P-47 Thunderbolt Assembly Manual
Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................2 Specifications .............................................................2 Contents of Kit/Parts Layout .........................................3 Required Radio Equipment ...........................................4 Required Power System Equipment ...............................4 Required Tools and Adhesives ......................................
Contents of Kit/Parts Layout Large Replacement Parts: EFL6001 Wing EFL6002 Fuselage EFL6003 Hatch EFL6004 Cowl EFL6005 Horizontal Tail Small Replacement Parts EFL6006 Hardware and Pushrod Set EFL6007 Landing Gear Set EFL6008 Bomb and Pylon Set EFL6009 Decal Set EFLM232 480 Motor w/19T 0.5 Module Pinion EFLM236 400 Gearbox, w/56T 0.5M Spur Gear EFLM237 Spur Gear, 56T 0.5 Module with Shaft EFLM238 Spur Gear, 56T 0.
Required Radio Equipment You will need a 3-channel or greater radio transmitter and micro receiver (at least 4-channel with optional rudder). You can choose from the equipment below including a complete radio system or separate receiver, crystal and servos when using your existing radio equipment.
Required Tools and Adhesives Tools & Equipment EFLA257 Screwdriver, #0 Phillips (Or included with EFLA250) EFLA258 Screwdriver, #1 Phillips (Or included with EFLA250) EFLA250 Park Flyer Tool Assortment, 5pc Hobby knife Drill Drill bit: .
Optional High Power Inrunner Brushless Motor Power System Required Equipment* This is the most powerful optional power system well suited for large field flying and “full house” airframe configurations (i.e. – landing gear, rudder, etc. installed). Use with the included gearbox and optional 6.5:1 gear ratio.
Optional High Power Outrunner Brushless Motor Power System Required Equipment Optional Accessories EFLA110 EFLA212 Power Meter Gear Puller: 1mm–5mm Shaft This powerful optional power system is well suited for large field flying and “full house” airframe configurations (i.e. landing gear, rudder, etc. installed). Use with the included 10x8E prop and outrunner stick mount. EFLM1400 EFLA311B THP21003SPL EFLC3005 WSD1300 Park 450 Outrunner Brushless, 890Kv 20-Amp Brushless ESC (V2) 2100mAh 3-Cell 11.
Using the Manual Before Starting Assembly This manual is divided into sections to help make assembly easier to understand, and to provide breaks between each major section. Before beginning the assembly of your P-47D Thunderbolt, remove each part from its bag for inspection. Closely inspect the fuselage, hatch, wing and stabilizer for damage. If you find any damaged or missing parts, contact the place of purchase. Remember to take your time and follow the directions.
Warranty Information Horizon Hobby, Inc. guarantees this kit to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damage by use or modification. In no case shall Horizon Hobby’s liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit. Further, Horizon Hobby reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice. Please note that once assembly of the model has been started, you must contact Horizon Hobby, Inc.
Wing Preparation Required Parts • Wing • Servo (2) • Y-Harness • Aileron pushrod (2) • Landing gear screws (4) • 18mm x 20mm two-sided tape (2) Required Tools and Adhesives • Drill • Drill bit: .050" • Hobby knife • Low-temperature hot glue • Phillips screwdriver (small) 1. Use the radio system to electronically center the aileron servos. Attach a control horn to each of the servos. 10 2. Apply the 18mm x 20mm two-sided tape to the servos. Test fit the servos into the wing.
3. Attach the Y-Harness to both servos. Route the single lead of the Y-Harness through the hole in the center of the wing. Note: The landing gear is optional and can be left off when flying from rough surfaces or tall grass that could damage the gear. Skip to Step 6 if the landing gear will not be installed. 4. Attach the main landing gear using four landing gear mounting screws (2mm x 6mm). Hint: Use tape to secure the servo leads to the Y-Harness so they won’t accidentally unplug.
