Classic Kit of the Day - My Very First

It was just over forty years ago that this obsession with model aircraft began. Sadly, I do not remember the specifics of when it was bought, but I do remember it was at a five-and-dime. Every time we went in there, I would wander back to the model section. Right next door was Art's Hobby Shop, and I was not allowed to go in there alone (Art's rules, and I can't blame him), and mother was not interested in going in there either. So it was the five-and-dime, and their selection of models.
To be honest, they actually had a pretty good selection. Three companies were stocked for certain; Frog, Hawk and Lindberg. There were only a few cars, and those were Lindberg, if I remember correctly. I really wanted one of those Frog kits, but for our family, they were a little pricey. We were struggling to make ends meet.
So my eyes always went to the lower shelves and the smaller Lindberg kits. They sold for $.29, and at that price I was sure I could get one. It took a number of attempts, but mother finally caved.
And I came home with the Lindberg "Strategic Strafer".

We will not go much into how the build went. I was a seven year old boy, so obviously there were flaws. The landing gear were messed up, the machine guns botched, but the rest of the model looked alright to my young eyes, even if the propeller couldn't spin. But it was my first model airplane, and I loved it.
The "Strategic Strafer" is actually a P-47D Thunderbolt in 1/81 scale, which is almost American HO scale (1/87 scale). It is a very simple model, dating possibly from the 1940's. It might not even be a Lindberg kit originally. There was another company at the time named Olan that turned out a few kits. Lindberg bought the line a few years later. This model has many of Olan's traits, in particular a complete lack of rivets. Lindberg would eventually make a right proper P-47B in 1/72, but this kit has some issues of its own and has a different "feel" than this older model.
It's not perfect, but is very representative of plastic model kits from that period. The wheel wells are filled in, and there is no cockpit. The pilot is simply a head on a deck (ARRRGGGHHH!). The engine can only be described as bas relief. But the landing gear covers are actually the right shape, and the wheels looks decent, though I question their accuracy.
In overall shape, the model captures the lines of the P-47D decently though not 100%. If built by a competent model builder it could be made into a nice desk model.
There are some things about this kit that I had forgotten about, though. One is that the propeller does not spin. The prop itself is a nice representation of a Hamilton thirteen foot model, though. With a little ingenuity, it could be made to spin.
The one thing this model did not have when it arrived was a canopy. The first P-47 that was modified to a bubble canopy was a P-47D-5. The engineers at Republic took the canopy from a Hawker Typhoon and fitted it to the modified Thunderbolt, which the company designated XP-47K. When it entered production, it would be renamed P-47D-25, and the new purpose built canopy was a little longer. To create a canopy for my model, I took the spare canopy from my old Airfix Typhoon and added it to the kit.
I'm really looking forward to this build. Sadly, this is actually my Father's Day gift, so for now I have to sneak the model back into the cabinet and pretend it never, ever left it.
Of course, Jamie will read this, so...

Lindberg Strategic Strafer P-47D