Organization Analysis For UNEP ( United Nation Environment Program ) Research Paper

Organization Analysis For UNEP ( United Nation Environment Program ) - Research Paper Example Employees being a part of UNEP’s prosperity have been mentioned on several occasions. Not much will be mentioned without addressing the organizational theories that have been applied in UNEP since it came into existence. It is easy to understand managerial theories, and identify how they are applied in daily operation of UNEP. UNEP is a thriving organization with so many achievements that have seen the environment being conserved and sustainable development achieved. The information has been gathered from the UNEP website, its documentaries, and from textbooks with relevant information on organization theories and environmental issues. Introduction and Background of the Organization (UNEP) It was until after the UN Conference concerning the Human Environment of 1972 that UNEP was established. The Conference took place in Stockholm, Sweden, and suggested the initiation of a global body to serve as the UN’s environmental conscience system. The UN General Assembly responde d by adopting Resolution 2997, which created the following: The UNEP Secretariat, whose headquarters was placed in Nairobi, Kenya, to offer a central point for environmental coordination and activities in the UN system, led by an Executive Director, ranked as the UN Under-Secretary-General. UNEP Governing Council, which comprised of 58 countries designated for four-year terms by the General Assembly of the UN. This was accorded the task of reviewing the state of the global environment, creating UNEP’S programme precedence, and budget approval. A voluntary Environment Fund was also set up to finance the initiatives of the organization, to be complemented by trust funds and money assigned by the regular budget of the UN. From 1972 down to the 1990s, global governments had declared their pledges to the sustainable development principles. In May 2000, the first Worldwide Ministerial Environment Forum was convened by UNEP in Malmo, Sweden. The forum’s main aim was to send a strong note to the UN General Assembly meant to revisit the sustainable development discussion at the millennium meeting in September 2000. Although the millennium presented many opportunities to UNEP, several challenges also came up. In 2005, the organization’s task was further strengthened when the UNEP Governing Council endorsed the Ball Strategic Plan to apply capacity development and technology support programmes nationally. The critical final years of the world’s commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals will ensure that UNEP goes on providing vital information, practical support, and policy advice to the UN member nations as they collectively work to achieve UN Charter’s promise of a globe of social progress and better living conditions in a wider freedom. UNEP as an organization concerned with environmental matters is large enough to look into the issues at a global point of view. Its Governing Council meets this task appropriately by reportin g to the UN General assembly via the Social and Economic Council. There is equitable representation in each region, where the 58-members elected for the four-year terms represent each state as follows: African States have 16 seats, Asian States have 13 seats, Eastern Europe has 6, Caribbean and Latin American States have 10, while Western Europe and the remaining States have 13 se

Critical Approach on Calvin Klein X Essay Example for Free

Critical Approach on Calvin Klein X Essay To analyse this advertisement campaign, we use the critical approach theory. The first principle of this theory states that, all media messages are constructed. Some information is included, but much is also left out. Questions are not asked. Using this approach, we realize that in the Calvin Klein X ad campaign we chose, we only see images of muscular men but not pictures of scrawny looking men. The question is, does wearing Calvin Klein X make you look muscular and hot? Is CK X the only way to make you look good? The way the X is placed on the men’s bodies brings the attention of the viewers to the body and not the product itself. What does this mean? The Ad is in black and white, is there a reason for this? The second principle of the Critical approach theory states that Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. The typography of the X used in the campaign looks as if it is 4 arrows combined together, pointing at the product. The background colour of the Ad is white, to not draw the attention of the viewers away from the muscular men wearing the product. The way these models pose will engage the interest of viewers. Hard lighting is used in the Ad to make the models appear very strong. The shot size of the Ad makes the viewers focus on the big X right in the centre of the body. The third principle states that Different people experience the same media message differently. Men will think that wearing CK X will automatically make them look hot and women will think that if their boyfriends wear CK X, it will make them look hot. However, some men might think that this Ad objectifies men into eye candy. This Ad would be more directed to the adults, kids would not be interested in this. Furthermore, parents who are more conservative and people of the older generation, especially in the Asian context will think that this Ad is disgusting. People who are more religious and believe in that not showing your body to the public will not like this either. They would not be interested in the product too. The fourth principle states that the media consists primarily businesses driven by a profit motive. Because of the profit motive, the media will do anything to gain revenue. Thus at times, sensitive topics and images are brought up. This is because it will engage the interest of many people and when they are interested, they will automatically purchase the product. Even if they do not purchase, the â€Å"hot topic† will be spread around through word of mouth, gaining the attention of everyone. The fifth and last principle of the critical approach theory states that the media has embedded values and points of view. The Ad gives the point of view that in order to be hot and muscular, one has to wear CK X. The Ad is as though it is saying that is ok to be open about your body as the men in the Ad are not clothed. Not everyone will agree with this values and point of views and thus, this Ad will not be able to reach out to everyone except to those who are interested.

