Combat Veteran P-47 Thunderbolt Acquired by Pima Air and Space Museum

By Moreno Aguiari June 25, 2024

A few days ago we received an email from Otto Carter III, son of World War II pilot Otto Carter Jr, P-47D Thunderbolt (s/n 42-8066) saying that his dad’s P-47 was purchased by the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) in Tucson, Arizona.  The airframe is a well-known aircraft and well documented by Pacific Wreck. Accordingly to Otto Carter III this aircraft is in Australia where the restoration will be completed before being transported to Arizona. We contacted Andrew Boehly, Director of Collections Pima Air & Space Museum to confirm this important news.

“We chose to purchase this P-47 since its restoration is closer to completion compared to our previous P-47. The decision to purchase was made earlier this year and, currently, we are working on the transit.” Said Andrew Boehly.

This Thunderbolt, which is a combat veteran of the Pacific Theatre, was force-landed mostly intact in the swamps of New Guinea in October 1943. It remained largely undisturbed until the mid-1960s when efforts began to retrieve it. The aircraft was eventually recovered and shipped to New Zealand, where it was prepared for static display. It was later traded to Australia. By the time restoration commenced, the aircraft required significant metal replacement to address the corrosion from its time in the New Guinea swamp. For more information about this combat veteran P-47, visit Pacific Wrecks.

Otto Carter Jr graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1934 and was a former student of John Tarleton Junior College and Texas A&M. He joined the Army Air Forces a month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He trained at Parks Air College, St. Louis, Missouri; Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas and received his wings and commission at Foster Field, in Victoria, Texas on October 9, 1942. His combat training was next, at Westover Field, Massachusetts, and from there he received his overseas assignment. During the war, Carter logged 500 hours on 190 combat sorties and flew as a flight leader and later a squadron commander.

On his return to the States, he was assigned to the Abilene Army Airfield (today’s Dyess AFB) as a test pilot and was in charge of post-graduate training. Col. Carter stayed in the Air Force Reserve and was assigned to the Air Force Academy as Liaison Officer Coordinator for ten years. He had a total of 34 years, nine months, and six days of military service. He retired as a full colonel. More information about Otto Carter can be found on this website maintained by his son.

This aircraft—one of the oldest remaining P-47s and the earliest survivor from the Pacific campaign—is well on its way to being fully restored. The fuselage has been structurally completed and is awaiting the final installation of controls and wiring. The tail group has been rebuilt, and both the engine mount and the windshield and canopy have been restored. The wings have been stripped, with components refurbished or replaced as needed, and are ready for reassembly. The cowlings and many other aspects of the restoration are also in progress.

Once the restoration is complete, the Thunderbolt (s/n 42-8066) will be displayed in Pima Air and Space Museum’s Hangar 5 with other Southwest Pacific aircraft. Like the museum’s other aircraft, it will have dedicated signage about the aircraft type, that aircraft’s history, and its pilot Otto Carter, Jr.