Republic P-47 Z?

[Capt. Vick]

In the following book:

There is a copy of a letter, dated August 17, 1945, from the then president of Republic Aviation Corporation, Alfred Marchev, in which he makes reference to the P-47 "Z" being produced in limited quantities from November until June 1946.

So obviously the question is, what is a P-47 Z? Anyone know? I can't find anything on it...

 

[fubar57]

 

[pirate_smee]

Do you mean the part "and the P-472 will be produced in limited" it's a two, not a Z.
Ì think it's a typo, the only think the would fit in the time of 1946 would be the P-72 (Republic XP-72)
, a further development of the P-47 with a R-4360, one hundret was ordered but not build because the war ended.Look for an errata for this book.

 

[Capt. Vick]

 

[DisplacedTex]

Update to this post, as it seems it was a "Z" variant and not a 2. Here are some pics of Republic drawing 96F84009, concerning a "anti-G" suit equipment installation, dated 1945. There are several references to "P-47Z-1-RE in the information block, the revision block and in the field of the drawing. Definitely a Z and not a 2. So what was this late-war variant and was it actually produced? It seems a G-suit was in the works for this model, and it would be interesting to know what other updates it would have received.

 

[fubar57]

Nothing in Warren Bodie's book, "Thunderbolt - From Seversky to Victory". I may have missed something but for now, nada

 

[Capt. Vick]

Release the hounds!

 

[Snautzer01]

Drawing Re-engined planes

 

[ThomasP]

I believe I have found the answer to the 'Z' suffix used on the P-47Z and other aircraft.

Apparently, near the end of WWII and for a short period thereafter, the 'Z' suffix was used to designate aircraft being produced in order to keep the manufacturer going while awaiting new procurement aircraft orders (if any were to be forthcoming). According to the rules any such 'Z' aircraft had to be ordered in groups of 20 minimum. So the P-47Z-1-RE would (in this case) be additional P-47N-1 that were ordered only to keep the manufacturer in work.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Not sure about the Z idea, given the dates on the documents and what was on order and being built in August 1945. Z as some internal Republic working designator for an improved or future P-47?

Actual production
July 1945, Farmingdale 153 N, Evansville 77 D, 75 N
August 1945, Farmingdale 100 N, Evansville 57 N
September 1945, Farmingdale 50 N, Evansville 17 N
October 1945, Farmingdale 25 N
November 1945, Farmingdale 1 N
December 1945, Farmingdale 5 N

Farmingdale, P-47N-1 block from September 1944 to March 1945, N-5 January to May, N-15 April to June, N-20 June to August, N-25 May to end of production, by the way the last serial 44-89450 was accepted in September. Evansville N-20 only block built, with 44-50124 and 50125 completed but not accepted and the last serial 44-50123 was accepted in August.

RC-301, J = Fiscal year 1944/45, K = 1945/46.

End October 1944
Farmingdale, J program AC-1704, 100 P-72 on order to be completed in September 1945. Order not in November 1944 or later reports.

end July 1945,
Evansville, K program AC-24579 S.54, 2,200 P-47N on order, 75 accepted, to be completed in December 1946
Farmingdale, J program AC-29279 S.31, 1,800 P-47N on order, 1,486 accepted, to be completed in October 1945
Farmingdale, J program AC-29279 S.17 (same as D and M contract), 520 P-47N on order, to be completed in January 1946
Farmingdale, K program AC-29279 S.43, 1,688 P-47N on order, to be completed in December 1946
Farmingdale, K program AC-6248 S.1, 25 YP-84 to be completed in June 1946
Farmingdale, K program AC-6248 S.1, 75 P-84 to be completed in November 1946

Farmingdale, experimental program, AC-6248, 3 XP-84 to be completed in September 1945.
Farmingdale, experimental program, AC-2135, 1 YF-12 due by August 1945, 1 YF-12A due by January 1946.