Islam Essay -- essays research papers

When the Soviet Union collapsed and the cold war came to an end, the world felt as if it were on the edge of unlimited peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, new issues came to light, such as terrorism. Terrorism is defined by Title 22 of the United States code, section 2656(d) as â€Å"the pre-meditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.† In light of recent terrorist activity in the West, the danger that Islamic terrorism poses to national security and civilian safety has been brought to attention. The Islamic world does not view the West favorably. Some extremists, such as the Hizballah, view the United States as â€Å"the Great Satan.† Although unannounced violent actions against civilians is called terrorism by the West, Muslims view such behavior as religious duty. Most terrorists are viewed within their individual countries as radicals, although some have benefited from gaining wide-spread approval in their region. With popular support behind them, these extremists have declared a holy war, a jihad, against the West, Israel, and all sympathizers of the two. In the jihad, terrorism has been the most used weapon against the enemies of Islam. Although terrorism has been magnified throughout the world recently, jihad is nothing new to Islam. Although jihad did not immediately play a significant role in Islam, the idea of striving for a spiritual good always has played such a role. Jihad does not necessarily involve violent or physical actions. Jihad, when applied correctly, always includes a change in one’s self and mentality, and may involve a giving up of material property, social class, emotional well-being, and comfort for the salvation and worship of al-Lah. The jihad includes an extensive amount of striving for righteousness. Even in contemporary terrorist actions, recruits for suicide missions are trained for righteousness and trained in the matters of personal piety and holiness. Because jihad is a spiritual matter, spirituality is of utmost importance to all who are recruited to join any jihad. One common misunderstanding concerning jihad is the inward nature of jihad. The West tends to think of jihad as a call to outward or external activity, but in the Islamic mind, jihad is a call to all individuals to prepare their hearts and s... ...t it perceives that the terrorism it wages against the West is an integral part of its religion. The West in general and the United States in particular cannot ignore it and should therefore unite their efforts in an attempt to find different means of countering this kind of Islamic terrorism. But, the main success or failure of these terrorist groups does not depend on their religious commentary or authority. It lies in their ability to gain legitimacy from the general public or from the greater part of it in each Muslim country, as well as in the Arab world in a whole. The need for public sympathy and support is a crucial element of every terrorist group without regard to its ideology or political affiliation. However, in a society where religion has so great an influence as in the Arab and Muslim world, the teachings of Islamic groups are perceived by certain parts of society as the true principles of religion. The socio-cultural elements of their teachings are often combined with the secular tradition of hostility toward the West under American authority and toward its protection of Israel and the Jews, who are according to the Quran, â€Å"the worst enemies of the believers.†

