| Of all the aircraft built by Republic in WWII, the P-47 | | | | R2800-57 and at 81% of rated power could maintain |
| Thunderbolt was the most famous. The P-47 first | | | | 435 mph. At military power (100%) it could sustain |
| flew in 1941. It had been designed as a large (for | | | | 470 mph, with the settings at War Emergency |
| that time), high performance fighter/bomber and was | | | | Power (133%) the P-47 actually attained 507 mph. All |
| powered by the large Pratt and Whitney | | | | speed tests were carried out at an altitude of 34,300 |
| turbo-charged R-2800 Double Wasp engine. This gave | | | | ft. The P-47 was also especially good at climbing. At |
| the P-47 excellent performance and a large | | | | sea level its climb rate was 4,900 fpm, four minutes |
| load-carrying capability. The US Army Air Corps | | | | and 15 seconds later it at 20,000 ft it was maintaining |
| started flying it in the European Theatre soon after | | | | 4,400 fpm. Time to 30,000 was 6 ¾ minutes; |
| first deliveries were accepted in June 1942. | | | | this with full internal tanks and fully armed. It had also |
| Even though it was an excellent airplane, as | | | | been flown to 46,500 and the pilot claimed it was |
| production continued, several improvements were | | | | capable of a bit more. |
| made with each improvement adding power, | | | | The first of Germany's rockets appeared in the |
| maneuverability and range. The Thunderbolt, or "Jug", | | | | summer of 1944. The sudden appearance of the V-1 |
| as it was affectionately called, gained a reputation as | | | | flying bomb caused a serious uproar in Britain. Flying |
| the war progressed as a reliable and extremely tough | | | | at speeds right around 400 mph., the V-1 was not |
| airplane. It was able to take incredible amounts of | | | | easy to intercept prior to flying over populated areas |
| damage and still return its pilot home safely. During | | | | where knocking it down could have a worse effect |
| the war, P-47s logged almost 2 million flight hours. | | | | than leaving it alone. Many of the RAF's latest |
| They were responsible for the destruction of over | | | | fighters were thrown into intercepting the "Buzz |
| 7,000 enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground in | | | | Bombs", preferably over the English Channel. |
| the European Theater alone. Later in the war in the | | | | Tempests, Spitfires and even the jet powered (but |
| Pacific theatre, Jugs served as escort fighters for | | | | not very fast) Meteors were put to work |
| B-29 bombers. Mostly, though, they excelled in the | | | | intercepting the deadly missiles. |
| ground-attack role, strafing and bombing their way | | | | Naturally the British government called upon its allies |
| across the battlefields of Europe. Early versions, up | | | | to aid in this duty. Having already logged hundreds of |
| through the P-47C, had "razorback" fuselages, while | | | | flights with the XP-47M, beginning in mid 1943, |
| the popular P-47D featured a bubble canopy which | | | | Republic had a big leg up in terms of development |
| gave the pilot increased rearward visibility. | | | | time. This was about the time when the P-47M series |
| The P-47D with the P&W R-2800 radial engine | | | | was just going into production. Upon being informed |
| weighed in at 9,950 lbs empty, with a full load of fuel | | | | of the P-47M's performance an initial order of three |
| and bombs, it could manage takeoff with 17,500 lbs. | | | | was immediately placed but never fulfilled; instead the |
| Its length was 36 ft, wing span 40 ft 9 in, with a | | | | improved P-47N was produced with its clipped wings, |
| height of 14 ft 8 in. Performance wise its maximum | | | | which for the first time was a "wet wing "containing |
| speed was 433 mph with a ceiling of 41,000 ft and a | | | | self-sealing fuel tanks. By the time the first aircraft |
| range of 1900 (with drop tanks). For armament it | | | | were ready to be delivered to Europe, the ground |
| carried four 50 calibre machine guns in each wing and | | | | forces in Europe had already over-run the V-1 |
| up to 2500 lbs of externally mounted bombs, rockets | | | | launching sites. The P-47N with its speed of 465 mph |
| or other free-fall ordinance. | | | | and range in excess of 2,300 miles, was instead |
| Sometimes it seems like every manufacturer of | | | | deployed to the Pacific and was assigned escort |
| WWII fighters claimed theirs was the fastest, but | | | | duties with the B-29 Superfortresses during the last |
| there may have been some truth to the P-47'c claim. | | | | months of the war. |
| The P-47J was equipped with the P&W | | | | |