The WW2 Fighter that Could Rip Apart Any Target

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ย. 2022
  • It was October 11, 1943, and Colonel Neel E. Kearby and three of his men were attacking the Japanese base at Wewak in the Pacific.
    But the situation went quickly wrong when about 40 Japanese Army fighters showed up to defend the base. The four men were heavily outnumbered, but Kearby considered the odds were even.
    Each of the four Republic P47 Thunderbolts they were piloting was armed with a powerful machine-gun battery of eight .50-caliber Browning MGs with a combined fire rate of 100 rounds per second.
    Without hesitating, the four US aircraft joined the fray and began firing at the enemy’s formation with devastating consequences.
    The P47s were well on their way to becoming the unstoppable Juggernauts…
    ---
    Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
    As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
    All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.
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  • @Norbrookc
    @Norbrookc ปีที่แล้ว +41

    Republic Aircraft 1940's: "We've got a honking big plane. Let's see how many guns we can put on it."
    Republic Aircraft 1970's: "We've got a honking big gun. Let's see what kind of plane we can put around it."

    • @jamesmmusic5806
      @jamesmmusic5806 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Underrated comment

    • @engmed4400
      @engmed4400 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Neither of which is a bad way to go, really.

    • @rusellgonzalez3564
      @rusellgonzalez3564 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      RATATATATATATATANK destroyer 😂
      You see that ratank? I wannna see it like it was cheese.
      Yas sir.
      Three minutes latter: how many holes does have?
      Does it matter now tha it has become grinded cheese?
      Nah, nevermind, and remember pilot, always keep going trigger happy.

  • @robertkeaney7047
    @robertkeaney7047 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    As a young kid, maybe 12 years old, I met a gentleman who's name was Val Boudreau. I think he lived in Connecticut. He told me a story which I have cherished for some 50 years. He told me that while flying his P-47, he and his wingman were at low level somewhere in Europe looking for "targets of opportunity" when two ME 262's screamed past them. Both 262's then put on a display of their ability to climb like nothing else seen before. Val them went on to say, "So I pushed the throttle full fwd and began that long, slow climb after him." He likened it to being on the chain that pulls a rollercoaster to the top of the ride. All the while, the 262's were toying with them, just waiting for them to come "up to play", as he put it. Eventually, as he finally arrived at altitude, one 262 made the mistake of pushing his nose over and headed into a dive. I can still hear Val's words today. "That was his biggest mistake! I weight 8 tons, have 2000 horsepower, and a 12' prop. NOBODY GOES DOWNHILL FASTER THAN ME". As he put it, I was gaining on him, fixated on getty him in my gun range and sights, when I suddenly realized, (and I quote), "HOLY SHIT", that ground is coming up REALLY FAST! He never got a shot off on that 262, but he said I barely leveled off at the trees, and the last time I saw him, he was looking up at my huge prop as the 262 was literally pressed into the earth.

    • @shawndavis2616
      @shawndavis2616 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      That man was a legendary troll, if I was still a drinker sitting at the same bar as him, his first round would be on me, no questions asked, no challenge coin needed.

    • @ideaseeds01
      @ideaseeds01 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thankfully Santa also could pull up the sleigh so they both made it that say and later shared a coke at the beach.

    • @robertkeaney7047
      @robertkeaney7047 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@airgin3000 as I understood it, the 262 flew into the ground. Out of altitude and no room to maneuver.

    • @marklittle8805
      @marklittle8805 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Ya, never out dive a Jug

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Garbage Garbage Garbage This is from a Test at Duxford 1943 AFDU 3/21/1 3RDM 43
      1.P47C dive very fast but reaches its limits @ 520 IAS @10000ft and 450 IAS @ 20000ft
      2. This is from another test at Wright Airfield Jul 1944 P47 Indicated Limit Diving Speed 500 mph
      3. This is from Eric Browns Wings of the Luftwaffe at 0.86 Mach [ 650 MPH IAS] the stick was extremely heavy and the plane was shaking badly I had to allow the plane to auto correct itself as the Altitude got lower . He ascertained that 0.83 was the Usable Mach No so around 636 mph
      The point is the P47 would never have caught a Me262 in the dive
      In other words Bulldust

  • @organicdudranch
    @organicdudranch ปีที่แล้ว +178

    I had a friend who flew them in ww2 ,his name was Wally Groce,he is in the records a bit . he died a few years ago,i will try to tell a few things he said.first he said when it came out everyone was afraid it would be a death trap, someone took it up and was to light on the power and hated it, he got in it and learned if you hold it wide open it was awesome, anything less and you were asking for trouble. after him everyone started flying it and it became loved.
    He shot down a ME 262 ..that was a very special thing as the germans had a jet fighter that was about 100 mph faster than the p-47 ...it had a camera on board ,so wally had a photo of the actual shot that took the wingtip off the ME 262. he said he flew with another guy ,and saw him fly down to strafe a train, the 8 guns blew the train over and off its tracks ,wow thats the power of 8 -50 cals. he said the guns would slow the plane down, and they had to be careful to not hit debris from shooting in front,and flying thru it. he had heard someone had a cylinder shot off the radial engine and it kept running to get him back home. amazing, very tough plane.

    • @neilwhitmore
      @neilwhitmore ปีที่แล้ว +12

      That's amazing, thanks for sharing!

    • @mightymystery9204
      @mightymystery9204 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      Shawn, thanks for passing that on. That way such stories last forever, at large, so we do not forget The Greatest Generation.

    • @kenfxj
      @kenfxj ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!

    • @jamesjonstone6369
      @jamesjonstone6369 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It’s great to read these things, thank you for your contribution, and especially for contributing such valuable and personal recollections. This is Gold!

    • @johndaroza2987
      @johndaroza2987 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      It was the fastest piston engine plane at over 500 mph.
      Also it was very strong.

  • @adr7ex
    @adr7ex ปีที่แล้ว +235

    Thank you for mentioning Mexico‘s and Brazil’s involvement with the P 47. I’ve known of there expeditions for a long time and it’s great to hear others include their experience in WWII.

    • @C-Henry
      @C-Henry ปีที่แล้ว +11

      The sister channel to this one Dark Docs did an episode dedicated to them about a year ago, title is WWII - The Aztec Eagles. If you haven't seen it its worth a watch.

    • @nateofnazareth7785
      @nateofnazareth7785 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      They're stories that don't get enough air time. They deserve to be spoken about

    • @Idahoguy10157
      @Idahoguy10157 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      The Aztec Eagles were trained in Pocatello Idaho. Supposedly because the locals discriminated against them when they trained in Texas

    • @richardmeo2503
      @richardmeo2503 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      In all of my research for my Fatal Flaws history series, I never learned of those air combat units. I knew of the Puerto Rican Regiment that held the line in Korea, but not of the others.

