Here are some more screenshots featuring the Aeroplane Heaven P-47 in P3Dv5, with another fantastic repaint by Snurdley (Todd Disrud), this time depicting the restored P-47D "Nellie B", G-THUN, based in the UK. These screenshots were taken on a flight from Duxford where the real aircraft is based, using the ORBX True Earth Great Britain and freeware ACG Duxford sceneries.
The original "Nellie B" was assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force. The unit provided ground support for the Allied invasion of Normandy and moved into France in mid-June 1944. Based at a string of forward airbases over the following months, the unit flew missions in direct support of the Allied advance across France. The 48th FG later supported the airborne invasion of Holland in September 1944 and were awarded two Belgian Citations and a Distinguished Unit Citation for their close support of Allied ground troops during the winter of 1944-45. Throughout this time the Group's missions varied, including flying patrol and escort missions, flying weather reconnaissance and leaflet-dropping missions, and on one occasion their payload consisted of blood plasma which was dropped in belly tanks to troops on the ground for medical transfusions. As was the norm with 9th Air Force units, never based far from the front lines, the 48th FG's final base of operations at the time of VE-Day was Illesheim Airfield in Germany. Today, the USAF 492nd Fighter Squadron still exists, based at RAF Lakenheath England, operating the F-15E Strike Eagle.
The restored P-47D-40-NA painted as "Nellie B", USAF serial no. 45-49192, registered as G-THUN, never flew in combat and instead was assigned to State-side Air Training Command, straight from the factory in 1945. Being a late-model, low-time airframe, the aircraft was retained by the USAF and stored. In 1953 it was purchased for $1 by the Peruvian Air Force, overhauled at Hensley Field, TX, and served as a fighter and trainer in Peru as FAP119. The aircraft was one of six P-47's acquired from Peru by Ed Jurist in 1969 and registered as N47DD in the US, initially flying in 527th FS markings as "Grumpy". The aircraft was then acquired by David Tallichet in 1975 and repainted into a 62nd FS paint scheme. The aircraft was sold to Robin Collard in 1980 but crashed soon after takeoff, of what was to be its delivery flight, due to engine failure. Restoration of the aircraft began with another new owner but then was sold again in 1984 to Stephen Grey/The Figher Collection who had the project sent to Steve Hinton's Fighter Rebuilders at Chino, CA. Completed and flying again in 1985, the aircraft arrived at Duxford, England in 1986 and was painted as "No Guts, No Glory" of the 78th Fighter Group. From Duxford the aircraft was operated by The Fighter Collection for 20 years until it was sold to US-based warbird owner/pilot Tom Duffy in 2006. From 2007 onward, the aircraft, now based in New Jersey, was flown very little and was put up for sale by 2016.
In 2017, the aircraft was acquired by UK-based warbird collector Graham Peacock and shipped back to England. Graham Peacock has a growing collection of flying warbirds, better known under the title of "East Anglia Aircraft Restorations", which includes the TF-51D "Contrary Mary", Spitfire Mk.V EE602, Spitfire Mk.XIV MV268, Buchon "White 9", Sea Fury SR661 and Hurricane P2902, as well as a Hawker Tempest nearing completion to fly this year and a Bf-109G-2 also under restoration to fly. These aircraft are based between Duxford and Sywell and operated by Ultimate Warbird Flights. When the P-47 arrived in England, it was sent to Air Leasing at Sywell where they set about reassembling the fighter and repainting it into the "Nellie B" markings, a job handled by Warbird Colour (which has done many notable warbird paint jobs). The aircraft has since twice taken part in events held at Lakenheath, paired together with the current 492nd FS F-15's.
I have to add too that since recently purchasing the Aeroplane Heaven P-47 it has quickly become a favorite. It not only looks great, but also flies right by the numbers, handles like I've come to know the P-47 should, and the sounds are exceptional as well at all power settings, just as I've known P-47's to sound.
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