Evansville Wartime Museum

During World War II, Evansville was the site of a Republic Aviation factory that built Republic P-47 Thunderbolts.[2]

Plans to obtain an aircraft for display in the city began as early as 1986, when a former supervisor at the plant, Frank Whetsel, purchased the wreckage of a P-47D, serial number 42-8320, that had crashed in Lake Kerr in Florida and founded the P-47 Heritage Commmission.[3][4][5] The airplane arrived in Evansville the following February and was delivered to the University of Southern Indiana.[6][7] The Commission attempted to raise money by holding a bingo game in 1991, but was accused of violating state gambling laws. A group called the P-47 Foundation, led by Andy Easley, purchased the project from the commission.[8][9]

Following Frank's death in 1992, his son Jim took over the project. The intent was to display it in the airport terminal that was under construction at the time. However, the airframe was destroyed on 18 March 1997 in a fire at the Franklin Industrial Center where it was being restored.[10][11] Immediately following the fire, the foundation attempted to obtain an example from the Air Force Museum System, but was unsuccessful. It was also forced to return an engine that had been on loan.[12]

In 2013, plans were announced to open the Freedom Heritage Museum at the Evansville Regional Airport.[13] The museum opened on 27 May 2017, shortly after changing its name to the Evansville Wartime Museum.[14][15] It was finally able to acquire a P-47, Tarheel Tal, from the Lone Star Flight Museum in 2020.[16][17] The airplane was repainted the following year as Hoosier Spirit II, to represent the first P-47 built in Indiana.[18][19] Following an effort by the foundation, the P-47 was designated the official state aircraft of Indiana in 2021.[19][20]