The P-47 Thunderbolt is a single-engine single-seat low cantilever wing monoplane  fighter designed and built by Republic Aviation. It was armed with eight .50 Browning machine guns, four in each wing, and had facility for eight 5-inch rockets or 2,500lb of bombs on underwing pylons. It was a large plane and the heaviest of all fighters at 8 tons. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engine with 2,000hp, which also powered late Corsair and Hellcat.

The RAF required a ground attack aircraft for the Far East Theatre as the tropical conditions were very harsh on the existing types serving with the Southeast Asia Command. The RAF received 830 Thunderbolts in total, 240 Thunderbolt I, with the razorback canopy, and 590 bubbletop canopy Thunderbolt II. All these aircraft served in Burma and the Far East with sixteen RAF squadrons. They were used for close army support as a ‘cab rank’, ground attack and escort missions. They were armed with eight RP-3 rockets or three 500lb bombs. External drop tanks could also be utilised to increase the range and endurance to up to five hours. Thunderbolts also flew escort to RAF Liberators on long range bombing missions.

It was huge, twice the volume and weight of a Spitfire. The wing area and span was also much bigger. However, the power, fire power and ability to take heavy punishment made it very popular with pilots. It also outclassed many of the Japanese fighters. Its performance was excellent at low, medium and high-level operations.

The Thunderbolt stayed in RAF service after the war and was retired in October 1946. There are many surviving examples worldwide including three RAF examples.

Airworthy P-47D 45-49192 ‘Nellie’ at Duxford Aerodrome.

P-47D 42-26671 at the IWM, Duxford and 45-49295 at the RAF Museum, Hendon.