The USAAC was impressed by the AP-10 proposal, but expressed concerns that it would be underarmed. Kartveli revised the AP-10 by slightly increasing its size and mounting two .30 in (7.62 mm)M1919 Browning machine guns in each wing, raising the gross weight to 6,570 lb. Satisfied, the USAAC ordered a single prototype under the designation XP-47, in November 1939.[1]
XP-47Aedit
In addition to the XP-47, the USAAC also ordered another prototype as the XP-47A. This prototype was ordered without military equipment, allowing for it to be finished and tested before the XP-47.[1]
In early 1940, combat reports from war in Europe indicated that the P-47 was inferior to Luftwaffe fighters. In response, the USAAC issued new requirements for a fighter including an airspeed of 400 mph at 25,000 ft, an armament of six or (preferably) eight .50 in machine guns, cockpit armor plating, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a minimum fuel load of 315 gallons.[2] Expecting the USAAC to reject the XP-47 for the more suitable Curtiss XP-46, Republic canceled the XP-47 and XP-47A and Kartveli began an extensive redesign of the aircraft.[1]
Razorback Thunderboltsedit
P-47Bedit
Eleventh production P-47B-RE, s/n 41-5905, with both the sliding canopy and original rear-cockpit windows.
On June 12, 1940, Kartveli submitted the redesigned AP-10 to the USAAC. The new aircraft was much larger than the original, and the inline engine was swapped for a turbo-superchargedPratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine.[2] Armament was increased to eight M2 Brownings, four mounted in each wing, making it one of the heaviest-armed fighters considered by the USAAC at the time.[1] The expected performance met USAAC requirements, however, its fuel load fell slightly short.[2] Despite this, the USAAC ordered a prototype of the improved design as the XP-47B, on September 6, 1940.[1]
The XP-47B was first flown on May 6, 1941. It was powered by a 1,960 hp XR-2800-21 engine and featured an elliptical wing, an all-metal construction (except for the fabric-covered control surfaces), and a hinged canopy.[1] The main landing gear retracted inward into the wings, telescoping nine inches to clear the underside of the fuselage, and the steerable tailwheel was fully retractable. With a loaded weight of 12,086 lb, the XP-47B was almost twice as heavy as its competitors. Performance was higher than expected with a maximum speed of 412 mph.[1]
The XP-47B crashed on August 8, 1942, however, an order for 773 production aircraft had been placed almost two years before on September 13, 1940.[1] The production aircraft, designated P-47B, differed from the prototype in that they were powered by a 2,000 hp production R-2800-21 engine, a sliding canopy in place of the original hinged unit, and redesigned metal ailerons and elevators.[3] Only 171 of the original order were completed as P-47Bs before production switched to the P-47C.[3] The aircraft's nickname, Thunderbolt, was created by Republic's Director of Military Contracts, C. Hart Miller.[1]
Sub-variants and modificationsedit
XP-47B, single prototype powered by a 1,960 hp XR-2800-21 engine.
P-47B-RE, 171 aircraft powered by a 2,000 hp R-2800-21 engine with other modifications.
RP-47B, designation originally applied to a handful of P-47B modified into photo-reconnaissance aircraft with a camera mounted in the port intercooler vent.[4] Later applied to all P-47Bs in 1944 to denote its status as restricted from combat.[3]
XP-47Eedit
The sole XP-47E, s/n 41-6065
The final P-47B was converted in September 1942 into a prototype for a high-altitude variant as the XP-47E. Modifications included a pressurized cockpit with a hinged canopy. The project was canceled due to increased emphasis on low-level operations over Europe.[5]
XP-47Fedit
Another P-47B was fitted with a larger-area laminar-flow wing as the XP-47F. The XP-47F was first flown on September 17, 1942, but project was ultimately canceled when the aircraft crashed and no production aircraft followed.[4][6]
P-47Cedit
P-47C-2-RE, s/n 41-6182
Several improvements were incorporated into the Thunderbolt starting with the 172nd production aircraft on September 14, 1942. The resulting P-47C featured a redesigned metal rudder, as the original fabric-covered unit was prone to tail flutter which frequently led to crashes.[7] A revised oxygen system was fitted, as were new SCR-274-N and SCR-515-A radios. The main external difference between the P-47B and C was the upright antenna mast, which replaced the B's forward-swept mast.[7] The C variant was built in four production blocks totaling 602 aircraft, with production ending in February 1943 when Republic's Farmingdale, New York plant switched to the P-47D.[7]
Sub-variantsedit
P-47C-RE, initial production block as described above. 58 built.[7]
P-47C-1-RE, with 8-inch fuselage extension to move the center of gravity, improving flight characteristics. Minor changes to the main undercarriage were made, and tailwheel steering was omitted. Other minor changes were made to the turbo-supercharger air duct, elevator control system, and controls. 54 built, plus one P-47C-RE modified as the prototype.[7]
P-47C-2-RE, with shackles on the underside for a bomb or drop tank. 128 built.[7]
P-47C-5-RE, with cockpit heating, as well as a revised radio, instruments, and the antenna mast was replaced by a whip antenna (photographic evidence shows that some C-5-REs and future razorback variants were fitted with either the mast or whip antenna, with no apparent standard).[4] 362 built.[7]
P-47D (razorback)edit
'Astra', a two-seat conversion of a P-47D assigned to the 365th Fighter Group. Apparent are the underwing pylons introduced on the P-47D-15.
