What makes the P-51D so great at shooting down people

[Steve]

The way you think how "speed" is a "passive" asset sort of proves my point.

I was referring to cockpit view as a passive asset, not speed.  Sorry if I was vague.

What if that someone behind you already presupposes that you will try decceleration and overshoots, and makes enough preparations for it?

Well that's when the fun really starts, isn't it?  Twisting, turning, scissorring,  rolling,  standin-on-the-rudder come on plane slow down!, flaps in then out maybe out some more, snap-shotting thrills.
 

Come to think of it, how does one land in that kind of 1vs1 situation in the first place?

This can be pretty easy. I fly around at typically 8-10k. Find a higher bogie and let him  "chase" me until we are all alone. Then I let him catch me. It doesn't always work out this way, but happens with some regularity.

[SgtPappy]

I just hope we can find a conclusion to this Mustang flap nonsense because I know Mustang fans are begging to fly the plane to its full potential.
And my friends don't have to always run away.

[BnZ]

I thought of something:

Everyone knows it is fast, but not the fastest. But most non-perked planes that out-run the P-51, do it in a narrow range of altitude. Furthermore, alot of them are only as fast/faster with WEP. The P-51 is a top-speed contender against most from the deck to 25K. The P-51 eeks out most of its speed without WEP...and a 75% fuel load lets you fly 35 minutes at millitary without drop tanks slowing it down. A clean P-51 that has been cruising straight and level for awhile, meeting most other planes co-alt, will usually have an E advantage.

If we look outside the MA tendency to run full-throttle all the time, the P-51's speed at normal cruise settings vrs. that of other aircraft makes for an even better advantage.

[Zazen13]

I thought of something:

Everyone knows it is fast, but not the fastest. But most non-perked planes that out-run the P-51, do it in a narrow range of altitude. Furthermore, alot of them are only as fast/faster with WEP. The P-51 is a top-speed contender against most from the deck to 25K. The P-51 eeks out most of its speed without WEP...and a 75% fuel load lets you fly 35 minutes at millitary without drop tanks slowing it down. A clean P-51 that has been cruising straight and level for awhile, meeting most other planes co-alt, will usually have an E advantage.

If we look outside the MA tendency to run full-throttle all the time, the P-51's speed at normal cruise settings vrs. that of other aircraft makes for an even better advantage.

Yea, the MA environment's short distances, even with the burn multiplier, render one of the P51s biggest real world assets meaningless. "Time over target" was a huge consideration in all theaters of air conflict in WWII. It's of very small importance in AH. It's really only even meaningful to those at the "short end of the stick" as they are the only ones that have the real possibility of running out of gas before ammunition.

[Gixer]

Some great aspects of the Pony that often get overlooked and why I consider it one of the best if not the best overall fighter in the game bar perk rides.

- All round visibility is second to none. With a nice view over the nose.
- Range, stay on station longer spend less time climbing to and rtb from sectors.
- Gun package, everyones knows that AH is American so American fighters always get a small edge to anything else hence .50cals are lasers. 

Speed,handling,flaps,pretty cockpit etc... Add it all together it's suprising they ever get shot down at all. Unless of course a Yak shows up.. 



<S>...-Gixer

[Zazen13]

Some great aspects of the Pony that often get overlooked and why I consider it one of the best if not the best overall fighter in the game bar perk rides.

- All round visibility is second to none. With a nice view over the nose.
<S>...-Gixer

It always amazes me how little people consider this. If you have decent+ aim great nose-low deflection view has the potential to exponentially increase effectiveness. More so than any other single plane attribute...

[Steve]

It always amazes me how little people consider this. If you have decent+ aim great nose-low deflection view has the potential to exponentially increase effectiveness. More so than any other single plane attribute...

I'm not a particularly great shot (around 12% in AHII) but it seems like views get mentioned in just about every thread.
I agree that it the views are pretty much unparallelled though. 

[Lusche]

I'm not a particularly great shot (around 12% in AHII)

Understatment. 12% achieved mostly fighting vs other fighters (and not vs buffs like I do) is WAY above the AH2 average. Only a very minor fraction can get consistent hit %s over 10.

