Restoring One of the Last Flying Thunderbolts

More than 15,000 P-47 Thunderbolts once filled the skies of World War II. Today, only about 13 remain airworthy in the United States. Airbase Georgia’s P-47N, one of the original aircraft acquired by CAF founder Lloyd P. Nolen, is being faithfully restored to join that rare group.

Built in 1945, this aircraft served with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and later the Nicaraguan Air Force, where it saw combat. It last flew in 2006 and began full restoration in 2022 after Airbase Georgia assumed stewardship.

Restoring this Thunderbolt preserves an important chapter of American aviation history and ensures the CAF can continue to Educate, Inspire, and Honor through flight.

Three Years of Extraordinary Progress

Thanks to generous donors and the steadfast support of the Ray Foundation, Airbase Georgia volunteers have completed major structural and mechanical milestones since 2022, including:

• Cataloging thousands of parts
• Repairing wing damage and machining intricate fittings
• Partnering with AirCorps Aviation to fabricate and replace major components
• Restoring cowlings, belly skins, the dishpan, and cowl flaps
• Installing the engine mount and sourcing rare N-model brakes

Across three years, donors have contributed nearly $350,000, fueling steady progress toward returning the P-47N to the air.

Donor Support at a Glance (2022–2024)

• 443 donors
• $347,828 raised
• Key components funded: engine mount, brakes, cowling, dishpan, cowl flaps, ailerons, flaps, rims, and leading edges

Inside the hangar, thousands of skilled volunteer hours have transformed a complex collection of parts into a steadily advancing restoration. This is history rebuilt by hand and your support makes it possible.

The Next Critical Step Toward Flight

For 2025, the restoration team will focus on the rudder assembly bar, hydraulic tank, fittings, and bellcranks, systems essential to safely returning the aircraft to flight.

Your support toward this year’s $25,000 goal will help:

• Rebuild the rudder system assembly
• Restore the hydraulic tank and connections
• Fabricate and install precision-machined fittings
• Complete the bellcrank mechanisms required for control-surface movement

These components directly affect flight readiness. Completing them moves the Thunderbolt closer to engine run-ups, gear installation, and major structural reassembly.

Restoring the P-47N is an act of gratitude and stewardship.  By preserving one of America’s most iconic fighters future generations can see, hear, and feel the rumble of its powerful engine overhead.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Airbase Georgia’s volunteers have the experience and the plan. What we need now is your support.

Your gift today will:

✔ Repair the rudder assembly
✔ Restore essential hydraulic components
✔ Fabricate rare fittings and bellcranks
✔ Accelerate progress toward the aircraft’s first post-restoration engine start
✔ Preserve one of the last Thunderbolts for education, airshows, and living history programs

Every gift brings the aircraft closer to flight. Past donors helped transform this project from a pallet of parts into a structurally restored airframe, momentum this campaign continues.

Together, we can ensure that the story of the P-47- and the men and women who built, maintained, and flew it - lives on not just in museums, but in the air.

Join Us. Support the P-47N Thunderbolt.

Help return this legendary fighter to flight in honor of those who defended our freedom. Your generosity keeps the P-47’s powerful legacy alive for generations to come.

Donate now and be part of bringing the Thunderbolt back to life.