On October 14, 1941, the USAAF (successor to the USAAC) ordered an additional 850 P-47s. Unable to keep up with the demand with their main plant in Farmingdale, New York, Republic built a new plant in Evansville, Indiana. Production of P-47Cs in the new plant were designated P-47D-RA, with the first aircraft rolling off the production line in September 1942. The initial production block was based on the P-47C-2-RE[4] or C-5-RE,[8] but with two additional cowl flaps (for a total of five) on each side (this was absent on early aircraft, making them indistinguishable from P-47Cs). Internal changes included extra cockpit armor and changes to the turbo-supercharger exhaust system.[8] Eventually, these changes would be incorporated into the Farmingdale-built aircraft, these designated P-47D-1-RE.[4] 21 production blocks of the "razorback" P-47D, totaling 9,530 aircraft, would be built by both plants before production switched to the "bubbletop" D-variant.
Sub-variantsedit
An early P-47D-RA, s/n 42-22281 'Aloe Al', with three cowl flaps per side. This was later changed to five.P-47D-RA, P-47C-2-RE or C-5-RE built at Evansville. Later extra cowl flaps and minor changes were added. 114 built including pre-production aircraft.[9][10] Sometimes referred to as the P-47D-1-RA.
P-47D-1-RE, Farmingdale equivalent of the late-P-47D-RA. 105 built.[8]
P-47D-2-RE, with turbo-supercharger shroud removed.[4] 445 built.[8]
P-47D-2-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-2-RE. 200 built.[8]
P-47D-4-RA, with a GE C-21 supercharger and water injection. Not quite up to C-5-RE standard.[4] 200 built.[8]
P-47D-5-RE, with a GE C-21 supercharger and water injection as well as improved B-7 bomb/drop tank shackles. Later aircraft featured notches in the lower cowl flaps.[4] 300 built.[8]
P-47D-6-RE, with minor electrical system changes.[4] 350 built.[8]
P-47D-10-RE, with a 2,300 hp R-2800-63 engine and an improved GE C-23 supercharger. Changes were made to the flaps as well as the cooling, oil, and hydraulic systems.[4] 250 built.[8]
P-47D-11-RE, with an automatic water injection procedure in place of the manual control of the previous blocks. 400 built.[8]
P-47D-11-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-11-RE. 250 built.[8]
P-47D-15-RE, with underwing pylons and a completely jettisonable canopy.[4] 446 built.[8]
P-47D-15-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-15-RE. 157 built.[8]
P-47D-16-RE, minor fuel system changes.[4] 254 built.[8]
P-47D-16-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-16-RE. 29 built.[8]
P-47D-20-RE, with 2,300 hp R-2800-59 engine, new "universal" wing pylons designed to carry a greater number of bombs and drop tanks, and other minor changes.[4] 299 built.[8]
P-47D-20-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-20-RE. 187 built.[8]
P-47D-21-RE, changes to water injection button on throttle.[4] 216 built.[8]
P-47D-21-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-21-RE. 224 built.[8]
P-47D-23-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-22-RE, but with a 13' Curtiss Electric C542S propeller.[4] 889 built.[8]
Thunderbolt Mk I, designation of P-47D-22-REs in RAF service.[11] Some aircraft were fitted with Malcolm Hood canopies to improve visibility.[8]
P-47Gedit
Airworthy P-47G-10-CU, s/n 42-25068 'Snafu', at the 2012 Duxford Air Show.
Even with the second plant, Republic was still having trouble keeping up with the ever increasing orders for Thunderbolts.[4]Curtiss-Wright, which recently prepared its Buffalo, New York plant for mass production of its P-60A before their contract was canceled, was awarded another contract to produce the P-47 as the P-47G.[12] The first delivery of a Curtiss-Wright-built P-47G was in December 1942.[12] In all, Curtiss-Wright built 354 P-47Gs in five production blocks before production ended in March 1944.
