Nicknamed the "Jug" for its bulky shape, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was considered a monster of a machine. Despite its size, the Thunderbolt proved to be a fast and maneuverable warbird able to hold its own in combat. In fact, when Allied pilots climbed aboard a P-47, they knew the were in control of a fighting machine with enormous power. More importantly, they knew that if their aircraft was hit but gunfire, they had an excellent chance of making it home.

Refinements to the Thunderbolt continued throughout its career, leading to the P-47D, which was the most produced version with 12,558 built. The "D" model actually consisted of a series of evolving production blocks, the last of which were visibly different from the first.

The first P-47Ds were actually the same as P-47Cs. Republic could not produce Thunderbolts fast enough at its Farmingdale plant on Long Island, so a new plant was built at Evansville, Indiana. The Evansville plant first built a total of 110 P-47D-1-RAs, which were completely identical to P-47C-2s. Farmingdale aircraft were identified by the -RE suffix after the block number, while Evansville aircraft were given the -RA suffix.

The P-47D-1 through P-47D-6, the P-47D-10, and the P-47D-11 successively incorporated changes such as the addition of more engine cooling flaps around the back of the cowl to reduce the engine overheating problems that had been seen in the field. Engines and engine subsystems saw refinement, (the P-47D-10 introduced the R-2800-63, replacing the R-2800-21 seen in previous P-47s) as did the fuel, oil and hydraulic systems. Additional armor protection was also added for the pilot.

The P-47D-15 was produced in response to requests by combat units for increased range. "Wet" (equipped with fuel plumbing) underwing pylons were introduced to allow a bomb or drop tank pressurized by vented exhaust air to be carried under each wing, in addition to the belly tank.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USAAF Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter that was piloted by Major George Preddy and nicknamed "Cripes A'Mighty", and was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, then deployed to RAF Bodney, Norfolk, England, during 1943. Pre-order! Ship Date: July 2026.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-3/4-inches
Length: 6-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Cripes A'Mighty" - Although remembered as the top-scoring Mustang ace in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO), George E. Preddy Jr. actually made his ETO combat debut flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. While he did score his first three victories flying this massive fighter, things weren't always without incident.

After downing his third Luftwaffe fighter, Preddy and his wingman, Lt. William Whisner, were heading back to Bodney when Preddy's Thunderbolt was hit by flak crossing the French coast. Whisner later reported seeing smoke billowing from the cockpit of Preddy's fighter, and his leader taking to his parachute.

Despite being low on fuel, Whisner remained circling above his leader until controllers confirmed a position fix, and that a rescue aircraft was on the way. When the Walrus did arrive, the sea was so rough that it ripped a float off the aircraft during landing. Although it was able to rescue Preddy, it had to be towed back to shore by an RAF rescue launch.

All of George Preddy's fighters in the ETO were named "Cripes A'Mighty', a term he heard people using for luck whilst playing the dice game craps. It appealed to him so much that he painted it on the fuselage of his Thunderbolt and all his future Mustangs. The 352nd began converting from P-47s to P-51B Mustangs in March 1944, and the rest is the stuff of USAAF ace pilot history.