P-47 Thunderbolt
USAAF P-47D "Razorback" configuration
Type	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Republic Aviation
Designed by	Alexander de Seversky Alexander Kartveli
Maiden flight	6 May 1941
Introduction	1942
Retired	1955, U. An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale Long Island New York. Alexander Nikolaievich Prokofiev de Seversky (also Prokofiev-Seversky or DeSeversky) ( June 7, 1894 &ndash August 24, 1974 Alexander Kartveli (ალექსანდრე ქართველიშვილი 1896-1974 born Kartvelishvili) was an aircraft engineer and a pioneer of The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. Air National Guard
Primary user	United States Army Air Force
Number built	15,686
Unit cost	US$85,000 in 1945[1]

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the Jug, was the largest single-engined fighter of its day, and a vast improvement over the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, its predecessor. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale Long Island New York. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Graph theory is a growing area in mathematical research and has a large specialized vocabulary It was one of the main United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighters of World War II, and also served with other Allied air forces. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The P-47 was effective in air combat but proved especially adept at ground attack. Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces It had eight . 50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded the P-47 could weigh up to eight tons. A modern-day counterpart in that role, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, takes its name from the P-47.

Development

The P-47 Thunderbolt was the product of Russian immigrant Alexander de Seversky and Georgian immigrant Alexander Kartveli, who had left their homelands to escape the Bolsheviks. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Alexander Nikolaievich Prokofiev de Seversky (also Prokofiev-Seversky or DeSeversky) ( June 7, 1894 &ndash August 24, 1974 Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Alexander Kartveli (ალექსანდრე ქართველიშვილი 1896-1974 born Kartvelishvili) was an aircraft engineer and a pioneer of The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction

P-43 Lancer / XP-47B

P-47 fires its M2 machine guns during night gunnery.

In 1939, Republic Aviation designed the AP-4 demonstrator powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine with a belly-mounted turbocharger. The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale Long Island New York. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion Engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. While the resulting P-43 Lancer was in limited production, Republic had been working on an improved P-44 Rocket with a more powerful engine, as well as on a fighter designated the AP-10. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The latter was a lightweight aircraft powered by the Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled V-12 engine and armed with 8 .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout V12 redirects here For the V12 Training program see V-12 Navy College Training Program. This article is about the.50 caliber M2 machine gun For the.30-06 M2 machine gun see M1919 Browning machine gun. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) backed the project and gave it the designation XP-47. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U

As the war in Europe escalated in spring 1940, Republic and the USAAC concluded that the XP-44 and the XP-47 were inferior to the German fighters. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Republic unsuccessfully attempted to improve the design, proposing the XP-47A. Alexander Kartveli subsequently came up with an all-new and much larger fighter which was offered to the USAAC in June 1940. The Air Corps ordered a prototype in September, to be designated the XP-47B. The XP-47A, which had almost nothing in common with the new design, was abandoned.

The XP-47B was all-metal construction (except for fabric-covered tail control surfaces) with elliptical wings. An elliptical wing is a Wing Planform shape first seen on Aircraft in the 1930s which minimizes induced drag. The cockpit was roomy and the pilot's seat was comfortable, "like a lounge chair" as one pilot would later put it. A cockpit is the area usually near the front of an Aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft The pilot was provided with every convenience, including cabin air conditioning. The canopy doors hinged upward. Main and auxiliary self-sealing fuel tanks were placed under the cockpit, giving a total fuel capacity of 305 U. In Aviation, self-sealing fuel tank is a Fuel tank technology in wide use since World War II that prevents fuel tanks primarily on Aircraft from S. gallons (1,155 L).

WASP pilot Deanie Parish on the flightline at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, in the early 1940s in front of an early P-47. Tyndall Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located near Panama City in Bay County, Florida, United Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

Power came from a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp two-row 18-cylinder radial engine producing 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) and turning a four-bladed Curtiss Electric constant-speed propeller 146 inches (3. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 7 m) in diameter. The loss of the AP-4 prototype to an engine fire ended Kartveli's experiments with tight-fitting cowlings, so the engine was placed in a broad cowling that opened at the front in a "horse collar"-shaped ellipse. A cowling is a covering of a vehicle's Engine, most often found on automobiles and aircraft The cowling admitted cooling air for the engine, left and right oil coolers, and the turbosupercharger intercooler system. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. An intercooler, or Charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged (forced The engine exhaust gases were routed into a pair of wastegate-equipped pipes that ran along each side of the cockpit to drive the turbosupercharger turbine at the bottom of the fuselage about halfway between cockpit and tail. A wastegate is a Valve that diverts Exhaust gases away from the Turbine wheel in a Turbocharged engine system At full power, the pipes glowed red at their forward ends and the turbine spun at 60,000 revolutions per minute. The complicated turbosupercharger system with its ductwork gave the XP-47B a deep fuselage, and the wings had to be mounted in a relatively high position. This was problematic since long landing gear were needed to provide ground clearance for the propeller. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi To reduce the size and weight of the long landing gear {so that wing-mounted machine guns could be mounted), each main gear strut was fitted with an ingenious mechanism by which it telescoped out nine inches (230 millimeters) when extended.

