Republic P-47B Thunderbolt

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* Flying block of steel, highest HP of any tier 6 light fighter or multi-role
* Equips the 2nd largest compliment of machine guns in the game
* Can carry bombs ''and'' rockets unlike the F4U-1
* Strong boost, can zoom out of hairy situations
* Surprisingly good service ceiling
|InTheGame_cons=
* Flying block of steel, turn time is as bad as the Fw 190 A5's
* 500lb Bombs take twice as long to reload as predecessor despite being the exact same bombs
* Machine gun only armament, no autocannons, takes longer to down heavier aircraft
* Poor climb rate for its max altitude plus high stall speed
|InTheGame_performance=
The first of the P-47 Thunderbolts, the P-47B holds a reputation for being incredibly tough, surprisingly fast, and armed to the teeth. The P-47B can carry eight .50 caliber Brownings, giving it a tremendous volume of fire at close range. For ground targets it can bring ''both'' six 4.5 inch rockets and two 500lb bombs for flattening targets of opportunity. The P-47B is a true heavyweight with a powerful 2300hp engine and 380 hitpoints, giving it good survivability under fire and the speed to zoom in and out of combat. It also boasts a whopping 20-second boost and retains the good altitude performance of most American planes at 1500m, for good reason. The biggest downside (and one you must always pay attention to) is the atrocious maneuverability. The P-47B turns slowly and climbs poorly; tight encounters with fighters and some multiroles mean certain death unless you keep enough boost time to zoom away. Play smart and plan your attack routine, whether dropping your ground ordnance first before going after aerial targets or vice versa. By necessity most of your aerial kills will be cumbersome planes like bombers or GAs, while fighters and multiroles should only be engaged with backup or when they're mangled enough to guarantee a kill. Your eight Browning machineguns will get the job done almost as good as autocannons, without the overheating problem. Overall the P-47B is a solid multirole that excels in pummeling ground targets or aircraft, while being fast enough to get away with it. 

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