    • @leftistsarenotpeople
      @leftistsarenotpeople ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I'm an American expat now living in the Philippines. That isn't unusual. What IS unusual is that I'm just a hard sneeze away from a small settlement called Porac, in southern Pampanga/Northern Bataan area of Luzon. It used to be, and still is to a degree, a smaller auxiliary airfield close to the old Clark AFB. It was there at Porac where the Aztec Eagles were based and was doing God's work in their close air support missions. Almost everyone here is oblivious to that airfield's heritage but I cannot help but imagine what it was like each and every time I pass by which is a rather regular occurrence.

  • @hman0007
    @hman0007 ปีที่แล้ว +398

    The P-47 was also able to absorb a large amount of battle damage and keep flying due to it's radial engine and substantial construction.

    • @dishusse
      @dishusse ปีที่แล้ว +31

      There is a reason the official name of the A-10 is Thunderbolt II …

    • @kittymervine6115
      @kittymervine6115 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you!

    • @mdechjr
      @mdechjr ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@PhysicsDude55 parsecs?

    • @guyh.4553
      @guyh.4553 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Thanks for mentioning this. One legend has it that a Jug actually flew through a brick wall in France and was able to get his bird back to England! What a plane!

    • @thedeathwobblechannel6539
      @thedeathwobblechannel6539 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      The engine and main fuel tank was part of the frontal protection and protection from the rear was partly taken from the gigantic turbo and then the cockpit had rear armor plating but I don't know if it had floor armor plating.

  • @thatmemestar378
    @thatmemestar378 ปีที่แล้ว +273

    It's actually interesting that the designer of the p47 was Alexander Kartveli , the same designer who made the A 10 warthog . Now , I know why they said the thunderbolt was the grand dad of the hog .

    • @robertdragoff6909
      @robertdragoff6909 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      I had no idea that Kartveli designed the A10.
      No wonder it was named the Thunderbolt II

    • @lordmuhehe4605
      @lordmuhehe4605 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      The difference being that P47 was actually good. A10 would be more effective without the cannon and with more missiles.

    • @johnr7279
      @johnr7279 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      If the P-47 was 'Gramps' and the grandchild was the A-10, would that maybe make the kid in between the A-1 Skyraider?

    • @flyingfalcon8999
      @flyingfalcon8999 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@johnr7279 I could see that.

    • @jamesandrew6211
      @jamesandrew6211 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@lordmuhehe4605 hahahahahahahahahHHhahahhahahahHha

  • @kirbysinclair9936
    @kirbysinclair9936 ปีที่แล้ว +163

    For those interested, Martin Caidin wrote the book Thunderbolt, which chronicled the career of Robert S. Johnson up to the end of his service in Europe. Hub Zemke and Gabby Gabreski also feature prominently. A great read.

    • @Hoplophile1
      @Hoplophile1 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I read this book when I was a teenager, and it began my lifelong fascination with the P-47. It's an excellent book and a must read for any WWII aviation enthusiast.

    • @johngetty3839
      @johngetty3839 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      One on favorite books ever. First read in about 1962.

    • @nolanbowen8800
      @nolanbowen8800 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I've read it twice. It's about the best fighter aircraft book out there.

    • @user-ms4ef8xz9t
      @user-ms4ef8xz9t ปีที่แล้ว +7

      One of the best books I ever read. Johnson was a great pilot and Caidin had some of the best books of that time period. I still have a copy.

    • @andreperrault5393
      @andreperrault5393 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I read this in the 70’s. I still have this in my collection along with any other similar biographical/historical/documentary books of this type. A great read.

  • @xray86delta
    @xray86delta ปีที่แล้ว +120

    A relative of mine, who has since passed away, flew the P-47, and the P-51 in World War II. He actually preferred his P-47 for its toughness over the P-51's agility.

    • @waxhead6332
      @waxhead6332 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Rest in peace that guy. Thank you for your service.

    • @soundknight
      @soundknight ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Very American philosophy...

    • @dukecraig2402
      @dukecraig2402 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@soundknight
      Yep, the P47 was a hockey player in a figure skating contest, and everytime one of those figure skaters got slammed against the boards the body parts would go flying.
      Body parts blood and tutu's scattered all across the ice, oh the humanity.

    • @tomgunn8004
      @tomgunn8004 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@soundknight America hater? Queer?

    • @EBDavis111
      @EBDavis111 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      The P-51 wasn't particularly more agile. It just had better gas mileage.

  • @BatMan-oe2gh
    @BatMan-oe2gh ปีที่แล้ว +35

    Impressive Jugs!!! Brought a smile to my face. I read that when they opened up with their MG's, it took 30 mph of their air speed such was the recoil. A very tough and capable fighter bomber.

    • @tomd6704
      @tomd6704 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That would feel like just slamming the brakes in your car wouldn't it? Going from 30 to zero in a car is just like 530 to 500.

    • @BatMan-oe2gh
      @BatMan-oe2gh ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@tomd6704 Yes, that is just how the pilots described it. Cheers

  • @forgeworxblacksmith6453
    @forgeworxblacksmith6453 ปีที่แล้ว +73

    I always liked the thunderbolt since a kid, just such a tank in the sky.

  • @waydel4
    @waydel4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    My sister-in-law's father flew a Jug in Italy 44 to 45. He told me several stories about his service in the Army. RIP Don.

  • @johnr7279
    @johnr7279 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    When 3x 50 cals per wing is not enough...add another to each! An amazing aircraft that fought in both major theaters. It had more armor that most other US fighters, powered by a legendary engine, received improvements to make it better, and let's not forget those additional HMGs!

  • @riverbluevert7814
    @riverbluevert7814 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    As a kid I loved the Mustang, Corsair, and Lightning fighters. But over time, I've come to admire the brute strength of the Thunderbolt. The technology of the Turbo-Supercharger is fantastic.

  • @gunshipgray4295
    @gunshipgray4295 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    My grandfather flew The Dora FW-190D….he fought every allied fighter you can name…he said the P-47D was one of the most difficult aircraft to shoot down because of its toughness….

    • @eoliverosh
      @eoliverosh ปีที่แล้ว

      I had the opportunity to meet someone who flew with the green heats. He then came to Colombia and went to fly with the Colombian Air Force, there he had to fly and train Colombian pilots who were having trouble flying the P-47. Great person.

    • @eoliverosh
      @eoliverosh ปีที่แล้ว

      Sorry, Green Hearts.

    • @dennisleslie8962
      @dennisleslie8962 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I guess he never fought the P47s with the 18 inch wings and 50mph top speed....

    • @eoliverosh
      @eoliverosh ปีที่แล้ว

      @@dennisleslie8962 I believe that most of his combat experience and kills were in the Eastern front against the soviets.

