or Thunderbolt
Fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft used by Allied air forces in World War II. A single-seat, single-engine monoplane, it was developed in the U.S. to meet the need for a high-speed long-range fighter.
First flown in 1941, it carried eight .50-caliber machine guns, had a maximum bomb load of 2,500 lbs (1,100 kg), and could carry ten 5-in. (127-mm) rockets beneath its wings. It had a maximum speed of 440 mph (700 kph) and a ceiling of 40,000 ft (12,000 m). More P-47s (15,683) were built for the Allied air services than any other fighter.