P-47D-30 (China)

This page is about the Chinese fighter P-47D-30 (China). For other versions, see P-47 (Family).

␗P-47D-30

␗P-47D-23-RA

␗P-51D-20

␗P-47D-30

␗P-47D-23-RA

␗P-51D-20

China

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	5.0	3.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

Description

The ␗P-47D-30 Thunderbolt is a rank III Chinese fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB), 5.0 (RB), and 3.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision".

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Max speed

at 7 071 m714 km/h

Turn time23 s

Max altitude12 500 m

EnginePratt & Whitney R-2800-63

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight10 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,071 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	689	673	12500	24.1	24.8	10.1	10.1	700
Upgraded	743	714		21.9	23	19.2	14.1

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	✓	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
885	450	498	469	320	~13	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 402	< 420	< 470	> 335

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear450 km/h

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB983 → 1 297

RB2 387 → 3 150

SB3 142 → 4 147

Total cost of modifications24 500

44 500

Talisman cost1 100

Crew training22 000

Experts76 000

Aces500

Research Aces320 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

60 / 140 / 310 %

142 / 142 / 142 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 120 Radiator Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 120 Airframe Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 190 Compressor Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 190 Wings repair Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 150 Engine Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 150 Cover Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 200 Engine injection Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 200 G-suit Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 200		bmg50_belt_pack Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 120 FSBC mk.5 Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 200 120 FMBC mk.1 Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 190 bmg50_new_gun Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 150 FRC mk.2 Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 150 FLBC mk.1 Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 200

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-47D-30 (China) is armed with:

• 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (425 rpg = 3,400 total)

Suspended armament

The P-47D-30 (China) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
250 lb AN-M57 bombs				1			1			1
500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs				1			1			1
1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs				1						1
HVAR rockets	1	1	1		1	1		1	1		1	1	1
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 680 kg

Default weapon presets
Without load 10 x HVAR rockets 3 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (750 lb total) 3 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,500 lb total) 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

Realistic

Always maintain speed. The P-47 handles like a dream at about 550-650 km/h (350-400 mph), but once it gets below 350 km/h (220 mph) it handles sluggishly, like a pig dipped in mud. One great thing about the handling at high speed though, is that the P-47 responds quickly at high speeds, and this allows some impressive defensive scissoring without losing wings at terminal velocity. The high-wing loading is an issue though, as the Jug will lose most of its energy in a blackout turn. This does endow the Jug with one key feature. it is a rock-solid gun platform.

Unfortunately, zoom-climbing and dive acceleration are not the "Jug's" forte. The Bf 109 has a superior dive acceleration, and the Fw 190 can zoom-climb far faster. Still, the energy retention of the P-47 is great, along with the fact that it flies far faster than both the Würger and Messerschmitt. The P-47 is not a turnfighter. Although it is possible to out-turn a heavy fighter like the Bf 110 C or Do 217, it is not recommended - the acceleration is mediocre, and once a P-47 is a sitting duck, it will be swarmed like flies to fruit in a compost pile. Acrobatic pilots will not be impressed by the P-47 as well, because it performs Immelmanns very sluggishly and the roll rate is not magnificent as well.

Durability, as mentioned above, is pretty good. As in World War II itself, the P-47 was renowned for its rugged construction. In War Thunder, the biggest weak points of the P-47 are its engine and wings. The wings can break fairly easily in manoeuvres at speeds around ~675 km/h or so. They also tend to break after a well-placed cannon burst (from planes like the Fw 190, A6M2/3). The engine though is also fairly susceptible to catching fire while chasing a bomber, but this is not due to its durability but to its size. Speaking of fire, the P-47D will be heavily damaged by the time it pulls itself out of a fire. One should immediately try to limp home if set aflame.

The performance of the P-47 at altitude is very good, but once you go above about 9,000 m (~30,000 ft), its critical altitude, any energy lost will have to be regained by diving and losing altitude. Even though the D-28 now gets 70 seconds boost (which is significantly more than the D-25), it still will have some troubles accelerating and climbing. Keep in mind that this boost is only achieved on WEP, although on military power it still has 65" of boost.