The XP-47B was a very large aircraft for its time with an empty weight of 9,900 pounds (4,490 kg), or 65 percent more than the YP-43. Kartveli is said to have remarked, "It will be a dinosaur, but it will be a dinosaur with good proportions. "^[2] The armament consisted of eight 0. 50 caliber (12. 7 mm) machine guns, four in each wing. The guns were staggered to allow feeding from side-by-side ammunition boxes, each with a 350-round capacity. Although the British already possessed eight-gun fighters in the form of the Hurricane and the Spitfire, these used the smaller 0. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 303 caliber (7. 7 mm) guns.

The XP-47B first flew on 6 May 1941 with Lowry P. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brabham at the controls. Although there were minor problems, such as some cockpit smoke that turned out to be due to an oil drip, the aircraft proved impressive in its first trials. It was eventually lost in an accident on August 8, 1942, but before that mishap the prototype had achieved a level speed of 412 mph (663 kph) at 25,800 ft (7,864 m) altitude, and had demonstrated a climb from sea level to 15000 ft altitude in five minutes. ^[3]

P-47B / P-47C / XP-47E / XP-47F

P-47B.

The XP-47B gave the newly-reorganized United States Army Air Forces cause for both optimism and apprehension. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. While possessing good performance and firepower, the XP-47B had its share of teething problems:

• Its sheer size and limited ground-propeller clearance made for challenging takeoffs which required long runways - the pilot had to hold the tail low until considerable speed was attained on the initial run.
• The sideways-opening canopy covers had a tendency to jam. An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of Aircraft.
• The multiple-gun installation, with its tight fit and cramped ammunition-belt tracks, experienced jamming problems, especially during and after hard maneuvering.
• Maneuverability was less than desired when compared to the Supermarine Spitfire and Bf-109. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
• The ignition system arced at high altitude.
• Access to the rear engine accessory pad was difficult due to the short engine mount used.
• At high altitude the ailerons "snatched and froze".
• At high speeds the control loads were deemed excessive.

Republic addressed the problems with a sliding canopy that could be jettisoned in an emergency, a pressurized ignition system, and new all-metal control surfaces (improved engine-accessory access had to wait until the P-47C introduced a new engine mount). While the engineers worked frantically to get their "dinosaur" to fly right, the USAAF ordered 171 P-47Bs. An engineering prototype P-47B was delivered in December 1941, with a production prototype following in March 1942, and the first production model provided in May. Republic continued to improve the design as P-47Bs were produced, and although all P-47Bs had the sliding canopy and the new General Electric turbosupercharger regulator for the R-2800-21 engine, features such as all-metal control surfaces were not standard at first. A modification unique to the P-47B was the radio mast behind the cockpit that was slanted forward to maintain the originally designed antenna wire length in spite of the new sliding canopy.

The P-47B not only led to the P-47C but to a few other "one off" variants. A single reconnaissance variant designated RP-47B was built. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information In September 1942, the 171st and last P-47B (41-6065) was also used as a test platform under the designation XP-47E to evaluate the R-2800-59 engine, a pressurized cockpit with a hinged canopy and, eventually, a new Hamilton Standard propeller. Cabin pressurization is the active pumping of compressed Air into an Aircraft cabin when flying at altitude to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew Hamilton Standard, a famous Aircraft Propeller parts supplier was formed in 1929 when United Aircraft & Transport Corporation consolidated Hamilton Aero Manufacturing The plans for production were cancelled after increased emphasis on low-level operations over Europe. ^[4][5] Another P-47B was later fitted with a new laminar flow wing in search of higher performance and redesignated XP-47F. Laminar flow, sometimes known as streamline flow occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers with no disruption between the layers

Operational history

P-47 pilot Lt. Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, 56th Fighter Group, leading ace of the 8th Air Force. Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski (Franciszek Gabryszewski ( 28 January 1919 - January 31 2002) was the top American The 56th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 56th Operations Group, is a current Eighth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force (NAF of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC

Initial deliveries of the Thunderbolt to the USAAF were to the 56th Fighter Group, which was also on Long Island. The 56th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 56th Operations Group, is a current The 56th served as an operational evaluation unit for the new fighter. Teething problems continued. A Republic test pilot was killed in an early production P-47B when it went out of control in a dive, and crashes occurred due to failure of the tail assembly. Empennage émpənij is an Aviation term used to describe the Tail portion of an Aircraft. The introduction of revised rudder and elevator balance systems and other changes corrected these problems. In spite of the problems, the USAAF was interested enough to order an additional 602 examples of the refined P-47C, with the first of the variant delivered in September 1942.

