Col. Schilling's P-47

Colonel David Schilling's Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. Schilling was a member of Colonel Hubert "Hub" Zemke's famed 56^th Fighter Group, known as the "Wolf Pack.". Attached to the 65^th Fighter Wing, 8^th USAAF, based in Boxted, England, the 56^th was one of the most successful Fighter Groups of the war with over 1000 enemy planes to it's credit by war's end. Unlike it's rival, the 4^th Fighter Group led by Colonel Don Blakeslee, the Wolf Pack didn't transition to P-51 Mustangs when they became available. The 56^th stuck with the incredibly rugged Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. This aircraft was powered by a massive Pratt & Whitney R-2800 turbo-supercharged radial engine of 2,000 hp. Maximum speed was 428 mph at 30,000 feet. Armament of eight .50 caliber machine guns was enough to annihilate any enemy aircraft which was unfortunate enough to find itself in the sights of a "Jug", as the P-47 was affectionately nicknamed. By war's end, the P-47 had achieved a victories-to-losses ratio of 4.6 to 1, making the Thunderbolt one of the best fighters to take to the skies in World War II.

Colonel Schilling had downed 18 Luftwaffe aircraft when this photograph was taken late in the war. The finished piece measures 10 3/4" x 13 3/4". The photograph is matted in medium blue, with a descriptive caption below it. The frame is Gunmetal (other colors are available. Contact us for info). Please see the "Frame Info" tab for complete information on how we frame our artwork. Item price includes ground shipping to the continental U.S.