Extreme Flight RC Aces High Republic P-47D Thunderbolt User manual

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Republic P-47D
Thunderbolt
Copyright 2019Extreme Flight RC

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Congratulations on your purchase of the AcesHigh P-47D Thunderbolt!
In 1939, Republic Aviation was working on fighters with a turbocharged Pratt & Whitney radial in a plane called the P-43
Lancer. US Army Air Corps liked the project developments, and through developing requirements, the P-47 Thunderbolt
was born. A large, rugged fighter-bomber that was capable in many roles from short range escort to ground support and
bombing. Roomy on the inside, and a history of bringing pilots home, the “Jug” became a true favorite of pilots and
crew. It was successful enough that the still-in-service A-10 carried its name with Thunderbolt II.
AcesHigh have worked hard to create a model that pays great tribute to the performance of the real thing. As part of the
Extreme Flight family, we have combined the highest level of aircraft manufacture with new technology, and the results
are fantastic. Months of research and effort to create a realistic result without the typical weight problems that go along
with detail. In making the model look real, our objective was to recreate the full size plane as it was in operation. Those
aircraft worked hard, and had the scratches and dirt to prove it. The details on the scheme are as if the full scale aircraft
was wheeled into a photo booth... there are no pin-stripe panel lines and dots for rivets, because panels aren’t pin-
stripes, and rivets were rivets. This isn’t the “brand new” looking warbird that is typically seen in scale model products.
We hope that you enjoy the build, love the flying, and appreciate just sitting and looking at it when she’s just sitting
there… waiting for the next mission.
44-20209 –W7U –“JEANIE”–Lt. Vernon Zieske
Finding the pilot story of “Jeanie” was a challenge, but through matching stories of the plane, the plane’s name, and the
family story details, we got the job done. Vernon Zieske and his brother Clarence “Bud” Zieske, from Austinburg Ohio,
both became fighter pilots and served in the European theatre of WWII. Bud flew P-51’s flying escort missions, and
Vernon flew the P47 out of Belgium in a variety of ground-attack and support roles.

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While at Ohio State, Vernon briefly dated a girl named Jeanne. However, later She ended up falling for his brother Bud
and were married. There was obviously no bad blood between Vernon and his brother, as he named his P47 after
Jeanne.
By the score markings alone on the side of the plane, Vernon was obviously a skilled and successful pilot. You can count
for yourself the bombing, ground attack/sweep (the brooms), and ground cover markings (the umbrellas).
Bud was lost in combat in 1944, and Vernon took leave to return to his family. He returned to the front in December of
the same year. On January 26th 1945, returning from a mission to destroy an ammunition dump in Germany, Lt Vernon L.
Zieske of 36th Flight Group, 23rd Fighter Squadron, was killed in action when his aircraft crashed near Jodoigne,
Belgium. High mountain terrain and low cloud cover with no visibility, claimed many pilots during the war.
One side note about “Jeanie” scheme details; We try our best to recreate the model from actual photos rather than rely
on plates from other sources for the sake of accuracy. For example, all the color plates show “Jeanie” written above the
nose art, but this could not be found in any of the actual photographs of the aircraft. The photo below shows the nose
art without any name added. We’re not saying that models with “Jeanie” written on the cowling are wrong, just that we
could not find any actual evidence for it to be there. We lovingly recreated the pretty girl painting though :)
Some of these planes are hard to find documentation, but the search always reveals riveting details about the lives of
those who defended our freedoms in battle. Lest we forget.

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THIS IS NOT A TOY!
Serious injury, destruction of property, or even death may result from the misuse of this product. Extreme Flight RC is
providing you, the consumer, with a very high quality model aircraft component kit, from which you, the consumer, will
assemble a flying model. It is beyond our control to monitor the finished aircraft you produce. Extreme Flight RC will in
no way accept or assume responsibility or liability for damages resulting from the use of this user assembled product.
This aircraft should be flown in accordance with the AMA safety code. It is highly recommended that you join the
Academy of Model Aeronautics in order to be properly insured and operate your model at AMA sanctioned flying fields
only. If you are not willing to accept ALL liability for the use of this product, please return it to the place of purchase
immediately.
Extreme Flight RC, Ltd. guarantees this kit to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 30 DAYS
from the date of purchase. All warranty claims must be accompanied by the original dated receipt. This warranty is
extended to the original purchaser of the aircraft kit only. Extreme Flight RC in no way warranties its aircraft against
flutter. We have put these aircraft through the most grueling flight tests imaginable and have not experienced any
control surface flutter. Proper servo selection and linkage set-up is absolutely essential. Inadequate servos or improper
linkage set up may result in flutter and possibly the complete destruction of your aircraft. If you are not experienced in
this type of linkage setup or have questions regarding servo choices, please contact us at [email protected] or
770-887-1794. It is your responsibility to ensure the airworthiness of the model.

