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Republic's immense and powerful P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the truly great fighters of World War II. Designed under the leadership of Alexander Kartveli, the Thunderbolt provided stout protection for the pilot, and its rugged construction and air-cooled engine allowed it to withstand battle damage. Additionally, its .50-caliber machine guns packed a punch in combat. It served effectively in air-to-air combat and bomber escort roles, but what it truly excelled at was ground attack. The P-47 was built in greater numbers (15,683 units) than any other U.S. fighter, including the North American P-51.
The Museum’s aircraft is a P-47D-2-RE model built in Farmingdale, New York. Its wartime history is unknown. It is a "re-imported" aircraft, representing one of the many Thunderbolts that were sent to Latin American countries as part of post-war military assistance programs. The aircraft was delivered to the Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Boliviana) in October 1949. For a number of years, it was a "gate guard" at the La Paz, Bolivia airport.
Doug Champlin later acquired the aircraft from Jim Cullen in 1976 and shipped it to Dick Martin of Carlsbad, California for a complete rebuild to airworthiness, which was completed in 1981. The aircraft was restored in the markings of Colonel Robert Baseler's 325th Fighter Group aircraft, famous for their "checker tail" paint scheme.
Republic's immense and powerful P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the truly great fighters of World War II. Designed under the leadership of Alexander Kartveli, the Thunderbolt provided stout protection for the pilot, and its rugged construction and air-cooled engine allowed it to withstand battle damage. Additionally, its .50-caliber machine guns packed a punch in combat. It served effectively in air-to-air combat and bomber escort roles, but what it truly excelled at was ground attack. The P-47 was built in greater numbers (15,683 units) than any other U.S. fighter, including the North American P-51.
The Museum’s aircraft is a P-47D-2-RE model built in Farmingdale, New York. Its wartime history is unknown. It is a "re-imported" aircraft, representing one of the many Thunderbolts that were sent to Latin American countries as part of post-war military assistance programs. The aircraft was delivered to the Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Boliviana) in October 1949. For a number of years, it was a "gate guard" at the La Paz, Bolivia airport.
Doug Champlin later acquired the aircraft from Jim Cullen in 1976 and shipped it to Dick Martin of Carlsbad, California for a complete rebuild to airworthiness, which was completed in 1981. The aircraft was restored in the markings of Colonel Robert Baseler's 325th Fighter Group aircraft, famous for their "checker tail" paint scheme.