Spring Break Essay

Dylan Farmer 1/24/2012 English 101 Spring break is mainly a time of partying for most teenagers that go to my high school, but I was off to California with my girlfriend’s family to pretty much explore a whole other side of the U. S. California is the place that every person and the world wants to go for their spring break. I was very happy that my girlfriend’s mom is a travel agent, so we got a pretty good deal for the prices of our flight and on the hotel prices. Just for extra fun we drove to Chicago and stayed there for two nights. We explored downtown Chicago, all the amazing buildings.We even got to go into the old Sears Tower, which was something that I think everyone needs to see. It's probably one of the best sights I've ever seen, other than the fact I've only seen a good view going down Quincy hill near my hometown. I forgot to mention that when we left for our flight to California that was going to be my first time ever flying on an airplane. It was very exc iting to fly, especially since it was going to be a long three hour flight. I felt like a little kid again when the flight attendant gave me my wings for flying for my first time.Not all people in the world get to experience flying, so I thought I was pretty lucky to get to enjoy this experience. We arrived in Los Angeles, California. The hotel we stayed in was one of the best hotels I've ever been in. This hotel was so big and fancy, and the weight room that was there was bigger than the fitness center back home. This hotel also had two pools. The outdoor pool looked really beautiful, because it had a giant water fall leading into the pool, but it was closed down while we were was staying there, so I just used the normal everyday hotel pool, which was indoors.It was very incredible to see something like this on how beautiful a single hotel could be, and look. Exploring the streets of California was really fun. I adventured through the fashion district, which has a lot of cheap item s. There was some kid trying to sell me copyrighted DVDs, which I actually bought, but out of the three I bought, but only one of the movies worked. One of the obvious reasons of why I went to California was that I got to see all the amazing sites that all normal tourists go and see.We all walked around the Sanna Monica Pier, Manhattan Pier, and also to the great Venice beach. It was very pretty place to see all the people walking around and all the little gift shops on the beach. However, out of the three piers I went to, the Manhattan Pier was one of my favorites, because I got to see my first dolphin, which was pretty awesome, and I never thought I’d actually have the chance to see one with the little time that I was there. Later in that week our last trip was to Hollywood Boulevard, which was a crazy place to meet some weird people.There was a lot of people singing, dancing, selling stuff, or any other random ways to make a dollar. Hollywood Boulevard was still a very int eresting place, seeing all the stars on the ground with some hand print in it or their writing. One pretty interesting thing that I noticed is that Muhammad Ali’s star was the only one that was hanging up, because all the other stars where just on the ground, but I guess he was the fighter of America. When it was about time to leave California, I was feeling something different than usual, like I didn't want to go back home just right yet.I just wanted to stay there and enjoy the sun. I knew that my spring break had to end at some point, though It was just amazing how different the society was here than Michigan. I think I liked it better here, but that is probably because I’m not living here 24/7 like I am in Michigan. I thought to myself how I would rather go on vacations than partying for my spring break. Spring break is where one can actually learn about a different state and see new sightings for the first time. It was a great experience to go on this trip to Cali fornia.