5. Attach the tail wheel using two landing gear mounting screws (2mm x 6mm). 6. Test fit the wing covers. Trim around the landing gear and servo arm as necessary. Remove the backing from the two-sided tape on the covers. Carefully place the wing covers into position, pressing them against the wing to secure them. Hint: Use clear tape to keep the servo lead and extension in the channel in the wing.
7. Attach the “Z” bend of the pushrod to the aileron servo arm. Use a hobby knife or .050" drill bit to ream out the servo arm if necessary to fit the pushrod. 8. Turn the radio system on and plug the Y-Harness lead into the receiver. Snap the clevis onto the control horn. Thread the clevis either in or out so the aileron is centered when the servo is centered.
Wing Installation Required Parts • Wing • Belly pan • Fuselage Required Tools and Adhesives • Phillips screwdriver 1. Place the wing onto the fuselage. Make sure to pass the Y-Harness lead through the opening in the fuselage. 14 2. Place the belly pan onto the wing and fuselage. The mounting plate at the rear of the belly pan keys into the fuselage mounting plate. Use the screw at the front to secure the belly pan and wing to the fuselage.
Stabilizer Installation Required Parts • Fuselage assembly • Stabilizer w/elevators and hinges 2. Remove the elevators and joiner wire with bushings from the stabilizer. Slide the stabilizer into the fuselage. Required tools and Adhesives • Sandpaper • Hobby knife • Foam-safe CA 1. Carefully remove any flashing from the opening in the fuselage for the stabilizer. Note: You may need to sand the fuselage opening slightly for proper fit of the stabilizer.
3. Check the alignment of the stabilizer to the wing. When viewed from the rear it must be level to the wing. Sanding the opening in the fuse can correct any misalignments. A A 4. Check the distance between each stabilizer tip and each wing tip. Move the stabilizer as necessary for alignment, making both distances equal. Also make sure the stabilizer is centered with equal amounts of the stabilizer on each side of the fuselage.
5. Remove the stabilizer and cut a notch in the rudder to allow for the elevator joiner wire. 6. Place the joiner wire into the notch cut in the last step. Slide the stabilizer back into position. Check the alignment of the stabilizer, and then use foam safe CA to glue the stabilizer to the fuselage.
7. Glue the joiner wire and hinges using foam-safe CA.
Optional Rudder Note: Your P-47D Thunderbolt has an option to make the rudder functional. This section covers the required steps for this option. You can skip this section if you do not want to use the optional rudder. 1. Use a sharp hobby knife to carefully cut the rudder from the fuselage. Use sandpaper to clean up the cut on the fuselage.
2. Use a straight edge to draw a centerline on the front edge of the rudder. 3. Sand a bevel on the rudder back from the centerline as shown. 20 4. Cut slots for the three rudder hinges. The slots are near the top, near the bottom, and in the center. Use foam safe CA to install the hinges into the rudder.
5. Install the control horn using the control horn backplate and the two control horn screws. 6. Cut three slots in the fin for the rudder hinges. Test the fit of the rudder to ensure the bevel and hinge gap allow for plenty of travel without binding. Once you have everything fit and moving freely, use foam-safe CA to glue the hinges to the fin and fuselage.
Radio Installation Required Parts • Receiver • Servo (2) • Clevis (2) • Speed control • Bullet connectors • Fuselage assembly • Rudder pushrod (13 3/4") • Elevator pushrod (13 1/8") Required Tools and Adhesives • Drill • Drill bit: .050" • Low-temperature hot glue • Hook and loop material Note: Ignore the items mentioning the rudder servo and pushrod if you have not installed the optional rudder. 22 1. Plug the rudder and elevator servos into the receiver. Use the radio system to center the servos.
2. Attach the 13 1/8" elevator pushrod to the servo to be used for the elevator. Slide the pushrod into one of the tubes in the fuselage and check that it exits the fuselage on the side of the elevator horn. If not, use the other tube. 3. Test fit the elevator servo. Once fit, use low-temperature hot glue to secure the servo in the fuselage.
