[jmacusa]

The P-47 Thunderbolt was not a reconnaissance aircraft. It was designed primarily as a fighter/bomber. It did escort missions early on for the heavy bombers, the B-17, and B-24s of The Eighth Air Force but it lacked the range of the Mustang. In its role as a fighter/bomber the Thunderbolt was an awesome and powerful plane. Fully loaded with bombs and/or rockets, eight .50 caliber machine guns, two more than the Mustang it was some nine tons of death from above.

[Smokin' Joe]

The P-47 was known to be able to absorb a fair amount of punishment and get you home, too. The Mustang’s weakness was the radiator vs the air-cooled P-47.