Field Assembly of the P-47

Now that's quite a Christmas package! Some assembly required. Pretty cool.
 
When the crate was cracked open, I was imagining Bob Barker's voice:

"You've just won... a brand new Thunderbolt!!"
 
I could not wait til tonight. Watched in on my lunch break. Amazing. The detailed instructions for field assembly is really cool. They thought of everything.

I think I saw Tom as the crew chief??:rofl:


Thanks for posting. Hard to imagine all of the design work and thought put into that assembly proceedure.
 
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Geico266 said:
I could not wait til tonight. Watched in on my lunch break. Amazing. The detailed instructions for field assembly is really cool. They thought of everything.

I think I saw Tom as the crew chief??:rofl:


Thanks for posting. Hard to imagine all of the design work and thought put into that assembly proceedure.
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Think how quickly you could build me an RV with 50 men helping you!
 
That was awesome. My dad was with the 368th Fighter Group, though he was a ground soldier with them. They captured land and created the 1st Thunderbolt base in France after the invasion. He landed on Omaha beach on D+1.

"Panzer Dusters": http://368thfightergroup.com/
 
"This simplified uncrating and assembly method"??!

What was the old way? :eek:
 
PilotAlan said:
"This simplified uncrating and assembly method"??!

What was the old way? :eek:
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Wait, I can see it now.
A crated engine, a box of AN bolts, and a crate of sheet aluminum and an English wheel.
 
What a beast. I read a story by Frank Gabreski who was flying a flak damaged Jug home to England and he picked up an "escort" of a FW-190. The German ran out of ammo trying to shoot him down, pulled up alongside, shook his head, saluted and peeled off. He made it across the Channel and pancaked into a field.
 
I love how the crate gets modded as they go, and how parts of it are used in the whole process. And digging pits to swing the gear down... genius.

Must have been a fun and interesting project, figuring out how do this.
 
nddons said:
That was awesome. My dad was with the 368th Fighter Group, though he was a ground soldier with them. They captured land and created the 1st Thunderbolt base in France after the invasion. He landed on Omaha beach on D+1.

"Panzer Dusters": http://368thfightergroup.com/
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That's very cool Stan! I really like the 368th website. Lots of good info on the P-47!

My Dad flew the Jug in the Pacific out of Port Moresby New Guinea. He shot down a Val and a Kate and did a lot of close air support...

Tom
 
rottydaddy said:
I love how the crate gets modded as they go, and how parts of it are used in the whole process. And digging pits to swing the gear down... genius.

Must have been a fun and interesting project, figuring out how do this.
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Imagine the engineering into the crating design and instructions on how to use the crate and where to make the cuts.

My Dad was WWII aircraft mechanic, I can picture him doing that work.
He retired as a piston engine power plant mech in 1964.
 
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Wonder if there are crates of P-47's buried someplace in Europe like the Spitfires in Burma.:rofl:

Really interesting how the process was developed and executed.

Cheers
 
BillTIZ said:
Imagine the engineering into the crating design and instructions on how to use the crate and where to make the cuts.
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An interesting challenge, probably requiring a lot of experimentation. The crew chiefs had the greater challenge, though: supervising a few dozen guys, often whoever was handy, as they followed pretty complicated instructions and put a new fighter together, most likely outdoors, on turf. There are few things worse than dropping some important fastener into grass. :mad2:
 
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