Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Thirdup on August 19, 2001, 07:41:00 PM

Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Thirdup on August 19, 2001, 07:41:00 PM
9:00PM - 10:00PM Battle Stations
 P-51 Mustang!
Originally built for the R.A.F., the U.S.A.A.F.'s P-51 Mustang became one of the greatest fighter planes ever to be built and took on the worst that the Luftwaffe had to offer. The pilots of the 8th Airforce dramatically turned the tide of the air war in Europe when they saved the U.S. daylight bombing campaign over Nazi-occupied Europe by flying escort. We take you inside the cockpit of the "Cadillac of the Skies" to experience firsthand the terrifying reality of aerial combat over Berlin in WWII. TV G
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: hblair on August 20, 2001, 07:51:00 AM
Very interesting piece. The first hand accounts from the pony pilots was especially interesting...
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Westy MOL on August 20, 2001, 08:05:00 AM
Definately Hblair. And the gun cams were extraordinary. Very clear and several quite close.

 Thanks for the heads up last night 3rdUP!

   Westy
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Toad on August 20, 2001, 08:08:00 AM
The Mustang show last night was exceptionally well done. The recreations with the vintage mustang and actors, the interviews with actual -51 pilots, lots of inflight movies and tons of gun camera film.

I was struck by the thought that "HTC really did this well" many times while watching the gun camera film. Fighter wings ripping off with a solid burst, fuel tanks exploding, etc. Even down to the multiple (20+ ?) cannon strikes on the B-17 in one pass... that left it flying.

Blakeslee was an absolute hoot. What an interview.

If you get a chance... don't miss it.

Four Stars.
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Gman on August 20, 2001, 05:31:00 PM
Heh, probably one of the few Canucks who caught this one (DSS is legal to pirate up here).  Great program, very well organized, as well as a couple of air to air kills I hadn't seen before.

There was some epic quotes from the old timers in this one.  "I didn't dislike the Germans, I hated every single one of the son of a squeakes - I'd have killed a 1000 of them if I could have".  LOL!

The re-enacting stuff was nicely done too.  Don't miss it if it's on again and you never saw it.
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Thorns on August 20, 2001, 07:20:00 PM
The P-51D is the most beautiful plane of all time...   :D

Thorns

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: Thorns ]
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Westy MOL on August 21, 2001, 09:16:00 AM
"I was struck by the thought that "HTC really did this well" many times while watching the gun camera film. Fighter wings ripping off with a solid burst, fuel tanks exploding, etc. Even down to the multiple (20+ ?) cannon strikes on the B-17 in one pass... that left it flying."

 I thought the very same thing too  :)  I just didn't include it in my post for fear of starting a .50 versus 151 versus hispano lashback  :)

Westy
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Hangtime on August 21, 2001, 05:09:00 PM
It was quite simply the finest combat prop fighter of the war. Period.

And every other prop fighter in it's field of view was a target.

Wail away Luftwobbles. The tool of your destruction was the P51.. and you know it.  :D
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: pdog_109 on August 21, 2001, 05:55:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Hangtime:
It was quite simply the finest combat prop fighter of the war. Period. And every other prop fighter in it's field of view was a target.

How can you say that? Anyone who believes that he can satisfactorily demonstrate which fighter was the "finest" out of the whole bunch that appeared from 1940 to 1945 is incredibly naive. There are so many performance variables and kinds of missions, that arguing them to all to a solid conclusion that would convince everyone is virtually impossible. The P-51 might have been the best escort fighter for the 8th Air Force, but that doesn't mean everything else is a target. It was not such a good ground attack airplane due to vulnerable radiator.
In a close-in, hard turning dogfight the 109 can out-maneuver the P-51 because the 109s roll rate and low speed characteristics are superior. I never got into one of these because as the name suggest's "runstang".
I guess the Yak 3/9, La7, Re 2005/Fiat G55,
F4U, Temp, 190D9 are bad compared to P-51.
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Westy MOL on August 21, 2001, 06:09:00 PM
Love to see em go airborne at the start of a good fight and nothing beats the smell of a reel smoking.

 Westy
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: Nashwan on August 21, 2001, 06:15:00 PM
Quote
It was quite simply the finest combat prop fighter of the war. Period.
Perk it.  :)
And unperk the Tempest (and Spit XIV if it arrives)  :)
Title: P-51 on the History Channel
Post by: AKSWulfe on August 21, 2001, 06:22:00 PM
Only a minnow so far, bad day for line fishing.

Try trawling next time Hang.
-SW