P-47D-25

P-47D-25

P-47D-22-RE

P-47D-28

P-47D-25

P-47D-22-RE

P-47D-28

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.3	3.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:17 000

Purchase:105 000

Show in game

This page is about the American fighter P-47D-25. For other versions, see P-47 (Family).

Description

The P-47D-25 Thunderbolt is a rank III American fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB), 4.3 (RB), and 3.7 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

Like the P-51D Mustang, the P-47D-25 is one of the iconic fighters of the USAAF and also one of the most powerful. The wing of the British Spitfire melded with the iconic Pratt and Whitney R-2800 and bulky body, the P-47 is truly a force to be reckoned with, possessing very good performance, weaponry, and loadout. The "Jug" is thus one of the best fighters in the USAAF line; possessing the hallmarks of a great fighter and the capability of a fast attacker.

General info

Flight performance

In Arcade battles, the P-47 can be pushed to its limits. Climb rate, turn rate, and responsiveness are all dramatically increased. Still, tactics used in RB also apply very well in Arcade- this fighter is great for practising Boom & Zoom in Arcade due to the impressive climb rate in this mode. However, the skill will not be built nearly as well in this mode, as rolling scissors and "skidding" manoeuvres will not really be needed.

Overall, the P-47 is a very pleasurable plane to fly for a quick jaunt in arcade battles.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 9,144 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
676	657	12200	26.2	27.2	7.3	7.3	600
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 9,144 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
729	700	12200	23.8	25.0	15	10.6	600

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		520	~12	~5

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 402	< 420	< 470	> 335

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
8,500 m	2,000 hp	2,300 hp

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass
• 9.5 mm Steel plate in front of pilot
• 9.5 mm Steel plate in pilot's seat

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-47D-25 is armed with:

• 8 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (425 rpg = 3,400 total)

Suspended armament

The P-47D-25 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (2,500 lb total)
• 10 x HVAR rockets
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb + 10 x HVAR rockets (500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 10 x HVAR rockets (2,000 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb + 10 x HVAR rockets (2,500 lb total)

Usage in battles

Realistic

The Thunderbolt was used as a high altitude bomber escort and excels at fighter roles in the game, but it can also be used as a very effective ground attack aircraft, thanks to its impressive bomb load. With the equivalent of 3,000 lbs of ordnance under its wings with munitions such as 1,000 lb bombs and 10 HVAR rockets, it is an excellent fighter-bomber. In this role, its performance is often superior to even dedicated ground attack aircraft such as IL-2 Sturmoviks. Its eight fifty-calibre guns are effective against soft targets which aren't worth rockets or bombs. With good aim, they can destroy light pillboxes at distances less than 400 m if using the "Ground targets" belt. When engaging against enemy aircraft, Boom & Zoom tactics are a must, never try to dogfight with the 'Jug'. When diving on a target, if you don't down the enemy, don't try to turn and finish him, use the speed you built in the dive and extend away, climb up, Immelmann and do it all again.

Two main ways to play this aircraft. Either as a strike fighter (fighter-bomber), by going low with a full payload, ravaging the countryside, or just as a standard fighter by first gaining altitude to hunt for bombers, or using the height to dive on enemies who do not have the patience to climb. For the former, "ground targets" belt is obviously advised, it will easily pierce armoured cars and light pillboxes, but they do work well on aircraft too.

When using the "Jug" as a fighter remember that speed and altitude are your lifelines. Never give these up unless you must to stay alive. Also, remember that in Arcade planes accelerate very quickly so you need a huge speed advantage to make sure you can make a getaway in a boom and zoom attack. With this is mind, dive in on enemies that are engaging a teammate or that are at least 1 km below you. If you do not shoot down the enemy, remember to go into a shallow climb to extend, not a steep climb

A wonderful Boom & Zoom fighter in every respect, therefore fly it accordingly! As in real life, the performance advantage will drastically shift in favour of the P-47D above 3,000 m (Soviet opponents) or 6,000 m (most German and Japanese aircraft). The climb rate of this plane is not the best as such it is a good idea to side climb and wait for the first engagement. In Realistic battles it is wise to wait until after the first engagements with enemies, then if your team has a numerical advantage land on the airstrip, bailout and then load the ground attack ordnance. Remember to not bail out until fully repaired and rearmed!

