Meet Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft. The Smithsonian places it among the principal American fighters of the Second World War and records its ancestry through Republic’s earlier Seversky designs. The P-47D and the later P-47N retain that family name while representing different configurations.
History & design
Fighter and ground-attack work
The Smithsonian describes the P-47’s combination of radial-engine power, heavy gun armament and a robust airframe. Its museum aircraft is a later P-47D-30-RA. That history supports the Thunderbolt family story, while the Razorback cockpit represented by Aeroplane Heaven concerns an earlier canopy configuration.
airandspace.si.edu · Republic P-47 Thunderbolt — aircraft background and systems ↗Smithsonian P-47D-30-RA collection history; family context.
Trim across a powerful piston fighter
Aeroplane Heaven’s manual separately identifies elevator and aileron trim, and its flight example calls for aileron-trim adjustment. The roll control can therefore be trimmed independently of pitch. The manual also describes command bindings reused for weapons, a simulator interaction that is separate from the aircraft’s control surfaces.
www.aeroplaneheaven.com · P-47D Manual — Aeroplane Heaven ↗Aeroplane Heaven P-47D manual.
The turbocharger shaped the airframe
The Smithsonian describes the challenge of placing the P-47’s turbo-supercharger in the aft fuselage and connecting it to the radial engine through extensive ducting. That installation helped determine the large fighter’s internal layout. The XP-47B first flew in May 1941, followed by a lengthy development period before combat in 1943. Later broad-chord propellers improved climb, while the P-47N introduced a redesigned, fuel-carrying wing for long Pacific missions. Those later changes are distinct from an early Razorback configuration.
airandspace.si.edu · Republic P-47 Thunderbolt — aircraft background and systems ↗Smithsonian P-47D collection history; family development
In your simulator
No released simulator product is listed for this aircraft in the developers reviewed. Announced products are excluded.
Manuals & resources
Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
P-47D Manual — Aeroplane Heavenwww.aeroplaneheaven.com · Aeroplane Heaven P-47D manual.Aircraft background
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt — product pagewww.aeroplaneheaven.com · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. P-47N Thunderbolt-FlyingIron-P47X-Plane.org authorized store · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. # Selected public-page observationX-Plane.org conversion authors · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt — aircraft background and systemsairandspace.si.edu · Smithsonian P-47D-30-RA collection history; family context.Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261011-v3 · 2 profile choices
Aeroplane Heaven Republic P-47D Razorback
Aeroplane Heaven · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020
The Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft.
FlyingIron / Alpeggio P-47N XP12 conversion
FlyingIron / Alpeggio · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
The Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft.
Aeroplane Heaven Republic P-47D Razorback
The Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Aeroplane Heaven Republic P-47D Razorback · Aeroplane Heaven · MSFS 2020 · Add-on starting point
The simulator model and controls
Aeroplane Heaven Republic P-47D Razorback is the selected Aeroplane Heaven configuration.
How this profile feels
Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is off.
Aircraft and configuration
The Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft. The Smithsonian places it among the principal American fighters of the Second World War and records its ancestry through Republic’s earlier Seversky designs. The P-47D and the later P-47N retain that family name while representing different configurations.
Trim across a powerful piston fighter
Aeroplane Heaven’s manual separately identifies elevator and aileron trim, and its flight example calls for aileron-trim adjustment. The roll control can therefore be trimmed independently of pitch. The manual also describes command bindings reused for weapons, a simulator interaction that is separate from the aircraft’s control surfaces.
About the values
Strengths are normalized hardware-feel settings. They set the effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its limits. The IAS reference is a tuning value.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
InheritedAeroplane Heaven Republic P-47D Razorback is the selected Aeroplane Heaven configuration.
Flight controls
InheritedThe Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft.
Trim
InheritedP-47D trim: Separate elevator and aileron trim. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.15.
Autopilot and stability
InheritedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
InheritedThe Thunderbolt combined a powerful radial engine and eight .50-calibre machine guns in a fighter that also became a major ground-attack aircraft. The Smithsonian places it among the principal American fighters of the Second World War and records its ancestry through Republic’s earlier Seversky designs. The P-47D and the later P-47N retain that family name while representing different configurations.
Speeds and limits
InheritedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
InheritedThe profile targets msfs2020. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
InheritedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyAeroplane Heaven’s manual separately identifies elevator and aileron trim, and its flight example calls for aileron-trim adjustment. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 65 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.95 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.95 with an indicated-speed reference of 220 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value220.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyAeroplane Heaven’s manual separately identifies elevator and aileron trim, and its flight example calls for aileron-trim adjustment. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 65 KIAS. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.95 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.95 with an indicated-speed reference of 220 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value8 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value220.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.1. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 65 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whyP-47D trim: Separate elevator and aileron trim. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.15. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0.15 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.35 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value5 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.42 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.75 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Conventional manual control approximation for this aircraft, with modest aerodynamic loading. Accessory hydraulics and avionics do not establish powered primary controls.
- Separate pitch and roll relief approximate the documented trim axes; linkage geometry and add-on neutral scaling remain unmeasured.
- Published AP equipment does not supply a calibrated servo or inceptor target. Follow and neutral hold remain disabled; no interface copied from another developer.
- Read-only native simulator channels; position input preserved. Actual accessory motion only. Custom systems, engine failures and historical operating procedures do not create unqualified force commands. Installed title/version and hardware travel remain acceptance limits.
- 220.0 KIAS is an estimated control-feel reference, not cruise TAS, V-speeds or an operating limit.
- Spring 0.74, lateral scale 0.72, trim relief 0.18/0.1; editable estimates, not measured hand forces.
- Physical and installed-aircraft checks are deferred. Save this profile as the aircraft default if telemetry omits its developer or configuration.
- Only actual accessory-position changes drive movement textures. No pressure-dependent failures, guessed servo outputs or input compensation.
- Earlier family-derived force values are superseded by this explicit review. Source limitations are not installed qualification.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