    • @saintadolf5639
      @saintadolf5639 ปีที่แล้ว

      Opa was badass!

  • @desubtilizer
    @desubtilizer ปีที่แล้ว +104

    5:48 This model gave the aircraft a top speed of just 50 miles per hour 😆
    7:39 The P-47N became the last thunderbolt model its wings were lengthened to 18 inches 🤣

    • @mikebergman1817
      @mikebergman1817 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Yea, it's kind of annoying. No warbird will create lift at 50 miles per hour.. lol

    • @johncarter1150
      @johncarter1150 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@mikebergman1817 and a wingspan of 36 inches...LOL

    • @zounds13
      @zounds13 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      LOL I missed that second one.

    • @chrisp4170
      @chrisp4170 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      For some reason, nobody checks the text, leading to this nonsense

    • @jwrockets
      @jwrockets ปีที่แล้ว +26

      A 5 oz bird cannot possibly carry a 1-pound coconut.

  • @edwardloomis887
    @edwardloomis887 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    One of the big improvements not covered was bubble canopies later models got that greatly improved pilots' visibility. Examples are visible in many of the clips in the video's second half.

  • @cmcer1995
    @cmcer1995 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    That was great review of the Thunderbolts. I was thinking they were similar to the A-10 while I was watching this and then at the end there, she was the A10 Warthog my favorite ground support aircraft. Now I can look at the P47 in much the same way. What an impressive fighter that really stood the test of time just like the A-10 does today.

    • @stevewhite3424
      @stevewhite3424 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      It's no accident that the official Air Force name for the A-10 is the Thunderbolt II

    • @cmcer1995
      @cmcer1995 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@stevewhite3424 I didn't even notice. That makes it even cooler.

    • @TheJonkerr7
      @TheJonkerr7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      if you like ground support aircraft, take a look at the Douglas A1 Skyraider. Formidable aircraft still used into the the Vietnam war after first seeing service just after WW II in 1946 I think.

    • @keithpennock
      @keithpennock ปีที่แล้ว

      @cmcer1995 No accident, Alexander Kartevelli designed the A-10 at the end of his life, he lived long enough to see it fly but not to get its acclaim after the Gulf War. He was a true genius & patriot.

  • @boydgrandy5769
    @boydgrandy5769 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The P-47 had a combat kill ratio of 4.6 to 1 in the European theater. It was the major USAAF Luftwaffe fighter killer of the war, even exceeding the P-51s kills.
    It was credited with air kills and ground kills of enemy aircraft in excess of 7000 aircraft, while losing just over 3400 planes from all causes (that included CONUS training crashes, accidents in theater, planes lost while ferrying them to and from locations in the Pacific and Europe, as well as those caused by direct enemy action in the air).
    My estimate is that for the approximately 4000 air victories achieved by P-47 pilots, the P-47 force lost about 1000 airplanes destroyed, making 2/3rds of the WWII losses non-combat related.

  • @michaelegan6092
    @michaelegan6092 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    The P47N had it's wingspan increased to 18 inches. Wow the pilots must have been really small!.

    • @cody481
      @cody481 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      Um? A top speed of 50 mph ????
      Did hear that wrong ?

    • @shawntomkins1028
      @shawntomkins1028 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      18in and 50mph, I think they were using rc planes lol

    • @skysurferuk
      @skysurferuk ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@cody481 No, you didn't. He needs to pay more attention to his script. Interesting, nonetheless.

    • @WisGuy4
      @WisGuy4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Sadly, this video is probably better than average for this channel in terms of number of errors it contained and the wrong planes being shown at the wrong times. All of the Dark videos are chock-full of inaccuracies and are just sloppy as hell.

    • @jswap1
      @jswap1 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I liked how they flew missions to blow up "supply deposits".

  • @ezpz4659
    @ezpz4659 ปีที่แล้ว +228

    My great uncle James Earl Hack flew the p47 against Germans. Rest in peace

    • @historybuff1848
      @historybuff1848 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      How many kill?

    • @historybuff1848
      @historybuff1848 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      God bless him.

    • @atreyuprincipalh4043
      @atreyuprincipalh4043 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      God bless this hero,men like Mr Hack are the ones needed today so badly. Rest In Peace Sir

    • @richardrogerson2383
      @richardrogerson2383 ปีที่แล้ว

      How did he die? He was one of the greatest generation of the 20th century. We need to foster the same dedication in this generation.

    • @ezpz4659
      @ezpz4659 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@richardrogerson2383 After the war was declared over, he was flying a troop transport plane and he was almost to France when some ex-nazi farmers shot the plane. He crash landed and every survived but injured. They were surrounded and brought into a barn and stabbed to death with pitchforks. His spouse was a 100% Japanese girl living in America, and she was put into Japanese camps. They never saw each other again. She didn't get married until 35+ years after he died. We grew up in Gnadenhutten Ohio. First town ever established in Ohio, even before the USA was established.

  • @centaur1a
    @centaur1a ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Don’t forget that the P-47 could handle heavy punishment from AA flak to enemy aircraft fights, and still return the pilot home. Also. What about the Skyraider. It came late in Korean War but was used in Vietnam. That plane also built tough and carry massive weapon load.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      2600 P47 were lost in the G/A role in 14 months Typhoon lost 670 all through its service life and was down low longer than the P47

  • @extremelydeplorablebodean839
    @extremelydeplorablebodean839 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    The A10 THUNDERBOLT 2 was my baby, I was a engine hydraulic mechanic served with the 23rd TFW FLYING TIGERS 76 AGS VANGUARDS 87-91 AND FOUGHT IN DESERT STORM. BEST AIRCRAFT THE U.S.A.F. EVER FIELDED IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, LOTS OF GROUND POUNDERS FELT THE SAME WAY.

    • @MarkJacksonGaming
      @MarkJacksonGaming ปีที่แล้ว +4

      -- I wanted to join to fly A-10s. Small card of course and it was always (and remains) in question. Went to the Rangers instead. Passed my tests, but I was too tall. That reg has since changed.
      But, I grew up with them at the grandparents. Out hunting turkeys, Battle Creek, Michigan, before they moved the wing, basically out of Ft. Custer. Those A-10s got used to seeing me out there, and strafe me. No fire of course, and after they'd come around and offer a salute or a wing-rock. Always made my day being target practice :)

    • @UkrainianPaulie
      @UkrainianPaulie ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I served 24 years, 3 wars. INF then ARSOF. I can attest to the fact that whenever available we always requested Hogs for our CAS needs. Nothing silences the guys in man-dresses more than the Avenger! True fact, Me and my former team are alive today thanks to a Hog driver in A-stan 2009. Love the Hog!