Sub-variantsedit
P-47G-CU, identical to the P-47C-RE.[4] 20 built.[8]
P-47G-1-CU, identical to the P-47C-1-RE.[4] 40 built.[8]
P-47G-5-CU, similar to the P-47D-1-RE but with minor changes.[4] 60 built.[8]
P-47G-10-CU, identical to the P-47D-5-RE.[4] 80 built.[8]
P-47G-15-CU, identical to the P-47D-10-RE.[4] 154 built.[8]
TP-47G "Doublebolt", two P-47G-15-CUs were modified on the production line as prototypes for a trainer variant of the P-47. A second cockpit was added in front of the original, taking the place of the main fuselage fuel tank. Nicknamed "Doublebolt", these were the only factory-built two-seat P-47 trainers, though a few P-47Ds are known to have been fitted with a second seat as a field modification.[4]
XP-47Hedit
The first XP-47H, s/n 42-23297
In an attempt to improve the performance of the Thunderbolt, Republic began a project to install a 2,300 hp Chrysler XIV-2220-116-cylinder inverted-V engine in two P-47D-15-RE airframes in August 1943. The resulting XP-47H had a new streamlined nose with a large intake and was expected to have a maximum speed of 490 mph. While sources do not agree whether the aircraft met the speed expectations or fell short, by the time the aircraft were modified in 1945, the Jet Age was beginning and the USAAF was losing interest in piston-engined fighters, and the XP-47H project was canceled.[13]
XP-47Jedit
XP-47J, s/n 43-46952
A similar attempt to improve performance resulted in the XP-47J. Unlike the XP-47H, the sole XP-47J was a newly built airframe, with many changes to reduce weight. The aircraft was fitted with a 2,800 hp R-2800-57C engine with a CH-5 supercharger, housed in a redesigned streamlined cowling. Armament was reduced to six M2 Brownings.[14]
The XP-47J was first flown on November 26, 1943, and on August 4, 1944, it became the first piston-engined fighter to exceed 500 mph, with a speed of 504 mph, making it the fastest Thunderbolt variant. A production version of the XP-47J was canceled in favor of another Thunderbolt development, the XP-72, as were plans for installing an R-2800-61 engine with contra-rotating propellers.[14]
Bubbletop Thunderboltsedit
XP-47K/Ledit
XP-47K, s/n 42-8702, the first bubbletop Thunderbolt
A common complaint from P-47 pilots was that the razorback cockpit limited rearward visibility. In response to these complaints, Republic fitted a bubble canopy from a Hawker Typhoon onto a P-47D-5-RE in July 1943. Designated XP-47K, the aircraft's new canopy improved visibility greatly.[15] Another "bubbletop" prototype was modified from a P-47D-20-RE as the XP-47L, differing from the XP-47K in that it had an increased fuel capacity.[16] For reasons unknown, the first production bubbletop Thunderbolts were not given a new variant letter, instead they were a continuation of the P-47D line.[15]
P-47D (bubbletop)edit
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.[8]
Sub-variantsedit
P-47D-25-RE, based on the XP-47L, but with a 13' 1+7⁄8" Hamilton Standard propeller.[4] 385 built.[8]
P-47D-26-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-25-RE, but with a 13' Curtiss Electric propeller.[4] 250 built.[8]
P-47D-27-RE, with an improved water injection system and drop tank controls as well as a new starter.[4] 615 built.[8]
P-47D-28-RE, with minor changes to the cockpit and a radio direction finder. The Curtiss Electric propeller of Evansville-built aircraft was now standard for both production lines.[4] 750 built.[8]
P-47D-28-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-28-RE. 1,028 built.[8]
P-47D-30-RE, with dive brakes and many minor changes.[4] 800 built, orders for 130 more were converted to orders for the P-47M-1-RE.[8][17]
P-47D-30-RA, Evansville equivalent of the D-30-RE. 1,800 built.[8]
P-47D-40-RA, with dorsal fin added forward of the vertical stabilizer along with a tail warning radar.[4] 665 built.[8]
Thunderbolt Mk II, designation of P-47D-25/-30-REs and P-47D-30/-40-RAs in RAF service.[11]
P-47Medit
YP-47M
The appearance of the V-1 flying bomb, jet fighters such as the Messerschmitt Me 262, and rocket fighters such as the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet led Republic to begin development of a high-speed variant of the Thunderbolt. Four P-47D-27-RE were modified with a 2,800 hp R-2800-57C engine with a CH-5 supercharger and the dive brakes of the P-47D-30 as YP-47Ms. An improved 13' Curtiss Electric C542S-B40 propeller was fitted, and changes were made to increase speed.[4] These improvements raised the top speed to 473 mph. In September 1944, the last 130 aircraft from the original P-47D-30-RE order were converted into an order for a production version of the YP-47M as the P-47M-1-RE.[17] Deliveries began in December 1944, though engine problems delayed their combat debut until a few weeks before the end of the war in Europe.[17]
P-47Nedit
P-47N-25-RE, s/n 4-89403
The war in the Pacific demanded greater fighter ranges than in Europe. Therefore, the third YP-47M was fitted with a new longer-span wet wing featuring squared-off wingtips as the XP-47N. The USAAF placed an order for 1,900 P-47Ns on June 20, 1944, two days before the prototype was first flown, and many more orders followed, deliveries began in September 1944.[18] 1,816 P-47Ns were built in six production blocks, with orders for an additional 5,934 aircraft being canceled after VJ Day.[18] The final P-47 rolled off the production line in December 1945.[18]
Sub-variantsedit
XP-47N, prototype converted from the third YP-47M.[18]
P-47N-1-RE, initial production block. Fitted with a new dorsal fin along with other minor changes.[4] 550 built.[18]
P-47N-5-RE, with the tail warning radar of the P-47D-40-RE, rocket launcher stubs, and minor changes to the radio. Later aircraft were fitted with 2,800 hp R-2800-73 engines.[4] 550 built.[18]
P-47N-15-RE, with an R-2800-73 engine, a S-1 bomb release, a K-14 gun sight, and a redesigned pilot seat.[4] 200 built.[18]
P-47N-20-RE, with changes to the radio and fuel system.[4] 200 built.[18]
P-47N-20-RA, Evansville equivalent of the N-20-RE. 149 built.[18] The final Thunderbolt built, s/n 45-50123, was from this production block.
