P-47D-22-RE (France)

Description

The ▄P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt was one of the aircraft received by the Free French Air Force during the later stages of World War II as part of their lend-lease program. These aircraft were provided to strengthen the French forces and offer them opportunities to contribute to the war effort. This particular aircraft, bearing the tail number 226157 (42-26157), was the 619th P-47D-22-RE built, and belonged to the GC II/3 "Dauphiné". Unfortunately, due to limited information available about its whereabouts during and after the war, its history has largely been lost, with only a few artistic drawings and photos serving as proof of its existence.

Introduced in Update "New Power", the P-47D-22-RE benefits from the formidable firepower and high engine output of the P-47D series. While some may consider it too heavy for prolonged dogfights or energy fights, the generous ammunition capacity onboard can be a nightmare for targets within its range, providing more forgiving opportunities to take down aerial targets. Additionally, its payload, although limited, is sufficient to cause havoc among ground targets, making it a versatile fighter and a good "lead-in trainer" for players.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

• 9.5 mm steel behind behind oil cooling system behind engine
• 9.5 mm steel under bulletproof glass
• 38 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot, 1 in front of pilot's legs)

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-47D-22-RE (France) is armed with:

• 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (425 rpg = 3,400 total)

Suspended armament

The P-47D-22-RE (France) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (2,500 lb total)

Usage in battles

Air Realistic

In Air Realistic Battles, the best usage of the P-47 is to side climb due to the rather mediocre climb rate. When you are above most fighters, you can pick your targets accordingly. Once you have found your target, you can then proceed to initiate a shallow dive on them and unleash your 8 x 12.7 mm M2s. If the enemy notices you and attempts to dogfight, don't take the bait and fly straight and then climb back up. Rinse and repeat until you defeat the enemy.

Simulator / EC

In Simulator / Enduring Confrontation, bulkier planes that suffer in AB & RB shine and that of course includes the P-47. This plane is a great learning platform for new EC players since in Sim, the P-47 has great control handling, fast speed, and a wide range of additional armaments of bombs, plus the original 8 x .50 cal, meaning it is an excellent multi-role aircraft. However, comparing to the later Jugs with all-clear bubble canopy, the razorback P-47 has worse visibility. The front have quite some frames around the gunsight, but they are thin which is a good news. The sides are overall unaffected. The rear view, however, is greatly obstructed by the razorback, preventing the pilot from seeing what's on the tail which can be fatal sometimes.

The P-47 can perform base-bombing, ground pounding, bomber intercepting and traditional BnZ fighting. Sim is different from realistic, so discard the habit of bringing the least fuel. Bring at least 30 minutes of fuel, although it decreases the plane's performance a bit, it prevents constant refueling which saves time for patrolling and fighting.

For base bombing, choose the maximum setup of 1 x 500 lbs and 2 x 1,000 lbs to maximise the damage. The fastest way to get to a base is to remain at tree-top level upon taking off. This way there is no need to climb so the P-47 can pick up quite some speed like that, even with the full bombload. It is also harder to be seen, since the P-47's dark colour will blend in with the ground for some maps. When approaching the base, check its position with the minimap to ensure it's the right target. When the base fills up the gunsight, pull up to around 500 m and then dive at the base at a rather shallow angle. When the gunsight slices past the furthest edge of the base, release all the bombs, bank to the direction of the nearest friendly airfield, descend back to tree-top level and fly back. If you are lucky, you might even catch some enemy bombers that just took off from a nearby airfield. They will be some nice RP for you. Overall, base bombing is the safest way to get rewards but not the most efficient.

For ground pounding, you can choose to take the full bombload if you want. Use the bombs to take out pillboxes and tanks. The aiming method for bombs is pretty similar to base bombing, but there are differences for the 500 lb and 1000 lb, as their drop are different and you want to adapt the aim to be more precise, because now the targets are much smaller. Dive at a shallow angle to approach the target, try to get as close as possible but avoid crashing into the ground. When the gunsight slices through and just above the target, drop the 1000 lbs. When the target is at the center of the gunsight and fills up around 1/3 of it, release the 500 lb. The 8 MGs are perfect for killing trucks, AA guns and artilleries as they have plenty of ammo. However, constantly watch your surrounding, especially your high 6 for any incoming enemies.

