Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (oz8593)

About this Plan

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Dogfight Duo 1 of 2) Radio control sport scale model, for .10 to .15 engines and 2 function radio. These two model designs appeared in the same article.

Quote: "Dogfight Duo: Two of WWII's most famous fighter planes, the Focke-Wulf 190D (oz8594) and the P-47D Thunderbolt, seemed like such a natural combination that our author decided to include them both in the same construction article. After all what good is a fighter plane without an adversary? Each is for a .10 to .15 engine and a simple two channel radio..."

"DEVELOPED FROM a string of previous fighter designs, the P-47 became a formidable escort fighter and ground-attack plane. Known as the 'Juggernaut' or simply 'Jug' due to its shape and size, P-47 exploits became legion all over the world. Time and again, badly-damaged machines brought pilots back home - shaken, maybe, but ready to go again - where lesser types would have failed.

Its ruggedness became a by-word with American and British pilots who, having gotten to know its ways and sorted out its combat role, came to love it. Many of the top American aces flew this airplane, and from its widespread use there are many highly-colorful marking schemes to choose from that are well-documented in books and magazines.

The model P-47 Thunderbolt presented here is No. 2 in my series of WW II fighters and is as accurate in outline as I could make it. The only obvious deviations from scale are the airfoil section and omission of small detailing. The latter could be included if the builder wished to do so. As with the FW 190D, three-channel controls could be used (to include throttle control), although only two channels (for elevator and aileron) were used on the prototype model.

Construction of the P-47 is similar to the FW 190D. Wings are much the same except the P-47 has cable-in-tube aileron controls whereas the Fw 190D has torque rods. The major difference is in the fuselage. Again, there is logic to the building sequence, which should be in the order of the text.

Wing and tail. The wing is constructed over the bottom skin as per the Fw 190D. The washout in the wing is vital and must be equal in each panel. The tail surfaces can be built-up as per the plan for a nice scale effect, though you could save time by simply cutting the fin, rudder, stabilizer, and elevators all from 3/16 sheet balsa.

Fuselage. This has no flat side areas (as the FW 190D has), so it starts with a horizontal crutch built over the plan. Add the half formers to the top and bottom, leaving F5 and F6 at full size for the time being. Add the wing support saddles, keel mem-bers, and a few strips of planking for support. Cut away F5 and F6, and epoxy the wing in position. Fit the stabilizer supports (F13), and epoxy the horizontal tail in position. Similarly fit and glue the fin/rudder, assuring that the elevator horn has the necessary clearance.

Glue on the belly block, but do not carve it until the planking is complete. Now, plank or sheet the fuselage (using pre-curved strips either wetted on the outside or doped on the inside). Carve and sand the belly block to match the planking, and sand everything smooth. Fit the engine mount, hatch retainers, servo mounts, canopy, etc..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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