  • @pickleballer1729
    @pickleballer1729 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I knew a guy who flew a P47 in WW2, mostly for ground attack (interdiction) over Italy. He was shot down several times, and crash landed a couple of times. Some of his buddies procured and gave him the German flying cross, awarded for pilots who destroyed 5 or more Allied aircraft. He lived to be almost 100 years old, and was a vibrant and even athletic guy well into his 90's. Awesome dude.
    At 5:50 when you say that the addition of a 20 mm cannon would have given it a top speed of only 50 mph, what did you mean to say? 350 maybe? No way it could fly at 50 mph. Then at 7:47 you say "its wings were lengthened to 18 inches". Your videos are great, but you could use a proofer.

    • @JohnSmith-yv6eq
      @JohnSmith-yv6eq ปีที่แล้ว

      Robot voice.....text to Engrish...

  • @josephlannert969
    @josephlannert969 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you. I've been anticipating your coverage of the P-47 for some time now

  • @msgfrmdaactionman3000
    @msgfrmdaactionman3000 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Cool video, thanks! Dogfights has some good P-47 stories! It is a beast of a fighter! Also, @10:30, if a military unit is termed "Free French" that automatically implies it's not a Vichy unit.

  • @C-Henry
    @C-Henry ปีที่แล้ว +70

    My favorite US fighter of the war, there's just something appealing about that much firepower, ruggedness, and overall brutality of it.

    • @terraflow__bryanburdo4547
      @terraflow__bryanburdo4547 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Very comforting survivability for the pilot in the ultimate boom and zoom machine. It would be my #1 choice for back then.

    • @whereswaldo5740
      @whereswaldo5740 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      They need to make them again and send about a thousand to Ukraine.

    • @stilgar2007
      @stilgar2007 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Mine too. It's the most "American" fighter: big radial engine, lot's of guns, very durable. Not made to dance, like those turn-fighting Brits and Japanese. It was made to destroy everything it dove on.

    • @Skinflaps_Meatslapper
      @Skinflaps_Meatslapper ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The A-26 has it beat in firepower...though it was considered more of a medium bomber than a fighter. At one point they were being unofficially armed in the field with an 8 gun nose, 6 in the wings, four in gun pods on pylons, and then the top turret gunner could independently strafe targets of opportunity around the primary target or it could be fixed forward with the rest of the guns...that's a total of 20 AN/M2's with a firing rate of 850rpm each, equating to 17,000 rounds/min or 280 rounds/sec. The A-10's GAU-8 avenger fires approximately 3,900 rounds/min for comparison. Could you imagine unleashing that kind of barrage on a target?

    • @freeagent8225
      @freeagent8225 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Similar to the older US cars .

  • @j.w.perkins6004
    @j.w.perkins6004 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have a friend who flew P-47's in Vietnam. He was a SAR pilot who flew close air support for Jolly Greens, covering downed pilots while the Jolly's picked up the pilots. In 1968, he was shot down by ground fire, injured, and retired from the USAF. A true hero, he just turned 94 this year. Col. Bill Buice of Pensacola, Fl.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      What country flew the P47 in Vietnam I was unaware that any were there.

  • @fosterparent7477
    @fosterparent7477 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Good info, as usual! Now I need to go back and pay more attention to the ones I have in WT.

  • @archiesilkworth6607
    @archiesilkworth6607 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    You missed another P-47 ace, Walker Melville "Bud" Mahurin he was credited with 19.95 victories in the P-47 in the European Theater of Operations. He was also credited with 1 victory (Mitsubishi Ki 46 Dinah) in the Pacific Theater while flying the P-51 and 3 victories in Korea (Mig-15s) flying the F-86.

  • @mikemarthaller8789
    @mikemarthaller8789 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Some years ago I talked to a retired USAF pilot who had flown both the P 47 and the P/F 51 in WW 2 combat
    His comment was he preferred the P 47.
    Its draw back was fuel range

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      No Extended dive and expense

  • @vo1non
    @vo1non ปีที่แล้ว +2

    My dad helped build the p47 in Evansville, IN. He said it was a big chunky beast that looked like it could barely get off the ground!

  • @jonathanpope81
    @jonathanpope81 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent documentaries thank you.

  • @guyh.4553
    @guyh.4553 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    One of my favorite fighter of WW II. 1st is the F4U Corsair then the 2nd is the Jug, P-47. The biggest fighter of the war and was able to take a pounding & still make it back to base. Just to get repaired and on the flight line again the next day. Both the P-47 & A-10 are deserving of their status. Beautiful bird!

    • @guillermomaguire5394
      @guillermomaguire5394 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Those are my favorites too. And the PBY Catalina....an important plane for the Pacific theatre. And the corsair fought in Korea (did the jug????)

    • @germancaro8999
      @germancaro8999 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@guillermomaguire5394 Mine too, and in my case i also love de Curtiss SB2C Helldiver,another heavy and powerful beast

    • @guyh.4553
      @guyh.4553 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@guillermomaguire5394 no, from my recollection it was only the Corsair. P-51s didn't even. Only other was the A-6Es but they came in way too late in WW II to make any difference. And the #1 reason why other planes of the WW II era, other than B-29s, didn't come in was no established airbases were intact. Until the F-86 got there, the bulk sum was flown off of carriers

    • @guillermomaguire5394
      @guillermomaguire5394 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@guyh.4553 that makes sense.

    • @johnrogers9481
      @johnrogers9481 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Guy H. Hey, you know planes. In the mid seventies I lived on long Island and worked at a county bus co out around Amityville NY. Right behind the property was a very small airport called Zahns. Well they had these WW2 big engine prop planes that would go up and do sky-writing adverts over at Jones Beach. When I heard the Loud noise of one starting up I would run over to the tall fence and watch these monsters take off, wow! Big engines and big front ends. WHAT model plane do yall think would have been used for this sky-writing activity, thirty years after WW2??
      OH and the first flights of the Concord would go right overhead of the property heading to land at one of the big New York airports. I heard the roar of the engine and I would yell out CONCORD, everyone, all.the bus mechanics would come outside to see the amazing new supersonic jet!! Fun times.

  • @PhysicsDude55
    @PhysicsDude55 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    The TH-cam channel "Greg's Planes and Automobiles" has some really good deep dive into the P-47's design and capabilities. Its definitely an underappreciated fighter than really carried a big load in WWII and then was unfairly overshadowed by the P51.

    • @thedeathwobblechannel6539
      @thedeathwobblechannel6539 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I still call the whole selection of the mustang for ground support in Korea as a s*** show the t-bolt would have been perfect big radial engine carry a big load just like the Corsair with the Marines didn't have mustangs they said now we're going to bring the Corsair and then this spad came along.