You want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. The big radial engine of the P-47 will usually get damaged. Instead, before launching an attack, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seems inadequate to do anything, but the 8 MG on the P-47 are actually quite destructive, as sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame.

As for dogfighting, because almost all aerial battles in Sim occurs at below 3,000 m, the P-47 can easily climb to this altitude and gather up lots of speed before engaging a battle. The tactic is similar to the RB one above. If, unfortunately, you find yourself being chased at your 6 and you don't know how to do any defensive manoeuvres, do a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield to avoid bleeding too much speed. Then shallow-dive towards your airfield. The P-47 can quite easily outrun opponents like the A6M or Bf-109 E, but struggles to outrun Bf-109 F/G, FW-190 A or other P-47. Another way of disengaging is to do a sudden split-S to dodge under the chaser. Average Sim players will now try and see where you went, if not immediately losing track of you. You can then run for your airfield or shallow climb for another attack.

Enemies worth noting:

• Me 264: This giant is one of the few bombers who get air spawns in Sim, so it usually flies higher than many would think. On top of this, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre MG and cannons all over it, therefore tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. Treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as they are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the 264 if possible to easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. The safest way to attack is from a higher altitude, dive at an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose. Never engage if the P-47 has no altitude advantage.
• Bf 110, Ki-45, A-26: As mentioned before, those twin engine aircraft are a big threat since their lack of manoeuvrability comparing to single engine fighters are minimised in Sim. They are usually armed with heavy guns & cannons in the nose, so an accurate burst will tear any plane apart, including the P-47. The P-47 manoeuvres rather sluggishly and the plane might get out-turned from even those heavy fighters, so engage them with either altitude or speed advantage to avoid being targeted. If they are not manoeuvring aggressively, aim for their wings or engines. If the fight is intense and the P-47D-22 RE pilot cannot smooth the aim, just burst anywhere as long as the guns hit them, the 12.7 mm bullets will damage their flight models quite a bit.
• Yak-2 KABB: Do not think that the P-47D-22 RE can confidently outmanoeuvre this plane just because it is twin-engined. The Yak-2 has an amazing turn rate for a heavy fighter, thus the P-47D-22 RE must avoid turning with it, if not dogfighting with it in general. It bears a pair of ShVAK cannons that can easily damage vital parts like engine or cooling systems. It has green camo, greatly resembling an Me 410 but with an H-tail like a Bf 110's.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great bomber destroyer against a lone bomber
• Excellent high altitude performance
• If taken care of, can easily fly with one wing
• Muscle car with wings, excellent at Boom and Zoom tactics
• 8 M2 Browning machine guns are accurate at a longer range than most cannons at its BR
• High speed, even while stock
• Very durable which semi-compensates with its lacklustre turn rate
• Plenty of ammo
• Can easily escape enemies with its high speed for its rank

Cons:

• Frontal armour can easily be penetrated by 20 mm rounds
• Can easily snap a wing when even the slightest gunfire hits it
• Poor stall characteristics
• Mediocre climb performance (side climbing recommended)
• Slow and hard to manoeuvre at low altitudes
• Larger than average fighter
• Poor overall performance when mounting payloads
• After attacking ground targets, the P-47 lacks the altitude to Boom & Zoom enemy fighters
• Big engine easily hit during a head-on attack
• Worse cockpit visibility than in the other bubble canopy P-47s
• No armour protection for pilot from behind
• Can only carry bombs; cannot carry rockets unlike its American counterpart

History

According to the rather sparse information, the livery of this P-47D-22-RE was based on the No.63 aircraft (tail no. 226157; built no. 42-26157, 619th among the 850 P-47D-22-RE) of the Free French Air Force. It served in the GC II/3 "Dauphiné" (3rd Squadron, 2nd Fighter Wing) alongside USAAF and other Free French squadrons from Alto airfield, Corsica. There are no records of its whereabouts during the WWII or after the war. ^[1][2][3]

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-47D-22-RE (France) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance