Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids P-47 Thunderbolt

XP-47N flying over the Pacific during World War II
Role	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Republic Aviation
Designer	Alexander Kartveli
First flight	6 May 1941
Introduction	November 1942
Retired	1966, Peruvian Air Force
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force French Air Force
Produced	1941–1945
Number built	15,636
Unit cost	US$83,000 in 1945
Variants	Republic XP-72

The P-47 Thunderbolt (also called The Jug ) was a fighter aircraft made by Republic Aviation. It first flew in 1941, and was introduced in 1942. It had a very big Pratt and Whitney R-2800-59 engine, which had more than 2,000 horsepower. Because of this, the P-47 could go more than 430 miles per hour. In fact, it was the biggest engine ever at the time. It had 8 machine guns, 2 more than most fighters. It's shape and speed made it similar to the Fw 190.

During 1944, the P-51 Mustang was lighter, faster, and could turn better. Because of this, it started replacing the P-47 as a fighter. The P-47 was then used for bombing in late World War II. It was retired from the American Air National Guard in 1955.

Now, there is a jet called the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and it is named after the P-47.

P-40 Warhawk

Images for kids

American prewar fighter Republic P-43 Lancer
XP-47 model during wind tunnel testing
P-47 firing its M2 machine guns during night gunnery
A P-47 engine with the cowling removed: Uncompressed air enters through an intake under the engine and is carried to the turbosupercharger behind the pilot via the silver duct at the bottom. The olive-green pipe returns the compressed air to the engine.
P-47 pilot Lt Col Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, 56th Fighter Group, leading ace of the 8th Air Force
One of several gun-harmonization schemes used on the P-47: This one converged the eight guns into a point at about 1,100 ft (340 m) out front.
Royal Air Force Republic Thunderbolt Mark I
Lt. Jorge Paranhos Taborda, Brazilian P-47 pilot during World War II
P-47D "Kathie" with a 75 US gal (62 imp gal; 284 L) drop tank buzzed the airfield at Bodney, England.
USAAF P-47D "Razorback" configuration.
RAF Thunderbolt Mk.II readying for a sortie over Burma. January 1945
Republic P-47D-40-RE 44–90386 in flight firing rockets
A Mexican P-47D Thunderbolt over the Philippines.
A French Armée de l'air Republic P-47D Thunderbolt of Escadron de Chasse 3/3 "Ardennes".
Two P-47 Thunderbolts of the Imperial Iranian Air Force over Tehran.
P-47N technical drawing
P-47 Thunderbolt 42–25068 at Duxford Air Show, 2012

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt facts for kids

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