nigel richards
Charter Member
Sundog, Maarten, Milton, Terry; interesting thoughts, thanks Gentlemen - I'm all ears...
... and to the Republic for Which We Stand ...
- Thread starter Milton Shupe
- Start date
Seriously, You Knew It Was Coming ...
... didn't you???
... didn't you???
Blackbird686
SOH-CM-2025
Somehow, the pics of the mapped model look a little more slender than in previous photos. Did you put that plane on a diet, Chief? 
BB686
BB686
It just seemed right that we have a "trifecta" of racers. Reno, watch out!
Blackbird686
SOH-CM-2025
Ahhh.. XP-47H, XP-47J, and the XP-72. Lemme see... which one would grab the most sponsors? Time trials any time soon...?
<-- Sits in Seafury, turns baseball cap around backwards and says.. "Hey mate... ya' wanna' race that thing against my crate?"
BB686
<-- Sits in Seafury, turns baseball cap around backwards and says.. "Hey mate... ya' wanna' race that thing against my crate?"
BB686
Ahhh.. XP-47H, XP-47J, and the XP-72. Lemme see... which one would grab the most sponsors? Time trials any time soon...?
<-- Sits in Seafury, turns baseball cap around backwards and says.. "Hey mate... ya' wanna' race that thing against my crate?"
BB686
Bring it on Son!
It would make for an interesting race with the weight differences. But the 72's R-4360 does have a slight advantage. 
Hmmm, there is a paint scheme I'm going to put on one of them, now I have to figure out which one (Aka, a great problem to have).
When you said you had started on the XP-72, I figured it just ended up in the binary dustbin. Oh, that's so awesome that it didn't!
Frankly, I had no intention of finishing it but since the 47's had mostly all the same parts, I just cloned the empennage, wings and cockpit and here we are Sir!
Tom had actually cleaned up the flight model back in '09 so its good to go save a fuselage paint job. I just need someone to paint her ... Nigel (sorry, he's offline for a few days).
We had hoped to get the betas out this past weekend but there were a few remaining bits to finish up so we'll shoot for this coming weekend. Sounds for the V-16 still a WIP and we're trying to get the Checklists cleaned up to minimize aircraft damage and busted up parts.
XP-72 History - Light Reading
The Republic XP-72 was Alexander Kartveli's proposal for a replacement for his fabulously successful P-47 Thunderbolt. It was evolved in parallel with the XP-69 escort fighter project.
The XP-69 was a completely new design, whereas the XP-72 was a more-or-less straightforward progressive development of the P-47 Thunderbolt. The XP-72 was the first fighter to be designed around the huge 28-cylinger Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, the most powerful piston engine produced during World War 2. The engine was close-cowled and was fan-cooled. The Wasp Major was to have driven a pair of three-bladed Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers. The wing and tail of the P-47D were to be retained, but the airframe was enlarged and strengthened. The turbosupercharger was still located aft of the cockpit as it was in the P-47, but the turbosupercharger intake was moved to a position just underneath the cockpit rather than in the extreme nose. The lower fuselage was modified to allow for the larger air intake for the turbosupercharger. The XP-72 was to have been fitted with a bubble-type canopy, similar to that used by the late production blocks of the P-47D. Compressibility recovery flaps were fitted. Armament was to consist of six wing-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns, and two 1000-pound bombs were to be carried on underwing shackles.
The greater promise displayed by the XP-72 caused the USAAF to cancel the XP-69 project in favor of the XP-72. Two XP-72 prototypes were ordered on June 18, 1943. Serial numbers were 43-36598 and 43-36599. Some sources have these serials as being 43-6598 and 43-6599, but these appear to be in error since they conflict with a batch of P-51 Mustang serials.
XP-72 Ser No 43-36598 flew for the first time on February 2, 1944. Power was provided by a 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Since delivery of the planned Aeroproducts contrarotating six-bladed propeller had been delayed, the first XP-72 was equipped with a single four-bladed propeller as a temporary stop-gap measure. Nevertheless, the performance was excellent, a maximum speed of 490 mph being reached in flight tests. The second XP-72 (43-36599) flew for the first time on June 26, 1944. It was fitted with the Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers, which had finally been delivered. Unfortunately, the second XP-72 was written off in a takeoff crash early in its test flight program.
