Revived P-47 Thunderbolt Soars Again: Recreating World War II Dogfights 70 Years Later
A Rare WWII P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter Plane Returns to the Skies Above Cambridgeshire
In a remarkable recreation of the battles that raged over occupied Europe seven decades ago, a rare Second World War fighter plane is set to take flight once again above Cambridgeshire this weekend. The P-47 Thunderbolt, meticulously restored to its wartime glory by The Fighter Collection, a private squadron of vintage aircraft, is the brainchild of entrepreneur and pilot Stephen Grey. The aircraft is stationed at the historic Duxford Airfield, making it a fitting setting for its return to the skies.
This exceptional P-47 Thunderbolt has quite a history. It arrived in Britain inside a shipping container back in the early 1990s and has only recently completed a series of rigorous tests, allowing it to be showcased to the public at this weekend’s Flying Legends Airshow. This event is renowned as the finest in Europe for enthusiasts of vintage military aircraft, often lovingly referred to as ‘Warbirds.’
During the Second World War, the P-47 Thunderbolt played a pivotal role for the American Air Force when U.S. soldiers arrived in Britain to join the fight against Nazi Germany. At that time, it stood out as one of the largest and heaviest fighter planes ever built. Decorated ace American fighter pilot James Goodson vividly described his first encounter with the P-47 when he traded in his beloved Spitfire for it: “We gazed up at these great, solid aircraft in amazement. They looked like whales, and the nimble little Spitfires, like darting minnows.” However, as time passed, he grew to appreciate the remarkable qualities of the P-47, stating, “The P-47, in spite of its weight and size, was an amazing aircraft.”
Another pilot vividly remembered the plane as one that “climbed like a homesick angel and dived for the deck like a rock.”
The aircraft being showcased at the Flying Legends Airshow has been painted to resemble the iconic “Snafu,” which was flown by American Lieutenant Severino B. Calderon of the 78th Fighter Group in late 1944. The 78th Fighter Group was stationed at Duxford, a historic airfield that had previously hosted RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain and is now home to the Imperial War Museum.
Starting in the spring of 1943, the Thunderbolts of the 78th began escorting heavy B-17 and B-24 bombers of the Eighth Air Force on perilous missions over occupied Europe. The Fighter Collection’s P-47, now representing “Snafu,” played a crucial role in battling enemy Luftwaffe fighters and escorting the heavy bombers. The 78th Fighter Group achieved remarkable success, destroying 668 enemy aircraft and damaging more than 400 before victory in Europe was declared in May 1945.
It’s worth noting that the intense aerial combat during this time came at a great cost, with over 30,000 American airmen losing their lives and 14,000 being wounded out of the 135,000 men who flew in combat over the continent.
The Fighter Collection’s Thunderbolt is a rare gem, one of only two such machines in the world today. Built at the Curtiss aircraft factory in Buffalo in 1943, it never saw combat and was used for training purposes before being sold to a series of private collectors in America. After spending over a decade packed away in a shipping container in Essex, the aircraft underwent meticulous restoration by experts from around the world.
Last year, it received a special paint job to authentically represent a Thunderbolt that was based at Duxford during the war. As this legendary aircraft takes to the skies once again, it serves as a living testament to the courage and sacrifice of the brave airmen who fought in World War II and a reminder of the remarkable engineering feats of that era.
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