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Tips for Success
Before starting assembly, take a few minutes to read the entire instruction manual to familiarize yourself with
the assembly process.
Use a fresh bottle of thin CA with a fine glue tip when attaching the CA hinges. This will ensure that the proper
amount of CA wicks into the hinge and surrounding balsa wood and creates a proper bond between the wood
and hinges.
Apply a couple drops of CA to high stress areas such as anti-rotation pins, landing gear mounts, servo trays and
motor box joints.
Take the time to properly balance and trim your aircraft and set up rates and exponential values. Your flying
experience will be greatly enhanced by doing this.
Note that this aircraft is printed using our printed covering technique. Your aircraft has been sealed with a matte
clearcoat. Due to climate changes, wrinkles may develop in the covering. These are easily removed with a little
bit of heat. Use your heat gun or a covering iron with a soft cotton iron sock, medium heat, and a gentle
technique. Just like regular covering, you can remove any wrinkles that develop over the life of your aircraft, but
go a little slower and be a bit more careful for best results. Your iron will feel a bit different gliding over this
sealed covering than regular. Be careful not to use too much heat as the covering may shrink too much and
begin to lift at the edges. Take your time, and the beautiful finish can be easily maintained.
Items Needed For Build
1. Masking tape
2. Thin and medium CA adhesive. We highly recommend Mercury M5T thin and M100XF
3. 30 minute epoxy
4. Blue Locktite thread locker
5. Small and medium Philips head screwdriver
6. Metric hex drivers
7. Needle nose pliers
8. Denatured Alcohol (methylated spirits) for epoxy clean up with paper towels
9. Plastic compatible adhesive/contact adhesive (shoe goo, seal-all work fine)
Required Equipment
1. Torque 4015T-500 brushless motor
2. Airboss Elite 80-Amp ESC
3. External BEC to power radio system
4. QTY 6 mini (~30g) servos (metal gears recommended)
5. 6S 3300 –4400mah LiPo flight battery
6. 8 channel computer radio
7. 2x 12” servo extensions (ailerons)
8. 2x 6” servo extensions (flaps)
9. Recommended: one three-servo surface mount plug and one two-servo
surface mount plug sets for easy wing equipment connection.
10. Prop
11. 2x 1” servo arms (ailerons)
12. 2x 3/4" –1” servo arms (flaps)
13. 2x 3/4" arms (elevator and rudder)

Aces High P-47D Assembly Manual Addendum
Thanks for your purchase of the Aces High P-47D ARF! Since writing the assembly
manual we've discovered a couple of key points that will enhance your enjoyment of
the model:
1. It is highly recommended that the wing halves be glued together with epoxy once all
electronics have been installed. This will add additional strength to the wing center section
since it will be subjected to loads during landing from the retractable landing gear.
2. Operating voltage for the retract controller is 4.8-6 volts. Exceeding this voltage may
damage the unit.
3. To make field assembly faster and easier we highly recommend using the Extreme Flight
multi-plugs on the wing servo/retract connections. A 2 wire plug and a 3 wire plug are
recommended so that you can incorporate the retract connector into the 3 wire multi-plug.
When using the 3 wire plug, it is imperative that you pull back the black heat shrink tubing
and inspect the wiring of the plug. You will notice that 2 of the wires share common
contacts on the plug, while the 3rd wire is independent. It is of utmost importance that the
connector for the retract system is plugged into the independent wire for proper operation.
Failure to do so will lead to retract mechanism failure.
4. The rudder post has been left intact for shipping purposes. You will need to remove a
portion of the post to accept the horizontal stab/elevator assembly with a razor saw. We
find it best to mark the location with two pieces of tape and then follow the tapeline with
your razor saw.

