(WW2 P47)Thunderbolt elevated (from lake in Austria) - new pictures

Der Salzkammergut Internet Zeitung ^ | 14. Juni 2005

[tophat9000]

(google translate)
Thunderbolt elevated - new pictures
13.06.2005 - 21:10 Uh r

In the later in the afternoon hours, the Thunderbolt an American combat aircraft could be saved. The combat flier returned nearly intact again to the water surface and on particularly a wood rack intended for it was deposited. Up to the damage of the crash, he remained well preserved to some extent in the 60 years at the trusting sea-reason. As was to be experienced from press reports, it was to be reconditioned in Austria and then into the USA to be transferred. The salvage work remained secret nearly up to the conclusion. A German television team filmed the salvage and has here also the film rights.

Impressing and frightening at the same time the armament of this fighter. In addition, a memorial for our youth those was fired here a certification of a time deeply felt in with these weapons on humans.

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[Mr. Jazzy]

Gotta' love the Jugs!

[Mr. Jazzy]

Gotta' love the Jugs!

[Archangelsk]

Ping and thanks tophat.

[martin_fierro]

Cool!

I'd love to see what the "nose art" reads.

[Constitution Day]

Cool! BTTT.

[Skooz]

Absolutely beautiful!

My favorite airplane of all time.

Only 23 or so are left, so this is a valuable find.

[martin_fierro]

Aviation ping

[My2Cents]

Looks to be in pretty good shape.

[The KG9 Kid]

Looks like a beautiful place to bail out.

[Skooz]

In addition, a memorial for our youth those was fired here a certification of a time deeply felt in with these weapons on humans.

Gotta love those Google translations.

[gridlock]

"Way cool, is it", says Master Yoda...

[Tijeras_Slim]

Very cool, thanks!

[reagan_fanatic]

That's what I noticed too. The scenery is breathtaking.

[rlmorel]

A gorgeous plane. I have seen one a bunch of times at Oshkosh, I think it is "Big Ass Bird" or something like that...

I have never really got the hang of the razorbacks, but I love the bubble canopy.

[Skooz]

I finally saw my first about 6 years ago, and a year later saw one fly for the first time.

He flew right over me, and the ground shook. It was awesome.

[Rightly Biased]

This is cool I'll have to send these pics to my Army Aviator Dad.

[rlmorel]

Man, aren't those radial engines JUST THE BOSS????

[shekkian]

Not too shabby looking. A little armor-all ought to clean her right up.

[Skooz]

Yes, they are. P&R R2800 radial. Nothing sounds that cool.

Nothing.

[rlmorel]

I had a B-17 fly over my house at around 300-500 feet a couple of years ago...I heard the engines, ran outside and it was coming right for me!!!!

I was in my backyard, jumping up and down going WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! with my arms in the air!!

There is NOTHING like it.

[SampleMan]

From condition of plane, he must have ditched.

[colonialhk]

I saw an interview with one of the Tuskegee Redtails and he said he loved the P-47. He felt the P-51 was a better aircraft for their job but still he said he loved the P-47.

Yeah that radial roar is incredible.

[grobdriver]

Yeah - I love jugs, too. ;)
But more to the point(s), I wonder who's going to take on the restoration (in Austria) and who will buy it in the US, what with the government waiting to claim it as theirs (based on recent Corsair action... maybe they learned their lesson and will keep their hands off?).

[Billthedrill]

A Jug BTT. There is a remarkable tale about a crippled one flying for England that was caught by an ME-109. The German pilot emptied both machine-gun and cannon magazines into the Thunderbolt (the pilot of the latter tucked up in front of the seat armor), and the thing still flew. Said German flew up alongside, saluted, and departed.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Yo-Yo]

Ooh, lookie at the eight Ma Duces in the wings! Oh boy!

[HEY4QDEMS]

After the translation I did read, thinking the same thing I was.

[CyberAnt]

My favorite is the P-38 - because my dad worked for Hughes Aircraft in Burbank - and helped to build them.

[grobdriver]

Hughes Aircraft in Burbank

Lockheed?

[68skylark]

Impressing and frightening at the same time the armament of this fighter.

