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Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

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NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful single piston engine fighter of WW II To date no larger single piston engine fighter has ever been produced.

Thunderbolts were responsible for the destruction of over 11,870 enemy aircraft. They downed over 3,750 aircraft in air-to-air combat and logged nearly two million flight hours during some 546,000 missions.

Alexander Kartveli is credited with designing the P-47. It is said that he built the aircraft around its engine, the P&W R-2800. He did this by laying out the engine, turbocharger and all its plumbing first, and then modeling an airframe around them.

When the Thunderbolt was originally designed, no provisions were made for the use of drop tanks. At the time, the Army Air Corps considered them as too dangerous. It later became obvious that it would have to be fitted with drop tanks in order to escort bombers deep in to Germany. They were then retrofitted for the use of drop tanks. Some of the plumbing to accommodate the tanks, and the design of the tanks themselves were done under battlefield conditions. This accounts for the variety of drop tanks seen on various models.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt had extended landing gear in order to provide clearance for its 12 foot diameter propeller. The aircraft had an air conditioned cockpit and heating in the gun bay to insure that the machine guns would not jam due to freezing. Later aircraft were equipped with engine water injection for use during “emergency war power” maneuvers.

The model D was able to carry 1,000 lb bombs under each wing along with a center drop tank.

The Thunderbolts which were first produced were called "razorbacks". When the aircraft got its bubble canopy, all around pilot visibility improved significantly. However, with the removal of the razor back, a small dorsal fin had to be added in front of the vertical stabilizer to restore some stability to the aircraft.

A total of 15,686 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft of all types were built. No other U.S. fighter was ever built in such numbers.


Specifications

        Primary Function:
        Crew:
        Engine:
        Power:
        Length:
        Wingspan:
        Weight Empty:
        Max. Weight:
        Machine Guns:
        Bombs:
        Cruise Speed:
        Max. Speed:
        Initial Climb:
        Ceiling:
        Range:
        First Flight:
       Year Deployed:
fighter/bomber
one
P&W R2800
2,000 hp.
36' 2"
40' 9"
9,500 lbs.
17,500 lbs.
8- .50 cal.
2,500 lbs.
300 mph
430 mph
3,200 fpm
42,000 feet
1,200 miles
5/30/41
1942



Radio Control Airplane
FOR SALE
The rc P-47 Thunderbolt ARF from Hangar 9. Wingspan 65", length 51". For .62 two cycle or .72- 100 four cycle engines.


Radio Control Airplanes:






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Nitro Planes has several rc P-47 Thunderbolt scale models for sale.

Nitro Planes has a rc P-47 Thunderbolt RTF (ready to fly) for sale. It is a foamy with a 33" wingspan, a 29" length and a Speed 370 type motor.

For a larger, engine powered ARF, Nitro Planes will sell you a rc P-47 Thunderbolt with a 71" wingspan. Its length is 56". Construction materials are a fiberglass fuselage and balsa built-up wings. A .91 two stroke or 1.20 four stroke engine is the recommended power.

There is a mid-size rc P-47 Thunderbolt for sale from Nitro Planes. Its wingspan is 55 1/2", its length is 44 1/2" and weight is about 5 3/4 lbs. Its fuselage is all glass and wings are sheeted foam. A .40 two stroke or .52 four stroke will power it.

Alfa models has a rc P-47 Thunderbolt for sale. It has a wingspan of 33" and a length of 28". For electric power you will need a Speed 400 size motor. Weight should be around 1 lb.

Hangar 9 has a P-47 rc Thunderbolt ARF made from balsa and ply. It has a 65" wingspan and a 52" length. For power it takes a .60 two cycle engine or from .72 to 1.0 four cycle engines. Weight is around 9 lbs.

Great Planes has a 40" wingspan rc P-47 Thunderbolt for sale. It is 34" long, made from balsa and plywood, with a weight of about 44 oz. It can be powered electrically with a 1200 kv motor, or with a .25 two cycle engine.

The Watt Age rc P-47 Thunderbolt ARF has a wingspan of 42" and a length of 38 1/2". Its fuselage is made from plastic. Included is a BL480 motor. Weight is around 30 oz.

Thunder Tiger has a foamy P-47 Thunderbolt rc airplane for sale. It is a ARF with a 34" wingspan and a 29 1/2" length. A motor is included.

Toysonics has a larger rc P-47 Thunderbolt scale model for sale. Its wingspan is 70" and length is 47". Construction materials are a fiberglass fuse with balsa built-up wings. Retracts are included. A .90 two stroke or 1.20 four stroke engine are needed for power.

LANYU, China, has a rc P-47 Thunderbolt radio control airplane. It is a foamy with a 35" wingspan, a 30" length, and a weight of about 1 lb.

Amax Hobby, China has another smaller rc P-47 Thunderbolt for sale. Its wingspan is 33" and length is 29". It comes with a Speed 370 motor and weighs around 13 1/2 oz.

If you are looking for a kit, check out the House of Balsa for their rc P-47 Thunderbolt. Wingspan is 36" and length is 28 1/2". Of course, it is made from balsa and plywood. With the recommended .50 to .10 engine, weight should be around 1 1/2 lbs.

Kit Cutters will sell you their kit or plans for a giant scale rc P-47 Thunderbolt. The Roy Vaillancourt design has a wingspan of 92" and a length of 78". Engines can be from 3.7 to 4.2 c.i.d. Weight should be around 34 lbs. when completed.

Cleveland Models has plans for sale of the rc P-47 Thunderbolt with wingspans of 15", 20", 30 1/2", 40 1/2", 61", 81" and a giant scale 122" model.

The ARF rc P-47 Thunderbolt from Global Anthem has a length of 51" and features a glass fuselage and foam wings.  It will take .90 to 108 two stroke and 120 four stroke engines.

Graupner has a rc P-47 Thunderbolt ARF . It has a 63" wing span and a 53" length. Power can come from a 20 cc 4 cycle engine.

Yellow Aircraft has a 70" w/s rc P-47 Thunderbolt kit. You can power it with Supertigre 3000, Moki 1.8, 2.1, OS BGX, or Zenoah G-38 engines.

If you prefer building from plans, check out the rc P-47 Thunderbolt from Vailly Aviation Plans. It has a 92" wing span and can be powered by 3.7 - 4.2 engines. All weight is around 35 lbs.

There are many rc P-47 Thunderbolt radio control airplanes to choose from. If you can recommend one please email us.


Radio Control Airplane
The rc P-47 Thunderbolt from a Top Flight kit. Top Flight has two kits of the rc airplane. One features a 63" wing span and can be powered by .61 - .90 2c or .91 - 1.20 4c engines. The larger kit has a wing span of 85" with a weight from 20 to 22 lbs. Recommended power for the 85" wing span RC Airplane are 2.1 - 2.8 glow or 2.5 - 4.2 gasoline engines.


Radio Control Airplane
Mike Crosby's and his rc P-47 Thunderbolt.  It is built from an American Eagle Aircraft 1/5 scale kit. The wing span is 90" with an all up weight of 32 lbs. American Eagle recommends Zenoah 62, or Sachs 4.2 and up engines for power. Mike's airplane has a Fox 4.2 engine up front for power.


Radio Control Airplane
A rc P-47 Thunderbolt from Nitro Planes.


Radio Control Airplane
The giant scale rc P-47 from Meister Scale.  It has a wingspan of 102", with a fiberglass fuselage and balsa built up wings.  Power can come from 3.8 to 6.0 c.i.d. engines.  Weight is around 40 lbs.