Dakota Territory Air Museum’s P-47 Update – January, 2020

Warbird Digest has just received the January, 2020 report from Chuck Cravens concerning the restoration of the Dakota Territory Air Museum’s P-47D Thunderbolt 42-27609 at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. We thought our readers would be very interested to see how the project has progressed since our last article on this important project. So without further ado, here it goes!

Contents

Update Systems Wing Structure The Quest for Range Related Articles

Cockpit controls: the lowest controls in the photo are for the aileron, elevator, and rudder trim console. Above that is the landing gear selector and to the right is the throttle quadrant. (photo via AirCorps Aviation

Update

As 2020 begins, the P-47 restoration work continues with systems installation and parts fabrication. The main concentration continues to be the wing assemblies. At this time last year, the fuselage skins were clecoed on for fitting and the wing fixtures were standing empty.

02 p47d avg 2019.01.08b p9 — The skins were clecoed for fitting on the P-47 fuselage in January of 2019. (photo by John LaTourelle)

03 D1B9619 — The P-47 fuselage had the skins permanently riveted and many systems installed in December of 2019. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

04 D1B9698 — Much of the wing structure has been assembled for fitting as we start the new year. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

05 D1B9663 — These are pressed wing gussets that fit between spar 1 and various ribs. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

06 D1B9669 — These landing gear downlock operating mechanism parts have been machined in the fabrication shop. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

07 D1B9666 — Steve is drilling the landing gear downlock spring retainer. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

Systems

The P-47 was a complex fighter for its time. Systems for controlling the trim, turbosupercharger, intercooler, normal flight controls, and engine are just a few of the challenging parts needed for this restoration.

08 D1B9683 — The rods on the left center of the image are part of the landing gear uplock linkage, the chains connected to cables make up the aileron trim linkage. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

The black cable in this photo drives the intercooler door indicator mounted on the left side of the cockpit. (photo via AirCorps Aviation

Wing Structure

More and more parts of the wing structure are fitted. The gun bays, landing gear actuators, and ammo bays are being assembled for proper fit this month.

10 D1B9648 — The wings remain in the fixtures. This is the bottom side of the right wing and on the table is the root rib. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

11 D1B9709 — The large square forged assembly in the lower left center of the image is the landing gear box. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

12 D1B9657 — Here is a detailed shot of the landing gear box and the attachment to the fixture. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

13 IMG 8021 — The landing gear uplock mechanism is visible from the bottom of the right wing. The black and white positioning target stickers indicate that parts have been 3D scanned. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

14 IMG 8022 — The uplock mechanism is viewed from the top side of the wing here. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

15 D1B9697 — The bottom of the gun support ribs have the four forward gun mount forgings attached. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

16 D1B9659 — The gun support ribs as seen from the root of the wing. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

17 D1B9653 — A closer view of the gun mount forgings shows how solidly constructed they are to stand up to the recoil of the .50 caliber M2 machine guns. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

18 D1B9686 — This is the landing gear well area near the root of the left wing. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

19 D1B9685 — The landing gear well area of the right wing is at the same stage of restoration.. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

21 D1B9684 — The root rib is closest to the blue fixture on the right of the photo. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

22 D1B9673 — Both wings in their fixtures are visible in this shot. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

24 D1B9655 — The ammunition troughs will eventually sit atop these ribs. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

25 D1B9650 — The root rib is one of the most complex wing ribs. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

27 D1B9651 — Now that the root rib is in place, it is easy to see that the function of the bulged area is to provide tire clearance when the gear is retracted.. (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

The Quest for Range

The early P-47D models had a published range of 640 miles without external fuel.

When the 5th Air Force obtained P-47s, General Kenney went to work increasing the range for the new fighter. Fifth Air Force engineers worked on a design for a large drop tank. The eventual product was a large tank, flat on the top and bottom, that held an additional 200 gallons.

The new 200 gallon tank was built in Brisbane in August 1943 and was fitted with electric booster pumps. Supplementing the 310 gallon internal capacity, it added about 400 miles to the range figure, enabling P-47s to hit Japanese targets that the P-40s could not reach.

29 IMG 6393 — Christmas tree tank under restoration at AirCorps Aviation (photo by John LaTourelle)

30 Copy of Robert Stitt 3 — In 1977, 42-27609 was photographed in the yard of a teacherage in Popondetta, Papua/New Guinea. The Christmas tree tank is visible with a large hole through it. Robert Stitt photograph (photo via AirCorps Aviation)

And that’s all for this month. We wish to thank AirCorps Aviation, Chuck Cravens (words and images) as well as John LaTourelle (images) for making this report possible! We look forwards to bringing more restoration reports on progress with this rare machine in the coming months.

Is the P-47 Thunderbolt your favorite airplane? Make sure to purchase issue #73 of Warbird Digest featuring the beautiful “Dottie Mae”