Indicators of the Effectiveness of Marketing

An important task of marketing research is the evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing activities. Management companies require marketers increasingly rigorous reporting and substantiation of expenses. Tired of the high and steadily increasing marketing costs, executives are naming the following as marketing : failed new products and failed advertising campaigns, too many phone calls and expensive campaign that are created to stimulate sales but fail to do so. Marketing research is partly able to solve the problem of accountability of marketing.Consider the basic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of marketing activities – a system of performance marketing. Performance indicators of marketing – the criteria by which companies quantify, compare, and interpret the results of its marketing activities. Brand managers are using these indicators, or metrics, program design, and top managers – in the allocation of financial resources. If the ma rketer can show how the money will give the effect of his proposed measures, which means he can no longer justify the allocation of appropriate resources to senior management.Performance indicators can be internal marketing, i. e. , refer to the company's internal environment and external, that is, relate to the external environment of the company. In turn, internal and external indicators are divided into: †¢Current – continuously varying parameters, which require continuous monitoring, and are often carried out with the help of a marketing information system. †¢Final – indicators that are used as marketing the company's goals and evaluated, as a rule, for the quarter, half, or year. Let’s consider the most popular domestic rates. Current domestic rates: †¢defect rate of products degree of knowledge of the company's goals of personnel †¢timeliness of delivery †¢errors in billing †¢inventory turnover It is advisable to keep in mind key indicators that are not directly related to marketing activities. For example, estimating the percentage of defective products and participating in the task to reduce the reject rate, the marketer, thus reducing production costs, which in turn can reduce the price of the product. A price control is one of the essential tasks of the marketer. Timeliness of delivery can improve customer loyalty and forms in their eyes the image of a reliable and punctual company.The degree of knowledge of the objectives of the company allows staff to make the right decisions in complex ambiguous situations. And, most often benefit from such solutions is primarily a consumer. The final internal indices: †¢net profit (income) †¢return on sales †¢margin per unit of output †¢return on assets These figures can be attributed to the financial. The marketer should be aware of the dynamics of their growth or decline. Financial performance could not be more eloquently and accurately desc ribed as the company's activities in general and the marketing department.Of course, to a direct relationship between the magnitude of these parameters and the degree of effectiveness of the marketing department can not, however, the negative trend indicators will clearly indicate the true chosen strategy of the company and, accordingly, a lack of effectiveness of the marketing department. The most popular external indicators include the following. 1. Current external indicators: †¢degree of customer satisfaction †¢the number of complaints †¢the total number of customers †¢loyalty, retention rates †¢intention to buy †¢awareness of the productThe presented figures are difficult to translate into a financial equivalent. How, for example, brings the company's customer loyalty? Therefore, these parameters are estimated separately, according to a specific, produced for a specific company, the system scales. Also, the absolute values are used, for example, to measure the number of complaints or the total number of customers, and the relative values of, for example, the percentage of people who have the intention to purchase goods in the near future. 2. Final external indicators: †¢market share †¢size of the market comparative sales of new products †¢revenue per customer †¢market growth rate In fact, these figures constitute a group of industry and competitive rates. Industry indicators – a measure to assess the state of the industry – its rate of growth or size of the market. It is not possible to measure these indicators. But on the basis of these figures the company can make adjustments to the marketing communications plan or competitive strategy. Competitive rates, for example market share, company can assess its position in the market relative to competitors.Market share – one of the most important indicators of the effectiveness of marketing activities, and the dynamics of its growth has a d irect impact on sales growth. To ensure the maximization of the diversity metric can be done by the special organizational processes and systems. All materials used in the company's internal and external parameters can be represented as a marketing information system. As a source of data for marketing information system companies can use two systems of market valuation, reflecting the company's results and help to learn in advance about the possible impending problems.The evaluation system of consumers includes analysis of the following indicators: †¢percentage of new buyers from the average number of customers †¢percentage of dissatisfied customers of the average number of customers †¢percentage of customers who are able to return, the total number of customers †¢percentage of customers who declare their intention to re-purchase the product †¢percentage of customers who declare their intention to recommend a product to others †¢the average perception o f roduct quality in comparison with the main competitor †¢percentage of consumers who claim that the product is the most preferable in its category The evaluation of people that have interest. Companies need to continuously monitor the mood of the various groups interested in their work, or to affect it: employees, suppliers, banks, distributors, retailers and shareholders. It should also set standards for each group and take action as soon as one or more of them show an increased level of dissatisfaction. ExampleIn each division of the company  «Hewlett-Packard » evaluation system of customers is applied, which includes from 18 to 20 indicators. Some criteria (customer satisfaction and timely delivery) the same for all, while others depend on the specifics of each department. Analysis of these estimates allows company management to assess the effectiveness of marketing strategies, sales and profits and to identify areas in which improvements can achieve greater quantitativ e indicators. 