P-47N-25-RE, fitted with either the R-2800-73, R-2800-77, or R-2800-81. The cockpit floor and tailwheel linkage were redesigned, along with other minor changes.[4] 167 built.[18]
F-47N, designation applied to all P-47Ns in service in 1947 when the USAAF broke off from the Army and became the United States Air Force.[4]
Developed in parallel with the Republic XP-69, the AP-19 was proposed by Alexander Kartveli as a replacement for the P-47.[19] The aircraft was a development of the bubbletop P-47D, but was to be powered by 3,450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major 28-cylinder radial engine driving contra-rotating six-bladed Aeroproducts propellers and armed with six M2 Brownings. The USAAF ordered two prototypes on June 18, 1943. The first prototype, with a four-bladed propeller due to delayed delivery of the intended unit, was first flown on February 2, 1944, and the second prototype with the intended propeller followed on June 26 of that year. The second XP-72 crashed early in the test program, but the USAAF was impressed with its performance and placed an order for 100 production P-72 aircraft with R-4360-19 and four 37 mm cannons in place of the Brownings. However, this order was canceled as the war neared its end.[20]
"Turbobolt"edit
In response to the growing number of jet powered fighters operated by the Luftwaffe, Republic began work on a turbojet powered version of the P-47.[citation needed] The "Turbobolt" was to have been powered by a single General Electric J31 turbojet, later changed to an Allison J35. The Thunderbolt's eight guns were to be relocated to the nose. Soon after work began, Republic engineers realized that mounting a turbojet engine onto the Thunderbolt airframe was not feasible, and even if it were, performance likely would not improve by much. Therefore, the project was canceled and never made it past the concept drawing phase.
AP-47edit
In September 1948, Republic proposed a mixed-power ground attack development of the Thunderbolt.[citation needed] It was to be powered by an R-2800 engine in the nose and a Westinghouse 24C turbojet in the rear fuselage. However, the USAF was not interested in the design and did not order any prototypes.
^Baugher, Joe. "Republic P-47 Thunderbolt." USAAC/USAAF/USAF Fighter and Pursuit Aircraft, 18 July 1999. Retrieved: 10 February 2017.
^American Combat Planes, 3rd enlarged edition by Ray Wagner, Doubleday Publishing, 1982
^The American Fighter, by Enzo Angelucci and Peter M. Bowers, Orion Books, 1987
^War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Four, by William Green, Doubleday Publishing, 1964
^United States Military Aircraft since 1909, by Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian Publishing, 1989
^The Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Aircraft in Profile, by Edward Shacklady, Doubleday Publishing, 1969
^Famous Fighters of the Second World War, Volume I, by William Green, 1967
^Thunderbolt: A Documentary History of the Republic P-47, by Roger A. Freeman, Motorbooks, 1992
^"USAF Serial Number Search Results". cgibin.rcn.com. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
^"USAF Serial Number Search Results". cgibin.rcn.com. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
January 01, 1970
republic, thunderbolt, variants, thunderbolt, world, fighter, aircraft, built, republic, aviation, from, 1941, 1945, main, article, republic, thunderbolt, contents, early, designs, razorback, thunderbolts, variants, modifications, variants, razorback, variants. The P 47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945 Main article Republic P 47 Thunderbolt Contents 1 Early designs 1 1 XP 47 AP 10 1 2 XP 47A 2 Razorback Thunderbolts 2 1 P 47B 2 1 1 Sub variants and modifications 2 2 XP 47E 2 3 XP 47F 2 4 P 47C 2 4 1 Sub variants 2 5 P 47D razorback 2 5 1 Sub variants 2 6 P 47G 2 6 1 Sub variants 2 7 XP 47H 2 8 XP 47J 3 Bubbletop Thunderbolts 3 1 XP 47K L 3 2 P 47D bubbletop 3 2 1 Sub variants 3 3 P 47M 3 4 P 47N 3 4 1 Sub variants 4 Further developments 4 1 XP 72 AP 19 4 2 Turbobolt 4 3 AP 47 5 Summary of serial numbers 6 ReferencesEarly designs editXP 47 AP 10 edit nbsp XP 47 model during wind tunnel testing In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli proposed the AP 10 lightweight high altitude interceptor on August 1 1939 1 As originally proposed the AP 10 was to have been powered by a 1 150 hp Allison V 1710 39 12 cylinder inline engine and have an armament consisting of two nose mounted 50 in 12 7 mm M2 Browning machine guns Maximum speed was estimated to be 415 mph while gross weight was to be 4 900 lb 1 The USAAC was impressed by the AP 10 proposal but expressed concerns that it would be underarmed Kartveli revised the AP 10 by slightly increasing its size and mounting two 30 in 7 62 mm M1919 Browning machine guns in each wing raising the gross weight to 6 570 lb Satisfied the USAAC ordered a single prototype under the designation XP 47 in November 1939 1 XP 47A edit In addition to the XP 47 the USAAC also ordered another prototype as the XP 47A This prototype was ordered without military equipment allowing for it to be finished and tested before the XP 47 1 In early 1940 combat reports from war in Europe indicated that the P 47 was inferior to Luftwaffe fighters In response the USAAC issued new requirements for a fighter including an airspeed of 400 mph at 25 000 ft an armament of six or preferably eight 50 in machine guns