Full size printed plans Peanut Scale "P-47D THUNDERBOLT" fly it the way it looks best.

Full size printed plans No material

P-47D THUNDERBOLT

Who can resist the rugged lines of this famous World War II fighter? Even in Peanut form it doesn't appear dainty or delicate. Put the gear "up" and fly it the way it looks best.

Full size printed plan on a sheet 11” x 17”

Four page article with building notes and photos

Peanut Scale

Wingspan 13”

Power Rubber

By Dennis Norman

• Most flying scale buffs will agree that "flight points" usually go to the guys with the high wing monoplanes. This is particularly true with peanut types. Even so it is hard to resist the sleek, glamorous, aircraft of World War 11. The "razorback" Thunderbolt is a subject I have built many times in many sizes. Although flight times never equal those high wing jobs, I have caught 16 inch
  span Thunderbolts in thermals, and believe me, it is as exciting as any free flight experience.

With the popularity of the peanuts I had to try a "razorback" with a 13 inch span. My first effort was so over-decorated (the model weighed 21 grams!) that flights never exceeded four or five seconds. Returning to the proverbial drawing board, I built a second version with strict attention to weight saving. Not only was the structure lightened, but also the model was decorated with tissue as much as possible. A friend (who remains anonymous for his own protection) provided me with one sheet of pre-World War II silver Japanese tissue. This proved quite light and gave the model a good basic colour. Further weight saving was gained by the use of coloured tissue for the markings, etc.

Construction is conventional, with emphasis on low weight. The model is built almost entirely of 1/32 medium, straight-grained, balsa.

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