Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

The first prototype flew on May 6, 1941. A total of 15677 aircraft built. On August 2, 1944 the XP-47J reached a speed of 811kph.

Jean Stravinsky, e-mail, 12.01.2024

Ronald

According to the SETP test in 1989, the roll rates for both the P-51D and the P-47D were not that great: peak was 55-60 dps while under 3 G and 72-79 dps at 1 G. The low figure was the P-51D and the high figure the P-47D. Controls on the P-51 are crisp but very heavy.

Sustained level turns of 27 seconds for the P-47 is Russian test nonsense. SETP has the P-47 Bubbletop and P-51D roughly equal at 10 seconds for a 180. I made my own estimations based on studying closely 800 Encounter Reports, assuming the Me-109G-6 was 19s left (below 250 mph) and 21s right, the Razorback with needle tip prop was about the same (similar in the first loop as well), but far looser and mushier in hard turns, which burned speed, while the Bubbletop was substantially worse turning in sustained turns, easily 22-23s both ways. Looking at the serial numbers on each Encounter Report, the Bubbletop was clearly worse by some margin vs the Razorback... P-51D with flaps, but at full power, was about 21s left and 23s right, and with lowered power plus flaps, below or at 200 mph, about 20s left and 22s right.

The FW-190A was about 19 seconds both ways with reduced power (maybe even 18s with broad chord ailerons to catch the wing: It also required the pilot to push on the stick to keep the nose down in turns below 250 mph, which was intimidating given the vibrations in the stick which killed the sense of touch), but it was extremely poor in hard turns (over 4 Gs), and even more so in hard right turns. However the symmetry in sustained speed turns gave it an advantage in slow (below 250 mph) prolonged 3 G turns, if the pilot was comfortable pushing on the stick with the ailerons deflected... It could exert high G forces on the pilot, but much of these forces were deceleration through mushing, not curving(!), so it could hardly achieve 4-5 Gs in real trajectory terms at high speeds, which is workable but extremely poor for hit and run tactics: Russian Red Fleet summary: "The Fw-190A will INEVITABLY offer turning combat at a minimum speed."

The Spitfire V felt lively in response, and out-turned both Germans above 250 mph, but it still sustained the speed in horizontal circles only to about 21s both ways, at a faster speed but in a much wider circle. It was unique in that it could stall itself to point accurately, wings rumbling, at smaller German circles, but this was not true out-turning, which usually required steady fire at a steady distance. The Mark IX was worse and the Mk XIV about the same as the IX, probably 22s both ways, 23s for the XIV, and both worsened in roll compared to the Mk V: V: 80 dps peak at a low 220 mph, IX 50 dps at the same speed, XIV 40 degree peak(!), maybe 50 to left. (All roll peaks would be at the same 220 mph speed, getting worse after: The NACA 868 chart is entirely calculated values, as explained 2 pages prior to the chart, and has no bearing on any reality...)

Russian evaluation of lend-lease Spitfire Mk Vs and IXs: "The Spitfire failed in horizontal fighting, but was particularly adapted to vertical fighting." (Le Fana de l'Aviation" #496)

Pierre Clostermann (RAF combat mission record holder, 18 kills, master of ceremony at wartime conferences on Luftwaffe aircrafts): "The notion that the Spitfire could out-turn the FW-190A or the Me-109G, below 220 knots (roughly 240 mph), is a good joke. Few pilots who tried it came back to complain about the legend. In combat turns the speed always went down and down to those speeds."(1990s recorded interview available on Chuck Owl YT channel)


FIGHTER	Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Republic