Republic Aviation Evansville Timeline By kyrin109 Period: Jan 1, 1940 to Dec 31, 1946 Republic Aviation Evansville Timeline Dec 7, 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor Mar 22, 1942 Republic Aviation announces airplane assembly plant next to Evansville Airport May 15, 1942 The Evansville Airport is leased to Repubic Aviation for $1 a year Sep 19, 1942 First Evansville P-47 is flown, The Hoosier Spirit Oct 25, 1942 P-47-D aircraft assembly line begins operation; P-47-D model production will run for 32 months Apr 15, 1943 P-47s entering combat in England Euorpe Apr 27, 1943 President Roosevelt vists city, tours Republic Aviation, sees shipyard & ordinance by train Jul 16, 1943 5 Thunderbolts have a "private" air show for Republic Aviation employees Sep 1, 1943 Lt. Herbert Fields is first to fly his P-47 carrying a bomb, it worked just fine Oct 1, 1943 1,000th Evansville P-47 is completed, named the "Tojo Special" Dec 31, 1943 Republic Aviation Corp has hignest fighter production totals of all US aircraft plants: Evansville has the highest efficiency Apr 15, 1944 Republic Avaition has open house for 25,000 employees and family members Apr 28, 1944 Republic Aviation wins 1st E-Award May 1, 1944 P-47s change to bubble canopy May 18, 1944 2,000th Evansville P-47 completed Aug 11, 1944 3,000th Evansville P-47 completed Oct 17, 1944 Republic Aviation wins 2nd E-Award Jan 11, 1945 Republic announces cost reduction of one P-47 from $68,750 to $45,600 from 1942 to 1945 Feb 1, 1945 Famed south Pacific P-47 "The Jackie" returns home to Evansville plant for 2 weeks display May 24, 1945 Republic Aviation wins 3nd E-Award Jun 21, 1945 1st P-47-N is flown, change-over was smooth without any lines shutdown Jul 15, 1945 6,000th Evansville P-47 completed Sep 11, 1945 Employment at the Evansville plant is at 250 people Oct 11, 1945 14 P-47s given to regional schools and collages Jan 4, 1946 International Harvester buys Republic Aviation Plant for 5,648,000 May 17, 1946 The IH Plant still contains equipment used in P-47 production by RA, Servel & Hoosier Cardinal
