P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

Known as the "Jug" because of its distinctive fuselage shape, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt flew in every theater of WWII except Alaska. Nearly 13,000 were built by war's end. The large aircraft boasted eight Browning machine guns and up to 2,000 lbs. of bombs or rockets, and proved deadly as a fighter and bomber. The radial Pratt and Whitney powerplant put out over 2500 h.p. and propelled the P-47 at a maximum speed of 426 mph at 30,000 feet. Originally published by the U.S. Army Air Force, this handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. This affordable facsimile of a real WWII manual has been reformatted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.