4. With the radio on, thread the clevis onto the elevator pushrod. Use a hobby knife or .050" drill bit to ream out the servo arm if necessary to fit the pushrod. Snap the clevis onto the elevator control horn. Check that the elevator is neutral. If not, thread the clevis in or out as necessary. 24 5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for the optional rudder servo. Use the 13 3/4" pushrod when installing the rudder pushrod.
Note: A small bend may be required in the rudder pushrod after it exits the fuselage to prevent the pushrod from binding when attached to the control horn. 6. Use the included hook and loop material to attach the receiver in the fuselage. Route the antenna wire out of the fuselage and to the tail of your P-47D Thunderbolt. Note: Do not cut the antenna wire as it will greatly reduce the range of your radio system.
7. Install the bullet connectors to the motor leads of your speed control. You can solder the speed control leads directly to the motor leads if you prefer. Connect the speed control to the receiver. Check that the motor rotates the correct direction when powered up. If not, reverse the motor leads. Use the included hook and loop material to secure the speed control in the fuselage. Note: Make sure the receiver and speed control are fitted into the recesses in the fuselage.
Stock Motor Installation Required Parts • Propeller • Assembled airframe • Motor and gearbox 1. Check the motor stick to make sure it is secure in the fuselage. Apply foam-safe CA as necessary to make sure the motor stick is secure. Required Tools and Adhesives • Wrench • Foam-safe CA Note: This section covers installing the stock gearbox and motor. Skip to the next section if you have opted to install the optional outrunner motor.
2. Slide the gearbox fully onto the motor stick. Secure the gearbox using a 2mm x 10mm screw. 28 3. Remove the backing from the two-sided tape on the sides of the fuselage. Slide the cowling onto the fuselage, pressing it against the tape once you have confirmed proper alignment.
4. Attach the propeller using the lock nut and washer supplied. Tighten the lock nut only to hold the propeller on, as the hex will actually lock the motor shaft to the propeller. Do not over-tighten the lock nut. 5. Install the spinner onto the gearbox shaft by threading it into place.
Inrunner Motor Installation Park 400 Required Parts • 11x7 propeller • Assembled airframe • 10-tooth 0.5 module pinion gear • 65-tooth 0.5 module spur gear Required Tools and Adhesives • Wrench • Foam-safe CA • Drill • Drill bit: 5/32" 2. Install the 10T 0.5 module pinion gear on your motor if you are using our included gearbox. Using any pinion gear other than the optional 10-tooth 0.5 module pinion gear (EFLM1951) will cause damage to the spur gear. 3.
Proper gear mesh is extremely important for high power setups. Be certain to check the mesh at multiple points on the spur gear before finalizing the motor mounting position in the gearbox. To extend the life of your gearbox, we also recommend using a small amount of grease, such as lithium grease, on the spur gear. Note: When installing your motor into the gearbox, it is very important that your gear mesh is set correctly and the gear’s mesh is smooth with no binding.
4. Check the motor stick to make sure it is secure in the fuselage. Apply foam-safe CA as necessary to make sure the motor stick is secure. 32 5. Slide the gearbox fully onto the motor stick. Secure the gearbox using a 2mm x 10mm screw.
6. Remove the backing from the two-sided tape on the sides of the fuselage. Slide the cowling onto the fuselage, pressing it against the tape once you have confirmed proper alignment. 7. Install the large hex to small hex adapter then the 11 x 7 propeller. Note: The propeller will have to drilled out using a 5/32" drill bit.
8. Secure the propeller using the lock nut and washer supplied. Tighten the lock nut only to hold the propeller on, as the hex will actually lock the motor shaft to the propeller. Do not over-tighten the lock nut. 34 9. Install the spinner onto the gearbox shaft by threading it into place.
