I doubt it's kill per hour is 1 or less.
Easy mode as I use it, is defined as a plane that has high survivability/high lethality due to a/c performance factors that the pilot inherits by virtue of climbing in the cockpit.
I exaggerate, but a too timidly flown P-51 always gains a little in k/d ratio for a huge drop in k/t.
Survivability yes, lethality no, 'fraid not. An old HurriIIC is far more lethal both in terms of guns and maneuvering abilities *once actually engaged*. The P-51D can avoid being engaged easier, which is important in real life, far less so as an argument for "easy mode" in a game where the point is to have fun in engagements.
Its maneuverability at top speed and in top downhill speed and high speed turning ability make it an easy killing platform.
Here we come to the myth of the "high speed turning ability." Yes the P-51 can generate enough G to hit the blackout limit at anything over about 250 mph, but so can every other WWII plane in the set. Two planes going the same speed and pulling the same G load in the turn are producing exactly the same rate and radius at turn. No advantage the the P-51 here.
No offense to you personally Changeup, but it seems like this basic bit of physics gets explained on this forum at least once a month, and still it never filters down into the community at large. Again, same speed+same G load in a turn means identical rate and radius. Most planes in the set can generate blackout Gs to at least 400mph IAS, but that already way too fast to stand much chance of hitting anything. There is no advantage for the P-51 in high speed, only parity.
It has zero defect turning ability
Excuse me? What does this phrase even mean? The P-51 has one of the highest stall speeds, largest minimum turn radii, and worst sustained turn rates in the game.
, great flaps that are easy to get accustomed to,
Examining the relevant testing data will reveal that the P-51's flaps do not reduce turn radius of the P-51 by anywhere near as great a percentage as flaps do for the F4U, P-38, or P-47. Which is to say, virtually every plane equipped with comparable purpose-designed maneuvering flaps is getting a lot more benefit out of said flaps. One notch improves turn rate and radius, two notches improves radius at the expense of rate, and beyond that flaps in the P-51 are adding drag much more quickly than they tighten a turn.
good zoom climb,
easy to handle stall characteristics
It stalls pretty viciously, although there is plenty of warning.
and an unapologetic gun package.
"Unapologetic"? Again, what does this even mean? It is an adequate, not great gun package for this particular plane, and does end up frustrating lots of players lots of the time, me included. I'm a big fan of Latrobe's videos, I was watching them this morning. Watch and compare the P-51D video he has up on Youtube to his "Decision making in a fight" video in the 109F. In the P-51D video you will see many bandits eating his lead but either escaping damaged or surviving and then dying because they stall and crash into the water. In the 109F video, the same sort of flying against multiple opponents, the airplanes are destroyed outright. An the 109F isn't generally considered a heavy hitter. Same pilot, good shot, completely different results from the two gun packages.
It fights nicely at all alts, better at some than others but progresses evenly through most altitudes but certainly outclasses 80% of the planeset above 20K.
The P-51D does have a rather brilliant sweet spot from 8-12K where it cruises a lot faster than most, albeit it takes about a sector to get up to that full cruise speed. Getting above that alt its speed drops and it's horsepower suffers until about 18K. Indeed above 20K it is a great plane again, but that is above the vast majority of action in the MA. Who climbs to 20K?
The year of our lord vs the year of our lord is a poor comparison for whether something is easy mode.
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A plane from the Late-war set we're going to call "easy mode" should enjoy at least equality in 1v1 dogfights with HurriIIs, SpitIXs, F4U1s, Hellcats, 109Fs and Gs, P-38s, and anything else the Early to MidWar era can offer.
There are a number of pilots that have mastered the 51's ability low and slow.
I've scrimmaged it tons in maneuvering fights in the Furball lake against everything. My conclusion: At a disadvantage against nearly everything and often unable to turn gross mistakes by the opponent into victory due to lack slow speed maneuverability, climb/acceleration, and cannons.
The question is, why don't others take the time to do it?
Likely because they try to do it and end up concluding it is almost hopeless. Then they either go back to Spits and other maneuverable planes or prosecute a pure BnZ in the 51.
They can rack up tremendous victory totals by simply exploiting its advantages and have to learn not-so-much.
Yes, easy mode.
Sometimes I fly it "smart"...sometimes I fly it "stupid". Either way, I've been doing this since 2006, and I still feel any sortie I can get 3 fighting kills in the P-51 is a good one. As pure BnZ fighters, the Dora and the P-47M beat the pants off the 51 due to firepower and roll rate. The Dora's amazing engine allows it to actually build energy in a timely manner and keep an E advantage over multiple bandits, while a P-51 while actually fighting is in a declining energy state. And the P-47 beats the 51 as a dogfighter as well. So where's the "easy mode"? Is there a button to turn it on in the cockpit somewhere I'm missing?