P-47D Serial Number 44-90460 (N9246B), named "Hun Hunter XVI," owned by Neal Melton of Luttrell, Tennessee, USA, shows of its muscular lines at the Yankee Air Museum Airshow in 2002. Photo courtesy of Richard Seaman.

History:  The Thunderbolt was the most famous of all the Republic aircraft in WWII. First flown on 6 May 1941, the P-47 was designed as a (then) large, high-performance fighter/bomber, utilizing the large Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine to give it excellent performance and a large load-carrying capability. The first deliveries of the P-47 took place in June 1942, when the US Army Air Corps began flying it in the European Theater.

Though it was an excellent airplane, several improvements were made as production continued, with each improvement adding power, maneuverability and range. As the war progressed, the Thunderbolt, or "Jug," as it was affectionately called, gained a reputation as a reliable and extremely tough airplane, able to take incredible amounts of damage and still return its pilot home safely. P-47s logged almost 2 million flight hours during the war, during which they were responsible for the destruction of over 7,000 enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground in the European Theater alone.

Later in the war, Jugs served as escort fighters for B-29 bombers in the Pacific. Mostly, though, they excelled in the ground-attack role, strafing and bombing their way across the battlefields of Europe. Early versions of the P-47 had "razorback" fuselages, but later models (beginning near the middle of the P-47D  production run) featured a bubble canopy which gave the pilot increased rearward visibility.

P-47s were also used during the war by the air forces of Brazil, England, France, Mexico and the Soviet Union. Following the war, the Jug served for nine more years in the US, flown by the Air National Guard. It continued to serve for many additional years with the air forces of over 15 nations around the world.

Nicknames: Jug; T-Bolt

Specifications (P-47D):
    Engine: 2535hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59W Double Wasp radial piston engine
    Weight: Empty 9,950 lbs., Maximum Takeoff 17,500 lbs.
    Wing Span: 40ft. 9.25in.
    Length: 36ft. 1.75in.
    Height: 14ft. 8in.
    Performance:
        Maximum Speed: 433 mph
        Ceiling: 41,000 ft.
        Range: 1900 miles with drop tanks
    Armament:
        Eight 12.7mm (0.5 in.) wing-mounted machine guns
        Up to 2500 lbs. of externally-mounted bombs, rockets, or other free-fall ordinance

Number Built: 15,677

Number Still Airworthy: 9

Links:
AeroWeb P-47 Reference Page
Corey Jordan's P-47M Page
Design Analysis of the P-47 Thunderbolt
Joe Baugher's History of P-47 Development
Kiwi Aircraft Images' P-47 Page
Operating Instructions for the P-47
P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot's Association
P-47 Advocates
Photovault P-47 Image Archive
"Roaring Glory" P-47 DVD
USAF Museum P-47 Page
Zeno's Online Warbird Videos: "How to Fly the Republic P-47..."