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The wings have been fitted to the P-47's fuselage, a major milestone for the restoration. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
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Warbird Digest has just received the May, 2021 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!
Five years ago, in April of 2016, I began writing monthly restoration updates on P-47D-23-RA 42-27609, though much fabrication and other preparation work had already preceded my first formal report. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers were the first structural components to undergo reassembly, which began in June of 2016. In early 2018, the main fuselage began to take shape in its fixture, and most of the work in the restoration shop focused on this assembly until they started on the wings. The July/August 2019 update was the first update to show parts (the spars) fitted to the wing fixtures.
But the big news this month is that the wings are now out of their fixtures and fitted to the fuselage! So, a little over a year and a half after starting wing assembly and five years from the first work in the restoration shop, we have begun joining up these major assemblies; this was a big event for AirCorps Aviation!
Preparing the Wings for Removal From the Assembly Fixtures
Over the last few months, the visual changes haven’t been very apparent because they were mainly systems installations inside the wings. To prepare the wings for removal from the fixtures, the systems tasks had to be completed.
The brown junction bar has wires that lead to the pitot heat and wing tip lights attached. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
In this photo, the wire harness leading from the cannon plug at the wing root has also been attached to the junction bar. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The dome shaped cover is the back of the landing light, the round object with wires connected to it near the right side of the image is the landing light relay. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
A big step in readying the wings for removal from the fixture is fitting the landing gear boxes. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The right side landing gear swung into the down position. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
This is the left side gear, which is much
more difficult to find in restorable
shape than the right side gear. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
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The Wings Come Out of the Fixtures
The left wing is being removed from the fixture and placed onto rolling dolly fixtures. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The right wing is already out of the fixture and stored before fitting to the fuselage. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The wings await their time to be attached to the fuselage. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
A view from the other end of the completed wings.. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The Wings are Fitted to the Fuselage for the First Time
The significance of this step in the restoration process is that the complexity of the P-47 wing design requires absolute precision in the wing and fuselage attachment points for the four different points on each side to line up properly. As general manager Erik Hokuf explained, the Republic wing attachment design is more complex than that of the P-51. If the fit isn’t perfect, major rework to the wing and fuselage attachments is required, and this would obviously require significant delays to restoration completion. The great care which the restoration team has taken at every step in the process of assembling the wings and fuselage up to this point paid off; the attachment points slid smoothly into place with no issues!
A gantry lift has been moved close to the right wing. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
Chad (left) and Randy plan how to proceed with this all important step. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The fuselage in its rolling fixture, ready for the wings. Notice the shine of the mill run, unpolished aluminum skin. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The ammunition bay opening is visible on the left wing as it rests in the movable dollies. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The guys move the right wing toward the fuselage. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The aileron control rod is the first of several connections that have to slide into the wing as the process proceeds. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The cannon plugs that connect the fuselage wiring to the wing wiring harness are visible here. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The wing is slowly moved in closer in small increments as everything is aligned properly. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The holes in the wing attach
fittings have to precisely line up. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
As each component is aligned, the wing is pushed closer and closer to its connection with the fuselage. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
Chad lines up the large, machined, temporary wing retaining pin. Even though these are just temporary for the fitting, they had to be made with close tolerances. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
The moment of truth. (phoro via AirCorps Aviation)
Each wing has four attachment points and because how precisely each of the four temporary retaining pins must align, everyone feels a little pressure, even though they are confident that they will fit. Permanent wing bolts will, of course, replace these pins during final assembly.
The upper rear right wing temporary retaining pin is in place. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
Here is a close view of one of the two forward temporary retaining pins. There are upper and lower forward pins, and upper and lower rear pins on each side. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The right wing is on, so it’s time for the left. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The wings are on, though they will come off again before the final assembly. The trial fitting went remarkably smoothly. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
Here is an angle from the forward right side. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
A closer view shows the open accessory section behind where the R-2800 will go. (image via AirCorps Aviation)The assembly surrounding the green ring that is the front of the engine mount is called the preheater. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
Here is a similar view from the left side. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The wing tips haven’t been installed yet. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The larger openings on each side of the lower secondary cowl are shrouds for the oil coolers. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The oil cooler shrouds show from the front along with the oil tank and many accessories behind the engine mount ring. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The assembly surrounding the green ring that is the front of the engine mount is called the preheater. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
The gear wells and gun openings are clearly visible in this photo. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
Near the wing root are the ovoid opening for the cabin air intake and the rectangular gun camera opening. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
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As restoration specialist Randy Kraft said, it is a great feeling to reach this milestone in the restoration of such a historically significant, rare warbird. “It went really nice. It is always a concern that everything fits and we are able to just slide the fixture pins in.” Randy and the other restoration specialists have started on the control surfaces; the rudder, elevators, ailerons and flaps will all be assembled in the coming weeks.
And that’s all for this month. We wish to thank AirCorps Aviation, Chuck Cravens for making this report possible! We look forwards to bringing more restoration reports on progress with this rare machine in the coming months. Be safe, and be well
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
The P-47 Thunderbolt is a beautiful fighter aircraft! The P-47 does not get the recognition that the aircraft truly deserves. The highest scoring WWII USAAF fighter group was the 56th FG of the USAAF’s 8th Air Force. The 56th FG flew various models of the P-47 Thunderbolt throughout the duration of WWII and the only fighter group in 8th Air Force flying the Thunderbolt at the end of the war. A truly great warplane!
The P-47 Thunderbolt is a beautiful fighter aircraft! The P-47 does not get the recognition that the aircraft truly deserves. The highest scoring WWII USAAF fighter group was the 56th FG of the USAAF’s 8th Air Force. The 56th FG flew various models of the P-47 Thunderbolt throughout the duration of WWII and the only fighter group in 8th Air Force flying the Thunderbolt at the end of the war. A truly great warplane!