Its bubble canopy makes spotting enemies much easier than most other planes even when you are above the enemy. Remember that firing at an enemy plane at convergence range will be devastating, choosing a comfortable targeting distance is crucial in the Thunderbolt. In many cases don't be afraid to dive away from an enemy and then pull-up drastically since you have a heavy and very tough airframe, this makes altitude a very important asset, and thus side climbing is always beneficial.

Simulator

In Simulator / Enduring Confrontation, bulkier planes that suffer in AB & RB shine and that of course includes the P-47. Sitting at BR 3.7, the lowest BR for rank 3 EC, it can respawn infinitely which makes it a great learning platform for new EC players. In Sim, the P-47 has great control handling, all-round unobstructed vision and fast speed, and it offers a wide range of additional armaments of bombs and rockets, plus the original 8 x .50 cal, meaning it is an excellent multi-role aircraft. It can perform base-bombing, ground pounding, bomber intercepting and traditional BnZ fighting.

For base bombing, choose the maximum setup of 1 x 500 lbs, 2 x 1,000 lbs and 10 x rockets to maximise the damage. The fastest way to get to a base is to remain at tree-top level upon taking off. This way there is no need to climb so the P-47 can pick up quite some speed like that, even with the full bombload. It is also harder to be seen, since the P-47's dark colour will blend in with the ground for some maps. When approaching the base, check its position with the minimap to ensure it's the right target. When the base fills up the gunsight, pull up to around 500 m and then dive at the base at a rather shallow angle. Now you can fire all the rockets as the distance is pretty close. When the gunsight slices past the furthest edge of the base, release all the bombs, bank to the direction of the nearest friendly airfield, descend back to tree-top level and fly back. If you are lucky, you might even catch some enemy bombers that just took-off from a nearby airfield. They will be some nice RP for you. Overall, base bombing is the safest way to get rewards.

For ground pounding, you can choose to take the full bombload if you want. Use the bombs and rockets to take out pillboxes and tanks. The aiming method for bombs is pretty similar to base bombing, but there are differences for the 500 lb and 1000 lb, as their drop are different and you want to adapt the aim to be more precise, because now the targets are much smaller. Dive at a shallow angle to approach the target, try to get as close as possible but avoid crashing into the ground. When the gunsight slices through and just above the target, drop the 1000 lbs. When the target is at the center of the gunsight and fills up around 1/3 of it, release the 500 lb. The 8 MGs are perfect for killing trucks, AA guns and artilleries as they have plenty of ammo. However, constantly watch your surrounding, especially your high 6 for any incoming enemies.

You want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. The big radial engine of the P-47 will usually get damaged. Instead, before launching an attack, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seems inadequate to do anything, but the 8 MG on the P-47 are actually quite destructive, as sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame.

As for dogfighting, because almost all aerial battles in Sim occurs at below 3,000 m, the P-47 can easily climb to this altitude and gather up lots of speed before engaging a battle. The tactic is similar to the RB one above. If, unfortunately, you find yourself being chased at your 6 and you don't know how to do any defensive manoeuvres, do a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield to avoid bleeding too much speed. Then shallow-dive towards your airfield. The P-47 can quite easily outrun opponents like the A6M or Bf-109 E, but struggles to outrun Bf-109 F/G, FW-190 A or other P-47. Another way of disengaging is to do a sudden split-S to dodge under the chaser. Average Sim players will now try and see where you went, if not immediately losing track of you. You can then run for your airfield or shallow climb for another attack.

Enemies worth noting (sim):

• Me 264: This giant is one of the few bombers who get air spawns in Sim, so it usually flies higher than you think. On top of this, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre MG and cannons all over it, therefore tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as they are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the 264 if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be weary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. The safest way to attack is from a higher altitude, dive at an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose. Never engage if you have no altitude advantage.

