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The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber in the ground-attack role.
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is an American fighter aircraft. From the first prototype produced in 1941, 15,686 P-47s were produced, the last of which was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from Republic Aviation ' Evansville, Indiana factory.
Production of the bubbletop Thunderbolt began with the P-47D-25-RE at Farmingdale and the P-47D-26-RA at Evansville. These aircraft were based on the XP-47L with increased fuel capacity. [ 4 ] Bubbletop P-47D production totaled 3,028 aircraft, built in eight production blocks, for a grand total of 12,558 P-47Ds.
During World War II, Evansville was the site of a Republic Aviation factory that built Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. [1]Plans to obtain an aircraft for display in the city began as early as 1986, when a former supervisor at the plant, Frank Whetsel, purchased the wreckage of a P-47D, serial number 42-8320, that had crashed in Lake Kerr in Florida and founded the P-47 Heritage Commission.
He became the first pilot to shoot down an enemy plane in the P-51 Mustang and was the first flying ace of the 354th Fighter Group. Mike Rogers was a pilot with the 353d Fighter Squadron, with claims of 12 enemy aircraft destroyed. He remained in the Air Force and retired in 1978 in the grade of general and commander of Air Force Logistics Command.
P-47 Thunderbolts from the 318th Fighter Group taking off from East Field on Saipan, Marianas Islands in October 1944. Lead ship: "Big Squaw" Republic-Evansville P-47D-20-RA Thunderbolt s/n 43-25327 19th FS, 318th FG, 7th AF Assigned to John "Jack" H. Payne. The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat ...
Established on 1 March 1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts as the 362d Fighter Group, equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England. Engaged in combat operations until May 1945.
During this period, the squadron transitioned from the P-40 to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. [2] During Wymond's operational deployment, he served as commanding officer of the 65th Fighter Squadron from May 13, 1943, to May 1945, with short periods on leave in the United States from July to September 1943, and May to June 1944.