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P-47D-23RA Serial Number 42-27609 on display at Girau Airfield in Papua New Guinea before restoration at AirCorps Aviation, photo with permission from Charles Darby
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P-47D-23RA Serial Number 42-27609 circa 1972, at at Dobodura circa 1972, photo with permission from Charles Darby
At AirCorps Aviation we have been blessed to work with great people and for great people over these eleven years. Efforts like this P-47 don’t just happen by chance, there are plenty of days that aren’t easy. Restorations like this both humble and challenge you. The glamour of an engine run that was nearly flawless captured in video looks much easier than it appears, as is the case with most things in the warbird industry.
As we continue to expand our restoration abilities and explore the idea of what makes a restoration excellent we need to recognize the people, shops, institutions, and community that helped make this restoration possible.
| BRUCE EAMES – DAKOTA TERRITORY AIR MUSEUM | WARREN PIETSCH – DAKOTA TERRITORY AIR MUSEUM | ||
| BERNIE VASQUEZ – DAKOTA TERRITORY AIR MUSEUM | DAVID HATFIELD | ||
| ANDERSON AIRMOTIVE | MIKE BRESHEARS – VINTAGE AIRFRAMES | ||
| RANDY CARLSON | EAA WARBIRDS OF AMERICA | ||
| CARL SCHOLL | FAGEN FIGHTERS RESTORATION |
| JAY WISLER | NUMEROUS OTHER SMALL SHOPS & SUPPLIERS | ||
| WWII VETERANS WHO’VE SIGNED P-47 PANELS | FINDING LOREN PROJECT & DOCUMENTARY |
Dakota Territory Air Museum is a museum unlike any you will find in the upper Midwest. The museum strives to honor the men, women and machines that have impacted our nation’s rich history of aviation. At DTAM you will find airworthy examples of the following warbirds.
| P-51D Mustang “Little Horse” | P-40E Warhawk | ||
| P-51D Mustang “Miss Kitty III” | Spitfire Mk. IXc “Half Stork” | ||
| P-51D Mustang “Dakota Kid II” | Hawker Hurricane Mk. XII | ||
| P-51C Mustang “Lope’s Hope 3rd” | FM-2 Wildcat | ||
| C-47/C-53 Skytrooper | Harvard Mk. IV |
Running the R-2800-59 is a major milestone in the restoration of P-47 42-27609. Chuck Cravens, our outstanding AirCorps Aviation historian, put together a great overview and photo essay of the R-2800-59 in a prior restoration update.
The Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800 used in the P-47 is an eighteen-cylinder, double-row radial weighing approximately 2350 pounds. The cylinder bore is 5.75 inches and the piston stroke is 6 inches. The cylinder volume swept by all 18 pistons combined is 2804 cubic inches.
For a rough analogy of the sheer size of the cylinders, consider that at 155.7 cubic inches (or 2.55 liters,) each cylinder displaces slightly more than the entire standard 4 cylinder engine in a Toyota Camry or Ford Fusion.
AIRCORPS AVIATION DOES MUCH MORE THAN JUST RESTORE WWII AIRCRAFT!
Last year AirCorps Aviation was accepted into General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) as one of only 120 of the world’s leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft. Over the past ten years, we have continued our globally recognized WWII aircraft restoration work, while successfully developing a number of strategic investments in Build to Print fabrication, and Repair Station work.
On the feeling of the P-47 engine run.
It was a huge relief to see an airplane that I have been working on almost non stop run with very minor issues. It was also a surreal experience seeing the P-47 run for the first time in seventy eight years knowing the last time it ran was in New Guinea by guys my age in hostile conditions. It was also nice to share the experience with the whole team with which this would not have been possible.
It is always incredibly cool to see a warbird fresh out of restoration start for the first time! Especially this airframe with its Southwest Pacific theater history. It is even more gratifying when you think back on the years of challenges and triumphs it took to get to this point.
I think the oil tank is in the “upper right” not “upper left” in your caption…🤣🤣
Congrats on reaching this milestone..!!
I want to thank you for everything you do! (Especially the restoration of the P-47D) My Dad flew that aircraft in Europe during WW2 as part of the 9Th AF Hellhawks. This tough aircraft brought him home without a scratch (except for the emergency appendectomy when his appendix burst flying a mission over Germany!!!!!!)
Oh, man, start-up smoke out of the turbo hood. That is a beautiful think. Congrats.
So excited to see this incredible piece of history come back to life. It really is a masterpiece of craftmanship. Congratulations to the team and a huge thank you for saving such a precious relic. Thanks also for taking the time to document the process which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following.
Thanks to all for this amazing restoration!
Please keep up the great work your team is doing.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of your great work.
The “Jug” never received the credit for the great job it did in defeating the Nazis. Maybe, when your example is ready to receive its “war paint”, it should be copied, closely as possible, from pics of either Bob Johnson or Francis Gabreski, two of the greats of the ETO in WWII.