cockpit armor plating self sealing fuel tanks and a minimum fuel load of 315 gallons 2 Expecting the USAAC to reject the XP 47 for the more suitable Curtiss XP 46 Republic canceled the XP 47 and XP 47A and Kartveli began an extensive redesign of the aircraft 1 Razorback Thunderbolts editP 47B edit nbsp Eleventh production P 47B RE s n 41 5905 with both the sliding canopy and original rear cockpit windows On June 12 1940 Kartveli submitted the redesigned AP 10 to the USAAC The new aircraft was much larger than the original and the inline engine was swapped for a turbo supercharged Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 Double Wasp 18 cylinder radial engine 2 Armament was increased to eight M2 Brownings four mounted in each wing making it one of the heaviest armed fighters considered by the USAAC at the time 1 The expected performance met USAAC requirements however its fuel load fell slightly short 2 Despite this the USAAC ordered a prototype of the improved design as the XP 47B on September 6 1940 1 The XP 47B was first flown on May 6 1941 It was powered by a 1 960 hp XR 2800 21 engine and featured an elliptical wing an all metal construction except for the fabric covered control surfaces and a hinged canopy 1 The main landing gear retracted inward into the wings telescoping nine inches to clear the underside of the fuselage and the steerable tailwheel was fully retractable With a loaded weight of 12 086 lb the XP 47B was almost twice as heavy as its competitors Performance was higher than expected with a maximum speed of 412 mph 1 The XP 47B crashed on August 8 1942 however an order for 773 production aircraft had been placed almost two years before on September 13 1940 1 The production aircraft designated P 47B differed from the prototype in that they were powered by a 2 000 hp production R 2800 21 engine a sliding canopy in place of the original hinged unit and redesigned metal ailerons and elevators 3 Only 171 of the original order were completed as P 47Bs before production switched to the P 47C 3 The aircraft s nickname Thunderbolt was created by Republic s Director of Military Contracts C Hart Miller 1 Sub variants and modifications edit XP 47B single prototype powered by a 1 960 hp XR 2800 21 engine P 47B RE 171 aircraft powered by a 2 000 hp R 2800 21 engine with other modifications RP 47B designation originally applied to a handful of P 47B modified into photo reconnaissance aircraft with a camera mounted in the port intercooler vent 4 Later applied to all P 47Bs in 1944 to denote its status as restricted from combat 3 XP 47E edit nbsp The sole XP 47E s n 41 6065 The final P 47B was converted in September 1942 into a prototype for a high altitude variant as the XP 47E Modifications included a pressurized cockpit with a hinged canopy The project was canceled due to increased emphasis on low level operations over Europe 5 XP 47F edit Another P 47B was fitted with a larger area laminar flow wing as the XP 47F The XP 47F was first flown on September 17 1942 but project was ultimately canceled when the aircraft crashed and no production aircraft followed 4 6 P 47C edit nbsp P 47C 2 RE s n 41 6182 Several improvements were incorporated into the Thunderbolt starting with the 172nd production aircraft on September 14 1942 The resulting P 47C featured a redesigned metal rudder as the original fabric covered unit was prone to tail flutter which frequently led to crashes 7 A revised oxygen system was fitted as were new SCR 274 N and SCR 515 A radios The main external difference between the P 47B and C was the upright antenna mast which replaced the B s forward swept mast 7 The C variant was built in four production blocks totaling 602 aircraft with production ending in February 1943 when Republic s Farmingdale New York plant switched to the P 47D 7 Sub variants edit P 47C RE initial production block as described above 58 built 7 P 47C 1 RE with 8 inch fuselage extension to move the center of gravity improving flight characteristics Minor changes to the main undercarriage were made and tailwheel steering was omitted Other minor changes were made to the turbo supercharger air duct elevator control system and controls 54 built plus one P 47C RE modified as the prototype 7 P 47C 2 RE with shackles on the underside for a bomb or drop tank 128 built 7 P 47C 5 RE with cockpit heating as well as a revised radio instruments and the antenna mast was replaced by a whip antenna photographic evidence shows that some C 5 REs and future razorback variants were fitted with either the mast or whip antenna with no apparent standard 4 362 built 7 P 47D razorback edit nbsp Astra a two seat conversion of a P 47D assigned to the 365th Fighter Group Apparent are the underwing pylons introduced on the P 47D 15 On October 14 1941 the USAAF successor to the USAAC ordered an additional 850 P 47s Unable to keep up with the demand with their main plant in Farmingdale New York Republic built a new plant in Evansville Indiana Production of P 47Cs in the new plant were designated P 47D RA with the first aircraft rolling off the production line in September 1942 The initial production block was based on the P 47C 2 RE 4 or C 5 RE 8 but with two additional cowl flaps for a total of five on each side this was absent on early aircraft making them indistinguishable from P 47Cs Internal changes included extra cockpit armor and changes to the turbo supercharger exhaust system 8 Eventually these changes