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LET’S BEGIN !!!
Hinging the aileron. Remove
the aileron, and place some
pins into the center of the
hinges. This will prevent the
hinges from pushing into only
one side of the control surface
of the wing.
Insert the aileron into the wing,
and remove the pins. Make
sure that the aileron is aligned
so that the end of it is in line
with the wing tip. Then holding
it deflected, add a couple of
drops of thin CA to each hinge.
Allow to cure, then flip the wing
over and apply a drop to each
hinge on the opposite side.
Remove the flap from the wing,
and remove the hinges. Mix
some epoxy and use a tool (like
a toothpick) to coat the inside
of the hinge holes with epoxy.
Note: We recommend doing
one side of the hinge at a time.
Gluing the hinges into the flap
and allowing to cure before
gluing into the wing.
Wipe some epoxy onto the
barbed end of the hinge.
Note: One end of the hinges on
the flaps have been shortened.
The shorter end is to go into the
flap surface itself, and the long
end into the wing.

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Insert hinge into the flap. Wipe
with denatured alcohol
(methylated spirits) to clean
away any excess glue and
ensure the hinge moves freely
before the glue fully cures.
Now add epoxy glue onto the
other side of the hinges and into
the receiving holes in the wing.
Insert the aileron into the wing.
Note: Before the glue is fully
cured, test that the flap moves
freely. If needed, wipe a drop of
denatured alcohol onto each
hinge to free it up and ensure
easy motion and to remove any
excess.
Using some coarse sandpaper
(100-150 grit is ideal), rough up
the surface of the tabs on the
control horns (the part of the
horn that inserts into the wing)
for the flaps and ailerons. This
will provide better adhesion for
the glue.

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Note: The curved horns are for
the ailerons, and the triangle
shaped horns are for the flaps.
Doing one control surface at a
time, mix up some epoxy, and
use a tool/stick to pace into the
holes of the control surface.
Wipe some epoxy onto the
sanded tab area of the horn,
and insert into control surface.
Clean any excess glue with
denatured alcohol (methylated
spirits).
Repeat for all flap and aileron
horns.
Using the hardware that came
with your servo, mount the
servos to the removable servo
access doors as shown.

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Center your servo using your
radio. Place a servo arm on the
servo so that at center it sticks
out of the hole at right angles to
the servo mount door.
Run the servo wire through the
wing and screw into place.
1 inch/25mm arm is ideal for
ailerons. 3/4 inch / 20mm arm
for flaps is ideal.
Screw door into place, then
remove the servo mount/door,
and put a drop of thin CA into
the screw holes. Allow a few
seconds to cure and then screw
back into place. This is important
as the doors are actually part of
the servo mount.
Repeat for the other servos in
the wing.
Thread ball links onto the
pushrods. Shorter rods for flaps,
longer are for the ailerons.
As shown, this is easier with a
drill, pair of pliers and 9/32” or
7mm hex bit. You can also put
the ball link in the drill chuck
itself.
Use 2mm bolt, nut, and washers
to secure the ball links.

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Length of the pushrod should
position the aileron servo arm to
be perpendicular to the wing
when the aileron is at center.
For flaps, the surface should be
level with the wing, with the
servo at the end of its travel.
Using a 2.5mm hex driver,
remove the mounting screws
from the retract units.
Remove the landing gear leg, and
apply a drop of thin CA to each of
the landing gear mount screw
holes.
Note: Be mindful of the wire to
the retract unit when removing,
only pull the landing gear out far
enough to perform the work
needed.

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Using a 1.5mm hex driver,
remove the set screws (x4) from
the base of each side of the
landing gear.
Place a drop of blue thread
locker to the set screw and
screw back into place
Bolt landing gear back into the
mount blocks.
Using a 1.5mm hex driver,
remove the set screw from the
gear leg holders, one at a time,
and give a drop of blue thread
locker.

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Using 1.5mm hex driver, remove
the wheel collar from the
landing gear, and remove
the wheel. Add blue thread lock
to the set screw.
Connect the retract unit to the
landing gear controller, and the
controller to your receiver’s
gear channel.
If you only have one wing complete at this point, now would be the time to repeat the steps for the opposite wing. Retract
landing gear, cycle them a few more times because it is amusing to watch, and then set aside as we assemble the fuselage.
As we did with the ailerons,
place pins through the center of
the hinges of the
elevator/stabilizer.
Slide the elevator into place on
the hinges, making sure to
center it on the stabilizer.
Remove the pins, deflect the
elevator, and apply a couple of
drops of thin CA to the hinges.

