P-47 Thunderbolt lying in 20 metres of water off the north-east coast of Corsica. I have put some clips of the wreck here
The front windscreen and frame is gone. The D model, Razorback" had a rearview mirror mounted on the top outside of the canopy. The "G" model had a bubble canopy.
Hard to say Roger...The D changed mid production: Started as: You can easily see the bird cage canopy... But then the installation of the bubble canopy which shaved the razorback off to more of just a hole in the fusilage: Both are P47Ds...Confusing and probably not correct. Mid production a number of changes were made requiring a new designation IMO.
The point of the triangle on the canopy is LOW in the one immediately above. In the OP it's HIGH. Design/Construction shift or different model?
Another view of the "D" OP picked it... The canopy is quite different...In the razorback its a two piece affair...Hard to find a good pic of it but this should suffice:
Asking Biak to talk to his P-47 mates and ask if the two versions should infact have different designations?
Hello all and thanks for the interesting discussion. I tried to load a couple of clips I took during the dive which give a better view of the aircraft, but couldn't do it directly and am having trouble with my YouTube account However I should be able to post the clips in a couple of days if YouTube clears me, otherwise the clips can be found here
She seems to have had quite a bit taken from her…Canopy or at least the front screen…no sign of the 8 50s…prop taken (or blown off) and a cavity where the engine should be…
Hello CAC, yes there has been a fair bit stripped from her. As shown in the clips that I link to (and will hopefully be soon able to upload here) the 50s have been removed, however the engine is a few metres from the fuselage
Unless there were major changes or upgrades the "B-C-D-G" stayed the same with additional letter-numbering after. P-47-24-RE. Adding the bubble canopy sure changed the appearance but underneath she was all Jug. I'm going to stick with the D just because the timeline fits. Rather late to receive the C's, but not out of the question and early for the G.
The B and C were made in tiny numbers by Republic. 101 B, and 607 C. The D model became the standard production model with the P-47D-35 switching to the bubble canopy. The G model was the same as the D model only made by Curtiss Aircraft. The RE was the later USAAF standardized nomenclature, like P-47D-35-RE with RE standing for the manufacturer. The E, F, H, K, and L models were all experimental types using different engines trying for higher speeds. The M was an up-engined D model that saw limited service. The N was virtually a new plane with a new wing and major changes to the fuselage.
