Combat Aircraft 166 - P-47N Thunderbolt Units of the Central Pacific

An illustrated study of the N-model of the USAAF's P-47 Thunderbolt and the essential role it played in the end of the war in the Pacific. The P-47N was the final variant of the most produced American fighter of World War 2, the Republic Thunderbolt, and featured a redesigned wing, more powerful engine and increased range. Its late introduction limited the aircraft's combat use to the closing months of the Pacific War over the Japanese home islands, where it excelled as a long-range strike fighter from May to August 1945. Thanks to its 'long legs', the aircraft – based on Ie Shima and Iwo Jima – was used to attack Japanese fighter airfields in advance of B-29 Superfortress raids that struck industrial targets. In this engrossing volume, former US Army pilot Jonathan Bernstein details the actions of those who flew the ultimate Thunderbolt into combat, including the handful of P-47N pilots who achieved ace status with the fighter. First-hand accounts help to bring these exploits to life, whilst 20 newly commissioned profile artworks and a selection of archival photographs detail the innovations and capabilities that made the N-model a key aircraft of the Pacific War's final phase.