Columbian P-47's

Rob S · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 12:44 am

Wixer's, Anyone know how many P-47's went to Columbia? Fate? Pushed into river? Thanks! Rob

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Dunno right now how many went to ColOmbia. John Andrade's book on LatAm Air Forces states that upon ending their operational lives, the survivors were pushed into the waters of the Rio Magdalena, off Palanquero AB if I am not mistaken.

Saludos,

Tulio

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 3:06 am

at least one survived, though....

Martin

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 3:14 am

this one looks like while still in service

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:05 am

and another shot, approx. 1996

Martin

Rob S · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:44 am

Tulio, Do you know approximately when the disposal occurred? Is it still an operational base? Rebels? Thanks!!!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Martin:

10B36 is a Venezuelan aircraft : )

Rob S:

According to the scarce data I have at hand, thirty five Thunderbolts saw service in Colombia; withdrawn from service in 1956. Their base was, as I stated earlier, in Palanquero, and once they were withdrawn from service, dumped into the Rio Magdalena.

The base is still active, yes, there are Rebels and there are narco-guerrillas, there are bandits and there are para-military forces in the country. How close to Palanquero, I don't know; it is my understanding that combat takes place in far away regions of the country though.

Kidnapping is one of the fastest growing enterprises in all of Latin America....

Saludos,

Tulio

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 3:51 pm

Tulio wrote:

Martin:

10B36 is a Venezuelan aircraft : )

uhoh - mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.... :oops:

Martin

FAH 619 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:28 pm

Venezuelan P-47?

The Venezuelan P-47 in question exhibited in Maracaibo Museum c. 1970s,
Reg 10B36 is of obscure origen. Venezuela is not known to have used P-47s, Colombia did!

Not even the Venezuelan folks have all the history details. We are still digging them! C/w.com

Rob S · **Posted:** Sat Sep 24, 2005 12:51 am

Hi Tulio, Wow up to 30 something possibly in the river. I wonder what type of river? Deep? Fast moving? Slow and shallow? Interesting!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Mr. Carlos Planas a.k.a. FAH-619:

"Venezuelan P-47?

The Venezuelan P-47 in question exhibited in
Maracaibo Museum c. 1970s, Reg 10B36 is of obscure origen. Venezuela is not known to have used P-47s, Colombia did!

MAYBE, not known by you.

"Reg 10B36"

10B36 is NOT a registration, but a FAV serial number. Of course,
you know the difference between terms.

Not even the Venezuelan folks have all the
history details. We are still digging them!
C/w.com"

For your personal edification, here are but a few links that will INFORM you about the P-47 in Venezuela.

The photo at the end of the thread, is an authentic photo of P-47s in Venezuelan Service (no, not one of those faked photos that you are so fond of presenting everywhere).

And remember:

Not every airplane with four engines is a DC-6.
Not every airplane with two engines is a C-45.

BOOK: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt: The Final
Chapter - Latin American Air Forces Service

By: Dan Hagedorn
This small book covers the service of the P-47
with the air forces of Brazil, México,
Ecuador, Perú, Colombia, Venezuela,
Chile, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Cuba, República
Dominicana, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

The book is very well written, with many tales
and illustrated with rare photos B&W and
color.

Published in November 1991, english text and
64 pages

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives ... na_91.html

One of the air force's greatest achievements
came in the early '50s, when it took the
technologically bold step of converting to an
all-jet fighter force. By converting from
P-47 Thunderbolts to British Vampires and
Venoms, the VAF was the first air force in
South America to make a complete transition to
jet-powered fighters.

http://www.mmpbooks.biz/books/838945013 ... 50135r.htm

The nationalities include USAAF, RAF, Brazil,
Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, France, Iran, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Peru, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, USSR,
Venezuela and Yugoslavia. Overall this
is a very concise and complete reference for
any modeler wanting to build late model bubble
top P47 Thunderbolt.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p47regis ... 32814.html

Serial #: 44-32814
Construction #: ??
Civil Registration:
None
Model: P-47D
Name: None
Status: Stored
Last info: 2002
History:
Delivered to FA Venezuela as FAV 8A-36.
- BOC: Apr. 5, 1949.
- Displayed, Fort Tiuna, Caracas, 1982.
Escuela Superior de la Fuerza Aerea, Caracas,
1980-1991.
- Displayed as FAV 8A-36.
Museo Aeronautico, Maracay-El libertador AB,
2001-2002.
- Stored dismantled.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p47regis ... 90368.html

Serial #: 44-90368
Construction #: -
Civil Registration:
N4747P
Model: P-47D
Name: Tarheel Hal
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002
History:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-90368.
- BOC: May 7, 1945.
- SOC: Aug. 28, 1947.
Delivered to FA Venezuela as FAV 490368/6.
- BOC: Oct. 28, 1947.
Steve Schulke, Orlando, FL, 1971.
- Along with 2 other airframes, deal not

completed.
Jean Salis Collection, La Ferte Alais, France,

1975-1987.
- Noted stored in unrestored condition, La

Ferte Alais, 1984-1985.
Charles A. Osborne, Louisville, KY, 1987-1991.
Charles Osborn/Blue Sky Aviation, Louisville,

KY, June 1991-1998.
- Registered as N4747P.
- Restored to airworthy.
- First flight 1991.
- Flew as 4327773/4P-S/Big Ass Bird II.
Air SRV Inc/ Lone Star Flight Museum,

Galveston, TX, 1999-2002
- Flown as 433240/IA-N/Tarheel Hal.

