History
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The P-47B entered USAAF service in November 1942, becoming officially operational with the Eighth Air Force stationed in the UK on April 8,1943.
When, in January 1943, the USAAF's 56th Fighter Group arrived in the United Kingdom with its massive Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, RAF Spitfire fighter pilots banteringly suggested that their American colleagues would be able to take evasive action, when attacked by undoing their harnesses and dodging about the fuselages of their huge mounts. Although the Thunderbolt was certainly big, making it the largest and heaviest WWII single engined single-seat fighter ever built, its sheer size was not to prove detrimental to the Thunderbolt's subsequent operational career.
The first tasks of the Thunderbolt were high-altitude escort duties and fighter sweeps, in which the new aircraft acquitted itself well, despite the inexperience of its pilots. It was soon discovered that the heavy Thunderbolt could out-dive any Luftwaffe, or for that matter, any Allied fighter, providing a decisive method of breaking off combat when necessary, but at low and medium altitudes it could not match the rate of climb or maneuverability of German fighters. It's one main shortcoming was that of insufficient range to permit deep penetration into Germany, but means were already being sought to add to the P-47B's 305 US gallons of internal fuel.
Refinements of the Thunderbolt continued, leading to the definitive P-47D, of which 12,602 were built. The "D" model actually consisted of a series of evolving production blocks, the last of which were visibly different from the first.
The P-47D-16, D-20, D-22 and D-23 were similar to the P-47D-15 with minor improvements in fuel system, engine subsystems, a jettisonable canopy, and bulletproof windshield. Beginning with the block 22 aircraft, the original narrow-chorded Curtiss propeller was replaced by propellers with larger blades, the Evansville plant switching to a new Curtiss propeller with a diameter of 13 feet (3.96 m) and the Long Island plant using a Hamilton Standard propeller with a diameter of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 m). With the bigger propellers having barely six inches of ground clearance, Thunderbolt pilots had to learn to be careful on takeoffs to keep the tail down until they obtained adequate ground clearance, and on landings to flare the aircraft properly. Failure to do so damaged both the propeller and the runway.
SPECIFICATIONS
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-Engine: 2535hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59W Double Wasp radial piston engine
-Weight: Empty 9,950 lbs., Maximum Takeoff 17,500 lbs.
-Wing Span: 40ft. 9.25in.
-Length: 36ft. 1.75in.
-Height: 14ft. 8in.
-Performance:
Maximum Speed: 433 mph
Ceiling: 41,000 ft.
Range: 1900 miles with drop tanks
-Armament:Eight 12.7mm (0.5 in.) wing-mounted machine guns. Up to 2500 lbs. of externally-mounted bombs, rockets, or other free-fall ordinance
INSTALLATION
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You have two models, one with standard and the other with Malcolm hood.
-Unzip "P-47_Razorback" into a temporary file and move the "P-47_Razorback" folder into the main Aircraft directory.
-Attention...the panel.cfg files are different for FSX and FS2004.
-For FSX,change the FSXpanel.cfg into panel.cfg and let it replace the first one.
For FS2004,change the FS9panel.cfg into panel.cfg and let it replace the first one.
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-Read instructions carefully when installing the gauges, say YES...when asked if the gauges sources should be trusted. If you say no....some of the gauges are not going to work !
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-Leave the "fighter" map in your panel folder.
-Put the P47d.gau into the main gauges folder. This is a standard microsoft CFS2 gauges pack, so it cannot harm letting it overwrite the same folder if you already have it.
-Copy the effects into the Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator X\effects folder and the 20can.wave in the Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator X\sound folder.
ATTENTION :
-For FS2004, change the FS9_Wing_Guns.fx into FX_Wing_Guns
-For FSX change the FSX_Wing_Guns.fx into FX_Wing_Guns
NOTE: If you have trouble with the canopy and prop transparancies when flying with Acceleration, replace the the glass.bmp and 5bladeprop.bmp with those in the "acceleration map".
Effects
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-On startup there is automatic engine smoke.
-Then follow the exhaust flames with smoke.
-Wing vortex effect appears by default at 2.5g or quick roll rate.
-Continuous blue flames with smoke if engine is running .
-You have WAR emergency power with the WEP gauge.
-Wing cannon with flash, smoke and falling cartridges can be triggered with the standard Strobe key (O).
It is much nicer however if you put the FS2004/FSX standard Strobe key (O) to the trigger from your joystick.You can change this in the Key menu.
It is a good idea if you replace the standard (L) key for lights by the L+CTRL, (normaly activating the landing lights only). This avoids you having to have all lights on when pulling the trigger.
Flying the model
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This plane is a heavy but non critical flying machine.It takes some time to take off, but it accelerates good when airborne.
-Cockpit door is used with the spoiler key.
-CTRL+E opens the canopy
-Radiator flaps are opened/closed by the close cowl key.
TAKE-OFF :if you have manual rudder enabled, be ready to apply hard Right rudder and brake when you hit the throttle !
Better apply throttle proportionaly and slowly at first.
1.Parking brake on, start engine, 1/4 flaps
2.Disengage parking brake
3.Hold enough rudder, brake to keep the aircraft straight.
4.Take off at about 120 Knots, wheels and flaps up at 130 Knots.
5.To fire guns activate O-key or trigger.
6.Approach at 25% flaps, wheels down at 120 Knots.
7.Touchdown at 100-110 Knots.
As with the real plane, much use of elevator trim will be needed.
Credits:
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Special thanks to :
Krzysztof Malinowski: Visual Model
Jay McDaniel: Flight Model
LEGAL:
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This project is released as freeware. You may modify it and repaint it. You may upload this file to another website as long as it is not for profit. You need the written permission of the original authors to use any of these files for commercial purposes, otherwise a simple credit would be nice. This file should not cause any problems with your computer, but I accept no responsibility if you think it does.
Happy Landings!!
A.F.Scrub
December 2008
Email: af_scrubbypc@hotmail.com
