Model Airplane News

FLIGHT TEST HANGAR 9 P-47D THUNDERBOLT

are hidden, this makes it easier to select the correct charging parameters later on.

I opted for an optional cockpit and while it added greatly to the scale detail, it did not require much additional assembly time. The cockpit is held in place by two tabs and bolts. I finished up with all the other scale accessories including wing bombs and pylons along with a centerline tank under the fuselage. Last but not least, I glued in the wing guns, pitot tube and antenna. After a quick balance on the CG and then setting up all the control throws to the recommended distance, my P- 47 was ready for the flying field.

CONCLUSION

I put in a little over 40 hours of building time on the Hangar 9 P- 47, but that did include the scale cockpit and retractable landing gears. Overall, this build could be accomplished by anyone who has at least one or two ARF builds under his or her belt. The instructions are outstanding and the part fit is just about perfect. The nice thing is once finished, you have a great-looking P- 47 with a number of scale details that many kits do not offer. If 2012 is your year to build a scale plane, you really want to give the Hangar 9 P- 47 a good look. ;

With West Coast senior editor John Reid posing next to the Hangar 9 P-47D, you can see xactly how big this plane is!

SCALE DETAIL: ADDING REALISM WITHOUT
WEIGHING EVERYTHING DOWN

Planes like the P- 47 just beg for scale detailing and I don’t know of a pilot who wouldn’t want to add them to his or her aircraft. The only issue with this detail is that it adds extra weight and drag to the plane without adding any extra performance. Now, I am not saying that is a bad thing, but you just have to look at ways to make those scale details as light as possible without sacrificing the looks. In the case of the Hangar 9 P- 47, the manufacturer has add extra scale details so that they do not hinder the performance of the plane (at least not too much). One thing that does help is starting with a larger size plane like this P- 47. Because of the 81-inch wingspan, this plane can handle an additional pound of scale detail much better than a . 40 or . 60 size P- 47 would.

The optional cockpit kit adds the final
touch to this great-looking Thunderbolt.
All you need to add is a first-rate
pilot like this one from Dragon USA
( dragonmodelsusa.com).

First rule of scale detail: Start
with a bigger plane.

Second rule: Save weight on scale detail that is not seen. On this plane, I have a scale cockpit (optional) that is made from thin and lightweight plywood. A detailed decal is use for the dashboard to add realistic looks without the weight.

I have a full pilot in the cockpit, but I took off the legs and filled the pants with
paper to save some weight.

Final rule: Buy lighter weight scale items. Robart has a new line of electric retracts for this plane. When they are available, I can use them to replace my air retracts and save some weight by removing all of the airlines and tank that are now in this plane. While each item is not much weight by itself, they all add up to a lighter aircraft, which in turn means more performance.