Thunderbolt (56th Fighter Group USAAF) Giclée Art Print

Original illustration of a Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter plane, as used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during the Second World War. Produced from 1941 to 1945, the Thunderbolt - sometimes nicknamed the 'Jug' due to its distinctive flat-nosed appearance - was one of the heaviest fighters of the war, weighing in at up to 8 tons, and was something of an aerial juggernaut; known for its resilience and its firepower alike. More than 15,000 Thunderbolts were produced in all, serving not only with the USAAF, but also with other Allied air forces including the Royal Air Force, the Free French Air Forces, and the Soviet Air Forces.

Depicted in this illustration is Thunderbolt 226641 LM-S, nicknamed Hairless Joe for its nose art. Hairless Joe was the Thunderbolt of David C. Shilling, one of the United States' leading fighter aces with 22½ confirmed kills. Schilling flew with the 56th Fighter Group, the highest-scoring Thunderbolt group of the war, and the highest-scoring group within the Eighth Air Force. The 56th flew from several airfields in the United Kingdom, most notably RAF Boxted (near Colchester), from which they flew missions in support of the D-Day Landings, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. Schilling himself survived the war, but passed away in a car accident in 1956. Schilling Air Force Base (now Salina Regional Airport, Kanas) was named in his honour.

This illustration by Rob Wisdom is a high quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper.

12x16" print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size prints.