9. 2. Methods for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activitiesEvaluating the effectiveness of marketing activities is very challenging and not always given the opportunity to express the quantitative effect obtained at the expense of marketing activities. Nevertheless, there are many different approaches for addressing this problem, which allows you to select the following classification of methods for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing. Qualitative methods involve the use of marketing audit, during which the comprehensive analysis of environmental organizations, as well as all the threats and opportunities.In this case there are two areas of marketing control: control of marketing results-oriented and marketing audit, i. e. analysis of the qualitative aspects of the organization. Quantitative methods for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing requires comparing the costs of marketing with the resulting gross profit and the cost of advertising to sales , and they characterize the final financial results for the organization. Analysis of the profitability and cost analysis can also be one of the options for the quantitative method of assessing the effectiveness of marketing.In evaluating marketing activities should be the parameters that characterize the activity of a particular business units – sales volumes, the organization of the market share, margin and net profit. The volume of sales (gross sales) is a complex indicator and reflects not only and not the success of efforts to implement the product, but also chosen the right price, and most importantly, how the goods â€Å"fell† in the target group of consumers. Dynamics of sales – an indicator of an organization's position in the market, its shares and trends.It should also be noted that independent place in the analysis of cost structures and evaluating the development potential of the organization is the analysis of break-even point. Break-even volume sh ows how many goods to be sold, that the resulting contribution margin covers all fixed costs. This volume is an indicator of the organization capabilities to maneuver in the market. Sociological methods for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing aimed at using the tools of applied sociology – the development of sociological research program and in accordance with its conduct of the study.In the use of tools of applied sociology also is oriented assessment of the effectiveness of marketing communications (advertising effectiveness, sales Tenths methods for assessing the effectiveness of marketing separating its effectiveness for each activity in compliance with the eligibility criteria of the list of structures and processes of the marketing concept of setting a specific score for each criterion. Nowadays, there is an increasing number of methods to assess the effectiveness of information marketing that are most widely discussed on the Internet.The essence of these methods is that in order to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing programs used by Sales Expert 2, Success, and others, which are software for marketing information systems. In fact, the evaluation of the effectiveness of marketing activities is one of the functions of a marketing information system. All the indicators needed to assess the effectiveness of marketing activities should be incorporated in the marketing information system. Marketer, the user of the system is only necessary to define the algorithm and the method of assessing effectiveness. 9. 3.Performance indicators of marketing – the criteria by which companies quantify, compare, and interpret the results of its marketing activities. Performance indicators can be internal marketing, i. e. , refer to the company's internal environment and external, that is, relate to the external environment of the company. In turn, internal and external indicators are divided into current – which should be continuous monitored and which are often carried out with the help of a marketing information system, and final – indicators that are used as marketing the company's goals and evaluated, usually on the basis of quarter, year.The following methods of evaluating the effectiveness of marketing activities: †¢Qualitative methods involve the use of marketing audit, during which the comprehensive analysis of environmental organizations, as well as all the threats and opportunities. †¢Quantitative methods are used for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing requires comparing the costs of marketing with the resulting gross profit, and advertising costs to sales. †¢Sociological methods – for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing aimed at using the tools of applied sociology – a program of sociological research and in accordance with its conduct of the study. Tenths methods for assessing the effectiveness of marketing â€Å"isolate† its effectiveness for each activ ity in compliance with the eligibility criteria of the list of structures and processes of the marketing concept of setting a specific score for each criterion. The essence of the method of information lies in the fact that the evaluation of the effectiveness of marketing programs used by Sales Expert 2, Success, and others, which are software for marketing information systems.Four tools for monitoring the implementation of the marketing plan. 1. Analysis of the distribution suggests a partition of the total sales data into categories such as products, end users, marketing intermediaries, sales territory, and the size of the order. The purpose of the analysis – to identify strengths and weaknesses of the area, for example, products with the highest and lowest sales, buyers, who account for a large portion of the proceeds, as well as sales agents and territory, demonstrating the highest and lowest quality of work. . Analysis of market share. Sales volume and market share are t he primary functions of a number of determining factors. For consumer goods, these factors include the efficient allocation, the relative price, retain or change the perception of one or more of the essential characteristics of the product to consumers in comparison with competitors' products and product placement on store shelves. 3. Itemized analysis of earnings and expenses.Data on sales – it is certainly not the only relevant information regarding the success of marketing activities. Need to monitor values of gross margin and profit margin, and to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of all marketing expenditure items. 4. Analysis of the ratio of marketing costs and sales volumes. Analysis of the annual plan requires ongoing monitoring to achieve the goals of expenditure. The main management measure is the ratio of marketing costs and sales volumes.

