Pontificating, no. Not bothering to remember to check this thread, yes.
You know you're talking a small weight difference between empty weights, right?
Let me post a few stats I had to pull up to double check what I remembered:
P-47M:
Performance of the P-47M-1-RE included a maximum speed of 400 mph at 10,000 feet, 453 mph at at 25,000 feet, and 470 mph at 30,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 3500 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2650 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 560 miles at 10,000 feet. Armament was six or eight 0.50-inch machine guns with 267 or 425 rpg. Weights were 10,432 pounds empty, 13,275 pounds normal loaded, and 15,500 pounds maximum. Dimension were wingspan 40 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 36 feet 4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 308 square feet.
P-47N:
Performance of the P-47N-5-RE included a maximum speed of 397 mph at 10,000 feet, 448 mph at at 25,000 feet, and 460 mph at 30,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2770 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2550 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 800 miles at 10,000 feet. Armanent included six or eight 0.50-inch machine guns with 500 rpg and two 1000-lb or three 500-lb bombs or ten 5-inch rockets. Weights were 11,000 pounds empty, 16,300 pounds normal loaded, and 20,700 pounds maximum. Dimension were wingspan 42 feet 7 inches, length 36 feet 4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 322 square feet.
You'll notice that even with the weight differences, that even at high alt the speed difference is only 10mph (probably from the wing rack drag, FYI). The only climb rate difference is at low alts, and may be accounted for with all the extra fuel weight when testing 47Ns. Even counting JUST the empty weight, it's only 568lbs difference. On one of the heaviest fighters in all of the war. The P-47 doesn't really benefit from super weight savings. It was never designed to be light. However, IF you wanted to fly it light, nothing stops you from taking less fuel. You realize the D40 carries 370 gals internal fuel? That's 2220lbs!!!!! You want to save 500lbs and pretend you have a P-47M, take that much less gas! You also realize that the full ammo load alone weighs over a thousand pounds? If you're THAT concerned about 500 measely pounds on a 10,000 lb plane, you can go from 1054 lbs for full ammo (8 guns) down to 662 lbs for light ammo (8 guns) and if you REALLY want to go nuts, you can drop down to 6 guns light ammo for a whopping total of 431 lbs (saving almost 2/3 the weight of the full guns package!)
So, by complaining that the N is 500lbs heavier than the M "so they just don't compare!" is what I'm getting at. It does compare. You CAN fly an N like it's an M. You load it out the right way, and it's even LIGHTER than an M is!
So I'm not saying "No" to the 47M in this post. I'm pointing out how frakking close the two airframes are, for the folks that claim they're night and day.
Might as well say the 109G2 and 109G6 are night and day. It's comparing apples to apples, and they're coming out almost the same.
Oh, and one little dig here, I can't resist:
"The first P-47M was delivered in December 1944, and they were rushed to the 56th Fighter Group in Europe. However, engine problems delayed their use until the last few weeks of the war in Europe."
3 squads in the 56FG had 'em. Only 130 reserved for 47M configuration, not sure of those how many were actually made, shipped over to the 56FG, and actually used (surely 3 simple squadrons don't require 130 airframes). Very minor player in the war. So many more valuable planes are needed!