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Rough up the control horn with
sand paper and apply epoxy.
Note that the elevator horn
goes on the left hand side
underneath the aircraft.
Add epoxy glue to the hole in the
elevator and insert the control
horn. Clean away any excess glue
with a paper towel soaked in
denatured alcohol (methylated
spirits).
Slide the elevator through the
hole in the fuselage as shown.

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Use a rule or tape measure to
make sure it is centered.
To make sure that the stabilizer is
straight, measure from the
corner of the stabilizer to the rear
of the canopy bay. Do this on
each side and adjust the angle of
the stabilizer until even.
Measure this more than twice,
including the step above of
measuring it is centered. Moving
the stabilizer after it is glued is
not recommended.
Using thin CA, add a run of glue
along each side of the top of the
stabilizer.
Allow the top to dry before doing
the same to the bottom.
Note: It is recommended to take
your time with this step and allow
the glue to dry before doing the
bottom. Taking your time helps
prevent the thin CA from running.
Sand the tab on the control horn
for the rudder and add epoxy
glue.

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Insert the horn on the right hand
side of the rudder.
Insert pins into the hinges of the
rudder, and insert into the fin.
Align the rudder so that the
scheme and the rudder lines up
properly.
Deflect the rudder, and add a
couple of drops of thin CA to each
side of the hinges.
Locate the pushrod exit holes and
cut slits in the covering so that the
pushrods can exit.

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Using drill, screw the ball links
onto the end of the pushrods, and
insert them into the model.
Using 2mm bolts, nuts, and
washers, attach them to the
control horns.
Note: The longer pushrod is for
the rudder side, and the shorter
pushrod is for the elevator.
Final result should look as shown.
Add the Quick-links to the arms of
the servos for rudder and elevator.
Center servos for the elevator and
rudder, and position arms so that
neutral is perpendicular to the
pushrods as shown.
Note: This aircraft does not
require a lot of throw, so may be
able to use a hole closer to the
servo head than usual to maximize
servo torque/resolution.

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Tail Wheel: Position the bracket so
that the center of the pivot is over
the hinge line as shown. Screw the
bracket into place with the two
screws provided. Screw the
steering arm into the base of the
rudder as Shown.
Note: This is our recommendation
for a practical and simple setup.
There are details below for those
that wish to mount in the scale
location.
Remove the tail wheel bracket and
add a drop of thin CA to each screw
hole. Allow to dry and screw back
into place.
Use hardware that came with your
servo to mount elevator and rudder
servos. The hardware packs for
“Stab” and “Rudder” contain the
links to connect the pushrods to the
servo arms as shown.
Tail Wheel, scale location:
Measure 6 inches or 152mm from
the tail post. This is the scale
position of the hinge point of the
tail wheel.
Screw tail wheel into place.
Remove, soak thin CA into the
screw holes and allow to dry. Then
screw bracket back into place.
For grass airfields, non-steerable
tailwheel works in most conditions
steering by rudder. For sealed
airstrips, or those wishing to fly in
particularly windy conditions, see
below on making this steerable…

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Steering Option 1
Note: Additional pushrod not
included. Assembly is simply
pushrod with ball link and z-bend,
bent to use the same control horn
as rudder.
Can be hidden with a little silver
paint.
Steering Option 2
Note: Additional pushrod and horn
not included. Assembly is simply
pushrod with ball link and z-bend,
straight to a spare control horn
added to base of rudder.
Can be hidden with a little silver
paint.
Gather your power system
components, and the motor mount
hardware pack.
Using a drop of thread locker on
the bolts, bolt the motor to the
firewall using a 3mm hex driver.

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Connect the motor to your speed
control, battery and radio system
to test the direction of the motor.
Switch two motor wires if not
turning the correct direction.
Thread the battery wires and radio
wire through the former. Mount
the speed control to the side of the
motor box so that it receives good
air flow.
Photo shows a mount using zip
cable ties and small amount of
foam padding.
Cut off the excess plastic from the
engine detail, leaving about 10mm
(1/4 –1/2 inch) brim.
Note: Now is a good time to paint
the engine detail if you wish.
Using plastic compatible adhesive
(medium or thick CA should also
work) to glue the detail into place
in the cowling as shown.