Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

[Triton]

Thunderbolt (1945) shows footage of the air war over Italy during World War II, focusing on the life and death struggle of a P-47 Thunderbolt squadron. In addition to showing how the pilots' activities seriously crippled the Nazi fighting ability, hastening the sweep of Allied forces into Rome, footage also shows the suffering of non-combatants on the ground (i.e., children who played near a burned corpse, destroyed buildings, etc.). The film was directed by William Wyler and John Sturges, with an introduction by Jimmy Stewart. The narrators were Lloyd Bridges and Eugene Kern.

http://youtu.be/OhN5NsuEDOQ

 

[Triton]

How to Fly the P-47: Pilot Familiarization (1943)

Describes flight characteristics of the P-47 Thunderbolt, including service ceiling, speed, power, fuel consumption, turbosupercharger system, use of turbo and throttled landing gear and flaps, armament, and switch and control panel. Shows use of the P-47 cockpit trainer.

http://youtu.be/x2WJbVZ5btw

 

[Triton]

How to Fly the P-47: High Altitude Flight and Aerobatics (1943)

Demonstrates the Thunderbolt in dives, loops, slow rolls, Immelman turns, spins, and recoveries, and half rolls. Stresses precautions and proper speeds for various altitudes. Also explains functions of turbosupercharger and water injection systems in high altitude flight.

http://youtu.be/YxKQ9HbsNUI

 

[Triton]

How to Fly the P-47: Ground Handling, Take-Off, Normal Flight, Landing (1943)

Demonstrates procedures in flying the P-47. Includes preflight and cockpit checks, warm-up, taxiing, cruising, banking, stalling, speeds for approaches, turns, and landings. Also shows how to conduct postflight checks.

http://youtu.be/usoXbGD1isA

 

[GeorgeA]

Thunderbolt (1945) shows footage of the air war over Italy during World War II, focusing on the life and death struggle of a P-47 Thunderbolt squadron. In addition to showing how the pilots' activities seriously crippled the Nazi fighting ability, hastening the sweep of Allied forces into Rome, footage also shows the suffering of non-combatants on the ground (i.e., children who played near a burned corpse, destroyed buildings, etc.). The film was directed by William Wyler and John Sturges, with an introduction by Jimmy Stewart. The narrators were Lloyd Bridges and Eugene Kern.

The movie was considered somewhat controversial, given the sardonic narration and graphic images, and wasn't released until 1947.

 

[Triton]

I believe that the film is now in the public domain or I wouldn't have embedded it.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Is this a real project?

http://forum.worldofwarplanes.eu/index.php?/topic/30227-republic-tech-tree-proposal/

 

[_Del_]

As I remember there was an actual attempt to convert the P-47 as a turbojet. It didn't progress very far as projects go. I have seen the cutaway on the top of your image before, but I do not remember where and can't vouch for its accuracy.

 

[hesham]

Of course a real design,

but the very close shape to it,is here;

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=12414.0

 

[blackkite]

Gentlemen, many thanks.

 

[Silencer1]

Hi! Is this a real project?

http://forum.worldofwarplanes.eu/index.php?/topic/30227-republic-tech-tree-proposal/

Did this 'converted" P-47 jet needs front and rear spars, as it's piston predecessor? IMHO, author of this "what if" drawing doesn't studied the real P-47 airframe structure.
In real P-47 the space below the wing structure has been used for air channel for supercharger

 

[hesham]

That's right my dear Silencer,

and here is its real shape.

 

[kitnut617]

Hi! Is this a real project?

http://forum.worldofwarplanes.eu/index.php?/topic/30227-republic-tech-tree-proposal/

Did this 'converted" P-47 jet needs front and rear spars, as it's piston predecessor? IMHO, author of this "what if" drawing doesn't studied the real P-47 airframe structure.
In real P-47 the space below the wing structure has been used for air channel for supercharger

This is a photo of the wing attachment frames (below and found on the internet) which ran through the fuselage. The exhaust and supercharger ducting ran above and below it. The wings were bolted on afterwards. However, these frames could quite easily be converted into 'banjo' frames like how the wings spars on a Gloster Meteor were. The baulk of the frame would be where the exhaust and supercharger ducting were, as they are not needed in this scenario.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/16/6d/e0/166de056cbd046acaa8fd858b4b5b51a.jpg

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

Those depictions of a jet-powered P-47 seem dubious from a balance standpoint, not to mention the jet engine being in the way of a reasonable structural arrangement for wing attachment shown in the inboard profile as Silencer1 noted. Removing the piston engine from the nose and adding the jet engine in the mid fuselage requires a significant reconfiguration. Even if you move the cannons from the wing to the nose, the forward fuselage has to be extended, the cockpit moved forward, the aft fuselage probably shortened, etc. It helps to have a landing gear up front as well replacing the small tail wheel. Attached are comparisons of the P-51 versus the FJ Fury and the P-47 versus the F-84, to the same scale with the wing roots superimposed.

 

[Silencer1]

Unlike many contemporary fighters P-47 has been equipped with quite sophisticated system of air ducts, connecting engine and turbosupercharger in different directions.
Perhaps, Republic' engineers were more familiar with air ducts, then other designers?
Picture source http://www.aviation-history.com/republic/p47.html

McDonnell XP-67 with it's complex exhaust system could be noted as other example of integration of engine integration into aircraft structure.

In USSR the idea of using the piston fighters as basis for quick and simple change for jets have been popular - several Yakovlev' aircraft were designed by so called "redan" layout - similar to the water step on the seaplanes hull.
Yak-15 and Yak-17 were good example of this layout

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

North American's design study to convert the T-28 from piston to jet power and retain some of the airframe is another example of the tyranny of balance unless, like Yakovlev, you install the jet engine in the nose and accept the pitching moment changes with power, among other shortcomings...

 

[Silencer1]

Thunderbolt (1945) shows footage of the air war over Italy during World War II, focusing on the life and death struggle of a P-47 Thunderbolt squadron. In addition to showing how the pilots' activities seriously crippled the Nazi fighting ability, hastening the sweep of Allied forces into Rome, footage also shows the suffering of non-combatants on the ground (i.e., children who played near a burned corpse, destroyed buildings, etc.). The film was directed by William Wyler and John Sturges, with an introduction by Jimmy Stewart. The narrators were Lloyd Bridges and Eugene Kern.

http://youtu.be/OhN5NsuEDOQ

Dear Triton!
Thanks for sharing the links to those films!

I'm really enjoyed to see color documentary. Now, more then 70 years later, we could see some shortcomings of this movie, intentional or not. Also, it well depicted role P-47 in that particular war theater, as well as persons, fighting on it. I'm still wonder, how this, large, heavy and complex aircraft not inly has been put in mass production during the war, but prove itself efficient and dangerous to the enemy.

 

[Silencer1]

North American's design study to convert the T-28 from piston to jet power and retain some of the airframe is another example of the tyranny of balance unless, like Yakovlev, you install the jet engine in the nose and accept the pitching moment changes with power, among other shortcomings...

Thanks a lot both for your comments and interesting drawings. Today, the difficulties of replacing the piston engine to jet are obvious, as we seen many attempts to do this. In the beginning of jet era, these problems could be even more complex, because the jets have been very advanced technology, with a lot of potential in the future, and a lot of problems in the present.
Along with a specific requirement of jet engine placement, the requirements for frequent replacement of them and high fuel consumption (i.e. need to find a proper volume for fuel tanks) make the task even more challenging.

As we know today, all those problems have been solved - after many prototypes, tests and researches! But not by simple replacement of piston to jet engine!