Believe it or not, the first version of the P-47 was a tiny, speedy-looking machine. It was to be powered by an Allison engine and have two pea-shooter guns. This is an image of the full-scale mock-up of what was designated the XP-47.
But with war in Europe looming, Republic designers got an unwanted call … the Army Air Corps wanted to talk. In order to survive in Battle of Britain-style combat, America needed much more than a speedy speck of a fighter.
The Air Corps wanted a plane that could do 400 mph at 25,000 feet, had six or eight machine guns, had self-sealing tanks and heavy armor, and could carry 315 gallons of fuel. The requirements stunned everyone at Republic.
Head designer Alexander Kartveli knew that an uprated version of Seversky/Republic’s P-35, P-43, XP-44, or XP-47 were not going to fit the bill—they would have to make a whole new plane. On the long, lonely train ride back from Dayton, Kartveli started sketching a massive machine that could beat the competition with size and strength.
The designers at Republic worked long hours on their new creation. The upgraded version of the P-47, designated XP-47B, became the five-ton monster we all know and love today. Pushed to do the “impossible” Republic’s designers came through with a classic fighter that helped win WWII.
Cory Graff is the military aviation curator at the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett.
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