Mexican Jugs
Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:00 pm
Can any of our Thunderbolt experts provide definitive identities and locations for the surviving Mexican Air Force P-47Ds? I have reviewed the usual published souces and can't seem to find any consistent answers. Perhaps some have carried fictional serial numbers from time to time.
It appears that there are three airframes, to which at least the following four identities have been attributed.
PZT-1003 44-90210
PZT-1008 44-90196 Bicha
PZT-1012 44-90205 Fantasma
PZT-1016 44-90217 Panchito
It appears that there are three airframes, to which at least the following four identities have been attributed.
PZT-1003 44-90210
PZT-1008 44-90196 Bicha
PZT-1012 44-90205 Fantasma
PZT-1016 44-90217 Panchito
Mexican Jugs
Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:34 pm
Out of curiosity how many P-47's did the Mexican AF operate? The book "U.S. Army Air Forces in the Pacific" by R.J. Francillion pg. 30 shows several MexAF P-47's at Clark Field. The only S/N observable is 44-33710 and the A/C carries US insignia on the fuslage and Mex AF insignia on the wings. The caption states that they are assigned to the 201st Mexican F.S.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:07 am
Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:03 am
The Mexican AF's Escuadron 201, served in the Philippine Islands for about a couple of months, in July 1945 IIRC.
The P-47s that they employed in the P.I., were left behind when the Japanese surrendered; the Mexican Squadron 201 returned to Mexico, and were given brand new P-47s from U.S. stocks, again, IIRC.
Mexican P-47:
25 like-new P-47s were delivered to the FAM, from both Laredo and Greenville, Texas, during the last week of November, 1945 (note please that this date doesn't match with the Nov/04 delivery date mentioned below). Four of the aircraft went to the Mexico City airport, then under construction, and remained there, since runways were under construction, and there was a general lack of 100 Octane aviation fuel. The rest of the aircraft, went to Veracruz, Mexico. All 25 of the P-47s delivered were the -30-RA variant, and not as it has been informed, P-47Ns. The airplanes were funded through Lend-Lease. (Dan Hagedorn claims these to be the 35-RA variant; I could not find anywhere a reference to the -35-RA but this doesn't mean they did not exist, only that I could not find any mention.) The RA's were all built at Evansville, Indiana, actually a duplicate of the D-30 models built at Farmingdale.
The aircraft were moved back and forth between Mexico and Veracruz on several occasions.
Their identifying code "PZT" stands for (In spanish) "Persecucion de Zona Thunderbolt" (roughly: Thunderbolt, zone pursuit, or zone defense). Gunnery and bombing practice was carried at Las Bajadas AB, and bombs were locally made, out of "tree trunks"!!!
44-90210 was a P-47D-35-RA, assigned FAM serial "PZT-1003" and was delivered to the FAM on 04 November, 1945. Reportedly still in service as late as 01Jun1954. It participated, together with PZT-1006 and PZT-1016, in the opening of the Mexico City's International Airport (Benito Juarez) on 01 June, 1954. By that time, there were only three other P-47s in service with the FAM, based at "Las Bajadas AB" in the State of Veracruz, Mexico.
When the decission to finally withdraw the type from FAM service was made, only two examples were preserved, PZT-1016 and PZT-1008, to be displayed at Base Aerea Militar No. 1 and Colegio del Aire.
REPUBLIC P-47D-35-RA THUNDERBOLT S/N 44-33720 Serial PZT-1016 (Spurious)
Located at the Army and Air Force Museum in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX. This is the P-47 that was exhibited for many years at the "Colegio del Aire" and was later on moved to the F.A.M. HQ, and finally to the "Cuartel del Colorado." It has been fully restored, not flyable though.
REPUBLIC P-47D-35-RA THUNDERBOLT S/N 44-33713 Serial PZT-1003
Preserved at the Base Aerea Militar No. 1 Gral. Alfredo Lezama A. in Santa Lucia, State of Mexico. Restored.
There is also a 1:1 replica, located at a monument to Escuadron Aereo 201, in the city of Zapopan, Jalisco, in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. No serial number, of course.
For those really interested in Mexican AF P-47s, contact Santiago Flores, through our discussion board at LAAHS.com.
He is without question, the expert on the Mexican Squadron 201.
Saludos,
Tulio
The P-47s that they employed in the P.I., were left behind when the Japanese surrendered; the Mexican Squadron 201 returned to Mexico, and were given brand new P-47s from U.S. stocks, again, IIRC.
