ParkZone / Horizon Hobby P-47D By Frank Fanelli PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANK FANELLI I
t doesn’t matter what size any model of a P-47 Thunderbolt is. Just about 99% of the time it flies well. That credit goes to Alex Kartveli, the chief engineer of the 1930s era Seversky Aircraft Corporation that later morphed into the Republic Air- craft. It was he as chief engineer who brought the P-47 Thunderbolt into its proud service in WW II. Over 15,000 of these rugged workhorses were built. Despite a very enviable record they became the under- study to the sleeker, more glamorous P-51. The P-47 has been extensively modeled
and in ParkZone’s recent offering, it has been sized to what renowned model design- er, Don Srull, referred to as “Schoolyard Scale”. The term was applied to what has al- ways been one of the more popular sizes in glow engine models that used a .20–.25 c.i. glow engine and generally spanned any- where from 36 to 46 inches. Still economical they were also large enough to see, and not “flit” around but small enough to easily stay in the confines of a school playground. What’s old is new.
In all respects the ParkZone P-47 fits that very comfortable and popular R/C niche. It spans a tad more than 42 inches, and uses
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an electric motor that is the equivalent of a .25 c.i. glow engine. Unlike its progenitors it isn’t a concoction of balsa and plastic cover- ing. Instead it uses the increasingly wide- spread molded foam to keep the weight light like the original schoolyard planes. And it has very good outlines that look like a P-47, not a caricature of one. And it has some nice scale touches like the simulated radial en- gine in the cowl, and the molded panel lines. Like the other ParkZone scale planes in this size, the Thunderbolt comes in two ver- sions: Plug ‘N Play (PNP) and Bind ’N Fly (BNF). The version described here is the lat- ter, the BNF version. It allows the installed receiver to bind with any Spektrum or JR transmitter. That’s an advantage since the P-47 can add two more functions to the basic four already set up. Flaps and retracts can be added with a minimum of fuss and that’s what this review will describe in detail. Because both these functions reside in the wing that’s where all the extra setup takes place. Flaps were the first item of attention and the model’s minimal hardware package includes the flap horns and pushrods. Two ParkZone SV-80 servos are an extra that have to be purchased to operate the flaps.
Thunderbolt
Comfortable size scale, packed with scale features many larger models lack!
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
Motor: ESC:
Battery: Radio:
Manufacturer:
R/C sport scale Z-Foam
42.2 inches
semi-symmetrical 36.9 inches
42.5 ounces w/retracts & flaps
PKZ 15 950 Kv E-flite 30-amp
3S 2200 mAh Li-Po 4–6 channel ParkZone
Dist. by: Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road, Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-1913
www.horizonhobby.com JUNE 2013
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