Beginning in January 1943, Thunderbolt fighters were sent to the joint Army Air Forces-civilian Millville Airport in Millville, NJ in order to train civilian and military pilots. Millville Municipal Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of the Central business district of Millville, a Millville is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States.

P-47C

Essentially similar to the P-47B, the initial P-47Cs featured strengthened all-metal control surfaces, an upgraded GE turbosupercharger regulator and a short vertical radio mast. After the initial manufacture of a block of 57 P-47Cs, production moved to the P-47C-1, which had a thirteen inch fuselage extension forward of the cockpit at the firewall to correct centre of gravity problems, ease engine maintenance and allow installation of a new engine mount. There were a number of other changes, such as revised exhausts for the oil coolers, and fixes to brakes, undercarriage and electrical system as well as a redesigned rudder and elevator balance. The 55 P-47C-1s were followed by 128 P-47C-2s which introduced a centerline hardpoint with under-fuselage shackles for either a 500 pound (227 kg) bomb or a 200 U. S. gallon (758 L, 166. 5 imp. gal) fuel tank that conformed to the underside of the fuselage. The main production P-47C sub-variant was the P-47C-5 which introduced a new whip antenna and the R-2800-59 engine with water-methanol injection with a war emergency power rating of 2,300 horsepower (1,716 kW). Water injection, also known as anti-detonant injection, is a method for cooling the Combustion chambers of Engines by adding Water to the incoming With the use of pressurized drop tanks, the P-47C was able to extend its range on missions beginning 30 July 1943. The term drop tank (or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks in both aeronautics and spaceflight Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6]

P-47 enters combat

P-47 flies over Europe.

P-47Cs were sent to England for combat operations in late 1942. The 56th FG was sent overseas to join the Eighth Air Force, whose 4th and 78th Fighter Groups were soon to be equipped with the Thunderbolts. Eighth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force (NAF of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC The 4th Fighter Group was built around a core of experienced American pilots, volunteers who had served with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during 1941-43 in the Eagle Squadrons and who flew the Spitfire until January 1943. The 4th Fighter Group was an American element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF Eighth Air Force during World War II, and is The Eagle Squadrons were fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States The 78th FG, formerly a P-38 group, also began conversion to the P-47 in January 1943. Commenting on the P-47's size, British pilots joked that a Thunderbolt pilot could defend himself from a Luftwaffe fighter by running around and hiding in the fuselage. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Some British assumed the American P-47 nickname "Jug" was short for "Juggernaut" and began using the longer word as an alternate nickname. ^[7] Another nickname that was used for the Thunderbolt was "T-bolt".

The first P-47 combat mission took place 10 March 1943 when the 4th FG took their aircraft on a fighter sweep over France. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The mission was a failure due to radio malfunctions. All P-47s were refitted with British radios, and missions resumed 8 April. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian The first P-47 air combat took place 15 April with Major Don Blakeslee of the 4th FG scoring the Thunderbolt's first air victory. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Donald James Matthew Blakeslee (September 11 1918 &ndash September 3 2008 was an officer in the United States Air Force, whose career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian On 17 August, P-47s performed their first large-scale escort missions, providing B-17 bombers with both penetration and withdrawal support of the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, and claiming 19 kills against three losses. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli

By the summer of 1943, the Jug was also in service with the 12th Air Force in Italy, and it was fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific with the 348th Fighter Group flying escort missions out of Brisbane, Australia. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland

P-47D / P-47G / XP-47K / XP-47L

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, nicknamed "Jug;" during World War II, the P-47 served in every active combat theater and with many Allied air forces.

Refinements of the Thunderbolt continued, leading to the definitive P-47D, of which 12,602 examples were built. The "D" model actually consisted of a series of evolving production blocks, the last of which were visibly different from the first.

The first P-47Ds were actually the same as P-47Cs. Republic could not produce Thunderbolts fast enough at its Farmingdale plant on Long Island, so a new plant was built at Evansville, Indiana. Evansville (ˈɛvənzˌvɪl is the third-largest city in the U The Evansville plant built a total of 110 P-47Ds, which were completely identical to P-47C-2s. Farmingdale aircraft were identified by the "-RE" suffix after the block number, while Evansville aircraft were given the "-RA" suffix.

The P-47D-1 through P-47D-6, the P-47D-10, and the P-47D-11 successively incorporated changes such as the addition of more engine cooling flaps around the back of the cowl to reduce the engine overheating problems that had been seen in the field. Engines and engine subsystems saw refinement, as did the fuel, oil and hydraulic systems. Additional armor protection was also added for the pilot. For body armour see Armour, for armoured forces see Armoured warfare, for other uses see Armour (disambiguation.

