Republic Aviation Evansville Timeline

By Katie. Bowen
  • 12/7/1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor

    12/7/1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor

    It was, in the immortal words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A date which will live in infamy."
    More than 300 Japanese aircraft attacked sinking many ships and killing more than 2,400 on Dec. 7, 1941.
    The attack led to the United States entering into World War II.

  • Republic Aviation announces airplane assembly plant adjoining the Evansville Airport

  • 4/6/1942 Ground is broken for Republic Aviation plant and office

  • 5/10/1942 Elder Brooks, an African American, is 1st local civilian death when hit by falling steel at Republic

  • The Evansville Airport is leased to Republic Aviation for a $1 a year.

  • Republic Aviation office opened, completed in 62 days by AJ Hoffman Construction Co.

  • 9/19/1942 First Evansville P-47 is flown, the Hoosier Spirit

    9/19/1942 First Evansville P-47 is flown, the Hoosier Spirit

    The first production model was delivered to the AAF in March 1942. Used as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness.

  • 10/25/1942 P-47-D aircraft assembly line begins operation; P-47-D model production will run for 32 months

  • 1/3/1943 Modification Center begins operation

  • 4/15/1943 P-47s entering combat in England-Europe

  • President Roosevelt visits city, tours Republic Aviation, sees shipyard & ordinance by train

  • 7/16/1943 5 Thunderbolts have a “private” air show for Republic Aviation employees

  • Sept, 1943 Lt. Herbert Fields, a brave man, is first to fly his P-47 carrying a bomb, it worked just fine

  • Oct. 1943 Republic increases production 300% from previous July, absenteeism was a factor

  • 12/7/1943 1,000th Evansville P-47 is completed, named the “Tojo Special”

  • 12/31/1943 Republic Aviation Corp has highest fighter production totals of all US aircraft plants: Evansville has the highest efficiency

  • 1/23/1944 P-47s now flying with 2 1,000-pound bombs attached

    1/23/1944 P-47s now flying with 2 1,000-pound bombs attached

    They had made planes that allowed 1,000 pound bombs to be attached to the wings, underneath them.

  • 2/1/1944 Republic Aviation has a backlog of 275 P-47s stored on airport grass field areas

  • 2/18/1944 Backlog of P-47s back to normal as vast ferry movement has taken place, 60 pilots on this day

  • 3/12/1944 P-47 loses power over field and glides between tree and house, avoiding serious injury to anyone

    3/12/1944 P-47 loses power over field and glides between tree and house, avoiding serious injury to anyone

    The plane was flying and alomst had a crash that could have killrf mulitple people, but hit a tree instead.

  • Republic Aviation has open house for 25,000 employees and family members

  • Republic Aviation wins 1st E-Award

    Republic Aviation wins 1st E-Award

    The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many important military aircraft, including its most famous products

  • 5/3/1944 Two P-47s bump wings and crash near Inglefield north of airport, no injuries

  • May 1944 P-47s chance to bubble canopy

  • 5/18/1944 2,000th Evansville P-47 completed (this was the day it was announced

  • July 1944 Modification builds two 2-seat P-47s for training use, nicknamed the “Doublebolt”

  • 8/11/1944 3,000th Evansville P-47 completed (this was the day it was announced)

  • 8/24/1944 Walter Cockroft, age 17, killed at Republic Aviation by walking into spinning propeller

  • 9/19/1944 Republic Aviation Corporation completes 10,000 and 10,001 P-47s at NY and Evansville Plants

  • 10/17/1944 Republic Aviation wins 2nd E-Award

  • Nov. 1944 Modification builds water-cooled XP-47with water cooled Chrysler Engine

  • 12/3/1944 4,000th Evansville P-47 completed, employment is at 8,300 people

  • Dec. 1944 Re-tooling underway to build engine cowlings for B-29 Superfortresses

  • 1/11/1945 Republic announces cost reduction of one P-47 from $68,750 to $45,600 from 1942 to 1945

  • Feb. 1945 Famed south Pacific P-47 fighter “The Jackie” returns home to Evansville plant for 2 week display

  • 9/27/1945 The last P-47 is flown from Evansville plant, it was the 6,670 P-47

    9/27/1945 The last P-47 is flown from Evansville plant, it was the 6,670 P-47

    Republic Aviation made 6,670 of the airplanes in a facility built in a cornfield at what is now the site of the former Whirlpool plant on U.S. 41 from 1942 to 1945.

  • 3/18/1945 5,000th Evansville P-47 completed, the “Grandiana”, man-hours cut from 23,000 to 6,300 per P-47

  • 3/18/1945 Tornado hits city. Damages several p-47s, warps tails & breaks a hundred blue window panes

  • 5/24/1945 Republic Aviation wins 3rd E-Award

  • 6/18/1945 Test pilot Wm Moose was killed as he crashed his P-47 into field 3 miles SW of New Harmony

  • 6,000th Evansville P-47 completed (this was the day it was announced)

  • 7/21/1945 Republic Aviation Corporation completes its 15,000th P-47

  • 8/20/1945 Republic Aviation announces closure of Evansville Plant

    8/20/1945 Republic Aviation announces closure of Evansville Plant

    The plant closed inn 1945, and many people lost their jobs.

  • 9/7/1945 Republic Aviation plant is offered for sale or lease

  • 9/11/1945 Employment at the Evansville plant is at 250 people

  • 10/11/1945 14 P-47s given to regional schools and colleges, without guns and radios, wings were also offered

  • International Harvester (IH) buys Republic Aviation Plant for $5,648,000 (date approximate)

  • 5/17/1946 The IH Plant still contains equipment used in P-47 production by RA, Servel & Hoosier Cardinal

  • 6/21/1945 1st Evansville P-47-N model is flown, change-over was smooth without any lines shutdown

  • 9/27/1955 International Harvester sells plant and facilities to Whirlpool-Seeger

  • Whirlpool Seeger is the largest city employer at 5,800 mostly in the former Republic Aviation plant