The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a WW2 fighter aircraft. It was in service with the US Army's Air Force from November 27, 1942, to June 25, 1949. Although it had been designed as a fighter, it was also used as a ground-attack aircraft, or bomber. In this role, it was very useful and effective when it came to destroying enemy transport vehicles and ground troops as it provided fire support to Allied infantry.
With more than 15,000 aircraft produced until 1945, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the most massively built American airplane of World War II. Although it looked bulky, it was fast and maneuverable as it was equipped with a powerful 2,535-HP engine. Not only was it a lethal flying machine, bristling with machine guns and bombs, but it was also built with a sturdy fuselage, which could take a lot of enemy gunfire hits and still be able to keep flying.
The prototype, the XP-47B, had flown for the first time on May 6, 1941. It had been designed by engineer Alexandre Cartveli. The most widely manufactured version was the P-47D. On August 5, 1944, a specially-prepared Thunderbolt reached the maximum speed of 811 km/h (504 mph). Nicknamed the "Jug" by pilots, it flew over 500,000 combat sorties between March 1943 and August 1945, both in the European and the Pacific Theater of Operations.
Specifications (P-47D)
Type: single-seat fighter
Length: 11.02 m (36 ft, 2 in)
Wingspan: 12.42 m (40 ft, 9 in)
Wing Area: 27.87 square meters (300 sq. ft)
Height: 4.30 m (14 ft, 2 in)
Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59, Double Wasp, 18-cylinder, radial engine.
Maximum Speed: 700 km/h (432 mph)
Range: 3,000 km (1860 miles)
Ceiling:13,000 m (42,000 ft)
Armament: eight 12.7mm (.50-caliber) M2 Browning machine guns; 1,134-kg of bombs; rockets.
Below, The P-47 Thunderbolts flying a sortie in the Pacific Theater.
Below, the P-47D version in late June 1944 in the skies over northern France.
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt attacking enemy ground forces in Europe (video).