Warbird Digest has received a report from Chuck Cravens in September/October 2021 regarding the restoration of P-47D Thunderbolt 42-27609 at the Dakota Territory Aviation Museum at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. We think our readers will be very interested in learning how the project has progressed since our last article on this important project. So don't talk nonsense, let's get started!

Work on the control surface continued this month; the turbocharger system piping was also progressing smoothly. We also reached two exciting milestones in October, installing the landing gear on the wing and installing the R-2800 on the engine mount for the firewall forward simulation work.

In the history section, we studied the long-term challenges that pilots must endure when performing 8-hour missions in tropical climates.

The work on the rudder, flaps and aileron linkages is an important part of the repair work this month.

The main landing gear components require extensive precision assembly to ensure their perfect operation. They were installed, adjusted and installed in October.

One of the milestones this month is the trial installation of the engine for simulation purposes. This allows all connecting components to be installed in preparation for the delivery of the R-2800 for airworthiness overhaul.

On August 7, 1944, Major Richard Serra took off from Nazarb and led 26 newly received P-47D-23s to Normfort for a 900-mile mission. The task involved providing defensive cover for SeeBees to build a new airfield on the island of Middelburg below it. A similar mission lasted 6 weeks, but the 39th Regiment was able to reach Noemfoor earlier.

The 39th Regiment conducted its first operation from Noemfoor on August 9. Noemfoor offers some significant advantages with its 7,000-foot compacted coral runway. Continue testing to verify the maximum allowable takeoff load that can be carried out on a long, stable, and relatively unobstructed runway; the squadron installed two 175-gallon tanks under the wings and a 75-gallon belly tank. The sum of these three fuel tanks, 425 gallons of fuel, adds 2,550 pounds. To take-off weight. With this extra weight, the P-47's minimum take-off speed proved to be between 125 and 130 mph, which is 15 to 20 mph higher than the speed required by Thunderbolt without the auxiliary fuel tank.

During this period, the legendary pilot Charles A. Lindbergh visited several 5th Air Force and Navy Fighter Groups as an advisor. His duty is to help the fighter jets used in the Southwest Pacific Theater to improve their range and carrying performance.

Lindbergh visited the 35th Fighter Group on August 14, 1944, and introduced his extended range procedures. 1

He showed how to increase the manifold pressure and reduce the engine speed can greatly improve the fuel economy of the P-47, thereby increasing the range of the aircraft.

On August 20, another long-range mission involved a fighter raid led by Captain Gordon Prentice. The duration of that attack was extended to more than 5 hours and 20 minutes, making it the longest mission performed by the 39th Fighter Squadron so far, and it may also be the longest of the 5th Air Force mission so far. 2

1 Charles A. Lindbergh, The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh, Harcouirt, Brace, Jovanovoch, Incv., New York, New York, 1970, p 905-906 2 John Stanaway, Cobra in the Clouds, Historical Aviation Album 1982.

With the maximum range technology encouraged by Colonel Lindbergh, coupled with the knowledge learned from experiments conducted by squadron pilots, the P-47 can now perform nearly three times the range mission experienced before these innovations.

"Sceptics will no longer blame the P-47's range. Later this year, the squadron registered for an 8-hour mission." 3

These technologies have undoubtedly increased the effectiveness of Perak’s combat operations in the Southwest Pacific, but the price that pilots pay for these extended missions is rarely discussed. In order to take advantage of high manifold pressure and low speed technology, long-range flight must be flying at low altitude. If the P-47's flying altitude is much higher than 3,000 feet, it will not be able to maintain a high enough manifold pressure at low speeds.

The pilot of the P-47 is located above two tubes that provide hot exhaust gas to drive the turbocharger, just behind the large radial R-2800, both of which generate a lot of heat. Even in a tropical environment like New Guinea, where triple-digit temperatures on the ground are common, pilots usually reduce the heat to some extent by climbing to cool altitudes. Unfortunately for them, the new long-range technology does not allow this option, so pilots are now sweating in the cockpit for 8.5 hours at a time. They often get dehydrated and exhausted because of these tasks and go home dangerously.

3 John Stanaway, "The Cobra in the Clouds", 1982 Historical Aviation Album, Temple City, California, p. 29

That's all for this month. We would like to thank AirCorps Aviation and Chuck Cravens for making this report possible! We look forward to providing more repair reports on the progress of this rare machine in the coming months. Pay attention to safety and good health

Is the P-47 Thunderbolt your favorite airplane? Be sure to purchase the 73rd issue of Warbird Digest, which includes the beautiful "Dottie Mae"

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