Turnfighting should never be the combat tactic in a P-47. The immense engine power, decent wing-loading, and good flaps of the D-30 variant can allow it to turn surprisingly well against some of its opposition, namely German, American, and Soviet props with poor power-to-weight ratios at high speeds (typically in a dive). This can be used to keep track of an opponent trying to evade your fire but do not enter a prolonged dogfight or you'll lose too much energy.

When used skillfully, the tracer rounds can be used to scare the opponent as due to the high calibre (for a machine gun) and rate of fire, tracers from the .50 cal machine guns can be absolutely terrifying to anyone attacked by them. However, besides to the scare effect and low takedown capabilities, the tracers have limited practical use.

Simulator / EC

In Simulator / Enduring Confrontation, bulkier planes that suffer in AB & RB shine and that of course includes the P-47. Sitting at BR 3.7, the lowest BR for rank 3 EC, it can respawn infinitely which makes it a great learning platform for new EC players. In Sim, the P-47 has great control handling, all-round unobstructed vision and fast speed, and it offers a wide range of additional armaments of bombs and rockets, plus the original 8 x .50 cal, meaning it is an excellent multi-role aircraft. It can perform base-bombing, ground pounding, bomber intercepting and traditional BnZ fighting.

Sim is different from realistic, so discard the habit of bringing the least fuel. Bring at least 30 minutes of fuel, although it decreases the plane's performance a bit, it prevents constant refueling which saves time for patrolling and fighting.

For base bombing, choose the maximum setup of 1 x 500 lbs, 2 x 1,000 lbs and 10 x rockets to maximise the damage. The fastest way to get to a base is to remain at tree-top level upon taking off. This way there is no need to climb so the P-47 can pick up quite some speed like that, even with the full bombload. It is also harder to be seen, since the P-47's dark colour will blend in with the ground for some maps. When approaching the base, check its position with the minimap to ensure it's the right target. When the base fills up the gunsight, pull up to around 500 m and then dive at the base at a rather shallow angle. Now you can fire all the rockets as the distance is pretty close. When the gunsight slices past the furthest edge of the base, release all the bombs, bank to the direction of the nearest friendly airfield, descend back to tree-top level and fly back. If you are lucky, you might even catch some enemy bombers that just took-off from a nearby airfield. They will be some nice RP for you. Overall, base bombing is the safest way to get rewards.

For ground pounding, you can choose to take the full bombload if you want. Use the bombs and rockets to take out pillboxes and tanks. The aiming method for bombs is pretty similar to base bombing, but there are differences for the 500 lb and 1000 lb, as their drop are different and you want to adapt the aim to be more precise, because now the targets are much smaller. Dive at a shallow angle to approach the target, try to get as close as possible but avoid crashing into the ground. When the gunsight slices through and just above the target, drop the 1000 lbs. When the target is at the center of the gunsight and fills up around 1/3 of it, release the 500 lb. The 8 MGs are perfect for killing trucks, AA guns and artilleries as they have plenty of ammo. However, constantly watch your surrounding, especially your high 6 for any incoming enemies.

You want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. The big radial engine of the P-47 will usually get damaged. Instead, before launching an attack, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seems inadequate to do anything, but the 8 x MGs on the P-47 are actually quite destructive, as sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame.

As for dogfighting, because almost all aerial battles in Sim occurs at below 3,000 m, the P-47 can easily climb to this altitude and gather up lots of speed before engaging a battle. The tactic is similar to the RB one above. If, unfortunately, you find yourself being chased at your 6 and you don't know how to do any defensive manoeuvres, do a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield to avoid bleeding too much speed. Then shallow-dive towards your airfield. The P-47 can quite easily outrun opponents like the A6M or Bf-109 E, but struggles to outrun Bf-109 F/G, FW-190 A or other P-47. Another way of disengaging is to do a sudden split-S to dodge under the chaser. Average Sim players will now try and see where you went, if not immediately losing track of you. You can then run for your airfield or shallow climb for another attack.