The P-47D-15 was produced in response to requests by combat units for increased range. The internal fuel capacity was increased to 375 U. S. gallons (1,421 L) and the bomb racks under the wings were made "wet" (equipped with fuel plumbing) to allow a jettisonable drop tank pressurized by vented exhaust air to be carried under each wing, in addition to the belly tank. The term drop tank (or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks in both aeronautics and spaceflight Five different auxiliary tanks were fitted to the Thunderbolt during its career:

• 200 U. S. gallon (758 L) ferry tank, a conformal tub-shaped jettisonable tank made of paper, which barely cleared the ground on grass airfields, was used as an interim measure between 30 July and 31 August 1943;
• 75 U. Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs are additional fuel tanks fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft which extend either range of an aircraft or Time on station with little Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. gallon (284 L) drop tank, a teardrop-shaped steel tank produced for the P-39, was adapted to the P-47 beginning 31 August 1943, initially carried on a belly shackle but used in pairs in 1944 as underwing tanks;
• 108-gallon (409 L) drop tank, a cylindrical paper tank of British design and manufacture, used as a belly tank beginning in September 1943 and a wing tank in April 1944;
• 150 U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. gallon (568 L) drop tank, a steel tank first used as a belly 20 February 1944, and an underwing tank 22 May 1944;
• 215 U. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. gallon (810 L) belly tank, a wide, flat steel tank developed by VIII Service Command that allowed performance-degrading wing pylons to be removed, was first used in February 1945.

The tanks made of plastic-impregnated (laminated) paper could not store fuel for an extended period of time, but they worked quite well for the time it took to fly a single mission. These tanks were cheaper, lighter in weight, and were useless to the enemy if recovered after being dropped — not only did they break apart, but they did not provide the enemy with any reusable materials that could be scavenged for their own war effort. With the increased fuel capacity, the P-47 was now able to perform escort missions deep into enemy territory. A drawback to their use was that fighters could not land with the tanks in place because of the hazard of rupture and explosion. Fighters recalled from a mission or that did not jettison for some reason were required to drop paper tanks into a designated "dump" area at their respective fields, resulting in substantial losses of aviation fuel.

The P-47D-16, D-20, D-22 and D-23 were similar to the P-47D-15 with minor improvements in fuel system, engine subsystems, a jettisonable canopy, and bulletproof windshield. Bulletproof glass is a colloquial term for Glass that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by Bullets Since manufacturing glass of usable The windshield or windscreen of an Aircraft, Automobile, Bus, Motorcycle, or Tram is the front Window Beginning with the block 22 aircraft, the original narrow-chorded Curtiss propeller was replaced by propellers with larger blades, the Evansville plant switching to a new Curtiss propeller with a diameter of 13 feet (3. 96 m) and the Long Island plant using a Hamilton Standard propeller with a diameter of 13 feet 2 inches (4. 01 m). With the bigger propellers having barely six inches of ground clearance, Thunderbolt pilots had to learn to be careful on takeoffs to keep the tail down until they obtained adequate ground clearance, and on landings to flare the aircraft properly. Failure to do so damaged both the propeller and the runway.

Republic P-47G-1-CU on skis.

Even with two Republic plants rolling out the P-47, the USAAF still was not getting as many Thunderbolts as they wanted, consequently, an arrangement was made with Curtiss to build the aircraft under license in a plant in Buffalo, New York. The Curtiss-Wright Corporation ( was once a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer specializing in Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Most of the Curtiss Thunderbolts were intended for use in advanced flight training. The Curtiss aircraft were all designated P-47G, and a "-CU" suffix was used to distinguish them from other production. The first P-47G was completely identical to the P-47C, the P-47G-1 was identical to the P-47C-1, while the following P-47G-5, P-47G-10, and P-47G-15 sub-variants were comparable to the P-47D-1, P-47D-5 and P-47D-10 respectively. Two P-47G-15s were built with the cockpit extended forward to just before the leading edge of the wing to provide twin tandem seating, designated TP-47G. The second crew position was accommodated by substituting a much smaller main fuel tank. The "Doublebolt" did not go into production but similar modifications were made in the field to older P-47s, which were then used as squadron "hacks" (miscellaneous utility aircraft). Curtiss built a total of 354 P-47Gs.

Bubbletop P-47s

Republic XP-47K (S/N 42-8702).

