Oshkosh 2023 Live | Republic P-47D-23R “Bonnie” | Warbirds in Review
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- Опубликовано: 29 окт 2024
- Oshkosh 2023: Republic P-47D-23R “Bonnie”. Warbirds in Review Series.
William Douglas “Bill” 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
#p47 #thunderboi #oshkosh
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Flew with 2 2800's in a Convair 440 several years in the 60's. So smooth and reliable we never thought about them. Had a piston ring land failure in cruise one night that produced one muffled miss as the plugs were peened shorted. We could not detect any BMEP loss. We flew another few hours including two takeoffs before arriving at our layover airport with maintenance. We called for a thermocouple "Wand" check on arrival. The mechanic checked each cylinder temperature with the 8 ft long wand and identified the cold dead cylinder. It was changed overnight and no metal was found in the oil screen and we flew it out next morning. I only learned decades later what a marvelous piece of machinery the 2800 was.
Absolutely gorgeous. Hope it won the Golden Wrench award, it deserves it. Thanks for doing a Pacific scheme especially this one. A great book about the P-47 in the Pacific is Check Six, highly recommended.
Just Beautiful!!! Was there, saw the WWII P-47 Pilot sit in it and such a RUSH to see History Live
The 56th FG, top scoring AAF group during WW2 ( air to air) flew P-47s for the whole war. Though it was one of 15 fighter groups in the 8th Air Force, 5 of the top 10 aces came from the 56th, including the top 2. The Thunderbolt served with great distinction air to air and air to ground.
Great video! The P-47 had the highest pilot survival rating of any fighter aircraft of WW2!
Thanks for posting! Amazing stuff.
Great interview! Thanks for sharing. I was at Airventure on Saturday and got to see Bonnie perform, and it was beautiful!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Alexander Kartveli and Alexander Seversky are happy that one of their babies is bouncy and bolting again! She's stunning!
Bonnie❤ I just smiled yet amazed when Lt. Terry did the trick to get in the Army Air Corps that started his career and made him a great P-47 pilot.
Way more intense than restoring a car or a boat.Hell, your leaving the ground and going fast.
Incredible !
I would’ve loved to have flown the P-47 in ground attack.
The reason there are more P51s is that they are all replicas/copies not ww2 era.
Wrong
Not true at all
Not even close. Do some research.
Glen McIntyre flew one
All this dwelling in the past is killing us all moving forward.!
It's called history, try researching it.