As the nation reflects on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, CAF Airbase Georgia—one of the largest flying museums in the Southeast and a founding partner of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail —is advancing one of its most ambitious restoration efforts: returning a rare P-47N Thunderbolt to flight.
Built in 1945, this P-47 served with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and the Nicaraguan Air Force before its final flight in 2006. Airbase Georgia began a full restoration in 2022. With only about 13 airworthy Thunderbolts remaining nationwide and in England, the project represents a nationally significant contribution to preserving America’s aviation heritage while strengthening Georgia’s leadership in WWII education and interpretation.
As a founding site of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail, Airbase Georgia plays a central role in telling the aviation story of Georgia’s wartime home front and ensuring that living history experiences remain accessible to residents, students, and visitors across the state.
“Restoring this P-47 is about honoring the men and women who built, maintained, and flew these aircraft—and ensuring future generations can learn from and be inspired by them,” said Airbase Leader Joel Perkins. “Every donation brings us one step closer to seeing this Thunderbolt roar back to life as a flying tribute to American innovation, service, and sacrifice.”
Trail leadership underscored the statewide significance of the aircraft’s return to flight.
“The Georgia WWII Heritage Trail was created to connect people with the stories, sacrifices, and innovations that shaped our state during the war,” said Trail Chair Ed Coleman. “Airbase Georgia’s restoration of the P-47 directly strengthens that mission. Once flying, this aircraft will not only preserve history, it will bring it to life for communities across Georgia.”
Airbase Georgia is widely recognized across the Commemorative Air Force for undertaking historically significant restorations. Volunteers have returned multiple WWII aircraft to flight—including the SBD-5 Dauntless, P-63 Kingcobra, LT-6 Mosquito, and PT-19 Cornell—and are nearing completion on an N2S Stearman biplane. The P-47N, however, is the most complex and comprehensive restoration the all-volunteer unit has attempted.
Over the past three years, volunteers have documented thousands of components, repaired major structural elements, and fabricated intricate parts in collaboration with AirCorps Aviation, a nationally known leader in WWII aircraft restoration. Nearly $350,000 has already been invested by donors, bringing the aircraft to a pivotal phase of the project.
In 2026, the restoration team will focus on rebuilding the rudder assembly, restoring hydraulic systems, fabricating precision-machined fittings, and completing bellcrank mechanisms—critical steps toward returning the aircraft to flight.
To support this work, Airbase Georgia is participating in the Commemorative Air Force’s national “12 Planes of Christmas” campaign, seeking to raise $25,000 to fund essential systems work that will move the aircraft closer to airworthiness.
Perkins emphasized the project’s educational impact:
“Returning the P-47 to flight is not only an engineering achievement; it is an investment in education and inspiration. Once airborne, the Thunderbolt will serve as a living classroom—connecting students, families, and aviation enthusiasts to the people and stories that shaped World War II, and ensuring that the sights, sounds, and lessons of America’s aviation heritage remain alive for generations to come.”
As part of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail, the flying Thunderbolt will enhance the Trail’s statewide mission to connect Georgians with the wartime experiences, from the home front to the skies, that shaped the modern world. Its return to flight marks a unique opportunity for communities across the state to witness history in motion.
Donate today and help bring the P-47N Thunderbolt back to life: https://fundrazr.com/22eLrc