Pyro, The Mustang, landing and diving a question

[Sharky]

Pyro,

I was wondering if you could answer a question or two.  The things I want to talk about may not be bugs but seem odd to me.

First, landing the mustang.  When landing the Mustang the breaks always pull the tail up no matter what the speed of the plane is during it's roll out.  Additionally no amout of up elevator will hold the tail down.  The brakes on the Mustang also seem to have very little effect and the entire RW must be used to come to a stop.  I don't see any of this in the other planes.  I always use a 3 point touch down and with all planes except the Mustang the elevator will hold the tail down and the brakes stop the A/C very quickly.

Second, it seems that there is very little drag when diving.  Even with the throttle at idle even a fairly shallow dive will have airspeed over 500 ias in a very short time.  Now the only referance I have is things I've read about pilots diving on the enemy with full power and coming close to over speeding the A/C.  However in AH even with the throttle at idle I can't get to over 500 ias very quickly.

Thanks for your time,
Sharky

[hitech]

Sharky, We have anti lock brakes on all the planes to prevent nose over. Try not just standing on them but rather tap them while pulling full back elevator. Get Your tail down with the brakes off then when it lifts get off the brakes and keep taping them.


HiTech

[hitech]

The dive speed there are 2 things happening. 1 we don't have prop drag working so in a power back dive this would be giving you some more drag. 2nd is you need to understand a little about the basics of physics. The p51 at 300 mph full throttle would produce around 1500 lbs of thrust.

To produce the equivlant 1500lb of thrust do to gravity in a stang that wieghs 9000lb would take a dive angle of only 9 degs. When you are flying straight down you are getting an extra 9000lb of thrust as compared to the eng only outputing 1500 and even less as the speed builds up.


HiTech

[Lephturn]

Sharky, there is a trick to slowing down a plane in AH at the moment.

Full rudder.  Try it, hold full rudder in either direction and you will rapidly slow to 150 or so.  I generally chop throttle when lining up for a landing, then I pop as much flap as I can.  Next I hold full rudder and start my dive to the field.  As you slow down, you can pop more flap to help you.  The gear/dive brakes on the F4U help as well.

Be careful not to try this at too high a speed in the P51.  I tried it at 450 or so the other day and it promptly tore the rudder off. <G>



------------------
Lephturn
The Flying Pigs

[Sharky]

HT,
Thanks for the info about the prop drag and diving speed.

As to the breaking for the Mustang, no matter how gentel I apply the brakes the tail comes up.  Now it won't nose over but the tail is always straight out.  It maintains this attitude at even 2 mph on the roll out.  The tail will not come down until the plane come to a complete stop.  Additionally, no amount of back pressure on the stick will bring the tail down, even at 2 mph in the roll out.  Nothing will bring the tail down (while using the brakes) at any speed. And the brakes are very ineffective, very little differance in the rollout distance with or with out brakes.  This is only seen on the P-51, all other A/C when landed at slow speed in a 3 point attitude will keep the tail on the ground with application of the brakes.  Also the rollout distance for all other A/C is very reasonable, about 1/2 RW length to come to a full stop.

Could you check this out, I'd say it was just my technique except I only see it with the Mustang, all other A/C seem just fine.

Lephturn,
Thanks for the tip I'll give it a try.

Thanks for your time guys,
Sharky