Author Topic: P-51D... landing gear (Read 428 times)

Midnight · « **on:** June 14, 2004, 11:33:05 PM »

HT, Pyro...

The P-51D in AHII seems to have some landing gear problems, I think.

I have noticed that the steering is very difficult when decellerating and low speed taxing. Seems that once the nose goes off centerline, it just wants to keep on going. Making a correction with opposite brakes and/or rudder causes the nose to swing almost wildy in the other direction with almost certain main gear collapse, followed by wing breaking off. Most times, this will also cause the plane to explode and kill the pilot.

Is it supposed to be this hard and difficult to control or is this a bug? In AH1, the P-51D was very easy to control on the ground and the main gear seemed much sturdier.

Thanks

Kweassa · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2004, 11:52:01 PM »

Use the tail-wheel lock, Midnight.

Sable · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2004, 01:35:01 AM »

That's the way tailwheel aircraft are in real life. If the wheel isn't locked they have no straight line stability - the center of mass is behind the main wheels and the tailwheel is castering. It's like steering your car in reverse vs. going forward ... it wants to turn much more quickly and once it starts turning it wants to keep turning. That's the reason why the FAA requires you get a tailwheel signoff, but there's no nosewheel signoff.

Blue Mako · « **Reply #3 on:** June 28, 2004, 10:57:15 PM »

OT: Midnight, send me an email on my yahoo address. The 412th home page is down so I can't reach the squad forum and I don't know if the squad email is down with it...

Cheers, BM

J_A_B · « **Reply #4 on:** June 28, 2004, 11:02:40 PM »

Unlike the vast majority of WW2 fighters, the P-51 had a steerable tail wheel. Is this feature in any way represented in AH2?

J_A_B