Exclusive! Hangar 9/Horizon Hobby P-47 Thunderbolt 20cc ARF
An excellent-flying replica of the rugged WW II warbird
An excellent-flying replica of the rugged WW II warbird
This 20cc P-47 Thunderbolt ARF is one of the latest offerings from the folks at Hangar 9, and it is clear that they have taken what they’ve learned from previous models in the line and incorporated it into this famous World War II warbird. First, let me tell you a bit about the full-scale version. The Razorback D, chosen by Hangar 9 for this model, was one of the last versions of the series, which went all the way up through the N model. Production ran through 1945, with an incredible 15,683 airframes made and with a Pratt &
Whitney R-2800 engine powering every one of those babies. By far the biggest single-engine propdriven fighter of the war, the massive “Jug” was a favorite mount of many
WW II American aces, such as Robert Johnson, “Gabby”
Gabreski, and “Hub” Zemke, in the European Theater as well as some 22-year-old youngsters whose first ride into aerial combat was aboard in the P-47.
THIS ARF IS AMONG THE NICEST I’VE SEEN FROM A FIT, FINISH, AND FLYABILITY STANDPOINT, AND ITS ATTRACTIVE, COMPETITIVE PRICE SHOULD MAKE IT POPULAR WITH WARBIRD FLIERS. THE FACT THAT IT’S A SCALE MODEL, AT 1/7 SIZE, ONLY SWEETENS THE DEAL.
UNIQUE FEATURES
The model, as offered by Hangar 9, is complete, well designed, and constructed like a conventional “built-up” wood structure. It is obviously designed using CAD, as are many models these days, with the parts fit, pushrod routing, and correct equipment placement assured in the design process. This Jug arrives well protected and expertly covered in a decorated, self-adhesive covering in a scheme that enables you to duplicate three different full-scale P-47s: simple, military, and attractive. Unfortunately, no placement guide is provided to show you where the markings are to go on any of the versions. This isn’t a serious problem, though, as you are likely to do some research on your own on the full-scale version and will likely find what you need. I found two pictures of the “Burma Yank” on social media, along with a profile rendering. Unfortunately, the model itself didn’t match the illustrations, so I just did the best I could with what I had as it wasn’t going to be a competition model anyway.
Although the kit features a removable wing, with the two panels joined by a substantial metal tube for easy transport, it may not need to be broken down that far. With a span of 67 inches, the wing should be able to fit in most vehicles in one piece, so you won’t have additional servo leads to disconnect every time. The feature might be helpful, though, should you ever have to replace (perish the thought) one of the panels. The wing panels are retract-ready and are just waiting for the E-flite electric units. They
are specifically designed to swing through the required 85-degree arc retraction/extension angle. I also opted for the scale-type gear struts, which replace the music-wire legs provided with the retract units. I’ve used E-flite retracts before on a number of my models, and they remain virtually trouble- (and maintenance-) free. The optional scale struts simply plug in where the wire ones lived and are held captive by a clamping arrangement. When installing the struts (either type), you might consider toeing in both wheels 2 to 3 degrees; this helps straighten the takeoff roll—again, helping with that narrow track gear by improving ground handling. A large fiberglass molded cowl, plus exhaust-waste gates, turbocharger exhaust, and wingtip light lenses are vacuum-formed and supplied to enhance the scale effect along with an optional turned spinner with the correct outline. Rounding out the goodies is a pilot bust in his “office,” complete with sides walls and seat-formed instrument panel. (Remember that this is a scale model, and it always flies better with a pilot figure onboard!)
The fuselage features a large removable hatch to allow easy access to all the innards, like batteries, radio gear, and linkages. Also included is a complete hardware package, which contains good-quality items that you would feel comfortable using on your own scratch-built models: screws that you can actually tighten without rounding out the screwdriver slot, wire that you can actually bend to shape without snapping, and tires capable of actually supporting the finished model.
