preddy Jr

George E. Preddy Jr. (1919–1944) was an American fighter pilot and ace of World War II. Preddy initially attempted to join the U.S. Navy but ultimately entered the Army Air Forces in 1941.

Preddy flew the P-47 Thunderbolt before transitioning to the P-51 Mustang with the 352nd Fighter Group, famously known as the “Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney.”

He achieved 26.83 aerial victories, making him the top P-51 Mustang ace of the war and one of America’s leading aces.
Preddy received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross (multiple times), the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt

The P-47 Thunderbolt is an American single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter and ground-attack aircraft developed for World War II. Often called the “Jug,” it first flew in May 1941 and entered service with the 56th Fighter Group in 1942. The P-47 holds the record as the largest and heaviest single-piston-engine fighter ever built.

The P-47 excelled as a high-altitude escort fighter, demonstrating superior maneuverability and the ability to out-dive any adversary in the European theatre. Its robust airframe and heavy armament enabled effective ground-attack operations.

The USAF operated the P-47 until 1947, and the Air National Guard (ANG) continued its use until 1953. Allied air forces utilised the aircraft during and after World War II. Production concluded in 1945, with more than 15,600 airframes manufactured.

A single Pratt & Whitney R-2800 twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine powered the P-47, which drove a Curtiss Electric four-blade propeller.

The P-47’s armament included eight wing-mounted machine guns and up to 1,100 kg (2,500 lb) of external stores under the wings—more than half the payload capacity of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.