would be incorporated into the Farmingdale built aircraft these designated P 47D 1 RE 4 21 production blocks of the razorback P 47D totaling 9 530 aircraft would be built by both plants before production switched to the bubbletop D variant Sub variants edit nbsp An early P 47D RA s n 42 22281 Aloe Al with three cowl flaps per side This was later changed to five P 47D RA P 47C 2 RE or C 5 RE built at Evansville Later extra cowl flaps and minor changes were added 114 built including pre production aircraft 9 10 Sometimes referred to as the P 47D 1 RA P 47D 1 RE Farmingdale equivalent of the late P 47D RA 105 built 8 P 47D 2 RE with turbo supercharger shroud removed 4 445 built 8 P 47D 2 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 2 RE 200 built 8 P 47D 3 RA with minor changes 100 built 8 P 47D 4 RA with a GE C 21 supercharger and water injection Not quite up to C 5 RE standard 4 200 built 8 P 47D 5 RE with a GE C 21 supercharger and water injection as well as improved B 7 bomb drop tank shackles Later aircraft featured notches in the lower cowl flaps 4 300 built 8 P 47D 6 RE with minor electrical system changes 4 350 built 8 P 47D 10 RE with a 2 300 hp R 2800 63 engine and an improved GE C 23 supercharger Changes were made to the flaps as well as the cooling oil and hydraulic systems 4 250 built 8 P 47D 11 RE with an automatic water injection procedure in place of the manual control of the previous blocks 400 built 8 P 47D 11 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 11 RE 250 built 8 P 47D 15 RE with underwing pylons and a completely jettisonable canopy 4 446 built 8 P 47D 15 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 15 RE 157 built 8 P 47D 16 RE minor fuel system changes 4 254 built 8 P 47D 16 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 16 RE 29 built 8 P 47D 20 RE with 2 300 hp R 2800 59 engine new universal wing pylons designed to carry a greater number of bombs and drop tanks and other minor changes 4 299 built 8 P 47D 20 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 20 RE 187 built 8 P 47D 21 RE changes to water injection button on throttle 4 216 built 8 P 47D 21 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 21 RE 224 built 8 P 47D 22 RE with a 13 1 7 8 Hamilton Standard Hydramatic 24E50 65 propeller in place of the original 12 2 Curtiss Electric unit 4 850 built 8 P 47D 23 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 22 RE but with a 13 Curtiss Electric C542S propeller 4 889 built 8 Thunderbolt Mk I designation of P 47D 22 REs in RAF service 11 Some aircraft were fitted with Malcolm Hood canopies to improve visibility 8 P 47G edit nbsp Airworthy P 47G 10 CU s n 42 25068 Snafu at the 2012 Duxford Air Show Even with the second plant Republic was still having trouble keeping up with the ever increasing orders for Thunderbolts 4 Curtiss Wright which recently prepared its Buffalo New York plant for mass production of its P 60A before their contract was canceled was awarded another contract to produce the P 47 as the P 47G 12 The first delivery of a Curtiss Wright built P 47G was in December 1942 12 In all Curtiss Wright built 354 P 47Gs in five production blocks before production ended in March 1944 Sub variants edit P 47G CU identical to the P 47C RE 4 20 built 8 P 47G 1 CU identical to the P 47C 1 RE 4 40 built 8 P 47G 5 CU similar to the P 47D 1 RE but with minor changes 4 60 built 8 P 47G 10 CU identical to the P 47D 5 RE 4 80 built 8 P 47G 15 CU identical to the P 47D 10 RE 4 154 built 8 TP 47G Doublebolt two P 47G 15 CUs were modified on the production line as prototypes for a trainer variant of the P 47 A second cockpit was added in front of the original taking the place of the main fuselage fuel tank Nicknamed Doublebolt these were the only factory built two seat P 47 trainers though a few P 47Ds are known to have been fitted with a second seat as a field modification 4 XP 47H edit nbsp The first XP 47H s n 42 23297 In an attempt to improve the performance of the Thunderbolt Republic began a project to install a 2 300 hp Chrysler XIV 2220 1 16 cylinder inverted V engine in two P 47D 15 RE airframes in August 1943 The resulting XP 47H had a new streamlined nose with a large intake and was expected to have a maximum speed of 490 mph While sources do not agree whether the aircraft met the speed expectations or fell short by the time the aircraft were modified in 1945 the Jet Age was beginning and the USAAF was losing interest in piston engined fighters and the XP 47H project was canceled 13 XP 47J edit nbsp XP 47J s n 43 46952 A similar attempt to improve performance resulted in the XP 47J Unlike the XP 47H the sole XP 47J was a newly built airframe with many changes to reduce weight The aircraft was fitted with a 2 800 hp R 2800 57C engine with a CH 5 supercharger housed in a redesigned streamlined cowling Armament was reduced to six M2 Brownings 14 The XP 47J was first flown on November 26 1943 and on August 4 1944 it became the first piston engined fighter to exceed 500 mph with a speed of 504 mph making it the fastest Thunderbolt variant A production version of the XP 47J was canceled in favor of another Thunderbolt development the XP 72 as were plans for installing an R 2800 61 engine with contra rotating propellers 14 Bubbletop Thunderbolts editXP 47K L edit nbsp XP 47K s n 42 8702 the first bubbletop Thunderbolt A common complaint from P 47 pilots was that the razorback cockpit limited rearward