And last, but not least:

http://www.fav-club.com/seccionfav/historia2.htm

Durante este año de 1947, llega el material
volante aeronáutico norteamericano de la
segunda post guerra denominado Proyecto
República Americana (ARP) y mediante la
reestructuración de la organización operativa
y logística de la FAV se incorporan los
aviones de entrenamiento North American T-6G
Texan, de reconocimiento aerofotográfico
Beechcraft AT-7 y AT-11, de transporte liviano
Beechcraft D-18, de transporte mediano Douglas
C-47, de uso presidencial C-54, de bombardeo
ligero North American B-25A/B Mitchell, de
caza Republic P-47 Thunderbolt y los
helicópteros Sikorsky S-55. Se designa al
Mayor Félix Román Moreno Huérfano como el
primer Comandante General de la Aviación y se
organiza la primera Posta de las Américas con
el Correo Aéreo Militar Interamericano. En
este año se crean los Servicios Técnicos de
Meteorología y Comunicaciones, de Sanidad
Aeronáutica y se activa la Base Aérea de la
Carlota en Caracas.

VENEZUELAN P-47 Thunderbolts:

Squadron 36 was divided in Escuadrilla A and Escuadrilla B. The aircraft were serialled according to the escuadrilla to which they belonged. Thus, we have 1-A-36 to 15-A-36 and 1-B-36 to 15-B-36.

Not all the serial numbers were assigned in sequence, and this has made it difficult to exactly match the FAV / USAF serial numbers.

Serial FAV Serial USAF Subtipo Fecha de Entrega Observaciones
549121/"1" 45-49121 TP-47D-30-RA 28/08/47
549414/"2" 45-49414 TP-47D-30-RA 28/08/47
549460/"3" 45-49460 TP-47D-30-RA 28/08/47
490410/"4" 44-90282 TP-47D-30-RA 28/08/47
490410/"5" 44-90410 P-47D-40-RA 22/08/47
490368/"6" 44-90368 P-47D-40-RA 28/10/47

44-32798 F-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32799 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32800 F-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32801 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32803 F-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32805 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32806 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32809 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49 MUSFAV 10-B-36
44-32810 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32811 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32812 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32814 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49 8-A-36
44-32816 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32817 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32818 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32819 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32820 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32821 TF-47D-30-RA 05/04/49
44-32681 TF-47D-30-RA 06/05/49
44-32684 TF-47D-30-RA 06/05/49
44-32685 TF-47D-30-RA 06/05/49
44-32686 TF-47D-30-RA 06/05/49

Rob:

I would be guessing in regards to anything
that I could tell you regarding the Magdalena
River.

Logic would say that since the FAC chose the river to dump the aircraft, it is at least deep enough to dump them without posing any threats to riverine navigation, if any.

Depth would also mean a high volume of water moving downstream, and this in turn could mean that the airframes are either deep in silt, or have been dragged downstream for an unknown distance.

I do not have any factual information regarding their fate, but yeah, it would be a very interesting exercise in recovery, if the P-47s were to be found!

Saludos,

Tulio Soto

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Martin:

Colombian, Ecuadorean and Venezuelan flag colors are very similar, and it takes a lot of practice (and recognition errors on my part) to be able to tell aircraft apart just by looking at them.

Nice Colombian pictures, though!

Tulio

JohnH · **Posted:** Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:56 am

The Colombian civil war/violence drug bs is mostly in the countryside regions, away from the big cities. The big cities like Bogota are relatively safe. I'm interested in Latin America and yeah it is hard to tell the flags apart....the main thing to remember is the yellow on the Colombian flag is larger than the two other colors and on on the other ones that look similar, and there's no other emblems in the center like with some of the other countries.

John

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Photo of another Venezuelan Air Force's "non-existent" P-47:

with "Reg 8-A-36" of obscure "origen" (sic)

Credit for the photo is:

Departamento Fotografico, Fuerza Aerea Venezolana.

Location and date, are unknown to me.

Tulio

FAH 619 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 25, 2005 2:56 pm

Don Tulio Soto (DTS):

Your unemotional reply concerning the FAV P-47s at www.unffmm.com

p.s
The pic of FAV 8-A-36 (with dashes) taken poss at Albrook AB, Canal Zone c. 1950s. Photo Via DPH from his book P-47 "The Last Chapter". C/w.com

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