Identifying American Basswood Trees

Identifying American Basswood Trees Tilia is a genus within the Linden family (Tiliacea). This family contains about 30 species of trees that are native throughout most of temperate Northern Hemisphere.  The greatest species diversity of the lindens is found in Asia. It exists only scattered in pockets throughout  Europe and eastern North America. The trees are sometimes  called lime in Britain and linden in parts of Europe and North America. The most common name for the tree in North America is American basswood (Tilia americana),  but there are several varieties with separate names. White basswood (var. heterophylla) is found from Missouri to Alabama. Carolina basswood (var. caroliniana)  is found from Oklahoma to North Carolina and south to Florida. The fast-growing American  basswood  is among the largest trees of eastern and central North America. The tree will often support several trunks off its base, will prolifically sprout from stumps, and is a great seeder. It is an important timber tree in the Great Lakes states. Tilia americana is the northernmost basswood species. Basswood flowers produce an abundance of nectar  from which choice honey is made. In fact, in some parts of its range basswood is known as the bee-tree, and can even be identified by the honey bee traffic.   Basswood Tree Identification Basswoods asymmetrical and lopsided heart-shaped leaf is the largest of all broadleaf trees, nearly as wide as it is long at between 5 and 8 inches. The rich green upper side of the leaf is in contrast to the underleafs paler green to almost-white color. The basswoods  small greenish flowers are uniquely attached and hanging under a pale, leaflike bract. The resulting seeds are in a hard, dry, hairy, nutlike fruit, which is quite visible during the fruiting season. Also, take a close look at the twigs and you will see them zigzag between oval buds with one or two bud scales. This tree should not be confused with the non-native urban basswood called little leaf  linden or Tilia cordata. The leaf of the linden is much smaller than basswood and typically, it is a much smaller tree. Characteristics Leaves: Alternate, broadly ovate, coarsely saw-toothed, notched at the base.Bark: Dark gray and smooth.Fruit: Elliptical nut-like, hard seed.

