Russian P-47

[Pisis]

But on the other hand, we all know that where is cold, there you have to warm up yourself with a bit of something sharper.

 

[Wurger]

He,he... Now It is true.However,reading recollections of WW2 pilots from different air forces (not The Russian one only) we could flnd info that many of them had liked getting something "sharper" before a struggle began.

 

[Pisis]

Wasn't that dangerous? I mean, alcohol slow down your reactions...
But then again, we have to agree that Russian (and commonly Slavs) are quite a drunktards. But I think during the WWII, they didn't drink that much. I think it started in the 50's... I still remember one story our Chemistry professor told us. When the Russians came to Prague in 1968, they ocuppied some sort of lab houses somewhere (don't remember that very cleraly). There were also grain alcoholed exponates, like tapewurm in alcohol, various sorts of snakes etc... The Russkies drunk all the alcohol from it...

 

[Wurger]

I thought it was.But it seems that they didn't drink much.I think the hangover was much more "popular".Especially,the next day after they had shot down somebody.
Besides you know the proverb, the man isn't a camel and has to drink.

 

[Pisis]

Tak.

 

[Henk]

He he he........., you need something sharp and strong to inspire you to give your best. lol

 

[Wurger]

 

[Aggie08]

Haha, sorry, it was a low joke. Apologies... I know thats not how it is. But there is the fact that no one knows what happened the to ruskie jugs...

 

[Ramirezzz]

Haha, sorry, it was a low joke. Apologies... I know thats not how it is. But there is the fact that no one knows what happened the to ruskie jugs...

They've been scrapped.
Besides, a drunken fighter pilot is IMHO a nonsense. Already a small doze of alcohol will considerably slow your reaction and reduce your motoric abilities. Although i've heard of some Il-2 pilots who'd drunk "sto gramm", 100 gram vodka before every flight to take away the stress

 

[Pisis]

Yes I agree with you. And I've heard about the vodka thing but not in the VVS, rather in the army. But that wasn't just sto...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

In Victor Belenko's biography, he told of a story where his crew chief fell off the boarding ladder on to the tarmac, we was totally drunk.

 

[Matt308]

Educate me. I did not realize that the D model had anything other than teardrop canopy. Wasn't the C model the last with the lattice canopy?

 

[pbfoot]

There have not been many aircrew teetotalers in any military . The most famous that I know about is Beurling and he was some ostracized for his lack of Espirit d'corp in the mess or O club

 

[evangilder]

Educate me. I did not realize that the D model had anything other than teardrop canopy. Wasn't the C model the last with the lattice canopy?

Actually, no. The early D models had the razorback, and a few were even tested with Malcolm hoods. Joe Baugher has some great info here:
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

An excerpt

The 3962 P-47D-1RE to -22-RE Farmingdale-built Thunderbolts, the 1461 P-47D-2-RA to -23-RA Evansville-built Thunderbolts, and the entire lot of 354 P-47G-1-CU through P-47G-15-CU Curtiss-built Thunderbolts all had the original framed sliding canopy that was first used on the P-47B. However, combat experience indicated that the the rear fuselage decking on these Thunderbolts provided a serious blind spot aft which was a real hindrance in air-to-air battles. In an attempt to improve rearward visibility, a few P-47Ds were fitted in the field with the RAF "Malcolm hood", a Spitfire-like bubble canopy made in England which was made famous by its application to the P-51B and C Mustangs flown by both the RAF and USAAF. However, P-47Ds fitted with Malcolm hoods were quite rare, whereas P-51Bs and Cs with Malcolm hoods were quite common.

In the meantime, in search of a more lasting solution the USAAF fitted a standard P-47D-5-RE airframe (serial number 42-8702) with a bubble canopy taken from a Hawker Typhoon. In order to accommodate the bubble canopy, the Republic design team had to cut down the rear fuselage. This conversion was redesignated XP-47K, and was tested in July 1943. This modification was immediately proven to be feasible, and was promptly introduced on both the Farmingdale and Evansville production lines.

Ordinarily, the USAAF would have given such a radical modification as that which produced the bubble-canopy Thunderbolt a completely new variant letter (or perhaps even a new type number). However, the USAAF chose instead to designate it simply by giving it a new production block number in the D-series. Consequently, the first batches to feature this new bubble canopy were Farmingdale's P-47D-25-RE and Evansville's P-47D-26-RA. These batches also had the R-2800-59 or -63 engines, the paddle-bladed propeller, and the "universal" wing first introduced on the "razor-back" P-47D-20-RE. Stronger belly shackles capable of carrying a 91.6 Imp. gall. drop tank were fitted. This tank, together with the 170.6 Imp. gall. main fuselage tank, an 83-gallon auxiliary fuel tank and two 125-gallon underwing tanks, made it possible to carry a total fuel load of 595 Imp. gall, providing a maximum range of 1800 miles at 195 mph at 10,000 feet.

A single P-47D-20-RE (serial number 42-76614) was taken off the production line and modified as XP-47L with a bubble canopy as in the XP-47K and with increased capacity fuel tanks which raised internal fuel capacity from 305 to 370 US gallons. Both of these changes were incorporated in the P-47D-25-RE production batch.

The early "bubble-canopy" Thunderbolts had suffered from some directional instability as a result of the loss of aft keel area. From the P-47D-27-RE production lots onward, a dorsal fin was fitted just ahead of the rudder. This innovation successfully restored the stability.

Farmingdale produced a total of 2547 bubble-canopy P-47Ds and Evansville built 4632.

 

[Wurger]

Hi !!!
Here some colour profiles of the P-47 equipped with the Malcolm hood.

1. P-47 D-22-RE from 56FG England, June 1944.
2. P-47 D-22-RE from 511FS/405FG/9AF winter 1944/45.
3. P-47 D-15-RE from 394FS/367FG/9AF December 1944.
4. P-47 D-20-RE from 361FS/356FG/8AF France, November 1944.

Source unknown:

 

[evangilder]

Cool addition to the info, Wurger.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the bottom profile makes it look a lot more like an F6F...........

 

[v2]

...

 

[Pisis]

Sovereign Sensations K. of P.

 

[Wurger]

An interesting question,Pisis.But looking at the blown up pic I was convinced that there was written "Sovereign Senators K. of P.

BTW Nice pic V2.