    • @fredemny3304
      @fredemny3304 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yep, Greg gets his facts right, unlike whoever churns out the amateurish Dark Skies content. 😐

    • @jfess1911
      @jfess1911 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@thedeathwobblechannel6539 I think that lower operating cost of the P51 had a big influence on the decision to get rid of the P47's post WWII. They also wanted the optimal nimble dogfighter. The important role of ground support seemingly did not occur to those in charge.

    • @Busrayne
      @Busrayne ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That _is_ a great channel. The P-47 also took on the hardest targets in the european theater; after the P-51 was introduced, the best pilots the germans had were the ones that just weren't going to be killed like Hartmann or Barkhorn; all the other real good pilots were lost to attrition.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And Greg took no notice of the tests at Duxford/ Wright Field where it was proved that the Jug was lousy in the extended dive [450 mph @ 20000ft ]

  • @martinross5521
    @martinross5521 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you, excellent video. Amazing that the Thunderbolt’s principles carried through to the A10.

  • @marksanney2088
    @marksanney2088 ปีที่แล้ว

    Outstanding, video! Greatly appreciated. Thank you very much, my friends.

  • @danmittendorff3155
    @danmittendorff3155 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Would really love to see a video on the F6F Hellcat I think it is an often overlooked fighter even thousands of them were produced

  • @Ughmahedhurtz
    @Ughmahedhurtz ปีที่แล้ว +3

    2:28 - Well played, sir. 🤣

  • @24tanksalot
    @24tanksalot ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. Thanks for your all you work putting it together

  • @paulhansen7667
    @paulhansen7667 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for highlighting my favorite fighter!

  • @BLD426
    @BLD426 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    P51 was my favorite WW2 fighter as a kid. Its very much the P47 now.

    • @christopherrobinson7541
      @christopherrobinson7541 ปีที่แล้ว

      The P51 and the P47 aircraft were initially deployed in the wrong roles, when switched they performed a "little" better.

    • @danraymond1253
      @danraymond1253 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@christopherrobinson7541 I don't think that's true. The P-47 was a great escort fighter. It wasn't perfect, but it fought extremely well at the high altitudes that it was designed for. You have to remember that for a large majority of the time that the Thunderbolts were facing the Jagdwaffe, they Jagdwaffe still had many experienced and skilled pilots. The P-47 still did very well against them, and the P-51 really showed up when there were some easier targets. This isn't taking away from the P-51. It was a great plane and certainly had it's advantages, but I don't think it was necessarily a better escort fighter than the P-47. I feel the P-47 is sadly over shadowed as an actual fighter plane. It certainly is disadvantaged at low altitude, but even there it can still fight. Up high it's pretty beastly.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      @@danraymond1253 The P47 were only in the fight from April 43 the Spitfire from Oct 939 the RAF Mustang May 1942 so you see they faced a much stronger Luftwaffe
      However you are correct the P47 should never have been relegated to G/A

  • @chanceglantz2740
    @chanceglantz2740 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    The P-47 was the first aircraft model I built when I was a little kid.
    Additionally, just outside Republic Airport here on Long Island, there used to be a restaurant called The 56th Fighter Group. It was built to look like the airbase Zemke's Wolfpack operated out of. As kids, my brother and I loved going there.

    • @Fix_n_Fly
      @Fix_n_Fly ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was there the week they brought in the P-47 displayed out back of the restaurant. One impressive aircraft.

  • @islamispagan2137
    @islamispagan2137 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You have the best videos!! No nonsense just history!!! Thank you!

  • @AlbertComelles1970
    @AlbertComelles1970 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A beautiful and powerful airplane, thanks for your retribution!

  • @michaelburgoyne4224
    @michaelburgoyne4224 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    One of the innovations of the P-47's is its turbo supercharger. The air intake is below the engine. The the air goes to behind the pilot. The turbo supercharger then sends the air forward to the engine. Quite a piece of engineering.

    • @laprepper
      @laprepper ปีที่แล้ว

      Is a turbo supercharger a turbo,supercharger or?

    • @michaelburgoyne4224
      @michaelburgoyne4224 ปีที่แล้ว

      "An advanced turbosupercharger system ensured the aircraft's eventual dominance at high altitudes, while also influencing its size and design." (Wikipedia, "Republic P-47 Thunderbolt")

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes it was too involved and probably caused so many to be lost down Low

  • @andrewtongue7084
    @andrewtongue7084 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Professionally & comprehensively presented - thank you for your efforts in producing this...

  • @waynesimpson2074
    @waynesimpson2074 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    More P-47 big/tough legends:
    The first Jug to land in Australia was greeted with step ladders and a fitter who asked 'Where's your crew'?
    A Jug came home shot up and had to belly in unable to jettison its bomb load, a bomb detonated on landing but the pilot still survived.
    A Jug landed successfully after flak damage returning from a mission; 2 x engine cylinders were shot out, the engine still ran.
    A Jug sank an Italian Navy Corvette in the Med using only its 50 cals. The Sailors left the hatches open because of hot weather, the Jug strafed in with the 8 x 50s and hit a magazine.
    The only reason the P-47 got superseded was its thirst for fuel.
    As the wartime motto goes; If you wanna impress your gal back home fly a Mustang, if you wanna go home to your gal fly a P-47.

  • @DavidCurryFilms
    @DavidCurryFilms ปีที่แล้ว +27

    5:50 top speed of 50mph?! Are you sure? 🤔

    • @benclarke2754
      @benclarke2754 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      It also states later on that the wings were 18 inches..... perhaps lengthened by 18"?!?!

    • @msgfrmdaactionman3000
      @msgfrmdaactionman3000 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      The obvious mistakes may be intentional as a way to generate YT comments because its in other videos as well.

    • @colderwar
      @colderwar ปีที่แล้ว +8

      He wouldn't know what an aeroplane was if it kicked him up the arse

    • @kenneth9874
      @kenneth9874 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      All of his videos have glaring errors, I seldom watch one but I like the p47

    • @Rose-xu6lq
      @Rose-xu6lq ปีที่แล้ว

      @@colderwar
      He might experience some proctalgia from that prop.

  • @mrtub7619
    @mrtub7619 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    “Impressive jugs” 😂

  • @anthonyz7000
    @anthonyz7000 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    There are four P-47s that fly in formation over our neighborhood every Independence Day and Memorial Day. Great to see them still flying

  • @oneshotme
    @oneshotme ปีที่แล้ว

    Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

  • @jerrybailey5797
    @jerrybailey5797 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Fantastic history of the P47 Thunderbolt 👍

  • @conservativemike3768
    @conservativemike3768 ปีที่แล้ว

    Another exquisitely badass video.

  • @codybailey855
    @codybailey855 ปีที่แล้ว

    Awesome video!

  • @markwheeler202
    @markwheeler202 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    My introduction to the P-47 was through the film "A Fighter Pilot's Story", about the experiences on Quentin Aanenson in WW II.

