DTAM P-47 first flight

[bomberfan]

Posted on Facebook, Bernie Vasquez was tapped for the P-47s first flight. There are now 3 airworthy razorbacks. First flight was made as a mostly bare metal aircraft with just the rudder painted with red and white stripes. I'm sure there's going to be a scheme applied soon, but I'm hoping to see it before this happens, it's stunning!

[jdeters79]

https://youtu.be/2Oe_skaSXjA

[DH82EH]

That is stunning!
Heartiest congratulations to the whole team on a remarkable accomplishment.

Andy

[RyanShort1]

That is great! It was also fun to see that P-51 in those markings.

[lucky52]

It's not my plane and money but I vote to leave it bare metal.

[MKD1966]

DTAM has announced on their facebook page that the scheme chosen is of Major William Dunham's "Bonnie"... That will look sharp...
Mike

[Thomas_Mac]

Direct link from their Facebook to save a step

[Waltz41]

That's a great scheme. The P-51 he flew was similar and I always thought that would be nice scheme to see on a flying Mustang. So nice to see some more acknowledgement to the PTO there, and not an 8th Air Force scheme. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just excited to see something different like this!

[phil65]

Will she be at Oshkosh ?

Phil

[OD/NG]

Will she be at Oshkosh ?

Phil

Yes, of course.

https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airv ... e-released

[Pogo]

Holy smokes, that thing's a knockout, what a bird!!

[JohnTerrell]

This P-47D-23-RA, restored by AirCorps Aviation for the Dakota Territory Air Museum, is USAAF Serial No. 42-27609 (registered N4747D). It is known to have been assigned to the 5th Air Force in the Pacific Theatre, and was left abandoned on Dobodura Airfield in Papua New Guinea after the aircraft was declared unserviceable on September 18, 1944. As it was found to have, AirCorps Aviation restored the Thunderbolt complete with its Pacific Theatre field-modification "Christmas tree" fuel tank in the aft fuselage, which also meant that other items in the fuselage, such as the turbocharger oil tank and some radio components, are mounted differently than stock from-the-factory, and accurately match the field-modified configuration it had while in service with the 5th Air Force in the Pacific. This makes it unique from any that saw service in the other Theatres, such as the ETO. Unfortunately, no WWII-era photo of the aircraft has surfaced, which would have allowed for more to be known about its wartime assignment and specific paint scheme. From the incredible research conducted by Chuck Cravens, it was determined that the aircraft would have most likely served with the 35th Fighter Group, the only unit in the 5th Air Force to have received D-23's earlier than August 1944, and perhaps the 348th Fighter Group, which received D-23's in August 1944, the first examples of which were transferred from the 35th FG. The decision was made to paint the aircraft to represent P-47D-23-RA Bonnie, USAAF Serial No. 42-27884 (275 digits separated from DTAM's Thunderbolt), piloted by Maj. William Dunham, assigned to the 348th Fighter Group's 460th Fighter Squadron (the 460th FS was formed in August and September 1944).

It is one of the few Thunderbolts flying with a functioning turbocharger, and the only one flying with a Curtiss-Electric propeller (which is also of the specific type blade as fitted to D-23 production).

So-far I've seen that the P-47 is scheduled to attend Wings of the North's AirExpo, EAA AirVenture (including Warbirds in Review), and Thunder Over Michigan.

[Thomas_Mac]

Great info as always John!

[Jesse C.]

I have been following the rebuild and it is so exciting to see it airborne once again. Sure hope the bring it to Chino for one of the shows.

Congrats to the team for another job well done!

[bdk]

Sure hope the bring it to Chino for one of the shows.

Santa Maria?