All the P-47s to this point had a "razorback" canopy configuration with a tall fuselage spine behind the pilot which resulted in poor visibility to the rear. The British also had this problem with their fighter aircraft, and had devised the bulged "Malcolm hood" canopy for the Spitfire as an initial solution. This was fitted in the field to many North American P-51 Mustangs, and to a handful of P-47Ds (and far more on P-47Bs and P-47Cs). North American Aviation was a major US Aircraft manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft including the T-6 Texan trainer the However, the British then came up with a much better solution, devising an all-round vision "bubble" canopy for the Hawker Typhoon. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout USAAF officials liked the bubble canopy, and quickly adapted it to American fighters, including the P-51 and the Thunderbolt. A bubble canopy is a canopy made like a soap Bubble, which attempts to provide 360° vision to the pilot The first P-47 with a bubble canopy was a modified P-47D-5 completed in the summer of 1943 and redesignated XP-47K. Another older P-47D was modified to provide an internal fuel capacity of 370 U. S. gallons (1,402 L) and given the designation XP-47L. The bubble canopy and increased fuel capacity were then rolled into production together, resulting in the block 25 P-47D (rather than a new variant designation). First deliveries to combat groups began in May 1944.

It was followed by similar bubble-top variants, including the P-47D-26, D-27, D-28 and D-30. Improvements added in this series included engine refinements, more internal fuel capacity, and the addition of dive recovery flaps. Cutting down the rear fuselage to accommodate the bubble canopy produced yaw instability, and the P-47D-40 introduced a dorsal fin extension in the form of a narrow triangle running from the vertical tailplane to the radio aerial. Flight dynamics is the science of air and space vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions The fin fillet was retrofitted in the field to earlier P-47D bubble-top variants. The P-47D-40 also featured provisions for ten "zero length" stub launchers for 5 inch (127 mm) High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVARs), as well as the new K-14 computing gunsight. This was a license-built copy of the British Ferranti GGS Mark IID computing gyroscopic sight which allowed the pilot to dial in target wingspan and range, and would then move the gunsight reticle to compensate for the required deflection. Ferranti or Ferranti International plc was a major UK Electrical engineering and equipment firm known primarily for defence Electronics and A gyro gunsight is a type of gunsight in which target lead (the amount of aim-off in front of a moving target and bullet drop are allowed-for automatically the sight

The bubbletop P-47s were nicknamed "Superbolts" by combat pilots in the field. ^[8]

P-47 as a fighter-bomber

Republic P-47D-40-RE in flight firing rockets (S/N 44-90386).

By 1944, the Thunderbolt was in combat with the USAAF in all its operational theaters, except the Battle of the Aleutian Islands. The Aleutian Islands campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II. With increases in fuel capacity as the type was refined, the range of escort missions over Europe steadily increased until the P-47 was able to accompany bombers in raids all the way into Germany. On the way back from the raids, pilots shot up ground targets of opportunity, and also used belly shackles to carry bombs on short-range missions, which led to the realization that the P-47 could perform a dual-function on escort missions as a fighter-bomber. Even with its complicated turbosupercharger system it could absorb a lot of damage, and its eight machine guns could inflict heavy damage on lightly armored targets. The P-47 gradually became the USAAF's best fighter-bomber, carrying the 500 pound (227 kg) bombs, the triple-tube M-8 4. 5 inch (115 mm) rocket launchers, and eventually HVARs. From the invasion of Europe on 6 June 1944, to VE day on 7 May 1945, the Thunderbolt units claimed destroyed: 86,000 railway cars, 9,000 locomotives, 6,000 armored fighting vehicles, and 68,000 trucks. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar ^[9]

Although the P-51 Mustang replaced the P-47 in the long-range escort role in Europe, the Thunderbolt still ended the war with 3,752 air-to-air kills claimed in over 746,000 sorties of all types, at the cost of 3,499 P-47s to all causes in combat. ^[10] In Europe in the critical first three months of 1944 when the German aircraft industry and Berlin were heavily attacked, the P-47 shot down more German fighters than did the P-51 (570 out of 873), and shot down approximately 900 of the 1,983 claimed during the first six months of 1944. ^[11] In Europe, the Thunderbolt flew more sorties (423,435) than P-51s, P-38s and P-40s combined.

By the end of the war, the 56th FG was the only 8th Air Force unit still flying the P-47, by preference, instead of the P-51. The unit claimed 665. 5 air victories and 311 ground kills, at the cost of 128 aircraft. ^[12] Lieutenant Colonel Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski scored 31 victories,^[13] including three ground kills, Captain Bob Johnson scored 27 (with one unconfirmed probable kill leading to some giving his tally as 28),^[14] and 56th FG Commanding Officer Colonel Hubert Zemke scored 17. Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski (Franciszek Gabryszewski ( 28 January 1919 - January 31 2002) was the top American Colonel Hubert A "Hub" Zemke (bMarch 141914-d August 30 1994 was a career officer in the United States Air Force, a fighter pilot in World War II and a leading 75 kills. ^[15] Despite being the sole remaining P-47 group in the 8th Air Force, the 56th FG remained its top-scoring group in aerial victories throughout the war.

