Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

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.

Related pages
P-40 Warhawk

 References 

Category:United States Army aircraft
Category:World War II American aircraft