Outrunner Motor Installation Required Parts • Propeller • Outrunner motor mount 1. Check the motor stick to make sure it is secure in the fuselage. Apply foam-safe CA as necessary to make sure the motor stick is secure. Required Tools and Adhesives • Wrench • Foam-safe CA Note: This section covers installation of the optional Park 400 or Park 450 outrunner motor. If you have opted to install the supplied gearbox and motor, or inrunner brushless motor and gearbox, skip this section.
2. Use a razor saw to carefully shorten the motor stick by 9/16" (15mm) if using the Park 400 outrunner motor, or 1" (25mm) if using the Park 450 outrunner motor. Note: Due to possible variations in motor stick length, it is best to confirm the amount required to shorten the stick using your chosen motor and mount before cutting the stick. 36 3. Attach your outrunner motor to the outrunner motor mount using the hardware included or provided with your motor if necessary.
4. Slide the outrunner motor mount fully onto the motor stick. Secure the mount using a 2mm x 10mm screw. 5. Remove the backing from the two-sided tape on the sides of the fuselage. Slide the cowling onto the fuselage, pressing it against the tape once you have confirmed proper alignment.
6. Slide the propeller adapter into position. Attach the propeller using the hardware from the motor. You may need to drill out or ream the prop mounting hole to fit the prop adapter. Tighten the spinner to hold the propeller on.
Final Assembly Required Parts • Battery pack • Balancing clay • Bomb w/pylon (2) • Two-sided tape 5mm x 70mm (2) 1. Install the battery pack into the fuselage. Attach the canopy hatch to complete assembly. Note: Use the included hook and loop material on the battery and fuselage if the battery does not fit tightly.
2. Turn the model over and place your fingertips in the recess in the wing. The model will rest level when balanced. Move the battery forward or backward in the fuse to achieve balance. If the battery is at its limits, use the supplied clay to weight either the nose or tail to achieve balance. 3. The optional bomb pylons can be attached to the bottom of the wing using the supplied 5mm x 70mm two-sided tape pieces. The bombs can be removed from the pylons by pulling them forward.
Control Throws 1. Turn on the transmitter and receiver of your P-47D Thunderbolt. Check the movement of the rudder using the transmitter. When the stick is moved right, the rudder should also move right. Reverse the direction of the servo at the transmitter if necessary. 2. Check the movement of the elevator with the radio system. Moving the elevator stick down will make the airplane elevator move up. 3. Check the movement of the aileron with the radio system.
Range Testing the Radio 1. Before each flying session, be sure to range check your radio. This is accomplished by turning on your transmitter with the antenna collapsed. Turn on the receiver in your airplane. With your airplane on the ground and the engine running, you should be able to walk 30 paces (approximately 100 feet) away from your airplane and still have complete control of all functions. If not, don’t attempt to fly! Have your radio equipment checked out by the manufacturer. 2.
Preflight (continued) Before each flying session, be sure to range check your radio. See your radio manual for the recommended range and instructions for your radio system. Each radio manufacturer specifies different procedures for their radio systems. Next, start the motor. With the model securely anchored, check the range again. The range test should not be significantly affected. If it is, don’t attempt to fly! Have your radio equipment checked out by the manufacturer.
Notes 44 Notes
Notes Notes 45
2005 Official AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code GENERAL 1) I will not fly my model aircraft in sanctioned events, air shows or model flying demonstrations until it has been proven to be airworthy by having been previously, successfully flight tested. 2) I will not fly my model higher than approximately 400 feet within 3 miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. I will give right-of-way and avoid flying in the proximity of full-scale aircraft.
2005 Official AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code 3) At all flying sites a straight or curved line(s) must be established in front of which all flying takes place with the other side for spectators. Only personnel involved with flying the aircraft are allowed at or in front of the flight line. Intentional flying behind the flight line is prohibited. 4) I will operate my model using only radio control frequencies currently allowed by the Federal Communications Commission.
© 2005 Horizon Hobby, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, Illinois 61822 (877) 504-0233 horizonhobby.com E-fliteRC.