In the Pacific, Colonel Neel E. Kearby of the 5th Air Force destroyed 22 Japanese aircraft and was awarded the Medal of Honor for an action in which he downed six enemy fighters on a single mission. Neel Ernest Kearby (1911-1944 was a US Army Air Corps Colonel and P-47 Thunderbolt pilot in World War II who was awarded the Medal of Fifth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force, part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. He was shot down and killed over Biak in March 1944. This page is about the island in Papua Indonesia For the language spoken there see Biak language. ^[16]

XP-47H

XP-47H / XP-47J

Republic made several attempts to further improve the P-47D:

Two XP-47Hs were built. They were major reworkings of existing razorback P-47Ds to accommodate a Chrysler IV-2220-11 water-cooled 16-cylinder inverted vee engine. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, such large inline engines did not prove to be especially effective.

XP-47J

The XP-47J began as a November 1942 request to Republic for a high-performance version of the Thunderbolt using a lighter airframe and an uprated engine with water injection and fan cooling. Kartveli designed an aircraft fitted with a tight-cowled Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57(C) with a war emergency rating of 2,800 horsepower (2,090 kW), reduced armament of six 0. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 50 inch (12. 7 mm) machine guns, a new and lighter wing, and many other changes. The first and only XP-47J was first flown in late November 1943. When fitted with a GE CH-5 turbosupercharger, the XP-47J achieved a top speed of 440 knots (505 mph, 813 km/h) in level flight in August 1944, making it one of the fastest piston engine fighters ever built. However, by that time Republic had moved on to a new concept, the XP-72. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

P-47M

The P-47M was a more conservative attempt to come up with a higher-performance ("Sprint") version of the Thunderbolt, seeking parity with the newly-introduced German jet aircraft and V-1 flying bombs. Four P-47D-27-RE airframes (s/n 42-27385 / 42-27388) were modified into prototype YP-47Ms by fitting the R-2800-57(C) engine and the GE CH-5 turbo-supercharger, a combination which could produce 2,800 hp (2,089 kW) at 32,500 ft when using Wartime Emergency Power (water injection). Air brakes were added to the wing's lower surfaces to allow braking after a dive onto its prey. The YP-47M had a top speed of 410 knots (473 mph, 761 km/h) and it was put into limited production with 130 (sufficient for one group) built. However, the type suffered serious teething problems in the field due to the highly-tuned engine. Engines were unable to reach operating temperatures and power settings and frequently failed in early flights from a variety of causes: ignition harnesses cracked at high altitudes, severing electrical connections between the magneto and distributor, and carburetor valve diaphragms also failed. Persistent oil tank ruptures in replacement engines were found to be the result of inadequate protection against salt-water corrosion during transshipment. By the time the bugs were worked out, the war in Europe was nearly over. The entire total of 130 P-47Ms were delivered to the 56th Fighter Group, and were responsible for all four of that group's jet shoot-downs. The 56th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 56th Operations Group, is a current A jet aircraft is an Aircraft propelled by Jet engines Jet aircraft fly much faster than Propeller -powered aircraft and at higher altitudes -- as high as Twelve were lost in operational crashes with the 56th Group resulting in 11 deaths, two after VE Day, and two (44-21134 on 13 April 1945 and 44-21230 on 16 April 1945) were shot down in combat, both by ground fire. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

The second YP-47M (of the batch of four converted P-47Ds) was later fitted with new wings and served as the prototype for the P-47N.

P-47N

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt flies its first combat mission, a sweep over Western Europe.

The P-47N was the last Thunderbolt variant to be produced. It was designed as an escort fighter for the B-29 Superfortress bombers flying raids on the Japanese home islands. Increased internal fuel capacity and drop tanks had done much to extend the Thunderbolt's range during its evolution, and the only other way to expand the fuel capacity was to put fuel tanks into the wings. Thus, a new wing was designed with two 50 U. S. gallon (190 L) fuel tanks. The second YP-47M with this wing flew in September 1944. The redesign proved successful in extending range to about 2,000 miles (3,200 km), and the squared-off wingtips improved the roll rate. The P-47N entered mass production with the uprated R-2800-77(C) engine, with a total of 1,816 built. The very last Thunderbolt to be built, a P-47N-25, rolled off the production line in October 1945. Thousands more had been on order, but production was halted with the end of the war in August. At the end of production, cost of a Thunderbolt was $83,000 in 1945 U.S. dollars. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

Postwar service

The USAF Strategic Air Command had P-47 Thunderbolts in service from 1946 through 1947. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U

The P-47 served with the Army Air Forces (United States Air Force after 1947) until 1949, and with the Air National Guard until 1953, receiving the designation F-47 in 1948. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and P-47s also served as spotters for rescue aircraft such as the OA-10 Catalina and Boeing B-17H. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The F-51 Mustang was used by the USAF during the Korean War, mainly in the close air support role. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The F-47 was not deployed to Korea. Since the Mustang was more vulnerable to being shot down, (and many were lost due to anti-aircraft fire), some former F-47 pilots have suggested the more durable Thunderbolt should have been sent to Korea, however the F-51D was available in greater numbers in the USAAF/ANG inventories ^[17].

