Potentially Flyable P-47D to Pima

[Warbird Kid]

Sad day.

A few days ago we received an email from Otto Carter III, son of World War II pilot Otto Carter Jr, P-47D Thunderbolt (s/n 42-8066) saying that his dad’s P-47 was purchased by the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) in Tucson, Arizona. The airframe is a well-known aircraft and well documented by Pacific Wreck. Accordingly to Otto Carter III this aircraft is in Australia where the restoration will be completed before being transported to Arizona. We contacted Andrew Boehly, Director of Collections Pima Air & Space Museum to confirm this important news.

“We chose to purchase this P-47 since its restoration is closer to completion compared to our previous P-47. The decision to purchase was made earlier this year and, currently, we are working on the transit.” Said Andrew Boehly.

This Thunderbolt, which is a combat veteran of the Pacific Theatre, was force-landed mostly intact in the swamps of New Guinea in October 1943. It remained largely undisturbed until the mid-1960s when efforts began to retrieve it. The aircraft was eventually recovered and shipped to New Zealand, where it was prepared for static display. It was later traded to Australia. By the time restoration commenced, the aircraft required significant metal replacement to address the corrosion from its time in the New Guinea swamp. For more information about this combat veteran P-47, visit Pacific Wrecks.

In 1968 “Carter’s Li’l Pill” was finally lifted onto a trailer flatbed and then towed out by a bulldozer after hard work by William “Bill” Chapman to clear a path. Otto Carter Jr graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1934 and was a former student of John Tarleton Junior College and Texas A&M. He joined the Army Air Forces a month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He trained at Parks Air College, St. Louis, Missouri; Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas and received his wings and commission at Foster Field, in Victoria, Texas on October 9, 1942. His combat training was next, at Westover Field, Massachusetts, and from there he received his overseas assignment. During the war, Carter logged 500 hours on 190 combat sorties and flew as a flight leader and later a squadron commander.

On his return to the States, he was assigned to the Abilene Army Airfield (today’s Dyess AFB) as a test pilot and was in charge of post-graduate training. Col. Carter stayed in the Air Force Reserve and was assigned to the Air Force Academy as Liaison Officer Coordinator for ten years. He had a total of 34 years, nine months, and six days of military service. He retired as a full colonel. More information about Otto Carter can be found on this website maintained by his son.

This aircraft—one of the oldest remaining P-47s and the earliest survivor from the Pacific campaign—is well on its way to being fully restored. The fuselage has been structurally completed and is awaiting the final installation of controls and wiring. The tail group has been rebuilt, and both the engine mount and the windshield and canopy have been restored. The wings have been stripped, with components refurbished or replaced as needed, and are ready for reassembly. The cowlings and many other aspects of the restoration are also in progress.

Once the restoration is complete, the Thunderbolt (s/n 42-8066) will be displayed in Pima Air and Space Museum’s Hangar 5 with other Southwest Pacific aircraft. Like the museum’s other aircraft, it will have dedicated signage about the aircraft type, that aircraft’s history, and its pilot Otto Carter, Jr.

https://vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/combat-veteran-p-47-thunderbolt-acquired-by-pima-air-and-space-museum.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR31XIDwABtuVRDSxsA8-noEcdGfEkUns2goQbfT40HzMfXzcoRiN8-7m2c_aem_ReCLhYCGLaeXCuC45QO_HQ

Last edited by Warbird Kid on Fri Jun 28, 2024 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[quemerford]

Sad that an aircraft has been preserved? Strange.

[JohnB]

The thread title says "Flyable", so that might be that the OP means it's sad that it won't be flying.

But since it hasn't flown, I think it would be more correct to call it "Potentially flyable".

It would be interesting to know how much of it is original.
Look at it on the bright side: If it isn't mostly wartime metal, the anti-data plate restoration crowd will be happy because it won't be misleading or confusing the public.


Many aircraft are restored to airworthy standards before placed on static display (NASM, NMUSAF, etc), so hardly a unique event. Many more aircraft on static could return to flight with a servicing.

