Republic P-47N Thunderbolt RC Plane

Materials: XPS foam 3 and 5mm 1050x500 (or Depron 3mm, 6mm)+ Balsa wood 4x4,
Aircraft Birch (!) Plywood 1.5mm, UHU Por glue
Wingspan: 1000mm (40")
Length: 820mm
Flying Weight: 454g
Motor: X2305 KV1450 (25g)
Propeller: 1147
Receiver: FrSky S6R (12g)
ESC: SunnySky X 18A (9g)
Servos:EMAX ES08D II (9g) x 2 , AFRC-D1802 (5g) x 4
LiHV battery: 1100mah 2S 7.6V
Retractable Landing Gear (25g)
Stainless Steel Spring Wire 2 mm
Brass tubes 3 mm
Neodymium magnets 3x5mm
Wheels подложки под ламинат
Tail wheel 19mm
Carbon Strips: 0.5mm x 3mm
Carbon Tube: 500x2x1mm
Nylon Control Horn with Clevis (0,52+0,34g):
Control Horn (0,5g)
Hinge Linker (24mm):
Transparent plastic screws 4x45
Small Nylon screws: 2mm and 2,5mm for retracts mount

Laser Cutting Machine that I use: NEJE 3 PLUS (A40640) (Diode laser doesn't cut white and blue XPS foam!!!)

Laser Cut files SVG/DXF and PDF plans (templates) for paper print

Two versions available: for 5mm and 6mm Depron

Print in actual size (100%) A3 297×420 mm 250g/m² paper Download PDF A3 and SVG/DXF (€7) в pубляx
Download free example

PDF (paper print templates)

DXF/SVG for laser cutting

Blender 3D model

New Fuselage Desigh (stronger and lighter!)

a lot of foam has been replaced with light and durable Bamboo Stringers: 3x400 mm. Especially important if you use XPS foam with a density of more than 30kg/m³. Wider compartment for electronics. Watch a T-28 Trojan build video which is made this way.

How to make DIY build video

Maiden Flight

Wing inside: 4x4 mm balsa spars, 5mm foam ribs, 5mm balsa+3mm plywood retractable landing gear mount

5 mm foam
Axton (Leroy Merlin) XPS foam 3mm sheets for fuselage and wing skin
Aileron servo 1,5mm plywood mount

The history of this best - next to the P-51 - American fighter from the Second World War is connected with the fate of two Russians. During World War I, Aleksander Siewierski flew Sikorski's heavy bombers. After suffering an injury (as a result of which he lost his leg) and convalescence, he transferred to fighter aviation. He had 13 air victories in 57 fights. All this time, he was learning about airplanes and the methods of their construction, thanks to which he was considered an excellent specialist in the field of aviation.

In the fall of 1917, when the Bolshevik Revolution broke out in St. Petersburg, Siewierski was in France as deputy head of the Russian naval aviation mission. After a short stay in France and getting to know the situation in revolutionized Russia, he decided to emigrate to the USA. The Americans quickly appreciated his experience and hired him as an engineer and tester at the US Army Air Corps (USAAC).

In 1922, Seversky (he changed his name a bit) constructed a bombing sight, for which he received $ 50,000. With this money, he opened his own construction company under the name of Seversky Aero Corporation, which, however, went bankrupt during the Great Depression.

In 1931, thanks to the acquisition of two financially wealthy shareholders, he opened a new company - Seversky Aircraft Corporation (SAC). One of these shareholders was the Russian émigré Alexander Kartveli (Aleksandr Kartwieli). Their first joint construction was the SEV-3 seaplane. Over the next few years, the SAC label could boast of several records (eg SEV-3M - 8 records in the amphibious class) and several small contracts. In mid-1936, the P-35 was built - it was the first fighter constructed by SAC. USAAC only ordered 76 of these machines.

The lack of large orders and some of Seversky's moves left the company on the brink of bankruptcy. In October 1939, at the company's general meeting of shareholders, Seversky was dismissed as president and the company's name was changed to Republic Aviation Corporation (RAC). Alexander Kartveli remained as chief designer, but Seversky had to settle for a subordinate position, which, however, did not diminish his contribution to the emerging structures.

At the end of 1940, the P-43 fighter was built. When designing this Kartveli aircraft, he decided to place a turbocharger at the rear of the fuselage. The plane had good performance at an altitude of over 6,000 m and finally went into mass production (272 copies).

At that time, based on the experience of air warfare in Europe, a view about the next generation fighter plane was crystallizing. In the late fall of 1940, a military meeting with the aircraft manufacturers was held at Wright Field, which determined the requirements for an advantage fighter. According to the USAAC command, such a plane should reach a speed of not less than 640 km / h at an altitude of 10,500 m, a maximum ceiling of 12,000 m, and a diving speed greater than other fighters. In addition, it should be heavily armed and armored. To meet such exorbitant requirements, a powerful engine was needed, and this is exactly what was being created - the star R-2800. Kartveli's star-engineered stellar engine had provided the staff members with a sketch of an airplane that was quite large for a fighter. On September 13, 1940, representatives of USAAC signed a contract with Republic for the delivery of nearly 800 copies of the new fighter, designated P-47B. The P-43 was used as the basis for its development. Some of its segments were enlarged or slightly modified, many solutions were taken from the abandoned XP-44. The most work was done by installing a two-stage compressor at the rear of the fuselage and moving all weapons to the wings.

