Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Razorback)
Republic Aviation · United States · first flew 1942 · fighter
The early 'razorback' P-47, the largest and heaviest single-engine piston fighter of WWII, defined by its enormous Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial nose and the tall uncut spine it shared with early P-51s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | High spine and framed greenhouse canopy restrict rearward view; the fuselage ridge runs unbroken from cockpit to tail |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Massive R-2800 radial cowling — the broadest nose of any single-engine WWII fighter, wider than the Fw 190A's BMW 801 in absolute terms
- High spine and framed greenhouse canopy restrict rearward view; the fuselage ridge runs unbroken from cockpit to tail
- Eight .50 cal gun muzzles in the wing leading edge — more than any other single-engine WWII fighter; four per wing clearly visible
Against the bubble-top D: high spine and framed canopy are conclusive. Against the Fw 190A: the P-47 is vastly larger with eight gun muzzles versus the Fw 190A's typical four cannon. The P-47's turbo-supercharger exhaust exits under the fuselage mid-section.
Specifications
- The Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Razorback) has a length of 11.02 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.42 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 697 km/h (433 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Entering USAAF service in early 1943, the P-47 quickly proved itself as a high-altitude escort and ground-attack aircraft. Its air-cooled radial made it exceptionally survivable in strafing missions that regularly killed liquid-cooled engine types.
Variants
D-1 through D-22 were razorbacks; from D-25 the bubble canopy was introduced. The C model is externally near-identical to early Ds.
Where you'll see it
Razorback P-47s are rarer than bubble-top variants at airshows; several fly in the USA. The sheer size — almost a metre longer than a Spitfire — is striking in formation.
Related aircraft
- Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Bubble-top)
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief
- Aichi E16A Zuiun
- Bell P-59 Airacomet
- Bell P-63 Kingcobra
- Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1
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