Through 1943 in Europe, the P-47C and P-47D equipped the majority of 8th Air Force fighter groups in England (and one in the 15th Air Force in Italy) as a long-range escort fighter. The USAAF and several Allied nations used the P-47 in nearly every combat theater. The most visible change during the P-47D production run was the new "bubble-top" canopy, which provided much better all-around vision for the pilot. The Thunderbolt became even faster with engine water injection, which allowed higher emergency horsepower. Late-model P-47Ds received more wing mounts to carry a total of 10 air-to-ground rockets. Internal fuel tank capacity became larger and new wing mounts carried droppable fuel tanks or bombs in addition to those on the underside fuselage mount. A more efficient propeller significantly increased the climb rate. Over the course of its production, the P-47D was greatly improved. Although they were fast and had an excellent roll rate, early P-47s suffered from poor climbing performance and short range. The early P-47Ds were similar to the P-47C, with the most important change being additional armor around the pilot. With over 12,500 built, the P-47D became the most-produced and widely-used model of the Thunderbolt. The follow-on P-47C corrected some of the vices of the P-47B, and it started coming off the production line in September 1942. Production and development problems limited the 171 built to training use only. The first production version, the P-47B, entered service in the spring of 1942. The considerably larger prototype XP-47B weighed over twice as much as the original concept. Although the P-47 design originated as a small, inline-engine lightweight interceptor, changing requirements drastically altered the project.
#Jettison canopy series
The Thunderbolt was the end result of a series of radial-engine fighters developed in the 1930s by Russian émigrés Alexander de Seversky and Alexander Kartveli.
fighter, the Thunderbolt - affectionately nicknamed the "Jug" - served as a bomber escort and as a very effective ground attack fighter. Produced in larger numbers than any other U.S. Renowned for its ruggedness, firepower and speed, the massive Republic P-47 was one of the most famous and important USAAF fighters during World War II.
0 kommentar(er)