    • @kenbrown9164
      @kenbrown9164 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I saw that series and it was fascinating. After the war was over, he was devastated about how the eight .50 caliber guns would literally shred German transport vehicles. P-47's also strafed farm wagons later in the war as the Germans often used them to transport ammunition. My uncle Lt. August Garcea flew 24 missions in the P-47. He was 5'4" and weighed 130 lbs. He was killed in the run-up to the Battle of the Bulge near the town of Haguenau (noted in the 'Band of Brothers series as their last patrol.) He flew with the 358th Fighter Group/365th Fighter Squadron, and his last mission was on November 26, 1944.

    • @markwheeler202
      @markwheeler202 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@kenbrown9164 Very sorry to hear about your uncle. Many never came back, and many who did, like Quentin Aanenson, came back changed forever.

  • @ianhood8081
    @ianhood8081 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The shear amount of casings dumping onto the ground @ 3:43 is absolutely mind-boggling...

    • @larryg1947
      @larryg1947 ปีที่แล้ว

      *sheer

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      You could make a fortune in selling the brass

  • @brazilianguy8400
    @brazilianguy8400 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really enjoy your channels. Congrats for the great work.

  • @rihel
    @rihel ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for do not forget the "Aztec Eagles" Escuadrón Expedicionario de Pelea 201, "Aguilas Aztecas".

  • @nickpaine
    @nickpaine ปีที่แล้ว +4

    These were badass fighters. It's the one I'd have chosen to fly. Impressive Jugs, alright.

  • @lynnwood7205
    @lynnwood7205 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Having served with a Quad Fifty unit in Vietnam, I can truly appreciate the devastation a plane carrying the equivalent of two Quad .50's could wield.
    Then add the speed of the airplane to the speed of the bullet.

    • @jj4791
      @jj4791 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hulk Smash.

    • @glennschemitsch8341
      @glennschemitsch8341 ปีที่แล้ว

      Unfortunately. the speed of the aircraft does not increase the speed of the bullets.

    • @Marc-dm1fh
      @Marc-dm1fh ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@glennschemitsch8341 The speed of the bullet while waiting to be fired is the same as the speed of the aircraft. Add that to the bullet's own velocity on firing

    • @Icepacalapse
      @Icepacalapse ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's why a bomber tail gunner can hit you before you can hit him if it's a dead six attack. It's modeled in many sims.

    • @danraymond1253
      @danraymond1253 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@glennschemitsch8341 yes it does. It has to.

  • @terryballard2350
    @terryballard2350 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great video!

  • @johnrudy9404
    @johnrudy9404 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    There was a saying among ww2 pilots(I've read), that,...if wanted the girls, you flew a p51. But you flew a p47 if you wanted to get home.
    I'm finding it more and more difficult to claim one ww2 fighter as my favorite. Spit, p52, p40, p47,and of course a little plane designated the
    F4U. Fell in love with the Corsair as a child. Had a cool die cast model with working canopy, prop and L gear. Wings folded also(of course).
    Thank you Dark Skies for the impressive Jugs.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      Little plane the F4U ? 11740 lb TOW P51 10100 lb Spitfire MKXIV 8490lb Tempest 11400lb Hell all Navy planes were heavy

  • @Violincase
    @Violincase ปีที่แล้ว +3

    5:45 - "This model gave the aircraft a top speed of just 50mph.." Really? Perhaps it was a scale model.

  • @keithpennock
    @keithpennock ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Alexander Kartevelli also designed the A-10 Thunderbolt 2 as well. Pierre Sprey kept trying to claim credit for the A-10 after the Persian Gulf War. Kartevelli got to see the early A-10 fly but sadly didn’t live long enough to see it come into it’s acclaim.

    • @kdrapertrucker
      @kdrapertrucker ปีที่แล้ว

      Pierre sprey has always been full of crap.

  • @SwordofSlade
    @SwordofSlade ปีที่แล้ว +10

    P-47 was a beast.

    • @TinyBearTim
      @TinyBearTim ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It had terrible performance

    • @Betto_333
      @Betto_333 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@TinyBearTim typical german main

    • @TinyBearTim
      @TinyBearTim ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Betto_333 it had literally no reason to be a heavy as it was

    • @TinyBearTim
      @TinyBearTim ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Betto_333 is your pfp the lion class tank

    • @Betto_333
      @Betto_333 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@TinyBearTim yes

  • @eriku571
    @eriku571 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love your videos, but l really would've loved to hear about the history behind the massive turbo charger that some variants of the P-47 used.

    • @13stalag13
      @13stalag13 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      All variants used it.

    • @eriku571
      @eriku571 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@13stalag13,
      All the more reason to share the history of the turbo and the unique design of it.

    • @jsk7029
      @jsk7029 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      All the P47 varients used a turbo,more specifically a 2 speed/ 2stage intercooled. The mechanical supercharger had 2 seperate drive speeds and the turbo a separate stage. This was possible even with Army Air Force politics because the big radial was also used in navy fighters.

  • @keithw4920
    @keithw4920 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I remember very well the old LucasArts SWOTL manual where they quoted a WW2 vet who flew several aircraft in combat and said he would pick the P-47 anytime due to its ruggedness.

  • @devonwhetenhale8828
    @devonwhetenhale8828 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dude!! This is the coolest Vid yet! I live in Ogden where Browning makes it's magic. Love your Work!

  • @jswap1
    @jswap1 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I just learned that there was a P-47 variant with a top speed of 50mph @5:48

  • @thedeathwobblechannel6539
    @thedeathwobblechannel6539 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    The fuselage was extended in the front by the engine area to correct a center of gravity issue I believe it was. They also had some early models that were encountering compressibility and also some early models had the tails break off and kill pilots but that was all worked out by the time the b models hit I believe or the late b models anyway.

    • @jfess1911
      @jfess1911 ปีที่แล้ว

      The big, draggy nose of the P47's helped to slow its speed in a dive (once power was reduced) and saved numerous pilots who had entered compressibility and lost control. It must have been terrifying when heading straight down and out of control to wait for it to happen, though. Sleeker designs like the P38 would not slow down enough.

    • @danraymond1253
      @danraymond1253 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jfess1911 that's not entirely true. The P-47's nose was big and of course created drag, but it's more aerodynamic than you might suspect. And contrary to common thought, when you were in compressibility in a P-47, you want to put power on, at least at lower altitude. This is counter-intuitive, but there's a reason for it. Putting power on in the P-47 has a nose-up attitude, and in the case of diving at compressibility, bringing the nose up even with power on will slow the plane down more than continuing the dive with power off. And the P-38 was not sleeker, actually. I know for a fact it had more parasitic drag, and I believe it actually had more induced drag as well, though I might be wrong about that. The P-38's main problem is the box that was created between its wings from its design. This lead to more buffeting which rendered the elevator near useless.