The type was provided to many Latin American air forces some of which operated it into the 1960s. Small numbers of P-47s were also provided to China, Iran, Turkey and Yugoslavia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian:

A total of 15,686 Thunderbolts of all types were built, making it one of the most heavily produced fighter aircraft in history. A number of P-47s have survived to the present day, and a few are still flying.

Flying the Thunderbolt

All P-47s had an inherent ground handling challenge exacerbated by torque of the large propeller and the large nose that was difficult to see over during taxiing. Ground crewmen sometimes sat on the wing and used hand signals to provide directions to the pilot. The heavy weight resulted in a long takeoff run and, once in the air, the P-47 was not particularly maneuverable, though it became more agile, in comparison to most other fighters, at high altitudes. It did possess a good roll rate and climb/dive performance. Its success in combat depended on utilizing energy-conserving "dive-and-zoom" tactics. One Thunderbolt pilot compared it to flying a bathtub around the sky. When his unit (4th Fighter Group) was being converted from Spitfires to P-47s, ace Don Blakeslee said, referring to the P-47's vaunted ability to dive on its prey, "It ought to be able to dive. Donald James Matthew Blakeslee (September 11 1918 &ndash September 3 2008 was an officer in the United States Air Force, whose career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian It certainly can't climb"^[18] (his experience with P-47s was before the paddle-blade propeller was incorporated). On the positive side, the P-47 was rugged and well-armed. It could sustain a large amount of damage and still be able to get its pilot back to base. Quentin C. Aanenson documented his experiences flying the Thunderbolt on D-Day and subsequently in the European Theater in his video documentary A Fighter Pilot's Story, aired on PBS in 1994. Quentin C Aanenson (born April 21, 1921) is a World War II veteran Fighter pilot and former Captain of the 391st Fighter Squadron 366th Fighter D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote The European Theatre of Operations ( ETO) was an area of heavy fighting across Europe during World War II, from Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland

The Thunderbolt was also one of the fastest-diving aircraft of the war — it could reach speeds of 480 knots (550 mph, 885 km/h). Major Robert S. "Bob" Johnson described the experience of diving the big fighter by writing, "the Thunderbolt howled and ran for the earth". Robert Samuel Johnson ( 21 February 1920 to 27 December 1998) was a USAAF Fighter pilot during World War II. ^[19] Some P-47 pilots claimed to have broken the sound barrier, but later research revealed that due to the pressure buildup inside the pitot tube at high speeds, airspeed readings became unpredictably exaggerated. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A Pitot (ˈpiːtoʊ tube is a Pressure measurement instrument used to measure Fluid flow Velocity.

P-47 in non-U. S. service

Royal Air Force Republic P- 47D Thunderbolt.

Brazilian P-47 pilot during World War II.

P-47s carried the Senta a Pύa! emblem as nose art along with the national insignia of Brazil. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

P-47s were operated by several Allied air arms during World War II. The RAF received 240 razorback P-47Ds which they designated "Thunderbolt Mark I," and 590 bubbletop P-47D-25s, designated "Thunderbolt Mark II"s. With no need for another high-altitude fighter, they were adopted for ground attack. Once the Thunderbolts were cleared for use in 1944, they were operated against the Japanese in Burma by 16 RAF squadrons of the South East Asia Command from India. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. South East Asia Command (SEAC was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Operations were Army support (operating as "cab rank"s to be called in when needed), attacks on enemy airfields and lines of communication, and escort sorties. The Thunderbolts were armed with three 500 pound (227 kg) bombs or, in some cases, British "60 pound" (27 kg) RP-3 rocket projectiles. The RP-3 (from Rocket Projectile 3 inch) was a British air to ground Rocket used in the Second World War. Long range fuel tanks gave five hours of endurance. Thunderbolts remained in RAF service until October 1946; those squadrons not disbanded outright after the war re-equipped with British-built aircraft.

During the Italian campaign, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force flew a total of 67 P-47Ds in combat of which 15 were lost to German flak. The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force or BEF ( Portuguese: Força Expedicionária Brasileira, or FEB) was the 25300-man force formed by Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces The "1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça" (1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron) flew a total of 445 missions from November 1944 to May 1945, with 5 pilots being killed in action. In the early 80s the "1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça" was awarded the "Presidential Unit Citation" by the American Government in recognition for its achievements in WWII. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution.

