MAQUETTE À MONTER - P-47D THUNDERBOLT 'RAZORBACK'

Characteristics

Description

At the time Alexander Kartveli of Republic Aviation conceived the Thunderbolt in 1940, it seemed to go against nearly all the current norms in fighter design, which called for them to be lightweight, nimble and streamlined. The 'Jug' was certainly none of these, being the largest and heaviest single-seat aircraft to see service in WWII. But its huge 2,000hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 'Double Wasp' engine, coupled with a unique supercharging system, helped the aircraft overcome its portly fuselage and 6,124kg weight (13,500 lbs.) to become the most-produced fighter in American history, with over 15,000 eventually being built. The Jug's rather large fuselage made visibility to the rear poor, and the sharp upper ridge of the early types' fuselage was an attempt to boost the pilot's field of view as much as possible. From its shape, these Thunderbolts were often referred to as 'razorbacks' (in contrast to the ridgeless, bubble canopy versions which would follow later in the D-model production run). The first Thunderbolt to see combat was the 'C', which entered the war with the 8th Air Force in England in late 1942. Of all P-47 types, the 'D' was the most-produced and had the most variations. The P-47D-15, the type's first true fighter-bomber version, made wing pylons standard and allowed for the mounting of reinforced paper drop tanks, which gave the Thunderbolt the ability to escort bombers on longer missions. In addition, the P-47 was an extremely fast and stable gun platform. Jugs flying at treetop level used bombs, rockets, and their eight Browning .50 cal. machine guns to wreak destruction on German targets throughout Europe, claiming nearly 100,000 railway cars, 70,000 trucks and 6,000 tanks destroyed by the war's end. Thunderbolts also served with distinction in the Pacific theater against Japan.