Restored Republic P-47D Thunderbolt “Spirit of Atlantic City N.J.”

Name: Restored Republic P-47D Thunderbolt “Spirit of Atlantic City N.J.” - Cavalcade of Wings
SKU: Model-0243

Model ID#:

0243

YEAR:

1964

Airline/Service:

Restored by KAFB Volunteers

Name:

Thunderbolt – Spirit of Atlantic City, NJ.”

Classification:

Private

Type:

Fighter

Manufacturer:

Republic

Designation:

P-47D

MODEL BY:

H. Davidson

Model Scale:

1/48

MODEL ADDED:

12/26/1976

historical significance

First Albuquerque Visit: 1964

SKU: Model-0243 Categories: Fighter, Private

Additional Information:

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and foremost ground-attack American fighter-bomber. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to 8 tons, making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war. As the P-47 Thunderbolt worked up to its operational status, it acquired the nickname “Jug”, due to the profile being similar to that of a common milk jug of the time.

From the first prototype produced in 1941, 15,686 P-47s were produced, the last of which was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from the Republic Aviation Evansville, Indiana factory.

This P-47D Thunderbolt “Spirit of Atlantic City, NJ”, was piloted in WWII by Capt. Walker “Bud” Mahurin, of the 63rd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, stationed at RAF Halesworth in 1943. Captain Mahurin was the first American pilot to become a double ace in the European Theater and ended up as the only pilot to shoot down enemy planes in the European Theater (ETO) the Pacific Theater (PTO), and the Korean War. During World War II, Captain Mahurin was credited with 20.75 aerial victories, making him the sixth-highest American P-47 ace. He was also credited with shooting down 3.5 MiG-15s in Korea, bringing his total to 24.25 aerial victories.

This P-47D, #42-8487, had been “purchased” courtesy of the UN-M Bond Drive by the citizens of Atlantic City, New Jersey and beginning in 1964, a group of volunteers on Kirtland AFB restored the aircraft for display at the American Air Museum in Britain. The aircraft was restored with a Royal Air Force (RAF) Light Green paint scheme with a white nose cowling, coded “UN-M”, and the “Spirit of Atlantic City N.J.” in white beneath the cockpit on the port side.

The plane is seen at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque New Mexico during the restoration process.

The plane with the cowling removed around the engine on the apron of Kirtland AFB.

Another P-47D, 42-23278, is seen at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.