Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, 'Nellie B' and P-51 Mustang 'Contrary Mary', in a superb tight paired formation aerobatic routine at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford during the 'IWM Duxford Best of 2021 Flying Day' on 9th October 2021. Jon Gowdy was at the controls of the Thunderbolt and Andy Durston flew the Mustang.
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 'Nellie B', G-THUN:-
This P-47D bears the colours and markings of a machine, nicknamed 'Nellie B', that served with the 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group, United States 9th Air Force in the UK and Europe during 1944, during D-Day on the 6th of June 1944 and up until the liberation and end of WW2 in Europe on 8th May 1945.
The present day 492nd Fighter Squadron currently operate F-15 Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath, UK. Since 1953, when they were based at Chaumont, France after reactivation, the 492nd Fighter Squadron has been nicknamed 'Madhatters', after their adopted tradition of wearing hats significant to their base of operations. When based in France they adopted the French 'Beret', in Turkey the 'Fez' and currently in England, Bowler Hats and the callsign 'Bolars'.
The aircraft itself is now owned and operated by Fighter Aviation Engineering Ltd at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford airfield.
At the end of 1942, P-47’s were sent to England for combat operations. The initial Thunderbolt flyers, 56th Fighter Group, were sent overseas to join the 8th Air Force.
As the P-47 Thunderbolt worked up to operational status, it gained a nickname - the “Jug”, as its profile was similar to that of a common milk jug of the time.
Early P-47s produced had a “razorback” canopy configuration with a tall fuselage spine behind the pilot, which resulted in poor visibility to the rear. The British also had this problem with their fighter aircraft, and had devised the bulged “Malcolm hood” canopy for the Spitfire as an initial solution. This type of canopy was fitted in the field to many North American P-51 Mustangs, and to a handful of P-47Ds. However, the British then came up with a much better solution, devising an all-round vision “bubble canopy” for the Hawker Typhoon. USAAF officials liked the bubble canopy, and quickly adapted it to American fighters, including the P-51 and the Thunderbolt.
The largest and heaviest single-seater piston-engined fighter in history, (it weighs in at seven tons and is heavier than even a Bristol Blenheim or a Bristol Beaufighter) and the most numerous American fighter ever produced, the P-47 was a hugely successful high altitude escort and a formidable ground attack aircraft. The 15,000+ Thunderbolts produced and used in World War II, saw service in every theatre of operations except Alaska. By the end of 1944 it equipped 31 USAAF groups and served with many other Allied Air Forces, including the RAF who took 830 machines.
492 FS were equipped with P-47’s in early 1944, flying their first combat missions in the type in April 1944. The squadron moved into Europe after assisting with the Normandy invasions with bombing and ground attack.
The P-47 could take almost as much damage as it could hand out, quickly establishing a reputation for allowing pilots to walk away from all but the most horrendous crashes and absorbing extraordinary amounts of battle damage. It was phased out of American service soon after the end of the war and was dropped from the US inventory in 1953, but was absorbed into many lesser Air Forces around the world, last seeing combat service in the Guatemalan Revolution of 1953.
North American P-51D Mustang 'Contrary Mary':-
This aircraft, G-TFSI, was built as a P-51D with construction number 124-44703 just a little too late to see combat service in World War Two and was one of the last Mustangs built at North American Aviation’s Dallas, Texas, plant. Details of her post war service are limited, but there is photographic evidence from September 1951 of her serving with the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo, South Korea, during the Korean War.
By late 1951 the 45th TRS were replacing their ageing Mustangs with RF-80 Shooting Star jets, so this aircraft was shipped back to the USA to serve with the US Air National Guard until 1956. Records are blank until January 1999, when she reappeared in North Dakota as a restoration project. The airframe was moved to Chino, California for a full restoration and modification to her to current two-seat TF-51D configuration. She is owned by Anglia Aircraft Restorations.
The 'Contrary Mary' colour scheme represents a P-51D which was the personal aircraft of Major Roy B. Caviness when flying with the 376th Fighter Squadron (FS), 361st Fighter Group (FG), 8th Air Force (AF), United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and later the 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF.
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