    • @danraymond1253
      @danraymond1253 ปีที่แล้ว

      You are correct about the cg issue. The tail did not break off on the early models. What happened is the early models, (the B model, as there were no P-47s before the P-47B, only the XP-47 (AP-10), a mockup made for wind tunnel testing with an inline engine which was scrapped in favor of what became the XP-47B), had fabric-covered tail controls. The elevators and rudder were made out of fabric instead of metal. At high enough diving speeds, these control surfaces would balloon and pop/rip apart, leading to a loss of control and an inability to pull out of the dive. This was fixed with the P-47C, as was the cg issue when they moved the engine forward 8 inches.

    • @jfess1911
      @jfess1911 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@danraymond1253Thanks. I did not know about adding power helping the P-47 get out of compressibility. I mainly recalled that it would usually become controllable again as it got to lower altitude.
      The issue with the P-38 was a combination of the shape of the center fuselage/canopy and the relatively fat 23016 airfoils in front of the tail. The relatively bulbous nature of these accelerated the air moving past them causing it to hit critical mach at lower airspeeds than some other contemporary fighters. This is something obvious now, but apparently not at the time the plane was designed. If you look at the cross sections, you can see that the front of NACA 5-digit airfoils was blunter than the "laminar flow" designs used for the P51, for example. Indeed, the more gentle acceleration of the air turned out to be the main advantage of the "laminar flow" wings since the construction techniques of the time prevent them from getting much actual laminar flow.
      In 1942 NACA performed two studies and suggested:
      1) to change the fuselage shape to make it longer and more symmetrical (less abrupt curvature)
      2) add fillets at the booms
      3) add a less-blunt 0.2C long leading edge cuff to the center wing sections.

    • @danraymond1253
      @danraymond1253 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jfess1911 yes that's true as well. I know that the overall design where a box was created between the wings, the tail, and the two booms was certainly a contributor to the compressibility problem as well. I think it kept undisturbed air away from the tail more or something like that which caused worse buffeting and less response from the elevator. Interesting stuff.

  • @cjvoges6563
    @cjvoges6563 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for this video. My dad flew P-47's in the Pacific during WW 2.

  • @Idahoguy10157
    @Idahoguy10157 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The American aerial 20mm guns available had reliability issues. Browning fifty caliber machine guns and ammo were reliable and mass produced. The USAF switched too 20mm cannon armament in the 1950’s

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes and too late

  • @TimMonbrod
    @TimMonbrod ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Now, this is a Real factual information video ‼️‼️No lies, no misinformation, no propaganda, no half-truths, no opinionated hidden agendas, and no B.S.👍👍 Reminds me of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow---just the FACTS mam, just the FACTS ‼️🗽🦅⚖️🇺🇲

    • @imperialmodelworks8473
      @imperialmodelworks8473 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Besides alot of information that was either incorrect, or straight up fabricated.

    • @TimMonbrod
      @TimMonbrod ปีที่แล้ว

      @@imperialmodelworks8473 Join the Communist Party Comrade‼️😯😊😲😅😆😘🤫

    • @Fandom_Junkie
      @Fandom_Junkie ปีที่แล้ว +1

      My brother in Christ you are watching a Dark Skies video. Not the most thorough researcher in the world. Sometimes I'm convinced these videos are AI generated

    • @earlmauger3961
      @earlmauger3961 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      All of his videos are just as you said. He has several channels, and I enjoy them all. He's not long winded with 45 min vids, but still very informative and easy to watch. One of my favs on TH-cam for documentary videos.

    • @TimMonbrod
      @TimMonbrod ปีที่แล้ว

      @@earlmauger3961 Amen‼️🇺🇲😎

  • @billthurlow690
    @billthurlow690 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My father in law was a P47 pilot WW2, 9th AF, 405 ft. sqd. flew mostly in support of Paten's 3rd. army, 50+ combat missions and a Purple Heart or two.

  • @MartinCHorowitz
    @MartinCHorowitz ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I went to college next to Republic airport in Farmingdale NY. When the Museum would fly one of the plane with the big Radial engines it was always a joy to watch.

  • @lancerevell5979
    @lancerevell5979 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Gabby Gabreski flew his last mission of WWII when he was supposed to be heading home to get married. He was strafing too low, his P-47D damaged and he crash landed, spending the rest of the war as a POW.

    • @colderwar
      @colderwar ปีที่แล้ว

      Typical Yank, showing off

    • @Rose-xu6lq
      @Rose-xu6lq ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Did he marry her after the war?

    • @derekambler
      @derekambler ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He flew with the original Polish pilots with the RAF in the Battle of Britain flying Hurricanes.

  • @andystuckey2561
    @andystuckey2561 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I saw one in the early 90s at an airshow in Winston-Salem, NC. It was big, bad and beautiful. I think it was the only airworthy P47 at that time.

  • @siempeeters5983
    @siempeeters5983 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice to finally see you cover my favourite plane in War Thunder :)

  • @joeheitz1833
    @joeheitz1833 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    Top speed was 50mph. There wasn't an ultralight anywhere that was safe with this speed demon.

    • @jrrarglblarg9241
      @jrrarglblarg9241 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      It must be a typo in his script. Most planes can’t even fly that slow without VSTOL mods on the wings.

    • @Rose-xu6lq
      @Rose-xu6lq ปีที่แล้ว +20

      And they couldn't see a plane with 18 inch wings coming at them.

    • @angusmatheson8906
      @angusmatheson8906 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Dark skies makes some of the of the stupidest goddamn mistakes in his videos I swear to God.

    • @borderreaver4615
      @borderreaver4615 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Top speed was over 400

    • @SUPRAMIKE18
      @SUPRAMIKE18 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I believe he meant top speed was 500mph (thought there are some old pilot stories of P-47s nearing closer to 600mph in a dive)

  • @madmanmechanic8847
    @madmanmechanic8847 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I bet those guys missed that rush after the war with all that horse power and fire power.

    • @frankroy9423
      @frankroy9423 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That's why they built all those great Hotrods, after the war. They needed a different affordable speed fix. Then some added Nitro methane for a real good jolt.

    • @Rose-xu6lq
      @Rose-xu6lq ปีที่แล้ว

      They had PTSD

    • @madmanmechanic8847
      @madmanmechanic8847 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@frankroy9423 The Hells Angels came out after the war too fast bikes and raising hell try and get that rush back

    • @madmanmechanic8847
      @madmanmechanic8847 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Rose-xu6lq You are correct but they missed that rush

  • @simonpalling3215
    @simonpalling3215 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great stuff, as with all the Dark channels.