P-47 Thunderbolt in World War II

P-47 Thunderbolt in World War II During the 1930s, the Seversky Aircraft Company designed several fighters for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) under the guidance of Alexander de Seversky and Alexander Kartveli. In the late 1930s, the two designers experimented with belly-mounted turbochargers and created the AP-4 demonstrator. Having changed the company name to Republic Aircraft, Seversky and Kartveli moved forward and applied this technology to the P-43 Lancer. A somewhat disappointing aircraft, Republic continued to work with the design evolving it into the XP-44 Rocket/AP-10. A fairly lightweight fighter, the USAAC was intrigued and moved the project forward as the XP-47 and XP-47A. A contract was awarded in November 1939, however the USAAC, watching the early months of World War II, soon concluded that the proposed fighter was inferior to current German aircraft. As a result, it issued a new set of requirements which included a minimum airspeed of 400 mph, six machine guns, pilot armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and 315 gallons of fuel. Returning to the drawing board, Kartveli radically changed the design and created the XP-47B. P-47D Thunderbolt Specifications General Length:  36 ft. 1 in.Wingspan:  40 ft. 9 in.Height:  14 ft. 8 in.Wing Area:  300 sq. ft.Empty Weight:  10,000 lbs.Loaded Weight:  17,500 lbs.Maximum Takeoff Weight:  17,500 lbs.Crew:  1 Performance Maximum Speed:  433 mphRange:  800 miles (combat)Rate of Climb:  3,120 ft./min.Service Ceiling:  43,000 ft.Power Plant:  1 Ãâ€" Pratt Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine, 2,535 hp Armament 8 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsUp to 2,500 lb of bombs10 x 5 unguided rockets Development Presented to the USAAC in June 1940, the new aircraft was a behemoth with an empty weight of 9,900 lbs. and centered on the 2,000 hp Pratt Whitney Double Wasp XR-2800-21, the most powerful engine yet produced in the United States. In response to the aircrafts weight, Kartveli commented,It will be a dinosaur, but it will be a dinosaur with good proportions. Featuring eight machine guns, the XP-47 featured elliptical wings and an efficient, durable turbocharger which was mounted in the fuselage behind the pilot. Impressed, the USAAC awarded a contract for the XP-47 on September 6, 1940, despite the fact that it weighed twice as much as the Supermarine Spitfire and Messerschmitt Bf 109 then being flown in Europe. Working quickly, Republic had the XP-47 prototype ready for its maiden flight on May 6, 1941. Though it exceeded Republics expectations and achieved a top speed of 412 mph, the aircraft underwent several teething problems including excessive control loads at high altitude, canopy jams, ignition arcing at high altitudes, less than desired maneuverability, and issues with the cloth-covered control surfaces. These issues were dealt with through the addition of a reward sliding canopy, metal control surfaces, and a pressurized ignition system. Additionally, a four-blade propeller was added to better take advantage of the engines power. Despite the loss of the prototype in August 1942, the USAAC ordered 171 P-47Bs and 602 of the follow-on P-47C. Improvements Dubbed the Thunderbolt, the P-47 entered service with the 56th Fighter Group in November 1942. Initially derided for its size by British pilots, the P-47 proved effective as a high-altitude escort and during fighter sweeps, as well as showed that it could out-dive any fighter in Europe. Conversely, it lacked the fuel capacity for long-range escort duties and the low-altitude maneuverability of its German opponents. By mid-1943, improved variants of the P-47C became available which possessed external fuel tanks to improve range and a longer fuselage for great maneuverability. The P-47C also incorporated a turbosupercharger regulator, reinforced metal control surfaces, and a shortened radio mast. As the variant moved forward, a host of minor improvements were included such as enhancements to the electrical system and a re-balancing of the rudder and elevators. Work on the aircraft continued as the war progressed with the arrival of the P-47D. Constructed in twenty-one variants, 12,602 P-47Ds were built during the course of the war. Early models of the P-47 possessed a tall fuselage spine and a razorback canopy configuration. This resulted in poor rear visibility and efforts were made to fit variants of the P-47D with bubble canopies. This proved successful and the bubble canopy was used on some subsequent models. Among the multitude of changes made with the P-47D and its sub-variants were the inclusion of wet mounts on the wings for carrying additional drop tanks as well as the use of a jettisonable canopy and a bulletproof windscreen. Beginning with the Block 22 set of P-47Ds, the original propeller was replaced with a larger type to increase performance. Additionally, with the introduction of the P-47D-40, the aircraft became capable of mounting ten high-velocity aircraft rockets under the wings and utilized the new K-14 computing gunsight. Two other notable editions of the aircraft were the P-47M and P-47N. The former was equipped with a 2,800 hp engine and modified for use in downing V-1 buzz bombs and German jets. A total of 130 were built and many suffered from a variety of engine problems. The final production model of the aircraft, the P-47N was intended as an escort for B-29 Superfortresses in the Pacific. Possessing an extended range and improved engine, 1,816 were built before the end of the war. Introduction The P-47 first saw action with the fighter groups of the Eighth Air Force in mid-1943. Dubbed the Jug by its pilots, it was either loved or hated. Many American pilots likened the aircraft to flying a bathtub around the sky. Though early models possessed a poor rate of climb and lacked maneuverability, the aircraft proved extremely rugged and a stable gun platform. The aircraft scored its first kill on April 15, 1943, when Major Don Blakeslee downed a German FW-190. Due to the performance issues, many early P-47 kills were the result of tactics which utilized the aircrafts superior diving ability. By the end of the year, the US Army Air Force was using the fighter in most theaters. The arrival of newer versions of the aircraft and a new Curtiss paddle-blade propeller greatly enhanced the P-47s capabilities, most notably its rate of climb. In addition, efforts had been made to extend its range to allow it to fulfill an escort role. Though this was ultimately taken over by the new North American P-51 Mustang, the P-47 remained an effective combatant and scored the majority of American kills in the early months of 1944. A New Role During this time, the discovery was made that the P-47 was a highly-effective ground-attack aircraft. This occurred as pilots sought targets of opportunity while returning from bomber escort duty. Capable of sustaining severe damage and remaining aloft, P-47s were soon fitted with bomb shackles and unguided rockets. From D-Day on June 6, 1944, through the end of the war, P-47 units destroyed 86,000 railway cars, 9,000 locomotives, 6,000 armored fighting vehicles, and 68,000 trucks. While the P-47s eight machine guns were effective against most targets, it also carried two 500-lb. bombs for dealing with heavy armor. By the end of World War II, the 15,686 P-47s of all types had been constructed. These aircraft flew over 746,000 sorties and downed 3,752 enemy aircraft. P-47 losses during the conflict totaled 3,499 to all causes. Though production ended shortly after the war ended, the P-47 was retained by the USAAF/US Air Force until 1949. Re-designated the F-47 in 1948, the aircraft was flown by the Air National Guard until 1953. During the war, the P-47 was also flown by Britain, France, Soviet Union, Brazil, and Mexico. In the years following the war, the aircraft was operated by Italy, China, and Yugoslavia, as well as several Latin American countries who retained the type into the 1960s. Selected Sources Aviation History: P-47 ThunderboltWarbird Alley: P-47 Thunderbolt