(no August report to hand) end September 1945,
Evansville, K program AC-24579 S.54, 149 P-47N on order, completed
Farmingdale, J program AC-29279 S.31, 1,667 P-47N on order, 1,636 accepted to be completed in November 1945
Farmingdale, K program AC-6248 S.1, 25 YP-84 to be completed in August 1946
Farmingdale, K program AC-6248 S.1, 75 P-84 to be completed in November 1946

Farmingdale, experimental program, AC-6248, 3 XP-84 to be completed by December 1945.
Farmingdale, experimental program, AC-2135, 1 YF-12 due by August 1945, 1 YF-12A due by March 1946.

YP-84 order cut to 15, P-84 order increased to 85 by end May 1946, order became 15 YP-84A and 85 P-84B by end December 1946.

First flight XP-84 28 February 1946, all 3 accepted December 1946
First flight XF-12/XR-12 7 February 1946, acceptances in July and November 1948.
15 YP-84 accepted January to June 1947
226 P-84B accepted June 1947 to May 1948

 

[ThomasP]

At some point many of the above ordered P-47N airframes were canceled and only a reduced number were continued with through production. At some further point some of the ordered airframes were continued with only in order to keep Republic in work to maintain a core work force large enough to handle the expected F-84 production orders - (some of?) these airframes were designated as P-47Z-1-RE (if being produced at the Farmingdale plant?) in various documents. The actual designation of the airframes ordered/delivered would have been changed to the appropriate sub-model at some point after the blueprints posted by DisplacedTex above - the Valve Installation Anti-G Suit title block is dated May'45.

Another example of the Z designation use was that the 20x production P-82B ordered were initially designated P-82Z (the 18x production airframes along with the original 2x P-82B prototypes were considered to make up the 20x airframe requirement, although only 19x P-82B were delivered and accepted). One P-82 airframe originally ordered as a Z/B was used for other purposes (prototype P-82A?). Again, the additional 18x P-82Z/P-82B were ordered to help maintain North American while gearing up for the expected Allison powered P-82A/P-82E orders.

I have not been able to find out when the Z designation was first used or when it was discontinued.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

I am wondering if Z meant generic, with official designations assigned closer to manufacture. Orders were altered reflecting improvements made to the aircraft. Z is now confirmed used by at least two manufacturers and from early 1945. Based on the USN reports most cancellations were V-J day related.

The contract terminations in 1945 had many variations, North American is reported to have built another 72 B-25J to flying stage but which were not accepted by the USAAF, being flown out for later disposal, final assembly completed in mid October, 2 months after the last acceptance. Keeping production going at a work force preservation level did happen or as a way to stop the instant unemployment of thousands of people. What I have not been able to find is any indications that after cancellations batches of 20 or so were ordered or essentially their cancellation was reversed.

End production, P-38 August, P-47 December, P-51 November 1945, P-61 January 1946, Bell kept building a few RP-63G until April 1946.

As of July 1945 North American had a fixed price contract AC-2029 dated 9 December 1944, under the experimental program for 2 XP-82 by end July 1945 and 2 XP-82A to be completed by end December and a fixed price contract AC-2384 dated 30 June 1944 under the J program for 20 P-82B to be completed by end January 1946.

The 2 XP-82A were cancelled on 28 February 1946, the P-82B were accepted 1 in October 1945, 2 in January, 4 in February and 11 in March, total 18 plus 1 as P-82C and 1 as P-82D both in March 1946. Serials 44-65160 to 65179 with 65169 the C and 65170 the D.

What became the F-82E and later were ordered under AC-13950 dated 10 October 1946, for 100 E, 120 F and 30 G models, actual production was 100 E, 91 F, 45 G and 14 H. The H being reported as 5 G and 9 F that were winterised. It does not look like the original P-82 deliveries had anything to do with work force preservation, North American were waiting over 6 months between the last P-82B/C/D and the order for more P-82.