Republic Aviation Corporation
Republic P-47D Thunderbold
Republic Aviation
P-47 Thunderbold
Role Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer Republic Aviation
First flight 6 May 1941
Introduction November 1942
Retired 1966 (Peruvian Air Force)
Primary users United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force (historical)
French Air Force
Produced 1941–1945
Number built 15,636
Variants Republic XP-72
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History Republic Aviation Corporation.
Republic P-47 Thunderbold "Jug"
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber in the ground-attack role. Its primary armament was eight .50-caliber machine guns, and it could carry 5-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 lb (1,100 kg). When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to 8 tons, making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war.
The Thunderbolt was effective as a short- to medium-range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attack in both the European and Pacific theaters. The P-47 was designed around the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine, which also powered two U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps fighters, the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair. An advanced turbosupercharger system ensured the aircraft's eventual dominance at high altitudes, while also influencing its size and design
Development
American prewar fighter Republic P-43 Lancer 
XP-47 model during wind tunnel testing 
P-47 firing its M2 machine guns during night gunnery By the end of 1942, P-47Cs were sent to England for combat operations. The initial Thunderbolt flyers, 56th Fighter Group, were sent overseas to join the 8th Air Force. As the P-47 Thunderbolt worked up to operational status, it gained a nickname: "Jug" (because its profile was similar to that of a common milk jug of the time).Two fighter groups already stationed in England began introducing the Jugs in January 1943 - the Spitfire-flying 4th Fighter Group, a unit built around a core of experienced American pilots who had flown in the RAF Eagle Squadrons prior to the US entry in the war; and the 78th Fighter Group, formerly flying P-38 Lightnings. P-47 pilot Lt Col Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, 56th Fighter Group, leading ace of the 8th Air Force Beginning in January 1943, Thunderbolt fighters were sent to the joint Army Air Forces – civilian Millville Airport in Millville, New Jersey, to train civilian and military pilots.ation XP-47.
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Republic Aviation Corporation.
Republic P-47 Thunderbold "JUG"
Republic Aviation Corporation. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company
P-47 Thunderbold "The Jug"
General Info
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- Crew: 1
- Length: 36 ft 1+3⁄4 in (11.02 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft 9+5⁄16 in (12.43 m)
- Height: 14 ft 8+1⁄16 in (4.472 m)
- Wing area: 299.99 sq ft (27.870 m2)
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Powerplant
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- Empty weight: (4,536 kg)
- Gross weight: (6,001 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: (7,938 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed Curtiss Electric C542S constant-speed propeller, 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m) diameter
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Performance
- Maximum speed: 426 mph (686 km/h, 370 kn) at (9,100 m)
- Range: 1,030 mi (1,660 km
- Service ceiling: 13,000 m
- Wing loading: 44 lb/sq ft (210 kg/m2)
Armament
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- 8 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 425 rounds per gun (3400 rounds total)
- Up to 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of bombs
- 10 × 5 in (127 mm) HVAR unguided rockets
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Links to Youtube & Others
The P-47 proved to be a formidable fighter-bomber due to its good armament, heavy bomb load, and ability to survive enemy fire. The P-47's survivability was due in part to its radial piston engine, which unlike comparable liquid-cooled engines, had a high tolerance for damage.
Republic Aviation
P-47 Thunderbold
Other positive attributes included the P-47's ruggedness; its radial piston engine had a high tolerance for damage compared to liquid-cooled engines,
Youtube Link
In the Pacific, Colonel Neel E. Kearby of the Fifth Air Force claimed 22 Japanese aircraft and was awarded the Medal of Honor
Read more in Republic Aviation Corporation. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company
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