MAQUETTE À MONTER - Republic P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback" Tamiya | N° 61086 | 1:48

Characteristics

Description

In May 1941, while the war was raging in Europe, a single-engine fighter weighing over 4tons made its appearance. This revolutionary plane was the XP-47B, prototype of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, of which a total of 15,683 units would be built in all. This version of the Thunderbolt was fitted with a 2000hp radial R-2800 engine. Even when equipped with eight 12.7mm machine-guns, this prototype was able to reach 633km/h. In January 1942, as America entered the war, the production of the P-47B began. It was followed by the P-47C, which incorporated various improvements from the April 1942, D series. By far the greatest number, the P-47D had an R-2800-69 engine featuring a water injection system, and could generate up to 2300hp in an emergency combat scenario. Ducts on the sides and below the fuselage connected to the supercharger placed behind the pilot's seat and contributed to this plane's massive form. Many sub-types of the P-47D, designated D-1 to D-40 were produced, but the first versions were called Razorbacks, because of their sharp-edge dorsal fin shape. Many units such as the 56th FG of the 8th Air Force, was used to escort the B-17 and B-24 bombers. Whereas the Spitfire could not go beyond the coasts of continental Europe, the P-47 accompanied the bombers as far as the western part of Germany. After the introduction of the longer range P-51 in autumn 1944, the P-47 came to be used for ground attack missions because of its two payload capacities and its high flying capacity. The concept of the P-47 had a great influence on the development of its successors such as the F-84 Thunderjet and the F-4 Phantom II.

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