28. The Jug That Scared the Bejeezus Out of the Germans
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, nicknamed “the Jug”, was WWII’s heaviest fighter airplane. 8 tons when fully loaded for ground attack, and 10,000 pounds empty, it was 50 percent heavier than the P-51 Mustang, and almost twice as heavy as the Spitfire. Ironically, the Thunderbolt began as a light interceptor, but between proposal and prototype, requirements and minds changed, and a heavy fighter emerged. Initial designs called for a small fighter with a liquid-cooled engine, but when the Army raised concerns, designers turned to an air-cooled, and exceptionally powerful for its day, engine. The powerful engine meant the plane no longer needed to be small, and so its size grew, resulting in a heavy fighter.
Weight and bulky appearance were deceiving, however: the P-47 was fast, capable of matching the Mustang’s 440 mph top speed, with one late war variant reaching 473 mph. The extra weight increased the P-47’s durability, and made it dive faster – a great asset that allowed Thunderbolts to overtake fleeing enemy fighters, or to break off contact and flee themselves if necessary. Deployed to Europe in 1942 and seeing its first combat in 1943, the Thunderbolt was utilized primarily in bomber escort duties, and gained a reputation for ruggedness because its robust airframe and air-cooled radial engine allowed it to absorb significant combat damage and still bring plane and pilot back home.
