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P47D update

Lovely work, Baz, I really look forward to picking this one up when released! The canopy/windscreen changes really look fantastic, as does the overall/whole aircraft. (Just sent you an e-mail!)
 
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Looking very nice, Baz... Duxford and Christchurch. The former I think I can do, the second is "somewhat problematic", but it's on the list. I doubt it'll be done before you release the Bubble Topped Jug, however. ;)

Cheers,

Ian P.
 
After the Allies landed in France in the summer of '44, 9th AF Fighter Groups were always close to the front lines, based at "Advanced Landing Grounds", moving with the Allied advances through France, Belgium and Germany. I don't know if "Dottie Mae" ever flew combat missions from Christchurch or not, and by the start of July 1944 the 405th was already based at Advanced Landing Ground A-8 Picauville, France - the earliest history I know of "Dottie Mae" is of it being based at Advanced Landing Ground A-64 St. Dizier, France in the fall of 1944, which the 405th moved into around September/early October 1944. The 405th FG/"Dottie Mae" then moved to Advanced Landing Ground Y-32 Ophoven, near Zwartburg, Belgium in February 1945. The 405th/"Dottie Mae" then moved to Advanced Landing Ground R-6 Kitzingen, Germany in late April 1945, where the Group was based in the final days of the war in Europe (during which time "Dottie Mae" went into the lake). Both A-64 and R-6 were former German/Luftwaffe airfields prior to their capture. "Kitzingen Army Airfield" existed until only several years ago, having been purchased by an investor and redeveloped into a commercial area since then. Some very slight traces of Y-32 Ophoven can still be made out today.

I remember a story told by Larry Kuhl, the original assigned pilot to "Dottie Mae" (even though all of the aircraft in the Squadron/Group were shared, and he wasn't the pilot flying it when it went into the lake), that just after VE-Day, the entire 405th Fighter Group flew a victory flight, with all three Squadrons, over nearby Nurnberg, Germany. When they got back, they found that their airfield at Kitzingen was full of surrendered Luftwaffe fighter aircraft and pilots, having just escaped the Russian front.

(Both the 405th FG, with their P-47's, and the 370th FG, with their P-51's, were based at Y-32 Ophoven until late April 1945, before moving out to other bases. The combat-vet surviving P-47D "Dottie Mae" and the combat-vet surviving P-51D "Sierra Sue II", which both are restored and flying today in their original markings and with the highest in level of accuracy and authenticity of any warbirds flying, were both based at that same airfield, at the same time, during April 1945. The restored P-51D "The Brat III", that also flies today, was also likely based at Y-32 with the 370th at the same time too. I'm hoping that perhaps one day all three could get together at an airshow and be photographed next to each other, or even better, flying together - such as an event like Oshkosh.)
 
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Hi Baz,
what about external loadout (like e.g. bombs, external tanks fuels, rockets) and collimated gunsight? :wavey:
Will it be?
 
After being recovered from Lake Traun in 2005, "Dottie Mae" began to be restored in 2008 and flew again for the first time since 1945 just this past summer. The aircraft, down to the smallest detail, is as it was in 1945, including non-polished Alclad-covered aluminum, blue, yellow, red & silver rivets to original wartime spec, the original primers and paints throughout (raw (yellow) zinc chromate just about everywhere except for where Republic used tinted (green) zinc chromate for the engine accessory section, and the cockpit is painted in a shade of dark dull green as used by Republic during the time "Dottie Mae" was manufactured (and matched to what was found on the aircraft/as recovered)), all of the original period hardware, radios, gunsight, armament, functioning bomb shackles, instrumentation, oxygen system, etc - there are no modern items in the aircraft that would compromise the complete presence of all original 1945-era details. Its got details that even the Flying Heritage P-47D doesn't have (which had previously held the mark for being the most authentically restored/flying P-47 and "impossibly accurate"). The only item not correct to the way it was is the propellers and prop hub - originally the aircraft was fitted with a Curtiss-Electric prop unit, but they are as rare as hen's teeth these days, and a complete/airworthy set was deemed unobtainable. Instead, the aircraft has the P-47-type Hamilton Standard propeller unit, as also commonly seen on other production example D's during WWII and all other P-47's flying today.

The turbocharger is fully functional on "Dottie Mae", where as on most P-47's flying today that it is not the case. It is pretty unique to watch it start up, as the exhaust pours out both the exhaust ports and the turbo exit toward the back of the aircraft (watch all of the smoke that starts pouring out of the turbo as the throttle is increased past about the 0:45 mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4-thD6KpA

Some more "Dottie Mae" related viewing:
First airshow appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuBAeNtf4mY
Air-to-air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75YeKx4NwNU
First flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrtYTXj47TY


Here is a documentary that originally aired on National Geographic back in 2008, of the recovery of "Dottie Mae" in 2005. After this documentary was filmed, the aircraft was sold to Jack Croul around 2008 (a WWII B-17 lead-navigator that flew 33 combat missions with the 96th BG, and as a successful businessman, the owner of Allied Fighters), and he sent the aircraft to Vintage Airframes for the restoration to get the aircraft flying.

Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/alliedfighters/videos/476209009254318/
Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/alliedfighters/videos/476199902588562/
Part 3: https://www.facebook.com/alliedfighters/videos/476190192589533/


A number of the original veterans that were involved with "Dottie Mae" during WWII have been reunited with the aircraft over the years since it was recovered. The aircraft's original assigned pilot, Larry Kuhl, was reunited with the aircraft for the first time in 2006, and has continued to follow the progress on the restoration to this day. The aircraft's original armorer, Leonard Hitchman, pilot Ralph VanKerhove (who flew the aircraft on one of his 19 missions), and family members of the aircraft's original crew chief, E. A. Bergstrom, have all been by to see the aircraft in person over the past few years and have their stories recorded. When "Dottie Mae" debuted for the first time at the Warhawk Air Museum's air show back in August, Kuhl, Hitchman and VanKerhove were all on hand. http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/world-war-ii-veterans-reunite-with-lost-aircraft/468610689

Although the aircraft was assigned to Larry Kuhl, and it was named after his wife at the time, the aircraft within the squadron were often shared by various pilots. Henry Mohr was the pilot flying "Dottie Mae" on May 8, 1945, his 15th mission with the 511th FS, when it hit the water of Lake Traun and quickly sank to the bottom. He was rescued by some Austrian locals just moments before drowning. I don't believe Henry Mohr ever visited the aircraft, but he was aware of the recovery. On that day, the entire squadron was flying at low altitude, and Mohr, having to break from formation to miss a smoke stack, was in the process of rejoining the formation when the prop struck the water and went in at about 230mph. After WWII, Mohr served in the USAAF/USAF for quite some years, flying the P-51, F-80, B-26 Invader and B-45 Tornado.

The restored turbocharger unit on "Dottie Mae" today had originally only been fitted to the aircraft about a week prior to the accident on May 8, 1945 that sent it to the bottom of Lake Traun - it had been replaced on May 1st, after a round had entered/damaged the previous turbo that was fitted (where as there were some patches found around the aircraft from combat damage (including some flak fragments found in the airframe), a few shrapnel holes were found in the stainless turbocharger shroud as a result of the shrapnel that damaged the previously installed turbo - holes that had yet to be repaired by May 8th).

The aircraft flew 93 combat missions in total, with at least 3 aircraft documented as destroyed on the ground to its credit (though by the time of the aircraft crashing, it only had two "kill" markings painted on, with some indication of a third being penciled on). It is considered the last USAAF fighter lost on a combat mission in the ETO, and is the only WWII combat-vet P-47 flying today.
 
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