P47 Thunderbolts

[pudestcon]

I have a wmv video file but don't know how to upload it - apparently wmv files are not recognised.

 

Any ideas?

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Can't help you with the upload Pud, but I'd be happy to talk about Thunderbolts !

 

 

[MrH]

I have a wmv video file but don't know how to upload it - apparently wmv files are not recognised.Any ideas?

Pud

Stick onto YouTube & use that link is easiest, me thinks:victory:

 

Cheers

 

H

 

 

[pudestcon]

Can't help you with the upload Pud, but I'd be happy to talk about Thunderbolts !

I don't know anything about them Maj but I sure enjoyed the video. It is about "362nd Group Army Air Corps based in Etaine, France. 377th Squadron's combat pilots flying P-47 Thunderbolts."

 

I particularly like the footage of the pre start checks.

 

The clip came to me in an email so I don't have a link I can direct you to. I'll do some surfing abit later on and see if I can find it.

 

Pud

 

 

[fly_tornado]

upload it to vimeo

 

youtube deleted the soundtrack

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

From reading the books of the great aviator Charles Lindberg, I know he was involved with the developement of the P-47 Thunderbolt, and did a lot of the high altitude initial test-flying. The wing was new, and with the 2800 P&W with supercharger, it was initially designed as a high altitude fighter.

 

During Lindberghs time as a technical adviser in WW2, in New Guinea (advising young pilots on how to extend the range of their P-38s) he visited General Douglas MacCarthur at his then Brisbane headquarters.

 

After the visit he went to the Eagle farm airfield where the yanks had all types of fighters (including captured Zeros). When asked what he wanted he replied "I'll take that P-47 over there". He then went to the flight hut and filed a flightplan direct Eagle farm, to Horn Island in the Torres straight.

 

The duty flight officer wouldn't accept the flight plan, saying the P-47 wouldn't have the range to make Horn. Llindberg instead filed Eagle farm to Cairns, which they accepted.

 

He then flew the P-47 thunderbolt non-stop, Eagle farm to Port Morsby, but still had the fuel to go to the northern coast of PNG.!! They obviously had no idea who they were dealing with!!.

 

He was in his late forties at the time, and technically a 'civilian non-combatant', although he did score a couple of zeros whilst flying P-38s with younger squadrons in PNG. He was a trained fighter pilot even before he did the famous new York to Paris flight, and was a reserve Army Air Corps Colonel, but it was too late for him to see air combat in WW1..................................Maj

 

 

[pudestcon]

upload it to vimeoyoutube deleted the soundtrack

 

Being an older person, although savvy enough to muck around on here, I don't know what Vimeo is and wouldn't know how to upload to Youtube. Maybe I should not be lazy and learn how to do this stuff. I'll check out vimeo and see what's wot.

 

Pud

 

 

[pudestcon]

I searched Youtube and found it

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQI9aq6jPcI

 

Pud

 

Hmmmm, doesn't seem to have sound

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That's a nice piece of footage Pud. It appears they were mostly relegated to the role of 'ground pounders' towards the end of the war in Europe. No doubt a role they performed well. Pretty high 'over the fence speed ' by the look of it......................................Maj...

 

 

[dazza 38]

I read a while ago that the Thunderbolt was the most expensive WW2 single engine fighter to produce per unit.

 

PS- The Thunderbolt P-47 also known as the "Jug", had a unit cost in 1945 of $85 000 per aircraft.

 

 

[pudestcon]

There is some really great footage on Youtube Maj, of the effort to cut off the supplies into southern Italy by bombing the bridges and rail lines. P-47 Thunderbolts were used. The story is in 5 parts but worth watching - about 8-9 minutes for each video clip.

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thank Pud I'll have a look....

 

Yes Dazza that would have been 'big' bucks back then. I wonder just how much the P-38 Lightnings cost per unit, as a comparison. It makes me think that they had bigger plans for the Jug, but that the end of the war came along first !!. Still a great looking machine, and one of the few fighters I didn't get to see during my time in the States....not even at the Reno Air Races.........................Maj...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

:thumb_up: Nice piccys Major.

 

 

[facthunter]

The poms didn't put much armourplate in their aircraft. Liquid cooled engines did not tolerate bullets like an aircooled radial. She's a pretty heavy aeroplane. Best feature seems to be the amount of armament and it's high dive speed. Very high tech supercharger. The R-2800 was used in the DC-6, also. There would be lots of versions. The military ones usually put out more HP and don't last as long. Nev

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thanks dazza, I was lucky enough to attend twelve Reno Air races, and have many fond memories !.That's me in my bearded days with one of the better known race pilots................................................maj...

 

 

 

[pudestcon]

Hey Maj,

 

Is your real name Osama is it??

 

Pud

 

 

[dazza 38]

Bob Hoover Looks very skinny in that Picture Ross.You look fine though

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Pud, I was Osama before Osama came along !

 

Dazza, Bob is about 7 ft tall and skinny as a string bean, but a hell of a nice guy, and one of the worlds best pilots. That was my one brush with aviation royality !....

 

Breaking the sound barrier in the Bell X1 was actually Bobs' ride, as he outranked Chuck Yeager at the time. Problem was he didn't fit the cockpit of the X1, so he flew chase in a P-80 Shooting Star instead !. Not wanting to take anything away from great Chuck Yeager of course......................................................Maj...