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When it comes to Military Aviation History, I'm always looking to learn more. I love watching documentaries about WW II and the men and machines of that era, as well as other times. I've always believed that to truly know where you are and where you are going, you have to know where you've been.

I picked up a pair of DVD's this weekend, at King Soopers of all places, that came in a small metal can and contains several short documentaries about many of the aircraft of WW II. One that I watched last night was about the P-47 Thunderbolt. Man, I was amazed at how little I really knew about that AC and the men who flew it. It was called the \"Jug\" because it looked like a milk jug turned on it's side. It was the second most produced AC of the war, the B-24 was first. It was offered to Chanault (SP) for his Flying Tigers, but he shuddered when he found out what gas guzzlers they were. Fuel always a problem with that group back then.

I also found out that the 8 .50 cal MGs in the wings made it the most heavily armed fighter of it's day. The guns were also toe'd in a little so that their beaten zones converged to a focal point a few hundred yards in front of the nose. This allowed just a short burst to knock out a train, take out trucks and tanks and knock German fighters and bombers right out of the sky.

Much like the A-10 was built around the gun, the P-47 was built around it's engine. The same engine used in the B-17. Also, like the A-10, it was rugged as hell. Many stories about Jugs bringing their pilots home with several pistons blown away by enemy flack. Wings streaded and still flying smoothly. One veteran told of a flight leader who'd flown his Jug through a tree, and still made it back to base. There were pictures of pilots standing in the holes blown in the wings and tails of their birds.

I also learned that it was the fastest fighter built when it was first fielded, and was designed as a bomber escort, but the heavy fuel consumption kept it from fully filling this roll until the last version hit the air near the end of the war. While it did a hell of a job at CAS, it was not the first to be assigned that role. The first was the P-36 Areocobra that carried 2 .30 cal. MG's in each wing, and carried a 20mm cannon mounted through the center of the prop.

Anyway, there are also other shows on the set about the P-51, the Brit fighters, Hurricanes, Spitfires and Typhoons, as well as others. Worth a look at only $9.

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Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

Nope..the B-17 used Wright R1820 turbocharged engines, the P-47 used Pratt R2800's. It's the same engine as used in the B-26.

OC

Dought! My bad. I knew it was one of those B things.

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Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

While the A-10 is named after the P-47, the real lineage of the Hog is to the A-1 of Korea and Vietnam fame.

Coach

If you really love to study CAS take a good look at the Russians use of the P-39 Airocobra on the Eastern Front. The P-39 had no supercharger and lacked power at higher altitudes, but was vicious when used down low with 4 x 30 cal, 2 x 50 cal and a single 30mm cannon firing through the hub. The Russian IL-2 also was a terror to the Germans, an absolute animal over the battlefield. The Skyraider in Korea and Vietnam was the same.

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YGBSM !

Yeah, that same documentary spoke to the P-39 being the first AC used specifically for CAS. Great bird when used right.

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Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

What i know about the P-47 and P-51 history was that the P-51 in first place to be used for ground attacks. The P-47 was build to go escort the bombers above Germany. But they switched because the P-51 was better for longrange escorts and higher altitude. The P-47 was better for groundattacks. Engines, speed and guns were reasons to switch.

That is what i know from books and tv.

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