• Bf 110, Ki-45, A-26: As mentioned before, those twin engine aircraft are a big threat since their lack of manoeuvrability comparing to single engine fighters are minimised in Sim. They are usually armed with heavy guns & cannons in the nose, so an accurate burst will tear any plane apart, including the P-47. The P-47 manoeuvres rather sluggishly and you might get out-turned from even those heavy fighters, so engage them with either altitude or speed advantage to avoid being targeted. If they are not manoeuvring aggressively, aim for their wings or engines. If the fight is intense and you cannot smooth the aim, just burst anywhere as long as you hit them, the 12.7 mm bullets will damage their flight models quite a bit.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 1 gear	Auto controlled

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe		FMBC mk.1
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs	FRC mk.2
IV	G-suit	Engine injection	Cover		FLBC mk.1

• Climb rate and acceleration is a big issue for the stock P-47D. Focus on Compressor, Engine, Wing repairs and Engine Injection first. During this performance focused grind, you can additionally research New 12.7 mm MGs and the various payload modules to unlock the higher tiers for the better performance upgrades.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great at diving and Boom & Zoom
• Great multirole aircraft, acting as an interceptor or ground-attack aircraft
• Impressive speed, great engine performance above 6,000 m
• Very rugged construction can keep the plane flying despite damages
• Impressive firepower of 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns with an impressive ammunition pool of 3400
• First plane in the U.S tech tree to gain access to pure API-T ammo belts
• Very fast for its rank
• One of the few fighters that can carry both bombs and rockets at the same time, making it excellent for ground attack
• More manoeuvrable than other aircraft in the P-47
• By using opposite rudder and aileron controls, for example, left rudder and right aileron, the Thunderbolt can "skid" quickly in the direction the rudder. Very useful to dodge shots. Works for both the D-25 and D-28
• Good maneuverability at high speeds

Cons:

• Terrible turning time at low altitude/low speed
• Mediocre climb performance (side climbing recommended)
• Larger than average fighters
• Poor overall performance when mounting payloads
• After attacking ground targets, the P-47 lacks the altitude to Boom & Zoom enemy fighters
• Engine easily hit during a head on attack by a Bf 109's centre-mounted weapons (not recommended against any Germans or Italians).

History

Developed by North Republic Aviation, the main role of the P-47 Thunderbolt was Bomber Escort, at high altitude the 'Jug' could contend with the latest from the Luftwaffe. The design was to also include much better protection for the pilot by having increased armour around the cockpit, however, this increased its weight substantially. It was the first American fighter to receive more than the standard 6 x .50 calibre M2 Browning Machine guns, a total of 8 all together, making it the most powerful Allied aircraft in terms of firepower at the time. Thanks to its rugged design, the Thunderbolt was able to take a considerable beating, more so than other allied aircraft, also with its sturdy airframe and reliable radial engine, the 'Jug' quickly took on the role of ground attack, able to arm itself with 2,500 lbs of bombs and rockets. All in all the Thunderbolt was one of the most successful allied aircraft during the war, even with the introduction of the faster and more nimble P-51 Mustang, later modifications of the Thunderbolt would go on to see action in the later part of the Pacific Campaign against the Imperial Japanese Navy.

A total of 385 D-25 models of the P-47 were constructed. This model was the first to receive the teardrop canopy. It was also fitted with an increased supply of oxygen and some systems were repositioned for higher fuel capacity.

In-game description

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an American fighter-bomber of the WWII era. It was one of the main USAAF fighters of WWII, especially effective as a fighter-bomber. The P-47 was also sent to the USSR via the lend-lease program. It was designed at Republic Aviation by two emigrants from the Russian Empire, Alexander Seversky and Alexander Kartveli.

The official designation of the P-47, like that of many other Republic aircraft, is related to the word Thunder. However, the P-47's unmatched dimensions and weight led to the P-47 being nicknamed the Jug. Another informal nickname, more common during WWII, is Bolt or T-Bolt. The most mass-produced variant of the P-47 was the P-47D with a teardrop canopy. The variant was in development as early as 1941 and the first order for 850 P-47Ds was placed in late 1941. Many more Thunderbolts would be built during the war, making it the most mass-produced US fighter of WWII by 1945.

Notable pilots

• 

  United States ace pilot Ray S. Wetmore, four times ace, once with a P-47 and thrice with a P-51.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.