CAF Airbase Georgia share update on P-47N Thunderbolt Restoration Project
Peachtree City, GA (September 18, 2025) As summer draws to a close and we look ahead to fall, all of us at Airbase Georgia are grateful for your support in helping us bring the rare P-47N Thunderbolt back to life. Your generosity is fueling real progress on one of the most ambitious restoration projects in our history.
Tremendous Progress Since 2022
When Airbase Georgia acquired the P-47N Thunderbolt in 2022, we knew the road back to airworthiness would be long and demanding. With your support, our volunteers immediately began cataloging thousands of parts, repairing wing damage, and fabricating fittings in our machine shop. Working with the experts at AirCorps Aviation, we’ve been able to tackle critical restoration tasks such as replacing belly skins, cowlings, and cowl flaps.
Your generosity, along with the steadfast support of the Ray Foundation, has funded the engine mount, rare N-model brakes, ailerons, rims, and new leading edges. Each of these milestones brings us closer to returning this Thunderbolt to the sky.
A Testament to Patience and Craftsmanship
Every rivet and every panel tells a story of perseverance. Our volunteers, many of them lifelong aviation enthusiasts, have given countless hours to ensure this restoration is both technically precise and historically faithful. Their patient, diligent work is more than a mechanical task, it is an act of stewardship.
Inside our hangar, you can feel the sense of wonder as metal is shaped, parts are fitted, and a legendary aircraft slowly comes back to life. This is history being rebuilt by hand, and you are part of it.
Why This Restoration Matters
More than 15,000 Thunderbolts once filled the skies. Today, only about 13 remain airworthy in the United States. The CAF’s P-47N, one of our founder Lloyd Nolen’s original acquisitions, will one day join that select group.
Once flying, the aircraft may carry the livery of “Lil’ Meaties Meat Chopper,” honoring Lt. Oscar Francis Perdomo, the last American “Ace in a Day” of WWII.
Thank You for Believing in This Mission
This restoration would not be possible without you - our donors, our champions, and our partners in preserving history. Your gifts have already helped raise nearly $350,000 across three years, directly fueling restoration milestones.
The road ahead is still long, but together, we are ensuring that future generations will not just read about the P-47—they will hear it, see it, and feel the rumble of its powerful engine in flight.
From all of us at Airbase Georgia, thank you for helping us Honor the Greatest Generation by Educating the public and Inspiring America’s youth through the faithful restoration of the Thunderbolt.
You can keep an eye out for future restoration updates by following Airbase Georgia on their Facebook Page.
Learn more about the P-47N restoration journey and where it first began. Check out this video from two years ago where Airbase Georgia to discusses the progress of their P-47 Thunderbolt restoration at the time.
