Uncrating and Field Assembly of the P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter - 1944

[DougGuy]

Pretty neat how they thought this out..

This truly remarkable step-by-step training film shows how a ground support crew of fifty men could assemble a P-47 fighter in a farm field using nothing more than muscle, unpowered hand tools and pieces of the shipping crate it came in. We're talking nothing more than hammers, wrenches and bicycle pumps. You'll get a unique look at the inner workings of the big Jug as it is bolted together. Then a pilot jumps in and flies it away! A must see for P-47 fans and shade tree mechanics alike. "One of my personal favorites!" Zeno, Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2D3k0sJ8HM

Can't get the embedded player to work so just click on the above link to watch..

[mjwcaster]

Bookmarked so I can finish it later.
Only got through uncrating so far, very cool video.
Sure beats the junk on TV.

Thanks for sharing

[Electric88]

Looks very sweet! I will have to watch the rest of it later! Thanks for posting!

[snuffy]

WOW! I watched all of it, amazing that they could ship an airplane in a crate, then use the crate to assemble it. It's just over 40 minutes, but well worth the time to watch it.

[mjwcaster]

Couldn't help myself, I just finished the video.
Amazing, looks like a good crew could have this thing off the ship and into the air in no time.
And while 50 guys are needed for the heavy lifting, it seems that not many trained personal were needed for critical assembly.

[gds45]

Wow is right! I watched it all as well. My best friend in high schools, about a hundred years ago, father worked at Republic in Farmingdale NY. They built a lot of great aircraft at that facility.
An airplane in a box as a do it yourself assembly? WOW!!!:bigsmyl2::holysheep

[thxmrgarand]

I knew two P47 pilots quite well. Each had crashed or been shot down twice. At one of our local shooting clubs we have an annual shooting event in the name of one of the pilots. The other told me that twice he made it back to mush into fields in England with one or more cylinders shot up and had he been flying a plane with a liquid cooled engine each time he would have at best spent the rest of the war eating German potatoes.

[DCP]

That was pretty neat
Thanks

[MaryB]

Shared this with friends! I love these little snippets of history that are not well known.

[Bad Water Bill]

Having studied about Henry Ford years ago I think they went to him for the information on re use of packing crate materials.

But that is another story for another time.

Thanks for posting another great movie.

[WILCO]

Bookmarked so I can finish it later.

Ditto for me!

[dolang1]

Thanks, I enjoyed the video.

[Echo]

Super - I copied the address and sent it to chums that I believe will enjoy it, as did I.

[Bad Water Bill]

Super - I copied the address and sent it to chums that I believe will enjoy it, as did I.

Wasn't that you working as head mechanic on the video?:kidding:

Yup Girty made me do that.[smilie=s:

[xs11jack]

Wow, I watched it straight through. Instead of flying a few at a time overseas, just put dozens in the hold of ships and put them together over there. Clever engineering on our part. Thanks for posting this.
Ole Jack

[Bad Water Bill]

IIRC they stored many crates of aircraft in the holds of carriers to be assembled as needed.

[Rustyleee]

Thanks Doug, I shared that with several people I know that would be interested.

[TXGunNut]

Pretty amazing what can be done with some careful planning and a few dozen helpers.