Mexican P-47:
25 like-new P-47s were delivered to the FAM, from both Laredo and Greenville, Texas, during the last week of November, 1945 (note please that this date doesn't match with the Nov/04 delivery date mentioned below). Four of the aircraft went to the Mexico City airport, then under construction, and remained there, since runways were under construction, and there was a general lack of 100 Octane aviation fuel. The rest of the aircraft, went to Veracruz, Mexico. All 25 of the P-47s delivered were the -30-RA variant, and not as it has been informed, P-47Ns. The airplanes were funded through Lend-Lease. (Dan Hagedorn claims these to be the 35-RA variant; I could not find anywhere a reference to the -35-RA but this doesn't mean they did not exist, only that I could not find any mention.) The RA's were all built at Evansville, Indiana, actually a duplicate of the D-30 models built at Farmingdale.
The aircraft were moved back and forth between Mexico and Veracruz on several occasions.
Their identifying code "PZT" stands for (In spanish) "Persecucion de Zona Thunderbolt" (roughly: Thunderbolt, zone pursuit, or zone defense). Gunnery and bombing practice was carried at Las Bajadas AB, and bombs were locally made, out of "tree trunks"!!!
44-90210 was a P-47D-35-RA, assigned FAM serial "PZT-1003" and was delivered to the FAM on 04 November, 1945. Reportedly still in service as late as 01Jun1954. It participated, together with PZT-1006 and PZT-1016, in the opening of the Mexico City's International Airport (Benito Juarez) on 01 June, 1954. By that time, there were only three other P-47s in service with the FAM, based at "Las Bajadas AB" in the State of Veracruz, Mexico.
When the decission to finally withdraw the type from FAM service was made, only two examples were preserved, PZT-1016 and PZT-1008, to be displayed at Base Aerea Militar No. 1 and Colegio del Aire.
REPUBLIC P-47D-35-RA THUNDERBOLT S/N 44-33720 Serial PZT-1016 (Spurious)
Located at the Army and Air Force Museum in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX. This is the P-47 that was exhibited for many years at the "Colegio del Aire" and was later on moved to the F.A.M. HQ, and finally to the "Cuartel del Colorado." It has been fully restored, not flyable though.
REPUBLIC P-47D-35-RA THUNDERBOLT S/N 44-33713 Serial PZT-1003
Preserved at the Base Aerea Militar No. 1 Gral. Alfredo Lezama A. in Santa Lucia, State of Mexico. Restored.
There is also a 1:1 replica, located at a monument to Escuadron Aereo 201, in the city of Zapopan, Jalisco, in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. No serial number, of course.
For those really interested in Mexican AF P-47s, contact Santiago Flores, through our discussion board at LAAHS.com.
He is without question, the expert on the Mexican Squadron 201.
Saludos,
Tulio
Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:57 am
Salma Hayek
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:20 am
The preserved PZT-1003
and two in-service shots of PZT-1010
and one with Mexican insignas but USAAF serials - 44-90205 and 44-90209 are identifiable
Martin
and two in-service shots of PZT-1010
and one with Mexican insignas but USAAF serials - 44-90205 and 44-90209 are identifiable
Martin
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:27 am
Thank you, Eric. I was wondering who, and how long it would take to give that "straight line" (Mexican Jugs) it's due. 
Mudge the voyeur
Mudge the voyeur
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:31 am
EDowning wrote:
Salma Hayek
Good on you Eric, what dash model are those??
Lynn
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:45 am
I was disappointed in this discussion until Salma Hayek appeared. Then it came much closer to my imagination. Isn't the title of this discussion also one of the soap operas on the Spanish language network?
Robbie
Robbie
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:52 am
And here they are!
Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:54 am
Lynn wrote:
-DD, I would guess.
Good on you Eric, what dash model are those??
-DD, I would guess.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:13 am
Actually Dash: 36 C
According to the Internet
According to the Internet
Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:22 am
well....
trying to steer this back to the flying jugs....
an article (in spanish) on the Mexican P-47's
http://portalaviacion.vuela.com.mx/arti ... rbold.html
Martin
trying to steer this back to the flying jugs....
an article (in spanish) on the Mexican P-47's
http://portalaviacion.vuela.com.mx/arti ... rbold.html
Martin
Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:46 am
Those pair of 36C's cost more to run than an R-2800....
Who doesn't love all types of 'Jugs'?
Who doesn't love all types of 'Jugs'?
Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:12 am
EDowning wrote:
Salma Hayek
Ahhh a flight of Two...She is amazing 