You’ll appreciate the assembly manual. This 36-page document is actually laid out and presented in a fashion that is easily understood, logically sequenced, and amply illustrated. A complete parts list lets you inventory everything and get a feel for the terminology if you are a relative newcomer. A great example is the inclusion of instructions, firewalls, and hardware for the installation of the powerplant of your choice. Installations for small (20cc) gas engines,
four-stroke glow engines, and electric motors are shown and in four languages—with illustrations, no less! And Hangar 9 thoughtfully provides engine mounts/firewalls for all three configurations. The covering is a heat-shrinkable material not unlike the material we see in use for “wrap” in the automotive world. Wrinkles can be removed with a heat gun on very low heat, but the material itself is self-adhesive Mylar, which allows the panel lines and surface details to be preprinted on the film. What makes this covering unusual is the fact that it is both colored in a camo pattern and premarked. Yup, all those national markings, along with panel lines, are already there as part of the finish. I have seen this technique before, and it sure looks good. Since Hangar 9 had to select a scheme and lay out the color, I would have preferred one with a bit more eye appeal, but the quality of application offsets that slight disappointment. The company thoughtfully provides a small sheet of additional self-adhesive markings, such as squadron/unit codes, that you can apply if you run out of things to do as well as two separate sheets of self-adhesive film in the silver and O.D. colors should you require a small portion of it for those inevitable “patches.”
IN THE AIR
The P-47 is equally comfortable on close-cut grass or hard-surface runways found at most club flying sites, an attribute of its wide-track main gear; ground handling is amazingly good, better on grass. Unlike many tail-draggers, it is extremely well behaved, even on pavement, during the takeoff roll and shows almost no tendency to pull left with the application of power. After takeoff, my model trimmed up quickly, and I had it flying “hands off” after a small number of orbits. And the performance of the Evolution 20cc gas engine is great. After I broke it in on a 20:1 (6.75 oz. of oil to 1 gallon of gas) gas/oil mix for about four tanks full, I ran it on the traditional 32:1 mix. It required only minor adjustment to the needles, and I haven’t had to touch it since. It’s
very user-friendly. Not quite as friendly, however, is the level of vibration that repeatedly caused the muffler to loosen from the exhaust stack. I never lost it, but I came close. I finally solved the issue by getting longer hex-head muffler screws, drilling laterally through the heads, and securing them with safety wire as is frequently done in generalaviation practice. No more loosening problem!
The engine is an absolute miser when it comes to drinking gasoline. I’m only guessing, but I’d bet you could stay airborne for 20 minutes on 6 to 8 oz. of gas/oil mix. Try that with your mediumto large-displacement glow engine!
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Stability: The proportions of the Hangar 9 P-47 and just the look of it tell you that it’s going to be extremely stable and that you won’t be disappointed. Get the center of gravity where specified (4 to 4 1/2 inches aft of the leading edge at the wing root) and you’ll have a friendly model that’s a pleasure to fly.
Tracking: The model tracks true throughout the flight envelope. Given that it’s a prebuilt ARF, the likelihood of warps is minimized and it shows, displaying very gentle flying qualities.
Aerobatics: The model will easily perform any aerobatic maneuver likely to be done by a full-scale Thunderbolt, plus some you probably wouldn’t attempt if you strapped on the 1:1 version. Rolls are slow and scalelike; loops large, open, round, and look great if you reduce power on the back side. The split-S ending with a low strafing pass is eye-watering!
Glide and stall performance: The Jug flies so well that you’ll feel at home with it after just a few flights. To check the effectiveness of the flaps, I cruised around at about 200 feet, reduced power, extended the flaps, and started feeding in up-elevator. With a gentle headwind, I was able to reduce power to just above an idle and hold full up. The model literally hung in place with almost no forward speed while I used a touch of rudder to correct yaw. It showed no tendency to drop a wing in either direction at the stall. Familiarity at altitude ensures confidence on landing. Full-flap approaches and landings are just plain fun. The flaps are quite effective, and you should expect the model to land long and float a bit with almost anything above idle power until you get used to it.
Landings themselves are uneventful. Without flaps, the model seems to glide forever. With them, you can just about pick your touchdown spot and fly the model to it. Until speed bleeds off after touchdown, apply the rudder carefully to maintain the runway heading. The wide track of the gear makes ground-looping almost an impossibility on hard-surface runways (unless you’re going too way fast to begin with!).