Which was the most-produced American fighter of the Second…

Q: Which was the most-produced American fighter of the Second World War?

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, of which 15,636 or 15,683 units were built, depending on the source. It was also one of the heaviest fighters of the conflict: empty it weighed around 4,540 kg, and fully loaded it reached around eight tonnes. Its pilots nicknamed it Jug.

Which was the most-produced American fighter of the Second World War?

Short answer

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (pending confirmation), of which 15,636 or 15,683 units were built, depending on the source (according to different sources). It was also one of the heaviest fighters of the conflict: empty it weighed around 4,540 kg, and fully loaded it reached around eight tonnes. Its pilots nicknamed it Jug.

Published: November 6, 2026 · Updated: November 6, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Which was the most-produced American fighter of the Second World War?

128th Fighter Squadron P-47 Thunderbolt Marietta GA May 1946

The most-produced fighter of the war

War History Online presents the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt as the most-produced American fighter of the Second World War (pending confirmation), in a section devoted precisely to the fighter that rolled off the assembly lines in the greatest numbers. A total of 15,636 or 15,683 were built, depending on the source (according to different sources). At the end of the Second World War, orders for 5,934 P-47s were cancelled, and production of the model was shut down shortly after the end of the conflict.

An eight-tonne fighter

Empty, it weighed around 4,540 kg (10,000 lb). Fully loaded it could weigh up to eight tonnes, placing it among the heaviest fighters of the conflict. War History Online adds that, at eight tonnes, it weighed more than some Luftwaffe bombers.

Jug, Juggernaut and T-bolt

As it approached entering service it earned the nickname Jug, because its profile resembled an ordinary milk jug of the era. War History Online also records another nickname, Juggernaut, referring to its size and weight. The Thunderbolt was also given the nickname T-bolt.