Those Germans have a way with words. This is a great sentence. (And it's very true, from what I've read about this aircraft.)

[68skylark]

Absolutely. The airplane is cool also.

[nuke rocketeer]

Seems in remarkably good shape despite 60 years in the water!

[Gritty]

Really cool!

[Lockbar]

Looks like they damaged one of the plane's wings with the lifting straps. This plane is probably worth $1.5 - 2 million even as it sits right now.

[RJS1950]

The "Big Ass Bird" name was also assigned to a Martin B26 Marauder in the 319th BG. I have a framed litho hanging in my office at home. My father flew with the 319th in both the ETO and PTO during the war.

[AggieCPA]

My favorite is the P-38 too - because it was my Grandpa's favorite plane to fly in the War.

I had hoped to somehow get him out to see Glacier Girl because he said he would give anything to see one up close again and hear it take off before he died.

Unfortunately, he went in the hospital Sunday and we don't expect him to come out.

[Skooz]

That happened to me, too.

In 2002, a B-17 taking off from an airshow at the local airport flew right over my house--maybe 400 feet (we live close to the airport).

I heard him coming, and ran to the window, and he flew right over me. Exceedingly cool.

[CyberAnt]

Wow! Thanks for telling me that.

I remember seeing a documentary about the rescue of a P-38 from a glacier - is that what you mean by "Glacier Girl" ..??

I bought the video because when the test pilot took the restored P-38 up for the first time .. I just burst into tears .. wondering if it might have been one of the planes my dad helped to build.

[CyberAnt]

It wasn't Lockheed in WWII.

[Defend the Second]

Everything about this plane should be traceable, including the circumstances of the crash and the fate of the pilot. I want to know more. Did he make it? Is he alive today? And if he is, would he like to sit in his old cockpit again? Looks like it's going to be possible. And I think I know how he would answer...

[Defend the Second]

This plane is in just wonderful shape! Look at the Stars and Bars on the wing. And those eight .50 caliber machine guns. There are probably some old Wehrmacht guys that still duck instinctively when they see these pictures.

[grobdriver]

"The specifications that led to the design of this original combat plane were issued in 1937 by Army authorities. (Considering the efforts that the Germans and the British made to put a heavy two-engine fighter into the field, the American design was certainly the best.) What was asked for was a high-altitude interceptor that could reach 360 m.p.h. at 20,000 feet and 290 m.p.h. at 1,500 feet, with an ascent time of six minutes. Many companies that were approached considered the specifications impossible, but Lockheed's head designers, H. L. Hibbard and Clarence ("Kelly") Johnson, examined several possible solutions before settling on the least orthodox one."
Source is Here
And you might find this interesting

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Hope it's flying in a year or two...thanks for posting!!

Recovered WarBird ping .....

[Robe]

I'd love to see what the "nose art" reads.

I'm looking at it now... blew it up for a look..
From my first looks.. i think I see a "Mr" just aft of the cowl paint stripe and forward of the cowl flaps..
Also a "Dot" and a "Mi" just to the right of the post (if ya view it upside down.
I'm having a look at the 8th AF "Little Friends" pages now..Will advise

[xp38]

Republic P 47 Thunderbolt....Is there a better aircraft name for the Zots here on FR?

[CyberAnt]

Well .. while it appears Lockheed had bought out Hughes - the sign on the buildings said - HUGHES AIRCRAFT - which makes it even more interesting. Hmmmm?? This is really curious.

[archy]

Yes, they are. P&R R2800 radial. Nothing sounds that cool. Nothing.

What? I have a little hearing loss in my right ear, courtesy of the 4x 2800s aboard the DC-6.

You could tell the guy on the ramp doing spark plug changes on a DC-6 by the two 5-gallon buckets he carried, one for the plugs on the port wing engines, the other for starboard.

[Ghengis]

Wow! My dad worked on those birds for a time in WW2. His favorites were the P-51s and P-38s. But he said the P-47s could fly through a brick wall and 10 miles of flak and still get home.

[archy]

It's a bit hard to tell if that's a Razorback Jug or one of the later bubble-canopied D-models, but I suspect that's one of the Evansville-built *RA* P47s.

There's another one in the drink off Port Moresby, Australia, too.