Duct Cleaning in Thunderbolt, GA

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:

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About the CAF Airbase Georgia

CAF Airbase Georgia, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was founded in 1987. The Airbase is one of the largest units of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) and one of the largest WWII flying museums in the Southeast. The group maintains and flies seven vintage military aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, an FG-1D Corsair, an SBD Dauntless, an LT-6 Mosquito, a P-63A Kingcobra, a PT-19 Cornell and a T-34 Mentor. Under restoration are an N2S Stearman and P-47 Thunderbolt. The Airbase, composed of more than 300 volunteer members, is a founding partner of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail launched in 2021. The Airbase is part of the CAF, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that relies on contributions of time and funds to conduct its mission. For more information, go to https://airbasegeorgia.org/.

The CAF Airbase Georgia, located in Peachtree City, GA, has recently shared a recap of their P-47 Thunderbolt (S/N 44-89136) restoration project. Vintage Aviation News has covered this restoration from the very beginning—click HERE to read our articles. This latest update provides insight from the unit’s perspective and highlights the fundraising and volunteer efforts that have driven progress on one of the CAF’s most ambitious restoration projects. To support this restoration with a donation, click HERE.

Since the rare P-47N was assigned to Airbase Georgia in 2022, the unit has undertaken a complex and painstaking restoration process aimed at returning the aircraft to airworthy condition. Volunteers immediately began cataloging thousands of components, repairing wing damage, and fabricating specialized fittings in the base’s machine shop. Collaborating with experts at AirCorps Aviation, the team has completed critical restoration milestones, including the replacement of belly skins, cowlings, and cowl flaps. Support from donors, alongside the Ray Foundation, has enabled the restoration of the engine mount, rare N-model brakes, ailerons, rims, and new leading edges. Each completed task brings the Thunderbolt closer to rejoining the skies and ensures that the restoration maintains historical fidelity.

CAF historian Brad Pilgrim has recently unearthed additional historical artifacts related to Airbase Georgia’s P-47 Thunderbolt. Among them is a photograph of the aircraft shortly after its arrival from Nicaragua, ferried by Bill Disney to Brownsville. Another remarkable find is the original bill of sale documenting Lloyd Nolen’s purchase of the aircraft for $6,000 in 1963—a sum equivalent to roughly $63,525 today, and still considered an incredible bargain for such a rare warbird.

“The effort required for a project of this scale is immense,” said Joel Perkins, Wing Leader of Airbase Georgia. “Every rivet and panel reflects not only technical skill but also the dedication of volunteers committed to preserving aviation history.” With over 15,000 Thunderbolts originally produced, fewer than 15 remain airworthy in the United States. The CAF’s P-47N, one of the original acquisitions of CAF founder Lloyd Nolen, will eventually join this elite group. Once completed, the aircraft may feature the livery of Lil’ Meaties Meat Chopper, honoring Lt. Oscar Francis Perdomo, the last American “Ace in a Day” of World War II.

The restoration effort has been fueled by nearly $350,000 in donations over three years, enabling milestones that bring the project closer to completion. Airbase Georgia emphasizes that the aircraft’s return to flight will allow future generations to experience the P-47N firsthand—hearing its iconic engine, seeing it in the sky, and feeling its presence as a living piece of history.

Updates on the restoration can be followed on Airbase Georgia’s Facebook page, with video content available showcasing the project’s progress since it began. The CAF notes that this project is more than a mechanical endeavor; it is a tribute to the Greatest Generation and a way to educate the public and inspire future aviators through the faithful restoration of one of World War II’s most iconic aircraft. To support this restoration with a donation, click HERE.