visibility In response to these complaints Republic fitted a bubble canopy from a Hawker Typhoon onto a P 47D 5 RE in July 1943 Designated XP 47K the aircraft s new canopy improved visibility greatly 15 Another bubbletop prototype was modified from a P 47D 20 RE as the XP 47L differing from the XP 47K in that it had an increased fuel capacity 16 For reasons unknown the first production bubbletop Thunderbolts were not given a new variant letter instead they were a continuation of the P 47D line 15 P 47D bubbletop edit 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 8 Sub variants edit P 47D 25 RE based on the XP 47L but with a 13 1 7 8 Hamilton Standard propeller 4 385 built 8 P 47D 26 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 25 RE but with a 13 Curtiss Electric propeller 4 250 built 8 P 47D 27 RE with an improved water injection system and drop tank controls as well as a new starter 4 615 built 8 P 47D 28 RE with minor changes to the cockpit and a radio direction finder The Curtiss Electric propeller of Evansville built aircraft was now standard for both production lines 4 750 built 8 P 47D 28 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 28 RE 1 028 built 8 P 47D 30 RE with dive brakes and many minor changes 4 800 built orders for 130 more were converted to orders for the P 47M 1 RE 8 17 P 47D 30 RA Evansville equivalent of the D 30 RE 1 800 built 8 P 47D 40 RA with dorsal fin added forward of the vertical stabilizer along with a tail warning radar 4 665 built 8 Thunderbolt Mk II designation of P 47D 25 30 REs and P 47D 30 40 RAs in RAF service 11 P 47M edit nbsp YP 47M The appearance of the V 1 flying bomb jet fighters such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 and rocket fighters such as the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet led Republic to begin development of a high speed variant of the Thunderbolt Four P 47D 27 RE were modified with a 2 800 hp R 2800 57C engine with a CH 5 supercharger and the dive brakes of the P 47D 30 as YP 47Ms An improved 13 Curtiss Electric C542S B40 propeller was fitted and changes were made to increase speed 4 These improvements raised the top speed to 473 mph In September 1944 the last 130 aircraft from the original P 47D 30 RE order were converted into an order for a production version of the YP 47M as the P 47M 1 RE 17 Deliveries began in December 1944 though engine problems delayed their combat debut until a few weeks before the end of the war in Europe 17 P 47N edit nbsp P 47N 25 RE s n 4 89403 The war in the Pacific demanded greater fighter ranges than in Europe Therefore the third YP 47M was fitted with a new longer span wet wing featuring squared off wingtips as the XP 47N The USAAF placed an order for 1 900 P 47Ns on June 20 1944 two days before the prototype was first flown and many more orders followed deliveries began in September 1944 18 1 816 P 47Ns were built in six production blocks with orders for an additional 5 934 aircraft being canceled after VJ Day 18 The final P 47 rolled off the production line in December 1945 18 Sub variants edit XP 47N prototype converted from the third YP 47M 18 P 47N 1 RE initial production block Fitted with a new dorsal fin along with other minor changes 4 550 built 18 P 47N 5 RE with the tail warning radar of the P 47D 40 RE rocket launcher stubs and minor changes to the radio Later aircraft were fitted with 2 800 hp R 2800 73 engines 4 550 built 18 P 47N 15 RE with an R 2800 73 engine a S 1 bomb release a K 14 gun sight and a redesigned pilot seat 4 200 built 18 P 47N 20 RE with changes to the radio and fuel system 4 200 built 18 P 47N 20 RA Evansville equivalent of the N 20 RE 149 built 18 The final Thunderbolt built s n 45 50123 was from this production block P 47N 25 RE fitted with either the R 2800 73 R 2800 77 or R 2800 81 The cockpit floor and tailwheel linkage were redesigned along with other minor changes 4 167 built 18 F 47N designation applied to all P 47Ns in service in 1947 when the USAAF broke off from the Army and became the United States Air Force 4 Further developments editXP 72 AP 19 edit Main article Republic XP 72 nbsp The first XP 72 s n 43 36598 Developed in parallel with the Republic XP 69 the AP 19 was proposed by Alexander Kartveli as a replacement for the P 47 19 The aircraft was a development of the bubbletop P 47D but was to be powered by 3 450 hp Pratt amp Whitney R 4360 13 Wasp Major 28 cylinder radial engine driving contra rotating six bladed Aeroproducts propellers and armed with six M2 Brownings The USAAF ordered two prototypes on June 18 1943 The first prototype with a four bladed propeller due to delayed delivery of the intended unit was first flown on February 2 1944 and the second prototype with the intended propeller followed on June 26 of that year The second XP 72 crashed early in the test program but the USAAF was impressed with its performance and placed an order for 100 production P 72 aircraft with R 4360 19 and four 37 mm cannons in place of the Brownings However this order was canceled as the war neared its end 20 Turbobolt edit In response to the growing number of jet powered fighters operated by the Luftwaffe Republic began work on a turbojet powered version of the P 47 citation needed The Turbobolt was to have been powered by a single General Electric J31 turbojet later changed to an Allison J35 The Thunderbolt s eight guns were to be relocated to the nose Soon after work began Republic