Aerobatic Performance Team
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ARF Reviews
Extreme Composite Edge 540T 50CC
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The Ladies Justina and Dietrich 42% Extra 260
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Hangar 9 P-47 Thunderbolt ARF
Build Review by Rockin' Rick
Yeah, Yeah, I know. All of you are saying, what in the world is he doing building a Warbird? Heck, I don't know, seems that the bug just got into me. I've always admired this big ugly "Jug", so why not build one? Also, I think that we need to teach these warbirds some new tricks. I've been to a bunch of Fun Flys and never seen a Warbird that did anything more than go up and come down. Race it down the field as fast as it will go and as close to the ground with out touching. That's the stuff! Let's see if we can do some new stuff with this one. Ever see one of those hot-shots hover a Warbird? Me neither.
First, remove and inspect all the parts from the carton. Once you are sure that there are no missing parts or damage to the aircraft, take your heating iron and reseal all the surfaces on the plane. While in transit, airplanes expand and contract due to atmospheric changes encountered while enroute. I opted to make my P-47 a bit different from all the "box" versions out there by changing that yellow covering on the tail feathers. This is simple to do and requires just a little more time to perform. I like red better than yellow anyway. I always start building a plane from the engine and move to the back of the fuselage. This may not be in accordance with the manufacturers manual, but it's my method of building and it works for me. I'm not going to use the Kit supplied aluminum beam motor mounts. I chose the Evolution 35GT2 engine for this project and built my own engine mount from 1/4" aluminum stock and saved 1.75oz by doing so. If you've got a drill press, this is an easy task. The Evolution engine is about the same weight as the clunker Zenoah G26 engine that is recommended for this project, but it develops quite a bit more power and we're going to need that before it's all over. I removed the blind nuts that were in the firewall and plugged the holes. Take extra care if you decide to remove these as the mount for the fuel tank is behind a couple of them. I used medium strength thread locker on the bolts connecting the engine to the mount. Notice the recessed bolt mounting. This will allow the mount to fit flush on the firewall when installed.
After determining the correct positioning for the motor mount, redrill the holes for the mounting blind nuts. Place a little bit of 5 minute epoxy on the blind nuts when installing them. The engine mounting now provides a nice, clean, and uncluttered mounting installation. Next, I installed the fuel filler and fuel lines in anticipation of the fuel tank installation. I like the Slimline Excel Gas Fueler and use it on all my planes. The final picture in the series shows the ignition mounting, fuel line entry and throttle linkages in process.
Let's get on back to the horizontal stab, rudder and elevator installations. Be sure to drill a 5/64 hole where the center of the CA hinge will be located in both the stabs, fin, and the control surfaces. This will ensure that CA glue gets into the hinge material and the control surfaces. When proper fit is achieved, place about 4-6 drops of thin CA in the holes and secure the hinges. Next we'll tap the horizontal stab aluminum tube with a 4-40 tap. Install the anti-rotation pins in the stabs and fit the two stabs to determine the location of the 4-40 bolt for the other stab. Drill and tap in the same manner. I like to place a piece of 1/16 lite ply backing inside the fuse for my switches and charge jack to mount on. I've also done this to back up the fuel filler inlet. Just cut out and glue in place with 5 min epoxy. The MPI Miracle Switch with regulator was employed for the RX application since Li-Ion batteries will be used in this application. The engine did not require a regulator since it is compatible with voltages from 6-8.4V and a heavy duty Futaba switch was used here. Ni-MH are quickly going the way of the Ni-Cad battery, so get used to it. In the next frame, I've installed the inboard servos for throttle, elevators and rudder. I'll be using Hitec HS 5645MG's on the control surfaces and a Hitec 645MG for the throttle. Also note, that the push rod ends have been cut down to size and threaded for 4-40 clevises. I don't like the way that the manual suggests connecting the pushrods so I'll take a positive and easily adjustable connection with the threaded clevises. Might be a little more work, but I'm glad to do it for piece of mind. Last one on the right? Shoot, that's Deuce, Labrador Retriever at large. Deuce helps with all the builds and provides excellent moral support when called upon.
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