P-47D-23-RA (China)

Description

The ␗P-47D-23-RA Thunderbolt was part of the 107 P-47D series in NRAAF and the later ROCAF received in mid-1940s; before the Nationalist received any Thunderbolts from USAAF, the "razerback" series P-47D has already been an escort fighter for the USAAF bombers/transporters by the 14th Air Force. According to records in modern times, seven P-47D-23-RA were transferred to NRAAF in April 1945 with sparse records of their operation afterwards.

Introduced in Update "New Power" alongside with other "razerback" P-47Ds in different tech trees, the D-23-RA batch of P-47D still retains its streamline airframe with its conventional canopy layout (post-D-25-RE series received its iconic bubble top canopy) and powerful enough engine; although lacking the impressive payload than the later series Thunderbolts, the overall firepower can still make sure it can take out enemy aircrafts with energy-based tactics or serving as a multi-role aircraft to strike ground targets.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

The pilot and fuel tanks have decent armour protection from the front, but the engine is vulnerable from the front. The pilot has no armour protection from the rear, leaving him vulnerable.

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
• 9.5 mm Steel - Below windshield
• 9.5 mm Steel - Behind engine, in front of fuel tanks and pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-47D-23-RA (China) is armed with:

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

Suspended armament

The P-47D-23-RA (China) 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

Simulator & Enduring Confrontation

In Simulator & Enduring Confrontation, bulkier planes that suffer in AB & RB shine and that of course includes the P-47D-23. 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 cals, 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.

The P-47D-23 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 they drop differently 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. Don't 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. You can open fire when the bomber fills up around 1/2 of your gunsight. This distance might seem a bit far, but the M2 machine guns have great velocity and flat trajectory, making them excellent at ranged shots. Firing too up close, the gun convergence can be an issue as the P-47's wing guns are very far apart.

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 RB. 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 haa 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:

• Excellent high altitude performance
• Excel at Boom and Zoom tactics
• 8 beginner-friendly M2 Browning machine guns: accurate, deadly, and have large ammo pool
• High speed, even while stock
• Very durable which semi-compensates with its lacklustre turn rate
• Great multirole aircraft, can carry various bombs and rockets, acting as an interceptor or ground-attack aircraft

Cons:

• High stall speed leading to poor low-speed performance
• Mediocre climbrate (side climbing recommended)
• Larger than average fighters like Fw-190, Yak-1
• Payloads greatly reduce overall performance
• 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

History

The record for the "Razorback" P-47D series (pre D-25-RA) in Chinese service is rather sparse due to a lack of differentiation of its sub-variants in most sources; the earliest users of these P-47D were by the 14th Air Force, USAAF with their deployment in the CBI Theatre in 1944. The USAF serial number site recorded the earliest variant would be D-15-RA which had a few losses over China skies. In the case of the D-23-RA series, there were only records for 7 of them which were later transferred to the ROCAF in April 1945.^[1] These likely served in the ROCAF as the few special ones among all 102 P-47D received by ROCAF, but no further records exist of P-47D-23-RA during the Chinese Civil War about their usage and their fate.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-47D-23-RA (China) 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