In 1945, the Mexican Escuadron Aereo de Pelea 201 (201st Fighter Squadron) operated P-47Ds as part of the U. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. El Escuadrón 201 was a Mexican fighter Squadron, part of the (FAEM — "Mexican Expeditionary Air Force" that aided the Allied S. Fifth Air Force in the Philippines. Fifth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force, part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP In 791 sorties against Japanese forces, the 201st lost no pilots or aircraft to enemy action. ^[20]

The French Air Force received 446 P-47Ds from 1943, these aircraft saw extensive action in France and Germany and again in the 1950s during the Algerian War of Independence. The French Air Force ( French: Armée de l'Air (ALA literally Air Army) is the Air force of the French Armed Forces. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from

Over Italy, in 1943-45, P-47s were initially met as enemies in fierce aerial battles. During the devastating attacks made by U. S. bombers over Fiat on 25 April 1945, three G.55s were downed by P-47s without loss, although the Italian fighters managed before to shoot down several bombers. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In another battle in spring 1945, P-47s shot down five G. 55s and C.205Vs downed for no losses. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Postwar, the Italian Air Force (AMI) received 75 P-47D-25s (sent to 5˚ Stormo, and 99 to the 51˚). These machines were delivered between 1947 and 1950. From 1953 they were replaced by F-84s. AMI P-47s were not well liked as Italian pilots found them too heavy and too expensive to maintain. Nevertheless, the stability, payload and high speed were appreciated. Most importantly, they were a good platform to set up the transition to heavier jet fighters, including the F-84 Thunderjet, starting in 1953. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[21]

The Soviet Union also received 203 P-47Ds. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[22] The fighters were assigned to high-altitude air defense over major cities in rear areas. Unlike their Western counterparts, the Soviet Air Force made no notable use of the P-47 as a ground attack aircraft, depending instead on the P-39, P-63 and their own widely-produced Ilyushin Il-2. The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Operators

Survivors

Main article: Republic P-47 Survivors

A large number of surviving airframes exist in flyable condition as well as in museum collections worldwide. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian:

Specifications (P-47D Thunderbolt)

P-47D "Kathie" with 75-gallon drop tank buzzes the airfield at Bodney, England.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 36 ft 1 in (11. 00 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 42 m)
• Height: 14 ft 8 in (4. 47 m)
• Wing area: 300 ft² (27. 87 m²)
• Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)
• Loaded weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine, 2,535 hp (1,890 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 433 mph at 30,000 ft (697 km/h at 9,145 m)
• Range: 800 miles combat, 1,800 mi ferry (1,290 km / 2,900 km)
• Service ceiling 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
• Rate of climb: 3,120 ft/min (15. The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion Engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such The maximal total range is the distance an Aircraft can fly between Takeoff and Landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft or cross-country In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. 9 m/s)

Armament

• 8 x 0. 5 in (12. 7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
• Up to 2,500 lb (1134 kg) of bombs
• 10 x 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets

Popular culture

• Thunderbolt, 1947 Documentary (Color), Directors: John Sturges / William Wyler, Cast: James Stewart, Lloyd Bridges, Narrator: Robert Lowery. This article is about the.50 caliber M2 machine gun For the.30-06 M2 machine gun see M1919 Browning machine gun. [3]
• Fighter Squadron, 1948 Movie (Color), Director: Raoul Walsh, Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Robert Stack. [4]
• Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů paid a tribute to the aircraft with his scherzo for orchestra Thunderbolt P-47. Bohuslav Martinů ( (December 8 1890 – August 28 1959 was a prolific Bohemian Czech Composer, who wrote six symphonies, 15 Operas A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a piece of Music or a movement in a certain style that forms part of a larger piece such as a Symphony. It was premiered 19 December 1945 in Washington, D.C.. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D
• Steve Earle's song "Johnny Come Lately" is about an American P-47 pilot in World War II; it contains a verse "My P-47 is a pretty good ship/ She took a round comin' cross the channel last trip. Stephen 'Steve' Fain Earle (ɝl is an American Singer-songwriter, well known for his rock and Country music, as well as his political views "
• "Thunderbolts: The Conquest of the Reich" 2001 Documentary (color) The History Channel. Director Lawrence Bond depicted the last months of World War II over Germany as told by four P-47 pilots of the 362nd Fighter Group using original, all color 1945 footage.

See also

Related development

• Republic P-43
• Republic XP-72
  

Comparable aircraft

• Focke-Wulf Fw 190
• Grumman F6F Hellcat
• Hawker Tempest
• Polikarpov I-185
• Vought F4U Corsair
• Mitsubishi A7M
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

The initial version of this article was based on a public domain article from Greg Goebel's Vectorsite. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone . The original version (placed in the public domain) can be accessed at: [5]

External links

• P47Pilots.com -- P-47 Pilot Biographies, Pilot Stories, Photo Gallery
• The Cradle of Aviation Museum -- history of the P-47
• South American 'Jug'. The P-47 Thunderbolt of the Fuerza Aerea de Chile (FACH), IPMS Stockholm