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.

Nov 24, 2020 · Weighing 10,000 pounds empty, the Thunderbolt was the largest single-engine fighter built by any country during World War II. Fully loaded with pilot, fuel and armaments, it topped out at more...

Jan 24, 2025 · The P-47’s radial engine proved remarkably resistant to battle damage, and, with its heavy armament and well-armoured cockpit, the Thunderbolt established a reputation as one of the most effective fighter-bombers of the war.

Jan 22, 2021 · Was the Thunderbolt a Republic design, or did it owe much to the 1930s airplanes created by Russian émigré, air power advocate and entrepreneur de Seversky? The popular position is that Republic engineer Alexander Kartveli designed the P-47 on the back of the proverbial envelope during an overnight train trip to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio.

The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the leading American fighter aircraft of the Second World War. Larger and heavier than any other single-seat fighters of the era, it saw widespread use by the US Army Air Forces in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) in escort and ground attack roles.

Used as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness. Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Thunderbolt to absorb severe battle damage and keep flying.

Roughly 100 companies, coast to coast, helped Republic Aviation Corporation manufacture each P-47 Thunderbolt. Top Photo: Over Italy, a formation of Republic P-47s prowl for targets, each one hauling a pair of 500-pound bombs and an external fuel tank. National Archives. The P-47 was a behemoth.

Feb 12, 2019 · Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images) The P-47 Thunderbolt had an unusually large propeller that measured just over 13 feet in diameter. The component, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 engine, meant engineers were forced to adapt other parts of the design.

Aug 3, 2018 · Dubbed the "Thunderbolt," the P-47 entered service with the 56th Fighter Group in November 1942. Initially derided for its size by British pilots, the P-47 proved effective as a high-altitude escort and during fighter sweeps, as well as showed that it …

May 19, 2019 · Designed by Alexander Kartveli, Republic Aviation’s chief engineer, the P-47 was one of the outstanding designs of World War II, being the mount of some of America’s top scoring aces, undertaking some 546,000 combat sorties between March 1943 and August 1945, during which 1,934,000 operational hours were accumulated.