In May 1941, a prototype of a new fighter was tested - it was not without problems in flight, but all the shortcomings were secondary to the phenomenal performance despite its considerable size and weight of over 6 tons. At an altitude of 7,800 m, the Thunderbolt (as it was named) developed a speed of 663 km / h - the best German Bf 109F-4 fighter at an altitude of 6,200 m reached 606 km / h. Over the next 12 months, efforts were made to remove defects, the most dangerous of which turned out to be tail vibrations at higher speeds. The pilots had some problems with the extensive cabin equipment - not seen anywhere before - which was the cause of numerous accidents and breakdowns. However, after getting to know the plane more deeply and learning all the knobs and buttons, it turned out that the P-47 is easier and more pleasant to use than the Spitfire or P-39.

Comparing the Thunderbolt with other fighters, such as the Spitfire, Fw 190, Bf 109G-2, A6M3 or MiG-3, it should be stated that at an altitude of over 6,000 m, none of these aircraft could match it. When above this level their combat values weakened, then in the case of the P-47 they increased - it became light in handling, fast and maneuverable. In case of danger, it was enough to add gas and tilt the nose of the plane to leave the enemy far behind in a few seconds. Another advantage was the resistance to combat damage. All these advantages, combined with the appropriately developed combat tactics and the training of American pilots, made it an extremely difficult plane to defeat.

It was a great success for Republic and Kartvel - the corporation received a large order for which additional processing capacity was needed. As the Farmingdale facilities were unable to meet demand, the RAC subsidiary was built in Evansville and the license was sold to Curtissa in Buffalo.

In the course of production, the design underwent modifications, the biggest of which was probably the replacement of the cabin cover with the so-called droplet (from the D-25 version, mid-1944), significantly improving visibility.

In January 1943, the P-47 went to 4 FG, 78 FG and 56 FG newly arrived in England. For 3 consecutive months, it took us to get acquainted with the new equipment. In the first meetings with well-trained Luftwaffe pilots, several victories were reported, but over a dozen "Jugs" (given by the pilots) were lost. With the arrival of summer and the gaining of combat experience, a period of fruitful hunting began for the Thunderbolts. Two days later, the pilots of the above-mentioned fighter groups shot down 24 German planes - 3 P-47s were lost. By the end of summer, the 8th Air Force stationed in England had 7 P-47D groups (336 machines) in its composition. Soon the pilots of the 56 FG "Wolfpack", commanded by Col. "Hub" Zemke (ace with 18 victories). On October 10, due to the vagaries of weather, the P-47s missed the assembly point and the 8 AF bomber expedition went to the destination without escort. The Germans took advantage of this and the bomber massacre began. part of the cover flew in and the roles turned - the Thunderbolts knocked down 25 German fighters (most of the victories were 56 FGs.) The losses of the Americans amounted to 1 P-47 and as many as 30 bombers.

On November 25, groups equipped with P-47s carried out the first team fighter-bomber operation, the goal of which was the German airport in St. Omer. Since the pilots did not like such tasks, the 8 AF command began to count them planes destroyed on the ground as well as those destroyed in the air - pilots received additional remuneration, and the destroyed plane was entered on the list of victories, thus enabling faster promotion to the ranks of aces.

In total, the pilots of 9 P-47 groups included in 8 AF shot down about 3,500 aircraft and destroyed about 2,300 on the ground. In addition, there is a huge amount of vehicles and military equipment destroyed during assault missions. Nearly 1,300 machines were lost.

56 FGs were the most successful in the air - for the price of 128 machines, its pilots shot down 647.5 enemy aircraft, and destroyed about 350 on the ground. This unit was flown by, among others, R. Johnson (27 wins), D. Schilling (22.5), F. Christensen (21.5), W. Mahurin (19) and the most effective USAAF pilot in Europe - F Gabreski (28) . In 1944, in the composition of 56 FG, several Poles also flew voluntarily - the best hunter was B. Glładych (no less than 15 victories, including over 8 on the P-47, and 5 planes destroyed on the ground). The 348 FG was the most successful in the fight against the Japanese in the Pacific, and the most effective pilots were Col. Neel E. Kearby (22 wins, including 6 in a single flight) and Major W. Dunham (16).

In addition to the US, Thunderbolt users were England, France, the Soviet Union, Mexico, Turkey, Taiwan, Iran, Yugoslavia, Portugal, Brazil and other South and Central American countries. In total, approximately 15,600 aircraft of all versions were produced.

