P-47 Thunderbolt 20th Anniversary

[Scott Rose]

[Pat Carry]

Sweet!!

[Chris Brame]

Where did they get hold of a (flyable?) P-47 in 1961? Is this one a survivor?

[Scott Rose]

Where did they get hold of a (flyable?) P-47 in 1961? Is this one a survivor?

I was curious about that as well. Not of them in museums at that time either. I would love to learn the backstory on that aircraft

[Clifford Bossie]

Where did they get hold of a (flyable?) P-47 in 1961? Is this one a survivor?

It is a survivor, but not a flyer at the time of that photo. Well not a flyer now either. It is the P-47D on display at the Udvar-Hazy facility of the NASM, 44-32691. A quick synopsis from the NASM website:

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Thunderbolt is a P-47D-30-RA, Army Air Forces (AAF) serial number 44-32691. The AAF accepted it on October 27, 1944, and delivered the aircraft to Godman Field, Kentucky. The AAF operated the airplane on the U. S. East Coast primarily as an aerial gunnery trainer. On January 27, 1946, the AAF transferred it from the active inventory to the U. S. Army Air Forces Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and then to the National Air Museum (now NASM) along with other military aircraft. The Smithsonian lent the aircraft to Republic Aviation for restoration and display, and to help the company celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the P-47. Subsequently, NASM displayed the aircraft at its own Paul Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland, before lending it to the Museum of Flight at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

A P-47G (one of the two current surviving ones) was made flyable by Republic for that event as well.

[Scott Rose]

Where did they get hold of a (flyable?) P-47 in 1961? Is this one a survivor?

It is a survivor, but not a flyer at the time of that photo. Well not a flyer now either. It is the P-47D on display at the Udvar-Hazy facility of the NASM, 44-32691. A quick synopsis from the NASM website:

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Thunderbolt is a P-47D-30-RA, Army Air Forces (AAF) serial number 44-32691. The AAF accepted it on October 27, 1944, and delivered the aircraft to Godman Field, Kentucky. The AAF operated the airplane on the U. S. East Coast primarily as an aerial gunnery trainer. On January 27, 1946, the AAF transferred it from the active inventory to the U. S. Army Air Forces Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and then to the National Air Museum (now NASM) along with other military aircraft. The Smithsonian lent the aircraft to Republic Aviation for restoration and display, and to help the company celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the P-47. Subsequently, NASM displayed the aircraft at its own Paul Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland, before lending it to the Museum of Flight at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

A P-47G (one of the two current surviving ones) was made flyable by Republic for that event as well.

Nice! WIX Hivemind in action!