The P-47 Thunderbolt was a machine built around its colossal engine, designed to dominate the skies with speed, altitude, and firepower. While its bulky frame and thirsty engine posed challenges ...

the U.S. Army Air Corps asked for a much heavier fighter–bomber escort in a single airframe. “The [XP-47] morphed into the P-47 around a big radial engine and its supercharger,” says Stoff.