The model in this page shows the P-47D-25, on which Col. Francis "Gabby" Gabreski achieved his last 6 victories in World War II.

Technical and tactical data (P-47D-25):

Dimensions: length 10.92 m
wingspan 12.43 m
height 4.44 m
Own weight: 4527 kg
Max weight: 7031 kg
Drive: 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 radial engine with a power of 2000 KM Max speed: 690 km / h
Service ceiling: 12800 m
Range: 950 km; at an economic speed of -1650 km;
with additional tanks -max. 3100km
Armament: 8 12.7 mm Browning М2 machine guns (425 rounds each), bombs and missiles with a total weight of 1,134 kg
Crew: 1 pilot

 

The Р-47 "Thunderbolt" was the last fighter in the limelight launched by the P-35, heavy low-wing fighter with a star engine.

The first prototype built was the XP-47 B. which was flown on May 6, 1941. It had a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21 1471 KW engine and was armed with an 8 mm gun. 12.7 mm.

The P-47В had poor climb and inadequate maneuverability. therefore, at the end of 1941, the P-47C was developed with a longer hull to improve maneuverability. The R-2800-59 engine was used in the P-47 D version. From the P-47D-25 series, a drip cabin and a thinner fuselage in the rear section were introduced. From the P-47D-27 series, a small dorsal fin was introduced. The P-47 G symbol denotes airplanes identical to the P-47D. but manufactured at Curtiss factories. The next version was the P-47 M equipped with the R-2800-57 engine with a CH-4 turbocharger. It was intended to intercept German bombers and V-1 bombs. The last serial version was the P-47N with a span increased to 12.98 m, with a larger fin dorsal.

This powerful fighter aircraft, produced during World War II, was undoubtedly a very successful design. At the beginning coolly received by the pilots, it quickly demonstrated its speed, maneuverability at high altitudes, strong armament and incredible durability. During the war, the Thunderbolt pilots achieved a number of successes.
These airplanes performed 546,000 sorties, in which 11,847 enemy planes were either destroyed or damaged. However, they suffered little loss.

In addition to American airmen, French, British, Mexican and Brazilian pilots also fought on the Thunderbolts. Polish pilots also fought on these planes. They were directed to the American units fighting in Europe in order to get to know the P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft (which was to be equipped with some P.S.P fighter squadrons) and to undergo aviation practice under different organizational conditions. One of these pilots was Captain pil. Witold Łanowski. flying in 61 Squadron 56 Grupa Myśliwska, as well as Captain B. Gładych. Major S. Łaszkiewicz and others.

Republic P-47D-22RE Thunderbolt

fighter plane

The P-47 "Thunderbolt" was the last fighter in the line started with the P-35, ie heavy, star-engined low-wing fighter aircraft. The first prototype built was the XP-47 B, which was flown on May 6, 1941. It had a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21 1471 KW engine, and armed with a 8k.m. 12.7 mm.

The P-47 B had poor climb and inadequate maneuverability, so at the end of 1941 the P-47 C with a longer hull was developed to improve maneuverability. The P-47 D version uses the R2800-59 engine. From the P-47 D-25 series, a drip cabin and a thinner fuselage in the rear section were introduced. From the P-47 D-27 series, a small dorsal fin was introduced. The P-47 G symbol denotes airplanes identical to the P-47 D, but manufactured at the Curtiss plant.
The next version was the P-47 M equipped with the R-2800-57 engine with a CH-4 turbocharger. It was intended to intercept German bombers! V-1 bombs. The last series version was the P-47 No, increased to 12.98 meters.

This powerful fighter aircraft produced during World War II was undoubtedly a successful design. At the beginning, coolly received by the pilots, it quickly demonstrated its speed, maneuverability at high altitudes, strong armament and incredible endurance. During the war, the pilots of the "Thunderbolt" achieved a number of successes. These aircraft made 548,000 sorties, in which 11,847 enemy aircraft were destroyed or damaged, but suffered few losses themselves.

Apart from the American Iptniks, French, British, Mexican and Brazilian pilots also fought on the "Thunderbolts". Polish pilots, directed to American units fighting in Europe, also fought on these planes in order to get to know the P-47 "Thunderbolt" aircraft (which was to be used by some P.S.P fighter squadrons) and to undergo aviation practice under different organizational conditions. One of these pilots was Cpt. Witold Łanowski, flying in the 61st Squadron 56 Hunting Group, as well as Captain B. Gładych, Major S. Łaszkiewicz and others.

The published plans show the P-47D-22RE "Thunderbolt" model number 42-26387 MX-W "Miss Behave" belonging to the 82nd Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group of the US 8th Air Force stationed at the Duxford airport in Great Britain.

Technical data:
Dimensions: span -12.43 m, length -11.02 m. Height -4.44 m. Empty weight - 4500 kg. max weight - 7700 kg, max speed - 700 km / h, ceiling - 11850 m. range - 1287/3050 km. armament - 8x12.7 mm. 1134 kg of bombs.