  • @chuckcawthon3370
    @chuckcawthon3370 ปีที่แล้ว

    Outstanding Video Presentation. Great History Lesson

  • @lcubed11
    @lcubed11 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    the P-47N had the wings with a length of 18 inches? amazing

    • @shelbyroderfeld5943
      @shelbyroderfeld5943 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      "Top speed of 50mph..."

    • @gregorteply9034
      @gregorteply9034 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      This video sounds like it has been narrated by artificial intelligence.

  • @MadOgre
    @MadOgre ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I see a Dark Skies video I click it and I click Like.

    • @paulgeorge7557
      @paulgeorge7557 ปีที่แล้ว

      Me too buddy

    • @brucermarino
      @brucermarino ปีที่แล้ว

      Hi Paul, you may want to read my comment...
      Thank you for your video. A few points if I may...
      The title picture is not a P-47. You talk about it having six machine guns but you show an image of a wing with only three for a total of six. The images shown in some parts are accurate but, in general, the P-47 did not have clipped wings. Thanks!

  • @starpilot101
    @starpilot101 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Interesting thing I've noticed is the divergent methods to increasing a fighter's firepower - Americans resorted to mounting more .50 cals per plane while Germans gradually upgraded to higher caliber guns. The British were in the middle - later spitfires had 4x .303 machine guns and 2x 20mm cannons, allowing the pilot to choose which gun to use.

  • @josephpacchetti5997
    @josephpacchetti5997 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is an excellent video, I'm subscribed to all of the Dark Channels, They have great information and use real footage when possible, Thank You for your work in producing such awesome content. 👍 🇺🇸 Stay Strong My Friend.

  • @Gronk79
    @Gronk79 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    It was a shame, although understandable, that by the time of the Korean War that all P-47s were out of the inventory. The P-47's firepower and ruggedness were sorely missed as a ground attack plane.

  • @lancerevell5979
    @lancerevell5979 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    P-35, not "P-335". A fighter and a racer.
    And.... "a top speed of FIFTY MPH"! Come on..... RESEARCH! 🤨

    • @TinyBearTim
      @TinyBearTim ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Bro it’s a typo in the script

    • @lordmuhehe4605
      @lordmuhehe4605 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's obviously a typo, try using your brain sometimes.

  • @boffo63
    @boffo63 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was a good one. Gotta respect the ThunderBolts.

  • @rickbrasche8781
    @rickbrasche8781 ปีที่แล้ว

    it's nice to see a positive article on the P47. Most often it's just compared negatively vs the Zero

  • @jtjames79
    @jtjames79 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The Jug was really the best Fighter of world war II.
    It was the right plane, in the right place, at the right time.

    • @briancooper2112
      @briancooper2112 ปีที่แล้ว

      The F4U was better and flew longer.

    • @sotros1
      @sotros1 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@briancooper2112 Probably better at low altitudes, but the P-47 was designed to fight above 25,000 feet, and made best speeds at 27k (early war) or 32k (late). And the -N model was the longest-ranged single-engine fighter of the war, exceeded only by the final iterations of the P-38.

  • @kob8634
    @kob8634 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I'm going to assume you meant something like five hundred fifty mph when you said "top speed of just fifty miles per hour" (which would be thirty below the stall speed likely) And, btw, 550mph was mid-pack for WWII fighters.

    • @Philip-1
      @Philip-1 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Seriously, is the narrator even thinking about what he has been told to read?

    • @richardnorman1520
      @richardnorman1520 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Think it should have read dropped by 50hph not dropped to 50mph

    • @davewalkden9978
      @davewalkden9978 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ditto "wings lengthened to 18 inches" and "lamina-flow wings."

    • @james.carty.9043
      @james.carty.9043 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Couldn't wait to see the comments about those bloopers.

    • @nobodyhome8148
      @nobodyhome8148 ปีที่แล้ว

      i also enjoyed seeing them shoot down spitfires 🤣

  • @mattwright2964
    @mattwright2964 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My late father flew the P47 in Indonesia at the end of WW2 in the RAF "Ace of Spades" squadron. He said the plane was super tough. When they were training no-one wanted to tow the practice drone as the guns would pretty much vapourise it. He said it also landed v fast which scared some pilots. He had lots of stories.

  • @colinscutt5104
    @colinscutt5104 ปีที่แล้ว

    good work again

  • @imperialmodelworks8473
    @imperialmodelworks8473 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    These videos are pretty good, but also full of alot of errors and straight up incorrect facts, which is a shame. The "extra M2 ammunition boxes, chasing vengeance weapons, etc are incorrect. No combat version of the P-47 ever came close to 470mph.

    • @sotros1
      @sotros1 ปีที่แล้ว

      P-47 -M and -N models made 475 and 465 respectively, both at 32,000 feet on 130/150 fuel. These were ordinary squadron service aircraft, not prototypes or experimental models. Although only about 140 of the -M models were built, there were over 2500 of the -Ns at the end of the war. Pretty sure the -N was the single most produced version of the Thunderbolt.

  • @aeronaut1906
    @aeronaut1906 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    the p63 can do all of this and better unfortunately

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Well considering it never saw action in the hands of the US, that's not exactly a fair equivalency. Considering these aircraft were rapidly evolving.

    • @lancerevell5979
      @lancerevell5979 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      And we just lost one some days ago, in an aerial collision with a B-17, in Texas

    • @halo64654
      @halo64654 ปีที่แล้ว

      With ramming specifically.

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@lancerevell5979 That's why he mentioned it I think.

  • @Urugami45
    @Urugami45 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I knew about the Thunderbolt, but didn't realize it was such a badass.

  • @cojaxart8986
    @cojaxart8986 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hard to. Beat!! It’s amazing how much the advantages could tip in the direction of the Allied forces once the Jugs showed up! Great documentary, Dark!

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis ปีที่แล้ว

      hahahaha you Americans amuse me. Just the MkIX Spitfire shot down 2950 enemy from Nov 43 to Mar 44 The Jugs first combat April 43 MkIX Spit Jun 42 and then from Mar 44 with the RAF 2TAF for 11 more months and then they had the Mks VIII, VII, X . XII. XIII, XIV.. XVI and XVIII all before May 45 Oh and do not forget the Tempest down low knocking down the Jets

  • @beeryye
    @beeryye ปีที่แล้ว +4

    i know ya'll make money by putting out a lot of content but damn. i feel like your research consistency and even basic word pronunciations have been on the decline. i typically enjoy these productions but when errors are made so frequently it really starts to give off 'i got this script two seconds ago' vibes.

    • @John-qx1zi
      @John-qx1zi ปีที่แล้ว

      🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

    • @beeryye
      @beeryye ปีที่แล้ว

      @@John-qx1zi you want diseased clowns to run a train on you?

  • @Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu
    @Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu ปีที่แล้ว

    Love those Jugs, P-47s are awesome too!