The Republic P-47
Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug,"
was the biggest, heaviest, and most expensive
fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a
single piston engine. It was one of the main United
States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters of World
War II, and also served with other Allied air
forces. The P-47 was effective in air combat but
proved especially adept at ground attack. It had
eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing.
When fully loaded the P-47 could weigh up to eight
tons
| General
characteristics |
| Crew: 1 |
Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,536
kg) |
| Length: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) |
Loaded weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg) |
| Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.42
m) |
Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg) |
| Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m) |
Powerplant: 1Pratt &
Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine,
2,535 hp (1,890 kW) |
| Performance |
| Maximum speed: 433
mph at 30,000 ft (697 km/h at 9,145 m) |
Wing loading: 58.3 lb/ft² (284.8
kg/m²) |
| Range: 800
mi combat, 1,800 mi ferry (1,290 km / 2,900
km) |
Power/mass: 0.14 hp/lb
(238 W/kg) |
| Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100
m) |
|
| Rate of climb:
3,120 ft/min (15.9 m/s) |
|
| Armament |
| 8 .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning
machine guns |
| Up to 2,500
lb (1,134 kg) of bombs |
| 10 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets |
| |
|
