GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: P-47 THUNDERBOLT

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HIGH SILLINESS IN THE LAND OF THE FREE

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Volume 475                                 June 16, 2021

 

I LOVE AIRCRAFT:  THE P-47 THUNDERBOLT

The first propeller fighter to exceed 500mph!

This is one awesome bird!  The P-47 was one of the best fighter planes of the Second World War.  Huge, heavy, but fast and manoeuvrable this plane saw use through WW2, Korea, and Vietnam because of its highly desired qualities.

Click here for details: http://www.aviation-history.com/republic/p47.html

Built in greater quantities than any other US fighter, the P-47 was the heaviest single-engine WWII fighter to go into production and the first piston-powered fighter to exceed 500 mph.  This plane flew over 546,000 combat missions between March of 1943 and August 1945 [largely in the Pacific Theatre] and is considered the forerunner of today's multi-role fighters.

Impressive stats include:        Max Speed:                    467mph

                                                  Service Ceiling:              43,000ft.

                                                  Maximum Range:          2,200 miles

                                                  Armament:                     8 .50cal. machine guns

                                                                                3,000lb. bombs or 10 rockets 

 

This bird had the range of a long-range bomber, the speed and agility of a dedicated fighter, carried enough armament to battle anything in the air, and carried enough bombs to level a city.  Add to this it’s incredible [at the time] 43,000 operating ceiling, and this was one amazing aircraft.

One hell of a fine plane, considered in the ranks of the P51 Mustang and the P38 Lightning as one of the finest fighter planes ever built.  I love this plane!

I’m Max, and that’s the way I see it!