In spite of the loss of the second prototype, the USAAF was so impressed with the performance of the XP-72 that they ordered one hundred P-72 production variants. These P-72s were to have the R-4360-19 engine and were to be provided with an optional choice of four 37-mm cannon as an alternative for the six 0.50-in machine guns. It was anticipated that speeds in excess of 500 mph would be attained.
However, the changing character of the war created a greater need for long-range escort fighters than for high-speed interceptors, and the USAAF rapidly lost interest in the XP-72 project. The order for the one hundred P-72s was cancelled. The advent of jet-powered fighters which promised even more spectacular performance was undoubtedly also a factor. The surviving XP-72 (43-36598) is thought to have been scrapped at Wright Field at about the time of V-J Day.
Specification of Republic XP-72:
Powerplant: One 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 490 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5280 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3550 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet.
NOTE on Picture: That's me in the cockpit saying, "What's this doohickey do?" and Duckie coming out of the hangar saying, "But, what about the 47H?" Nigel's off to the side there thinking, "This thing needs some serious nose art!"
The Republic XP-72 was Alexander Kartveli's proposal for a replacement for his fabulously successful P-47 Thunderbolt. It was evolved in parallel with the XP-69 escort fighter project.
The XP-69 was a completely new design, whereas the XP-72 was a more-or-less straightforward progressive development of the P-47 Thunderbolt. The XP-72 was the first fighter to be designed around the huge 28-cylinger Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, the most powerful piston engine produced during World War 2. The engine was close-cowled and was fan-cooled. The Wasp Major was to have driven a pair of three-bladed Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers. The wing and tail of the P-47D were to be retained, but the airframe was enlarged and strengthened. The turbosupercharger was still located aft of the cockpit as it was in the P-47, but the turbosupercharger intake was moved to a position just underneath the cockpit rather than in the extreme nose. The lower fuselage was modified to allow for the larger air intake for the turbosupercharger. The XP-72 was to have been fitted with a bubble-type canopy, similar to that used by the late production blocks of the P-47D. Compressibility recovery flaps were fitted. Armament was to consist of six wing-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns, and two 1000-pound bombs were to be carried on underwing shackles.
The greater promise displayed by the XP-72 caused the USAAF to cancel the XP-69 project in favor of the XP-72. Two XP-72 prototypes were ordered on June 18, 1943. Serial numbers were 43-36598 and 43-36599. Some sources have these serials as being 43-6598 and 43-6599, but these appear to be in error since they conflict with a batch of P-51 Mustang serials.
XP-72 Ser No 43-36598 flew for the first time on February 2, 1944. Power was provided by a 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Since delivery of the planned Aeroproducts contrarotating six-bladed propeller had been delayed, the first XP-72 was equipped with a single four-bladed propeller as a temporary stop-gap measure. Nevertheless, the performance was excellent, a maximum speed of 490 mph being reached in flight tests. The second XP-72 (43-36599) flew for the first time on June 26, 1944. It was fitted with the Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers, which had finally been delivered. Unfortunately, the second XP-72 was written off in a takeoff crash early in its test flight program.
In spite of the loss of the second prototype, the USAAF was so impressed with the performance of the XP-72 that they ordered one hundred P-72 production variants. These P-72s were to have the R-4360-19 engine and were to be provided with an optional choice of four 37-mm cannon as an alternative for the six 0.50-in machine guns. It was anticipated that speeds in excess of 500 mph would be attained.
However, the changing character of the war created a greater need for long-range escort fighters than for high-speed interceptors, and the USAAF rapidly lost interest in the XP-72 project. The order for the one hundred P-72s was cancelled. The advent of jet-powered fighters which promised even more spectacular performance was undoubtedly also a factor. The surviving XP-72 (43-36598) is thought to have been scrapped at Wright Field at about the time of V-J Day.
Specification of Republic XP-72:
Powerplant: One 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 490 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5280 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3550 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet.
NOTE on Picture: That's me in the cockpit saying, "What's this doohickey do?" and Duckie coming out of the hangar saying, "But, what about the 47H?" Nigel's off to the side there thinking, "This thing needs some serious nose art!"
