“For those out there that live for realism and depth, Wings of Power aircraft deliver on a scale never seen before. However, even with all this tremendous detail, you can still just throw the throttle forward and fly away…”

Features:

• Unprecedented authenticity inside and out
• Built with the very latest “Absolute realism” flight technology
• Can be flown “by the book”
• Built from actual aircraft tests
• “Absolute Realism” means the entire flight envelope is modeled via the actual pilot’s training manuals
• Authentic cruise performance under various conditions with realistic fuel economy
• Absolute Realism even delivers authentic “distance-to-altitude” performance under various power settings
• High engine torque means full power cannot be applied with brakes on or aircraft will “nose over”
• Even the plugs will foul if you don’t keep your idle up just like the real P47
• Gorgeously constructed aircraft, inside and out, down to the last rivet
• Professionally recorded and mastered engine sounds
• Authentic P47 R-2800 Radial engine sounds captured by Shockwave engineers at all power levels
• Stall buffet, canopy, ground roll, flaps, gyro, and authentic cockpit wind
• Authentic drop tank release actually drops both fuel and weight
• Both modern and veteran warbird pilots helped create the “feel” of flight
• “Wings of Power “Special Effects” package includes:
• Historically accurate lighting for stunning nighttime visuals
• Realistic startup visuals modeled after the real aircraft
• Belly landings with realistic effects and physics programming
• Shockwave’s new standard for high quality manuals
• Full sized, 84 page landscape manual with authentic performance and function (11” X 8 ½”)
• Absolute Realism Certified Specifications

General Overview

Affectionately known as “The Jug,” the P47 Thunderbolt is as big as the American Spirit. Ironically the original concept was born in Russia, and can be seen by its rugged and hearty design. Like a gentle giant, the P47 handles with grace but packs an enormous punch.

When British pilots first saw the P47, it was often mocked due to its size. The light, maneuverable Spitfire’s could get on a P47’s tail with ease in test trials. What they didn’t know at that time was the P47 was different type of fighter, and the battles were to be fought at higher altitude where the air is thin, using high-energy tactics. Both the British and the Germans soon found out, in the right hands, the P47 was lethal.

Down low the P47 lumbers along but up high is where it lives and breathes with its high speed and terrific zoom climbs. A quick burst of the eight browning .50 caliber machine guns is powerful enough to shred a fighter, which was essential for a properly executed “boom and zoom” attack. . Being tasked to protect the B17 and B24 heavy bombers up high, and with their ruggedness and power, the P47 performed it’s job with great capability.

Built around a massive Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine, The “Jug” was tough, powerful, and fast. The Wings of Power P47 captures this beauty of the sound, function, and feel of the real P47 like no other. Like the aircraft, the entire Wings of Power P47 Thunderbolt series is enormous and includes many variants from the Razorback’s to the experimental XP72 prototype.

History

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt holds a unique honor in the ranks of World War II fighters. This plane was much heavier and bulkier than other fighter planes of its day, outweighing aircraft like the Fw 190 by several thousand pounds. Equipped with a large, powerful radial engine, it looked as tough as it was. Known as the "Jug", this aircraft was a mainstay of the Allied fighter fleet and, with its eight .50 caliber guns, was capable of shredding ground targets and airborne opponents alike. While it could not turn with Axis fighters such as the Fw 190 and Me 109, it could outdive both of these and had a zoom-climb capability that was amazing. This zoom-climb was used to good advantage; it was said that if a P-47 pilot met an enemy Focke-Wulf at 25,000 feet and wanted to out-climb him to 30,000 feet, the P-47 could dive to 20,000, zoom 30,000, and be waiting for the enemy.

The first "Jugs" were fitted with 2,000 HP engines and framed canopies. Later models such as the D-25 were fitted with bubble canopies and engines of increasing horsepower. The final production version, the P-47N, had an engine which would produce 2,800 HP with water injection. The plane's increased weight offset the power to some degree, but the plane was still very fast, with a top speed of nearly 470 mph. The additional power and strong airframe allowed a lot of ordnance and fuel to be carried, making the P-47N a very long-range fighter that could carry a lot of damage to the enemy.

In all, 15,683 Thunderbolts were manufactured, more than any fighter produced during war.

The P-47M was a special, light-weight "buzz bomb chaser" and had a very high top speed of over 470 miles per hour. It was assigned exclusively to the 56th Fighter Group.

The P-47N was a long-range version made for use in the Pacific Theatre. It had a much larger fuel capacity, a larger wing, and could carry large drop tanks of up to 300 gallons. It also had a faster rate of roll due to increased aileron area and "clipped" wings. It used the same 2,800 HP engine as the P-47M but had a slightly lower top speed because of its heavier weight.

The XP-72 “Ultrabolt” was to have been the ultimate P-47. Equipped with a massively powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engine producing 3,400 HP for combat emergency, this plane could climb over 5,000 fpm and would have reached a top speed of over 500 mph. It was fitted with a low-drag NACA engine cowling and was fairly light in weight. The type never saw combat. Only two were built, one with a four-bladed conventional propeller and the other with twin, contra-rotating, three blade airscrews. The first was lost in a crash and the second was scrapped around the time of VJ-Day.

Important things to know about your Wings of Power P47

• Shift-D releases drop tanks (can be clicked via mouse in VC)
• Shift-W drops bomb (can be clicked via mouse in VC)
• Keep the aircraft idling at 800RPM or higher to avoid fouling up the plugs
• You will need to hold your brakes on to prevent the aircraft from moving at idle due to the torque
• Do not apply full power with wheel brakes on or the aircraft my nose over, especially the XP72
• The P47 is a heavy plane that requires a lot of runway to get airborne. Let the aircraft build plenty of speed before gently lifting off
• Make sure the airplane is below the recommended flap and landing gear safe extension speed before deploying flaps or gear
• Realism includes realistic turbo speed light operation and animated oxygen gauges
• Your aircraft is equipped with realistic fuel loads as well as many other loads including the pilot, guns, ammo, oil tank, oxygen, pyrotechnics, bombs, etc.
• Use the “i” key for natural engine smoke. The effect is very subtle but is toggled for your convenience as some like a clean burning engine and others like a little bit of engine smoke.
• On landing, raise your flaps once you touch down to settle the aircraft, pull back on the stick for additional elevator braking while you use your wheel brakes.
• Be careful with high-speed dives, as you can lose control of your aircraft if you exceed the maximum allowable speed.