**ONLY ONE LEFT! THIS ITEM IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION**

9th FS/49th FG, Gusap, New Guinea, January 1944 - The 9th FS reluctantly gave up its P-47s following the attritional Rabaul campaign of late 1943. Although Lightning's were in short supply in the Pacific Theater, there were plenty of heavyweight Thunderbolts available, so the unit converted to the Republic fighter in November 1943. The 9th FS was the only unit within the 49th FG to re-equip with the P-47, and its pilots were not impressed with the big fighter. As if to prove their point, only three aces claimed kills with the fighter, including the squadron's CO, Maj. Gerald Johnson. He claimed a "Tony" and a "Zeke" with this very aircraft, which bore his command stripes, in December 1943 and January 1944. A typical aviation squadron for any of the American branches of the military usually consists of three or four flights with anywhere from 12 to 24 aircraft. The squadron members have a bond that spans generations. The Corgi Squadron History range honors these squadrons and the brave who served them. In 2007, the focus is the 9th Fighter Squadron/49th Fighter Group.