The Air Museum in Galveston TX has a flyable P-47D.
It is absolutely gorgeous.
That Plane did it all. Wicked Speed, excellent Ground Attack Platform and built like a Tank. It was the A-10 of its time and it was used well into the 1950’s by us and many other Countries.
I always felt it was unappreciated because the P-51 was prettier. It didn’t have the weakness of having a Water Cooled Engine so it could take a lot of punishment and still get the Pilot home.
Other than range, the P-47 was as good or better than the Mustang.
I wonder how much performance, or range would have been added if the P-47 had the Laminar flow wing that gave the Mustang its range?