Pair of war machine socks: USAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Big Stud

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The P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive single-engined fighter aircraft in history. The "Big Stud" was flown over Europe during WW2 by an American Ace who led the 325th Fighter Group. 

Originally planned to be a lightweight interceptor, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt evolved into a heavyweight fighter plane, weighing up to eight tons when fully loaded. It was the largest single-engined fighter of its era and a vast improvement over its predecessor, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. With twice the weight of a Spitfire and an 18-cylinder, 2,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp that could push her to over 440mph and up to 40,000 feet.

The T-Bolt started flying in the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. Its primary armament was eight .50 calibre machine guns, quite useful in high-altitude escort missions. But it was in ground attack sorties that the P-47 proved most effective. As a low-level fighter-bomber, it would be armed with 5-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 lb (1,100 kg). The P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness. Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Thunderbolt to absorb severe battle damage and keep flying.

One of the Jug's most notorious party tricks was the ability to out-dive other aircraft, using its weight to turn the tables in a dogfight. It quickly became one of the most used fighters by the USAAF in World War II while also serving with other Allied air forces. It flew over half a million missions, destroyed 7,000 enemy aircraft on the ground and in the air, and had an aerial kill ratio of almost 5:1. As an incredible testament to its service by wars end, less than 1 per cent of P-47 Thunderbolts were lost in action. Somewhat of a modern-day counterpart, the A-10 Thunderbolt II 'Warthog' shares its name and function.

The Big Stud.
The P-47D-10, 42-75008, 'Big Stud' was flown by Lt. Col. Robert Baseler, an American Ace in the European Theatre, during his tenure as Commanding Officer of the 325th Fighter Group from April 1943 to April 1944. Baseler, whose military decorations include, among many others, a Purple Heart, scored his sixth and final victory in the 'Big Stud' in 1944.