engineers realized that mounting a turbojet engine onto the Thunderbolt airframe was not feasible and even if it were performance likely would not improve by much Therefore the project was canceled and never made it past the concept drawing phase AP 47 edit In September 1948 Republic proposed a mixed power ground attack development of the Thunderbolt citation needed It was to be powered by an R 2800 engine in the nose and a Westinghouse 24C turbojet in the rear fuselage However the USAF was not interested in the design and did not order any prototypes Summary of serial numbers editTable of P 47 variants 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Variant Number built Serial number s Notes XP 47 1 40 3051 Prototype canceled during construction XP 47A 1 40 3052 Prototype canceled during construction Total XP 47 XP 47A 2 XP 47B 1 40 3052 serial number transferred from abortive XP 47A Prototype Total XP 47B 1 P 47B RE 171 41 5895 6065 41 5938 converted to XP 47F 41 6065 converted to XP 47E Total P 47B 171 P 47C RE 58 41 6066 6123 P 47C 1 RE 54 41 6124 6177 P 47C 2 RE 128 41 6178 6305 P 47C 5 RE 362 41 6306 6667 Total P 47C 602 P 47D RA 114 42 22250 22363 P 47D 1 RE 105 42 7853 7957 P 47D 2 RE 445 42 7958 8402 P 47D 2 RA 200 42 22364 22563 P 47D 3 RA 100 42 22564 22663 P 47D 4 RA 200 42 22664 22863 P 47D 5 RE 300 42 8403 8702 42 8702 converted to XP 47K P 47D 6 RE 350 42 74615 74964 P 47D 10 RE 250 42 74965 75214 P 47D 11 RE 400 42 75215 75614 P 47D 11 RA 250 42 22864 23113 P 47D 15 RE 446 42 75615 75814 42 76119 76364 P 47D 15 RA 157 42 23143 23299 42 23297 and 42 23298 converted to XP 47H P 47D 16 RE 254 42 75865 76118 P 47D 16 RA 29 42 23114 23142 P 47D 20 RE 299 42 25274 25322 42 76365 76614 42 76614 converted to XP 47L P 47D 20 RA 187 43 25254 25440 P 47D 21 RE 216 42 25323 25538 P 47D 21 RA 224 43 25441 25664 P 47D 22 RE 850 42 25539 26388 P 47D 23 RA 889 42 27389 28188 43 25665 25753 P 47D 25 RE 385 42 26389 26773 P 47D 26 RA 250 42 28189 28438 P 47D 27 RE 615 42 26774 27388 P 47D 28 RE 750 44 19558 20307 P 47D 28 RA 1 028 42 28439 29466 P 47D 30 RE 800 44 20308 21107 P 47D 30 RA 1 800 44 32668 33867 44 89684 90283 P 47D 40 RA 665 44 90284 90483 45 49090 49554 Total P 47D 12 558 P 47G CU 20 42 24920 24939 P 47G 1 CU 40 42 24940 24979 P 47G 5 CU 60 42 24980 25039 P 47G 10 CU 80 42 25040 25119 P 47G 15 CU 154 42 25120 25273 Two converted to TP 47G trainer variant Total P 47G 354 XP 47J 1 43 46952 Prototype Total XP 47J 1 P 47M 1 RE 130 44 21108 21237 Total P 47M 130 P 47N 1 RE 550 44 87784 88333 P 47N 5 RE 550 44 88334 88883 P 47N 15 RE 200 44 88884 89083 P 47N 20 RE 200 44 89084 89283 P 47N 25 RE 167 44 89284 89450 P 47N 20 RA 149 45 49975 50123 Total P 47N 1 816 Total all types 15 636References edit a b c d e f g h i j k Republic XP 47B Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 02 a b c Republic P 47 Thunderbolt www aviation history com Retrieved 2020 06 02 a b c Republic P 47B Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 02 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Davis Larry 1984 P 47 Thunderbolt in Action Squadron Signal Publications Inc ISBN 0 89747 161 X Republic XP 47E Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 02 Republic XP 47F Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 02 a b c d e f g Republic P 47C Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Republic P 47D Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 USAF Serial Number Search Results cgibin rcn com Retrieved 2020 06 03 USAF Serial Number Search Results cgibin rcn com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b Thunderbolt with Royal Air Force www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 04 a b Curtiss P 47G Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 Republic XP 47H Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b Republic XP 47J Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b Republic XP 47K Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 Republic XP 47L Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b c Republic P 47M Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 03 a b c d e f g h i j Republic P 47N Thunderbolt www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 04 Pearce William 2018 03 05 Republic XP 72 Super Thunderbolt Ultrabolt Fighter Old Machine Press Retrieved 2020 06 04 Republic XP 72 www joebaugher com Retrieved 2020 06 04 Baugher Joe Republic P 47 Thunderbolt USAAC USAAF USAF Fighter and Pursuit Aircraft 18 July 1999 Retrieved 10 February 2017 American Combat Planes 3rd enlarged edition by Ray Wagner Doubleday Publishing 1982 The American Fighter by Enzo Angelucci and Peter M Bowers Orion Books 1987 War Planes of the Second World War Fighters Volume Four by William Green Doubleday Publishing 1964 United States Military Aircraft since 1909 by Gordon Swanborough and Peter M Bowers Smithsonian Publishing 1989 The Republic P 47D Thunderbolt Aircraft in Profile by Edward Shacklady Doubleday Publishing 1969 Famous Fighters of the Second World War Volume I by William Green 1967 Thunderbolt A Documentary History of the Republic P 47 by Roger A Freeman Motorbooks 1992 USAF Serial Number Search Results cgibin rcn com Retrieved 2020 06 03 USAF Serial Number Search Results cgibin rcn com Retrieved 2020 06 03 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Republic P 47 Thunderbolt variants amp oldid 1208547854 P 47N, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
