The Dakota Territory Air Museum's Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 42-27609 took to the air again at Bemidji Regional Airport, Minnesota, on 15 May after restoration by AirCorps Aviation. Bernie Vasquez was at the controls. Upon completion of its test-flying programme, the fighter will be delivered to the museum's home base at Minot, North Dakota. The P-47 was recovered from Dobodura airstrip in New Guinea during 1998, 52 years after being written off and stripped for usable parts. The fuselage hulk spent a long time at Dobodura being displayed vertically, with the firewall set in concrete. Recovered to Sydney, Australia in January 1999, it was purchased by the Dakota Territory Air Museum in 2014. AirCorps Aviation spent some eight years actively restoring the Thunderbolt to airworthiness. The fighter has now been painted as P-47D 42-27884 Bonnie, as flown by 348th Fighter Group pilot - and 16-kill ace - Maj William Dunham in New Guinea.
展开▼
