Spit compared to P51

[malpeake]

I have been trying the Spitfire 8 and 9 and the P51D. Funny thing i am finding, i seem to stall the Spits easier than the Mustang, and i cannot seem to recover them, but i can recover the Mustang OK, mostly.  .

[BnZ]

The Spits act like their center of gravity is rearward. Nose high and slow, they can actually be made to tail slide into the ground, and commonly get into flat spins from which they cannot recover.

Whereas the P-51 and most other planes WILL go nose down, pick up speed, and start flying again eventually if they have the altitude to recover.

[SPKmes]

There is nothing like having the spit stall buzzer screaming in your ear during a fight. The difference you are noting could be due to differences in speed between the two. A spit will be a lot slower than a 51 in most cases and if you have the 51 at spit speeds fighting then you'll inevitably be stalling with similar effects and have a harder time recovering the 51 when low. One difference I myself find is that when you stall so much in a spit that you start a spin (unlike what I do with a 51) don't full throttle the thing. Slowly increase your revs, as you feel control being gained at each little bit of increase add a bit more once you have rudder control you can usually full throttle and wep to try and gain your lost advantage . If you are low death is imminent. Bear in mind that this is only my findings and coming from how I push these pixels about.

[A8TOOL]

A Spit 14 is similar to a 51 IMO

[DamnedRen]

I have been trying the Spitfire 8 and 9 and the P51D. Funny thing i am finding, i seem to stall the Spits easier than the Mustang, and i cannot seem to recover them, but i can recover the Mustang OK, mostly.  .

Most fighter planes have more aft center of gravity (CG)  than trainers or commercial birds. This has a tendency to make them a bit more unstable as they get closer to the edge of the flight envelope. In other words the plan gets alot more touchy when you move the stick. The farther aft the CG the easier it gets to upset the aircraft. So, if you start with an aft CG then start moving it around even more by adding fuel to the aux tank (in P-51, for instance) you also further decrease its stability. All of that instability actually helps the plane to maneuver more quickly, if, you can manage it. And that's what doing all of dat pilot stuff is all about.

As far as stalls, it's true you can flip the old spit over on its back then slide tail first into the ground. It's also true that if you recognize the onset of the stall you can stop it before it happens or get out of it immediately before it has a chance to fully develop. That's all dat pilot stuff you gotta learn. There's power on/off stalls, accelerated (snap roll) stalls and all kinds of other fun stuff you'll learn as you continue to fly AH2.

Drop by the Training Arena (TA) and let's do a lil flying.

Ren
Aces High II Training Corps

[bcadoo]

I don't have that much experience in the earlier spits, but I've had the 16 in some horrible shape (NO airspeed, on its back, flopping, etc) and been able to recover.  As long as I have a little altitude I have no fear of any out-of-control situation in it.  (the exact opposite of my feelings about a mossie, which I seem to be able to put into the ground by a simple turn or climb)

[Race]

     The 51 can go into a unrecoverable tail first slide if your really unlucky. Quite often I have been going so slow (less than 100 mph) that the plane just stops flying. On the other hand I have been at speeds of 75-80 mph in controlled (albeit downhill) flight. The key to recovering in tricky situations is the throttle and flaps. Most stalls will not recover effectively with full power in a Pony. The Spitfire feels like a trainer for me after turn fighting with them in the 51 Bravo. There isnt a stall that I cant recover from if the altitude is high enough.

Race

[BnZs]

Try going straight vertical in the Spit, hang it on the prop as long as you can directly vertical using small rudder and aileron inputs, down to less than 80 indicated. It can often be made to tail-slide into the ground, or go into a flat spin which is impossible to recover from.

Whereas most planes will go nose down and go to flying again sooner or later.

     The 51 can go into a unrecoverable tail first slide if your really unlucky. Quite often I have been going so slow (less than 100 mph) that the plane just stops flying. On the other hand I have been at speeds of 75-80 mph in controlled (albeit downhill) flight. The key to recovering in tricky situations is the throttle and flaps. Most stalls will not recover effectively with full power in a Pony. The Spitfire feels like a trainer for me after turn fighting with them in the 51 Bravo. There isnt a stall that I cant recover from if the altitude is high enough.

Race