La5 vs. P51

[BNM]

La-5 is a good ride. If the P-51 is flown correctly tho, the La-5 is toast plain and simple.

[Steve]

Naj,
Congrats, first of all, on your successes   .
Escaping an la5 while flying a pony at high speed  is remarkably easy.  If you're fast and on my 6, a simple aggressive break turn  approaching 90 degrees will cause you too bleed off mucho E as you try to follow, and then you will fall behind as I make my escape.  If you don't have help in the area and I feel like killing you, I'll  use my high speed manueverability to work to a snap or 6 shot and put you down..all the while maintaining enough E to break off if I see ya have help coming.  The pony that tries to simply extend straight from a closing foe is passing up on the pony's best attribute: high speed handling. If you were in an la7.. it's a different ball game.. try to get you slow as possible.. but if you have one of those rare, talented la7 sticks on your 6(while in a pony)... anyone's chance of survival under the aforementioned circumstances is less than good.
BTW Naj, I checked this tour's numbers to see if my pony had met your la5.  P51D:2 ,  LA5: 0

!

[WldThing]

Escaping an la5 while flying a pony at high speed is remarkably easy.

Why run?

P-51 Running is for wimps that dont think they can handle the La5 either low or high.  Sticking around will teach every 51 pilot out there what a P-51 can do.

The pony that tries to simply extend straight from a closing foe is passing up on the pony's best attribute: high speed handling

High speed handling if you want your wings torn away from your plane.  The best thing that the P-51 has is Low Speed Handling IMO.

My 2 cents..

[Urchin]

P-51 will entirely own a La5 or an La7 in a stallfight.  Best thing the La-X can do is keep the fight in the vertical- superior acceleration translates into better vertical performance.  You try to flat turn or scissor with a P-51 in an La-X, the P-51 should win easily.  That said, the pilot has to know that the P-51 can actually stallfight, most don't.

[Jackal1]

Originally posted by najdorf

Anyway, what do I know, I'm just a stupid trial lawyer spending time at work talking about a game in which I'm a member of a Japanese squadron who likes to fly Russian planes in his spare time to kill American planes.  Somebody sue my parents, God I'm screwed up! [/B]

Yea, your right! Being a trial lawyer is screwed up. Seek help now while you still have a chance.

[Steve]

Wldthing, as I implied, I'd leave an la5 if he had help with him or on they way.  If I could get him without being bounced, I'd stick around and kill him...I never said or implied that I'd run... merely that I could if I wanted to.  And as far as high speed handling.. well through trial and error... I've learned the 51's tolerances and can now do those high speed ACM's without ripping(mostly hehehe).  Other planes that compress(g10 i.e) or have big radials on their nose(la5) simply can't hang with a fast pony, as I know you are well aware of.  Urch, I love stall fightin the pony... I've learned that this ALMOST always catches your opponent off guard, cut in and force a stall fight... you usually have a surprised opponent...Unfortunately a stall fighting pony is high on the target of opportunity list so I avoid knife fighting in crowds.

[maxtor]

I don't fly any of these planes But aside from the personal impressions, there are the overall numbers:

La-5FN 2111 kills 1891 death 1.12 k/d
P-51B 1430 kills 1313 deaths 1.09 k/d
P-51D 16409 kills 17568 death 0.93 k/d

and

The P-51D has 134 kills and has been killed 181 times against the La-5FN.

[Steve]

Max, numbers don't lie...but one could argue that every noob/jabo dweeb climbs in a pony first off and gets his feet wet. That argument aside... I feel that the p51D is used far more in attack runs than the la5 and that this DOES skew the numbers some. I'm sure there are some very good la5 pilots out there.  Just for the sake of argument... let's assume I have attained the level of "average" p51d pilot.  for the same time that you have quoted kill comparisons of the la5 and ponies, my p51d: 4, LA5:0
My point is opinion only, and not meant to sound combative: your average p51 pilot should beat your average la5 pilot.

[WldThing]

So your saying that you would engage a lone P-51 in the MA?

[Steve]

I would..unless I could come up with a better way to create his demise.  As an example, I had high P51  and friends trail me out of an area where I had been roping low bogies. Shortly, everyone but the 51 dropped off.. he trailed me for several sectors, high on my 6.  I had a squaddie vector over and engage him.  It took both of us to kill him as he was a very skilled p51 stick. in fact, he was so good that I had to come within inches of giving him a shot on my climbing 6 to get him killed by my wingie. Had I not had this option, I probably would have at least engaged him long enough to determine if I could get the better of him,  considering my inferior E state.  If it turned out that I was unable to overcome this, I'd probably look for a way out.

[WldThing]

I believe the P-51 was at your alt, he was not higher.  You wouldnt have the inferior E state if the P-51 had been higher than you.

Had I not had this option, I probably would have at least engaged him long enough to determine if I could get the better of him, considering my inferior E state. If it turned out that I was unable to overcome this, I'd probably look for a way out.

I dont see a point where you have to have an advantage over someone to actually kill them.

[poopster]

Originally posted by WldThing
So your saying that you would engage a lone P-51 in the MA?

I'll engage ANYBODY alone in the MA regardless of altitude.

Steve can attest to that.

Good shot that Steve dude..

I lose some, win some others..

Good fights though, that's why I'm here

When you suck down that high guy and kill'um it gives me a woodie..

[Karnak]

najdorf,

Try the Yak-9U.  That thing dominates P-51s in my experience.  It does a good job on La-7s as well.

There was one day that Keyapaha and I were fighting over the lake on Mindano and I bagged 9 P-51s in two flights for no losses.  And it was all easy.

[Steve]

I never said I had to have the advantage. But if dragging an opponent to a teammate is the most expeditious means available, why not?  Are you saying you never use teammates, never set them up for shots?  In the scenario I mentioned, it was the most efficient way to kill the bad guy. I was carrying several pelts, and had marginally low ammo. My odds of defeating him with help were much greater than beating his E superior plane 1v1. I guess if you are trying to lead me down a path where you can jump on me for running or not fighting 1v1 on other's terms all the time, you can stop here.. go ahead.. call me a runner. If I were truly a runner... I'd have a much higher K/D.  Your opinion of me may be somewhat different, but I do not engage only when I have the advantage.  And yes.. if the other pony was higher, I would have been at an inferior E state.  If the pony was coalt, I would have had to reverse to engage, and thus  I would have also been at an inferior E state.  Most people, once they determine they are going to lose a fight, try to disengage to either re-merge or escape....just about everyone.  
We are a bit off topic here so I'll repeat: I think the average p51 will, more often than not, defeat the average la5.

[TheManx]

P51 should win at either advantage or disadvantage. 1 on 1, it's just the better plane. The pilots are what sometimes give the Pony a bad name, as there are a lot out there who don't really know what it's capable of.