P-47 Thunderbolt

In 1949 Tuskegee Airmen won the first ever USAF Weapons’ Meet flying obsolete F-47 Thunderbolts. But their victory was hidden and the trophy stored at the USAF Museum for years.

In 1949 Tuskegee Airmen won the first ever USAF Weapons’ Meet flying obsolete F-47 Thunderbolts. But their victory was hidden and the trophy stored at the USAF Museum for years.

The 332nd Fighter Group, formed by Tuskegee Airmen, had impressive scores, and despite the racial tension at that time, was… Read More

1 month ago

Legendary German Ace Adolf Galland tells the story of his last combat mission, P-47 pilot recalls the dogfight where he shot down Galland during his last combat

‘A hail of fire enveloped me. I could hardly hold her in the air. I had only one wish: to… Read More

5 months ago

Remembering Donald C. Spalinger, the P-47 pilot shot down by German flak while diving on the gun positions in the hope of distract them from targeting B-25 bomber formation

The P-47s from the 66th Squadron, 57th Fighter Wing, escorted the B-25 bombers. When enemy fighters failed to appear, the… Read More

8 months ago

P-47 Thunderbolt Vs P-51B Mustang Vs P-51D Mustang: comparison between USAAF’s Best Single Engine Fighters

The P-47 began the destruction of the Luftwaffe, the P-51D would complete the job. But without the P-51B air war… Read More

1 year ago

P-47 Thunderbolt pilot explains why strafing German trains during World War II was dangerous business

Trains were never safe from roaming P-47 Thunderbolts on armed reconnaissance missions. However, German tactics quickly made strafing them a… Read More

2 years ago

Remembering the Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission, USAAF’s most disastrous air battle to date.

Although the raid caused heavy damage at both factories, 60 of the 376 bombers—about 1 in 6 of those dispatched—were… Read More

2 years ago

During WWII Axis pilots tested captured Allied aircraft: they deemed the Spitfire miserable fighter, the LaGG–3 poorly maneuverable and the P-51 disconcerting

‘The Spitfire handles well, is light on the controls, faultless in the turn and has a performance approaching that of… Read More

2 years ago

First air-to-air sortie for A-10 Warthog with new World War II heritage paint scheme of P-47 Thunderbolt

The heritage scheme on the Idaho Air Guard A-10 is designed to replicate the paint as it appeared on the… Read More

2 years ago

Legendary fighter pilot Francis “Gabby” Gabreski was one of the firsts to test the F-100 hose-and-drogue refueling capability, but he preferred to attack squadron of Fw-190s alone in a P-47. Here’s why.

The aerial refueling capability of the F-100 and fighters like it enabled the Air Force to quickly send reinforcements to… Read More

3 years ago

During World War II many P-47 pilots were lost in accidents while learning to fly the mighty Jug, here’s why

No P-47 dual-seat trainers were ever built, and some pilots found the step up in performance from the Texan to… Read More

3 years ago

The ringmaster’s Grand Finale: Legendary German Ace Adolf Galland tells the exciting story of his last combat mission

“As usual in dogfight, I was tense and excited. I forgot to release the second safety catch for the… Read More

3 years ago

Missing P-47 Thunderbolt pilot from WW II found

More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII perished during the conflict, and 72,766 remain missing… Read More

4 years ago