Key facts
- Type
- Fighter-bomber
- Manufacturer
- Republic Aviation
- Primary users
- United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force , French Air Force , Peruvian Air Force , Yugoslav Air Force
- Number built
- 15,636
- Manufactured
- 1941–1945
- Introduction date
- November 1942
- First flight
- 6 May 1941
- Retired
- 1966 (Peruvian Air Force)
- Variant
- Republic XP-72
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (nicknamed the "Jug") is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. One of the main United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters, it found success in the European and Pacific theaters as an escort fighter well-suited to high-altitude air-to-air combat. It also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber in the ground-attack role.
The P-47 was noted for its firepower: its primary armament was eight .50-caliber machine guns, and it could carry 5-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 lb (1,100 kg). When fully loaded, the aircraft weighed up to 8 tons, making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war. It was also noted for its ability to remain airworthy with battle damage.