[airdave]

Sorry to say, most likely another case of "modeler's misinformation"...
each modeler just copying the last one, without researching for themselves.

Since I am continuing my updates of P47 kits, I am currently working on a couple of P47Ns.
Late and post second World War fighters.

As I search the internet, going from article to article,
profile artworks and scale model builds...
I'm having a hard time confirming the serial number of this P-47N "Chautauqua".
Every (modeler/artist) source identifies this aircraft as P-47N-2-RE which it is not.
So, is the serial number also incorrect?

I only have a couple of photos of this plane, neither showing the serial number clearly.

First I looked through the USAAF serial number catalog,
a/c #44-88259 (the claimed serial of Chautauqua) identifies as a P-47N-1-RE.
There is no other info attached regarding 44-88259.

Having done a bit more research, this entire block of P47Ns (549 aircraft)
are build "1-RE"...however some of these Thunderbolts were retrofitted
with wing mounts for Rockets ('Rocket Stubs'), and those P47Ns were redesignated as "2-RE".

The rocket mounts were fitted on the underside of the wings, outside of the Fuel Tank pods,
and because I have a photo that clearly shows this area of Chautauqua's wings, I can confirm
that this Thunderbolt was not retrofitted in this way.
So unless someone can provide proof that Chatauqua was retrofitted after this photo was taken,
I have to assume that every online source is incorrect.

That still doesnt help me with the serial number.
Right now I am looking through my aircraft books, and few more online publications, trying to confirm the serial.

[my apologies for oroginally posting this in the Kit Announcements area, when it should have been here]