I've been flying the Jug (mostly the d-40) this tour and I've found it to be a pretty capable fighter. Like many of the American rides, it seems to be a multi purpose bird. When you design a plane to do many things, it is capable of filling all the roles competently but doesn't excel in any one area. The strengths of the p-47 are its gun package, high altitude performance, it's dive ability, and overall versatility.
Gun package.
I've read many places that the six gun option makes the plane a better pure fighter. I tend to both agree and disagree with this assessment. If you have some down time one day I suggest you grab a D-11 with the 8 gun load out. Take off and establish a good climb. As you climb out, rock the wings several times and get a feel for the weight of everything. Also watch the rate of climb. When you're done, go back to the hangar and try the 6 gun load out and do the same thing. With the lighter gun package, you will notice that the plane feels light and climbs better. It's very noticeable. With either package, always take the full ammo load. Too many bullets is always better than too few.
High alt performance
The P-47 only gets better with altitude (especially the N model). The higher you go the more of a threat you become to anything flying. Unfortunately, in the MA, you won't encounter many fights in the thin air. The good thing is the Thunderbolt is a wicked bomber killer. So if you feel like climbing to the nose bleed section, bring 8 guns and plenty of gas for hunting.
Dive ability
Nothing will out dive a Jug. When you push that big heavy nose over, it dives like a meteor and remains controllable up to the speed of sound.
Overall versatility
The ord loads available to the Jug are awesome. It's perfect for leveling bases, can almost single handedly destroy a town, or just wreak havoc to GVs.
All this being said this is the way I roll my jug...
I stick almost exclusively to the D-40.
As a fighter.
I load the 8 gun package because, I feel, the gains from leaving the extra guns in the hangar don't override the snap shot ability of the extra two guns in the wings. When I get down and dirty in a fight with another fighter, I feel that I have to be able to put them down fast if I get the shot. When you get in a turn war in a Jug, you only have a few turns before you get bled of enough E for just about any plane to be able to gain your six. Use the flaps sparingly unless you get really slow. Then don't be afraid to get leave them down. You can use the Jugs tendency to "wallow" to your advantage by making many planes overshoot. Even when you are both slow you can still make them overshoot. I will not hesitate to stay in 1 v 1 fight even after I get slow. When there are multiple cons around I do my best to keep my speed up because the P-47 does draw a crowd and many people like to pounce you thinking that it's an easy kill. Which it most certainly is when there are 6 cons beating on your back door spraying at the big T-Bolt. I also try to keep fighting down hill (if I can), because it dives really well and keeping the nose down and keeping it's speed up (sort of) evens the turning ability when compared to other fighters. Give yourself an out when in multiple con engagements. Set yourself a low limit (like 3k) and when you reach that limit. Dive out of the engagement and come back with more E.
As a Hunter (bomber killer).
Top off the tanks. Grab the drop tanks. Set convergence further out and to a single point. Climb to 20k+. Dive on bombers from high angles and shred them to pieces.
In the attack role.
I load ord based on what I plan to accomplish.
My standard ord package is 2 1000lb bombs 10 rockets and a drop tank. When I bring this package to a base I either target one hangar or ammo bunkers and Ack. I rarely kill radar anymore because I like the bad guys to know where I'm at. It's easier for me to find fights (or for them to find me) that way.
When I plan to level a town, I swap the drop tank in the above package for the extra 500lb bomb. With all that ord and the 8 .50s I can level a town pretty much by myself.
For GV killing, I load 3 500bls bombs and the 10 rockets. I save the rockets for light armor and use the eggs for the heavy armor.
P.S. Those were some fun Jug fights last night RedTop.