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Blackbird686
SOH-CM-2025
The bloke in the white baseball cap, down on the lower left corner is me, talking with a flight engineer... asking him: "Are you really going to turn this lot loose on that airplane?"
Slightly OT -- but I have a copy of the WoP XP-72 Superbolt with the 3 blade Aeroproducts contra prop. I find it odd that they (Wings of Power) didn't produce a second model with a 4 blade standard propeller, as that was the version that was considered by the Air Force. I also heard that the Aeroproducts propeller was not as readily available as was the standard 4 blade prop, despite the fact that the contra-prop version crashed during the testing phase.
BB686
Slightly OT -- but I have a copy of the WoP XP-72 Superbolt with the 3 blade Aeroproducts contra prop. I find it odd that they (Wings of Power) didn't produce a second model with a 4 blade standard propeller, as that was the version that was considered by the Air Force. I also heard that the Aeroproducts propeller was not as readily available as was the standard 4 blade prop, despite the fact that the contra-prop version crashed during the testing phase.
BB686
Per the info I have: "Since delivery of the planned Aeroproducts contrarotating six-bladed propeller had been delayed, the first XP-72 was equipped with a single four-bladed propeller as a temporary stop-gap measure."
The installation of the single prop was done in order to continue testing while awaiting the Aeroproducts contra-rotating props.
Since the single-4-bladed prop is the one tested with the R-4360-13 (instead if the supercharged R-4360-19) and the only one for which test data exists, that is the version we will be releasing.
Blackbird686
SOH-CM-2025
It'll be a nice complement to have the 4 blade prop version... all I have for experimental P-47's is the XP-72 with the contra prop, and an older model of the P-47Q, which I still fly on occasion. The XP-47H and J series will also be welcome additions to my virtual hangars... If I run out of room, I'll just build another hangar.... ;~}
BB686
nigel richards
Charter Member
nigel richards
Charter Member
Catch me, if you can...
View attachment 7059 View attachment 7060 View attachment 7061
New cowling panels - fitted, flown, tested.
Canopy - ditto (add a few rivets more).
Tailwheel door - ditto.
New spine panels undergoing fitting.
Spinner...spinner blurrrrrr.....
Quick stop in the Graphics Dept then it's off to Pratt and Whitney...
AFTER Messrs. Chrysler.
View attachment 7062
Now...I'd better clear off!
View attachment 7059 View attachment 7060 View attachment 7061
New cowling panels - fitted, flown, tested.
Canopy - ditto (add a few rivets more).
Tailwheel door - ditto.
New spine panels undergoing fitting.
Spinner...spinner blurrrrrr.....
Quick stop in the Graphics Dept then it's off to Pratt and Whitney...
AFTER Messrs. Chrysler.
View attachment 7062
Now...I'd better clear off!
stuartcox
Charter Member
Great shots Nigel!
Nice to see you back!
I've been following this thread with great interest, can't wait for the final product, and maybe a paintkit.
Loving to hear your rendition of the 16 cylinder engine...
If it's as convincing as your last few releases, I'll be annoying my neighbours again!
Outstanding work by all involved, - what a commitment to MSFS!
There are not enough funny medals to award to the team, so please just take my thanks...
Stuart
nigel richards
Charter Member
Great shots Nigel!
Nice to see you back!
I've been following this thread with great interest, can't wait for the final product, and maybe a paintkit.
Loving to hear your rendition of the 16 cylinder engine...
If it's as convincing as your last few releases, I'll be annoying my neighbours again!
Outstanding work by all involved, - what a commitment to MSFS!
There are not enough funny medals to award to the team, so please just take my thanks...
Stuart
Hey Stuart - you can't imagine how happy I am to see you around.
Thanks for the kind words.
Yes, you can depend there will be paintkits for this fleet - our work wouldn't be complete otherwise.
Blackbird686
SOH-CM-2025
Beautiful shots, chaps! Hey Duckie, I love that "ammemetic poly-alloy" look to that prop, mate! Transparent metal! LOL
BB686
BB686
Duckie
SOH-CM-2024
Hey BB, afraid I can't take "credit" for those transparent aluminum prop blades! FS Recorder does that to em when rpm is reduced beyond a certain point. Scotty had absolutely nothing to do with it!
