P-47 Thunderbolt Restoration | Bill Dunham's P-47D-23R “Bonnie”
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- Опубликовано: 7 ноя 2023
- Restoring William Douglas “Bill” Dunham's P-47 Thunderbolt.
Dunham was the second leading ace (behind Neel Kearby) of the 5th Air Force’s 348th Fighter Group. Bonnie was named while he was Commanding Officer of the 460th Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group after his then-girlfriend, Miss Bonnie Harris. The Bonnie namesake was emblazoned on all three of Dunham’s P-47s and ended with a P-51K which was named Mrs. Bonnie because by then Miss Bonnie had become Mrs. Bonnie Dunham.
Research indicates that 42-27609 probably started its combat service with the 35th Fighter Group and was later transferred to the 460th Fighter Squadron to be used as a trainer as that new squadron was formed.
Bruce Eames, Warren Pietsch and the folks at Dakota Territory Air Museum have decided to honor Major Bill “Dinghy” Dunham by finishing their P-47D-23RA in Major Dunham’s color scheme from the time he led the 460th Fighter Squadron over the Philippines. Major Dunham commanded the 460th FS from July 14, 1944, through December 18, 1944.
We will learn about the respect and decency that demonstrates Bill Dunham’s character...In December 1944, an encounter between Republic P-47D pilot Major Bill Dunham and a Japanese pilot over the Philippine Sea led to an unexpected show of compassion. Dunham downed the enemy aircraft - a Nakajima Ki-43. He had a clear shot of the Japanese pilot who bailed out of the plane. The Imperial Japanese Forces were known to shoot Allied pilots who dangled from their parachutes but Dunham did nothing of the sort.
Dunham was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
The Republic P 47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American aerospace company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. Its primary armament was eight .50-caliber machine guns, and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry 5-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 lb (1,100 kg). When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to 8 tons, making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war.
The Thunderbolt was effective as a short-to-medium-range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attack in both the European and Pacific theaters. The P-47 was designed around the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine, which also powered two U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps fighters, the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair. An advanced turbosupercharger system ensured the aircraft's eventual dominance at high altitudes, while also influencing its size and design.
P-47 pilot Lt Col Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, 56th Fighter Group, the leading ace of the 8th Air Force
Beginning in January 1943, Thunderbolt fighters were sent to the joint Army Air Forces - civilian Millville Airport in Millville, New Jersey, to train civilian and military pilots.
The first P-47 combat mission took place 10 March 1943 when the 4th FG took their aircraft on a fighter sweep over France. The mission was a failure due to radio malfunctions. All P-47s were refitted with British radios, and missions resumed 8 April. The first P-47 air combat took place 15 April with Major Don Blakeslee of the 4th FG scoring the Thunderbolt's first air victory (against a Focke-Wulf Fw 190).
General characteristics
* Crew: 1
* Length: 36 ft 1.75 in (11.0173 m)
* Wingspan: 40 ft 9+5⁄16 in (12.429 m)
* Height: 14 ft 8+1⁄16 in (4.472 m)
* Airfoil: Seversky S-3
* Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
* Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
* Propellers: 4-bladed Curtiss Electric C542S constant-speed propeller, 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m) diameter
Performance
* Maximum speed: 426 mph (686 km/h, 370 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
* Range: 1,030 mi (1,660 km, 900 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (13,000 m)
Armament
* Eight .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (3400 rounds)
* Up to 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of bombs
* Ten 5 in (127 mm) HVAR unguided rockets
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#p47 #thunderboi #restoration 
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The absolute best fighter (in my humble opinion) airframe ever designed with the A10 being 2nd and its modern sibling..
One was definitely developed around the gun..
@@DSToNe19and83 I understand what you're getting at.. what other plane can you take half a wing. One engine. Half a tail feather and still fly?
@@murdock8068 technically both are extremely different but very similar. The latter is literally built around 30mm Gatling gun, the former is built around a super/turbocharged radial with 8 .50s. Both seam to work extremely well, hence the names.
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@@murdock8068 the radial engine is extremely durable! heck, you can still remain airborne with half of the cylinders functioning!
The p-47 is a absolute beast and a nightmare!
Hello I love the story. My uncle flew the P47D in ETO with the 9th AAF 371st FG 406th Squadron. He was KIA 19 March 1945. He had died 8 years before I was born. My family unfortunately knew little about his service. Back in the late 80s and throughout the 90s and into the 2000s. I searched to find the truth about his service and to make a long story short after years of research I found 3 of his friends. One being the flight leader of the mission that he was KIA and the 2 other men very close friends and one consider himself his best friend having trained together and shipped out together. I was EXTREMELY lucky to have met 2 of these men in person and one by phone. I was able to visit with his best friend many times and became close. He past away Oct 2019. All of these men are all gone now. I think of them often.
That’s extremely awesome!
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finally something good to watch on youtube ! thank you
I get sad when I see the low view count. Newer generations are more interested in taking their own picture rather than take a look at this beauty. We have a local air show where I heard this plane and a p-51 soar very close above while I sat on a mountain all by myself, watching the show below. Those sounds made me cry.
I loved his old stories, what a legend. He was going to have trouble flighing at altitude and got into P47's just in time to be a ground attacker. Mad lad.
Thats MAGNIFICENT.
She’s a glorious bird, my very first scale model I built as a kid was razorback! She’s slow to get to the fight but once she was at altitude, she would come down above you like a bolt of lightning followed by a whole lot of thunder!
I’m still a jug head
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For another great jug story, check out “a fighter pilots story” on pbs Minnesota. Quentin C Aanenson is our local legend p-47 pilot and has a airfield named after him in luverne,MN
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My uncle navigated his B17 and in his basement next to the pool table hung a B17 and a P47 right beside it. Many years it hung there. Also had a mission map in the den.
I dont know of anything that sounds better than an R2800 at idle.
First thanks! Fantastic video and plane!