Warplanes of the USA: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Republic P-47 Thunderbolts

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in the USA.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in the United States of America would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt "The Jenny A", of the 325th Fighter Group.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic RP-47N-5-RE Thunderbolts. Each of these three is being flown by a Republic Test Pilot on a pre-delivery flight. The P-47N was capable of 467 mph at 32,000'  and able to fly over 2,200 miles.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic P‑47B Thunderbolt formation, 56th Fighter Group, with the aircraft painted in pre-deployment colours. In Europe the P-47s adopted white bands on noses and tails to distinguish them from the Focke-Wulf Fw 190A in the eyes of nervous bomber gunners.

Survivors:

(USAAF Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-08130), being restored for static display at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-08066).  Project, being restored in Australia for the Pima Air and Space Museum. This Thunderbolt, which is a combat veteran of the Pacific Theatre, was force-landed mostly intact in the swamps of New Guinea in October 1943. It remained largely undisturbed until the mid-1960s when efforts began to retrieve it. The aircraft was eventually recovered and shipped to New Zealand, where it was prepared for static display. It was later traded to Australia. By the time restoration commenced, the aircraft required significant metal replacement to address the corrosion from its time in the New Guinea swamp.

(Goshimini Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-08205), "Big Stud", 88, Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

(Goshimini Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-23278), "Fiery Ginger IV", National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

(Bonnie Trestle Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-27609), unnamed, this aircraft is being restored for static display at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot, North Dakota.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-29150), "Dottie Mae", based at Allied Fighters in Sun Valley, Idaho. Airworthy.

(Eric Salard Photo)

Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-32691), LH-E, unnamed.  This aircraft is preserved in the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-32798), unnamed, Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill AFB in Utah.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-32814), unnamed, in storage at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-32817), "Balls Out", based at Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio, Texas. Airworthy.

(Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker, USAF Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-90368), "Tarheel Hal", based at Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas. Airworthy.

(Kogo Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-90438), "Wicked Wabbit", 44, privately owned in Wilmington, Delaware. Airworthy.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-90447), "Jacky's Revenge", in storage at American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, New York. This aircraft crashed in the Hudson River on 27 May 2016, pilot killed. Wreckage recovered but unknown if it will be restored.

(Airwolfhound Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-90460), "Hun Hunter XVI", based at Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville, Tennessee. Airworthy.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-90471), "Hairless Joe", based at Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. Airworthy.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49130), unnamed, in storage at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville, Tennessee.

(Goshimini Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49167), painted as (Serial No. 44-32718), "Five by Five", National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49181), unnamed, Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49205), "Squirt VIII", based at Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California. Airworthy.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49346), c/n 399-55885, unnamed, Reg. No. N3152D, based at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. Airworthy.

(Tim Felce Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49385), unnamed, based at Westpac Restorations in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Airworthy.

(Articseahorse Photo)

Republic P-47D-40-RA Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49406), "Tallahassee Lassie", based at Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington. Airworthy.   This aircraft is is painted in the colours of the Thunderbolt flown by Seattle-born Colonel Ralph C. Jenkins, who led the 510th Fighter Squadron, 405th Fighter Group, USAAF.

(Johannes Gilger Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 45-49458), "Norma", New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Republic P-47G Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-25068), "Snafu", privately owned in Houston, Texas. Airworthy.

(Airwolfhound Photo)

Republic P-47G Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-25254), "Spirit Of Atlantic City, NJ", based at Planes of Fame in Chino, California. Airworthy.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Republic YP-47M Thunderbolt (Serial No. 42-27385), unnamed, based at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. Airworthy.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-20978) 'Torrid Tessie' of the 346th Fighter Squadron and flown by USAAF 1Lt Homer St. Onge flying over Italy, 25 Feb 1945.

The P-47M was intended as a high-speed P-47 variant with the intention of engaging the German V-1 Flying-bomb threat. This is the first of the four YP-47M prototypes, converted in 1944 from standard P-47D airframes by fitting with an R-2800-57(C) engine and General Electric CH-5 Turbo-supercharger. It was also fitted with air-brakes, for use following a dive attack on other aircraft. It had an impressive top speed of 473mph. 133 production aircraft were built, all serving with the 56th Fighter Group. They were responsible for the seven jets shot down by the unit, although the highly tuned engines proved to be unreliable in the field.

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89136), "Lil Meatie's Meat Chopper", in storage at Commemorative Air Force in Midland, Texas. Heavily damaged after an accident on 21 March 2002 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is now awaitng restoration and is in storage at Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas.

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89320), "Expected Goose", Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin AFB, Florida.

(Articseahorse Photo)

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89348), unnamed, Lackland AFB, Texas.

(US GOV PD Photo)

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89425), "Wild Hare", Peterson Air and Space Museum at Peterson AFB, Colorado.

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89444), "Cheek Baby", Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. It is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic XP-47H Thunderbolt variant with Chrysler XIV-2220-1 V16 engine.

P-47 Pilot Equipment: Typical personal equipment for a U.S. pilot from the Pilot Training Manual for the Thunderbolt P-47N, Headquarters, AAF Manual 51-127-4, Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., September 1945.