WWII Warbird Collection: P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter

History of the P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest and heaviest single-engine fighter of World War II—and one of the most powerful. Designed by Alexander Kartveli, it was built around the massive Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine and featured a turbo-supercharger for high-altitude performance. The first prototype flew in 1941, and by mid-1943, the Thunderbolt entered combat over Europe.

Despite its size—five tons before loading—this rugged aircraft proved highly effective as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level ground-attack fighter-bomber. It was armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns and could carry up to 2,500 pounds of bombs or ten 5-inch rockets. Its tough radial engine and armored cockpit earned it a reputation for surviving heavy battle damage.

Republic Aviation produced over 15,200 Thunderbolts in New York and Indiana, with support from hundreds of subcontractors across the U.S. From ALCOA’s aluminum and BF Goodrich’s tires to Colt’s machine guns and even S.S. White Dental’s flexible drive shafts, thousands of parts came together from all corners of the country.

P-47s outnumbered all other U.S. fighters in Europe, playing a key role in bomber escort missions and in ground attacks during and after D-Day. While it couldn’t outclimb nimble German fighters, the P-47 excelled at high altitudes and in devastating diving attacks. It also served in the Pacific and with Allied forces in Burma and India.

Production ended in 1945 with a total of 15,683 aircraft built—more than any other U.S. fighter of the war. Though eventually replaced by faster, sleeker planes, the P-47 remained in use with the U.S. Air National Guard for years. Its legacy lives on as a symbol of American air power, engineering ingenuity, and wartime production might.