Advice with Yellow Aircraft Thunderbolt P47 80"

[TomBarley]

Hello

Can you help or let me have your opinion please?

I have just acquired a Yellow Aircraft P47 Thunderbolt, built with a Laser 300v, Yellow Aircraft retracts and an on-board glow unit.

My questions are;

The model without fuel weighs 27lb. Laser suggest that the 300v will not have sufficient power for an aircraft of this weight and suggest the 360v would not be powerful enough either. Does anyone have any experience of this model - or something of a similar style, size and weight that they might have powered with a Laser 300v ? Whats your view/opinion please?

Laser also suggest that this engine should not be operated with an on-board glow and did give me an explanation - but to be honest I didn't really understand it. Has anyone used a Laser 300v with an on-board glow and if so, what was your experience with it?

Your comments and views would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks




Tom

[Phil Clark]

A good friend has been flying his Yellow P-47 for over 10 years fitted with a Zenoah 45.........goes like a train.

27lb sounds a little on the heavy side but no excessive (Andrews is around 23/24 if I remember right)......I'm not a Laser man but would have thought the 360 should be OK for it if you can put up with the terrible mess they make!!!

Phil

[Steve Rickett 2333]

Hi Tom,

Phil's right in that 27lbs does sound quite a lot. I flew my Topflite P47 (85") on a Laser 360 for many years and it had a huge amount of power, although my model only weighed about 21lbs.

The Laser 300 is probably going to struggle at that weight, though I'm sure it would get your Thunderbolt airborne. The 360 should have more than enough power, though I would still recommend finding out a way of shedding a pound or 4 of weight! The Laser 360 will have more power (and lighter) than a Zenoah 62, though you will have to sacrifice that lovely '2-stroke strimmer tin noise' of the Zenoah!!!

Glows are not as messy as they once were, once its run in properly on 'Laser Mix' or similar then the oil content can be dropped down to less than 10%. Speak to Laser about this, but they themselves drop the oil content down too!

Good luck!

[chris-berry]

I know it's a different model but my Flair Stearman weighs in at 26lbs and loops from level at 3/4 power with a laser 300v. A P47 with the wheels away will be a bit more aerodynamic than a Stearman but as the others have said it won't have a lot of reserve.