/hijack off

[Zazen13]

Understatment. 12% achieved mostly fighting vs other fighters (and not vs buffs like I do) is WAY above the AH2 average. Only a very minor fraction can get consistent hit %s over 10.

/hijack off

I did some extensive sampling once, 3-4% is average, 10%+ is great (top 5%). Of course people who strafe stuff in fighter mode mess up the low end and people who vulch and buff hunt in disproportion mess up the high end. But, the distorting factors probably about wash in the end.

[moot]

Unfortunately, I've yet to see a <insert plane name> enthusiast really square off against an enemy plane also flown by another pilot of at least equal skill, and then willingly engage in a fight that should be inherently disadvantageous according to the specs of his own plane.

Just one example off the top of my head.  WZ's N1K vs me in 152.  I go for it everytime..  GTR in Spit16..  XtrmeJ in Spit9... Frenchy's Spit14 or even his jug with my 262... AKAK and Stang in 38s.. I could probably go on enough to get flamed for bragging.

And this is wrong too!:

Oh I've seen how you fly too, Steve, and I have great respect for what you can do in the field. Many people would give anything to be able to fly like you, and envy you for how you can make them P-51s truly shine. But Steve, sometimes, guys like you don't really see how the reality of the world goes around you, much less really know what makes them so successful themselves. Those guys come to the boards talking in half-truths and a lot of wishful thinking which usually revolves around on supposing everyone in the MA should be at their level of skill, and any other way to fly is n00bish, unexciting, unnecessary.

The following is true not just in the game, but in a number of disciplines, of which the one I know best is academics..  The guys who look at the top performers will always look at the top guys as aliens, or somehow wonder how the heck they do what they do.. And very often it's not just well honed natural talent, but discipline, focus, motivation, and self-confidence.  Just self-confidence on its own can completely FUBAR performance if it's out of tune.
A lot of the things the top sticks in AH do aren't out of reach of any noob..  Ignoring the help of habits seasoned to the point of thoughtless automation that only a lot of time/practice allows.

[Steve]

who look at the top performers will always look at the top guys as aliens, or somehow wonder how the heck they do what they do..

Zazen said a similar thing and I think this has merit, IMHO.

Whether I'm a top perform or not is for others to decide but  when I have people ride in my pony it's almost always the same: " I don't understand what you are doing. You don't fly very high. You dogfight better turners and win. You never get caught even though there are always higer planes above you.
You rack up kills even though you don't never seem to be doing many agressive ACM's or stressing the aircraft. I don't understand how you know exactly how much to rope an enemy plane with so many variables in the equation. You're not doing anything special but nobody gets a shot at you." 

 I try to explain to these ride alongs that the furball is a big 3D chess match to me. Position, plane type, E-states, flying style. This is where I make hay.

There are  plenty of ACM wizards out there who could fly circles around me no doubt.
Mtnman and I had a fight the other night.  His hog vs. my pony. E states started about equal. It was a fun and quite long fight but, in the end, he whupped me.   


Edit:

3-4% is average, 10%+ is great (top 5%).

  Lusche, Zaz, I apologize. Certainly you guys are more knowledgeable than I in the area of stats. I've always felt to be a mediocre shot at best.

[Gixer]

Understatment. 12% achieved mostly fighting vs other fighters (and not vs buffs like I do) is WAY above the AH2 average. Only a very minor fraction can get consistent hit %s over 10.

/hijack off

Then a 37mm tater puts you into freak status 


<S>...-Gixer

[MiloMorai]

If one wants a good view over the nose take a 109.

[Lusche]

Then a 37mm tater puts you into freak status 


<S>...-Gixer

Well.. one could argue that it's easier to shoot with 37mm than with 30mm cannon because of it's vastly superior ballistics

Yak 37mm = dweeb's taters

[Gixer]

Well.. one could argue that it's easier to shoot with 37mm than with 30mm cannon because of it's vastly superior ballistics

Yak 37mm = dweeb's taters

  you have be kidding.



<S>...-Gixer