So lets be happy that it is returning to the country of its birth, placed in a major museum where it will be seen by many more people (almost 200,000 a year) than it would be if it were locked in a private hangar and rarely flown.

Last edited by JohnB on Fri Jun 28, 2024 2:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Thomas_Mac]

This one had been for sale for some time if I recall, nice its found a home. Will be a nice addition to the PIMA collection with a lot of their WWII stuff being in Pacific Theatre markings. Begs the question what becomes of their other P-47 project?

[JohnB]

Begs the question what becomes of their other P-47 project?

I suppose it depends on the standard of work.
If it was done to airworthy standards (with appropriate documentation), then hopefully it will be sold as a potentially airworthy project.
If not, then it could be acquired by one of the many museums where a static aircraft would be fine.

[Warbird Kid]

Sad that an aircraft has been preserved? Strange.

The aircraft was being restored to airworthy standards, and now will be relegated to static display permanently. Meanwhile Pima already had a razorback that was much more suited to a static restoration. Instead of one flyable and one static, we now have two statics (probably). That is a loose in my book.

The thread title says "Flyable", so that might be that the OP means it's sad that it won't be flying.

But since it hasn't flown, I think it would be more correct to call it "Potentially flyable".

Updated

[quemerford]

I love some of the pejorative statements here. P-47 preserved: good news. None there.

EDIT: I'm joking: I find some of the comments verging on the childish/tantrum side.

[steve dickey]

The next big question is, are they gonna keep this in its original pilot's paint scheme or paint it to an Arizona pilot like they have done on several fighters?

[JohnB]

According to the article linked above, it will be in displayed in its wartime SWP markings of Otto Carter.
So, no one should have issues with that.

Carter was from Sweetwater in West Texas. After his combat tour, (where he flew 190 sorties) he was stationed by Abilene AAF (now Dyess AFB) about 40 miles from his hometown (nice of the service to do that).

If it has been offered for awhile with no takers means (and I'm stating the obvious here, so bear with me) that no wanted to spend a (presumably) lot of money on a Razorback Jug.
Even well known flying collections must have passed it up for whatever reasons.

We see that in the warbird market, there is plenty of money out there for Mustang and Spitfires...but some neat, rare or obscure types just don't temp buyers enough into writing a check.
It's easy for us to say "someone SHOULD buy it", when it's not our money.

Last edited by JohnB on Sat Jun 29, 2024 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mustangdriver]

The plane will be in a museum where people can see it. Not sure why it always has to be so sad. Take it as a win that it is still here.

[quemerford]

Cheers Mustangdriver: we live in an age where everything has to make a noise, move, explode or at least have accompanying music and captions it seems. Sometimes it's nice to just observe and work it out yourself.

[Mark Allen M]

Sad day indeed!

I was hoping to add a new Authentic SWP combat veteran P-47 watch to my growing collection of the following:

Authentic BOB combat veteran Spitfire watch.
Authentic Omaha Beach Sand watch.
Authentic Amelia Earhart Freckle Cream watch.

It’s too bad! Don’t we have enough warbirds flying and in museums already?

[JohnB]

To go along with your watches..
I hope you got the "Dambusters" alarm clock they advertised in fly past a few years back!
I just stumbled across a SNJ in a two-tone light gray/medium gray that looks like the postwar Royal Navy scheme one sees on Sea Furys...
But it had post-1947 stars and bars...
huge "NAVY" titles...
plus invasion stripes...yikes!

Yes, people can paint their planes as they please, but if you're trying to capitalize on its historic nature, please pick a nation, period, service and try to stay in the lines.

So yes, people show their enthusiasm in strange ways.

[bdk]

More people will be able to see it as a static at Pima than where it was rotting in the jungle.

[Warbird Kid]

More people will be able to see it as a static at Pima than where it was rotting in the jungle.

That goes without saying. And I am glad that one more Thunderbolt will be on display in the world. HOWEVER, given that this airframe specifically was being restored to airworthy and now it will be on static display for the foreseeable future, is a real bummer and a wasted opportunity in my opinion. That's all.