Against the P-47D-28

Turnfighter: for dedicated turn fighters such as A6M5 and Spitfire, the key is patience. If you are at a higher altitude than the P-47, follow above and/or behind it so it cannot get far away for a climbing session. Then, although you are a turn fighter, perform Boom and Zoom (BnZ) on it, but watch out for your speed as a turn fighter may rip a wing apart or have their control surfaces compressed when diving at high speed. The P-47 cannot really pull any agile defensive manoeuvre due to its weight. If it enters a steep dive in an attempt to get away from your attack, do not follow. The P-47D can accelerate up to ~800 km/h while still being responsive, a speed turn fighters cannot even dream of. Gradually decrease your altitude when the Jug gets out of the dive, then BnZ it again. If the P-47 is higher than you and BnZ you, patience comes into play. Roll and turn under its negative G area to force its shots to miss. If it does not zoom away and instead tries to pull off more shots, use your superior turn rate and get on its tail. If it does zoom away, be prepared for a few more passes. As you dodge, turn towards your teammates as they might be able to help. If your plane performs great at low altitude (eg. La-5), lure it closer and closer to the deck with each dodge.

Strike aircraft/bomber: the bad news is, unless your aircraft is extremely robust, well-armed or fast (eg. BV 238 or Ju 288), there is not much you can do to counter a diving P-47D. Its 8 x .50 cals will easily rip your plane apart, and some Jug pilots may open fire from very far away, for example when they are still 900 m away. Their 12.7 mm bullets inflict damage really well even over distance and thus can seriously incapacitate a target regardless of distance. If a P-47 somehow is staying on your tail, do not hesitate to put an accurate burst into its huge radial engine. With engine/cooling systems damaged, most pilots will choose to bank away.

Enemies worth noting:

• Me 264: This giant is one of the few bombers who get air spawns in Sim, so it usually flies higher than you think. On top of this, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre MG and cannons all over it, therefore tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as they are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the 264 if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. The safest way to attack is from a higher altitude, dive at an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose. Never engage if you have no altitude advantage.

• Bf 110, Ki-45, A-26: As mentioned before, those twin engine aircraft are a big threat since their lack of manoeuvrability comparing to single engine fighters are minimised in Sim. They are usually armed with heavy guns & cannons in the nose, so an accurate burst will tear any plane apart, including the P-47. The P-47 manoeuvres rather sluggishly and you might get out-turned from even those heavy fighters, so engage them with either altitude or speed advantage to avoid being targeted. If they are not manoeuvring aggressively, aim for their wings or engines. If the fight is intense and you cannot smooth the aim, just burst anywhere as long as you hit them, the 12.7 mm bullets will damage their flight models quite a bit.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 1 gear	Auto controlled

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Turbocharged engine, meaning you do not lose any engine power until around 7,000 m altitude
• Powerful engines provides excellent flatline acceleration, resulting into good climb rate and overall flight performance
  • Great handling at medium-to-high speed, both vertical and horizontal
  • Excellent at boom-and-zoom and zoom climbing due to great diving acceleration and climbing
• Has eight Browning MG with an access to the dreaded API-T belts in addition to suspended armaments, can be used both as a fighter and attacker
• Fairly resilient airframe, capable of taking some punishments
• Bubble cockpit provides great visibility in Simulator

Cons:

• Its large engine were prone to being set on fire, especially in head-ons
• Large and heavy for a fighter, will bleed a considerable amount of energy with any manoeuvres and results into very poor low-speed handling
• Engine can overheat quickly if you constantly use WEP
• Machine guns are mounted very far apart, can be somewhat tricky to aim at range or while turning

History

Thunderbolt pilots flew into battle with the roar of a 2,000-horsepower radial engine and the flash of eight .50 calibre machine guns. This combination of a robust, reliable engine and heavy armament made the P-47 a feared ground-attack aircraft. U.S. Army Air Forces commanders considered it one of the three premier American fighters, along with the P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lightning. The United States built more P-47s than any other fighter airplane.

After World War II, the Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 102 P-47Ds used during the Chinese Civil War. The Chinese Communists captured five P-47Ds from the Chinese Nationalist forces. In 1948, the Chinese Nationalists employed 70 P-47Ds and brought them to Taiwan in 1952. P-47s were used extensively in aerial clashes over the Taiwan Strait between Nationalist and Communist aircraft.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-47D-30 (China) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Death from Above! P-47D-28 Thunderbolt - China - Jengar

Best after-party picks discusses the P-47D-30 (China) at 1:23 - War Thunder Official Channel

How to Stock Grind feat. Chinese P-47D-28 - Napalmratte

Best aircraft for Boom & Zoom discusses the P-47D-30 (China) at 3:34 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.