Wow! My eyes are open!

[ispar]

I just took the P-51D for a spin today, into a fight for the first time in months. I can't believe it, that bird is sweet! After flying the Lightning and Hellcat in furballs, the thing is incredible. I was at 10k or lower the entire time, and was amazed at how she performed. Wonderful! I need more practice with this thing. Only problem is my total lack of time in the MA... it's hard to learn how to fight effectively in planes like the P-38 in H2H. I can't believe that I so overlooked the pony before. She is one smooth handling, sweet bird!

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"E's bound to be guilty, or 'e wouldn't be 'ere!
Starboard gun! FIRE!
Shootings to good for 'im, kick the louse out!
Port gun! FIRE!"
- Old chant used to time saluting of guns on ships

[Hans]

Yup, just two tips to go along with that.

Only take 75% fuel.  100% will fill up the auxilary fuel tank behind the seat, which really mucks up the plane's center of gravity too far behind the center of lift.

Use the flaps in turns.  They're designed for that.  1 or 2 notches.

Hans.

[Soulyss]

for furballin in the pony I perfer to take 50% fuel and drop tanks gets you light enough to manuver in the furball while still have enough gas to duke it out for a while then get home.  Also watch your airspeed the performance drops off the slower you get and the pony doesn't accelerate very well. have fun and cheers on a great plane choice.  

[ispar]

 

Originally posted by Soulyss:
for furballin in the pony I perfer to take 50% fuel and drop tanks gets you light enough to manuver in the furball while still have enough gas to duke it out for a while then get home.  Also watch your airspeed the performance drops off the slower you get and the pony doesn't accelerate very well. have fun and cheers on a great plane choice.  

CC Soulyss, I did have 50%! Lots of fun. However, I also learned that all of the wonderful P-51's wonderful capabilities aren't enough to save me when I have a good pilot (like Ghost in his 202... S!) on my tail. It's great fun though.

------------------
"E's bound to be guilty, or 'e wouldn't be 'ere!
Starboard gun! FIRE!
Shootings to good for 'im, kick the louse out!
Port gun! FIRE!"
- Old chant used to time saluting of guns on ships

[Hangtime]

It's a heluva nice plane if you stay on top of SA and keep yer six clear. It'll turn, it'll dive; it'll scissor.. and it'll be yer coffin if yah let it get slow.

Enjoy!

Hang

[Spatula]

Ssssshhhh!!!!! quite!!!!

The P51 sux!

Move along, nothing to see here....

[Spatula]

Ok, so it is a kick bellybutton plane.

Tips for p51:

1. take no more than 50% gas unless you intend to stay up for more than an hour. Take drop tanks. Drop one on take off, if you are fairly close to the combat zone. Drop the tanks when you think an encounter is inevitable.

2. Keep the pony fast, and then maybe faster. If your still unsure, faster still. Speed is where this baby shines, and shines brightly.

3. Use your speed advantage to dictate the fight. Attack when your ready and have something up your sleeve (speed).

4. Use 1 or even 2 notches of flap when turning. Keep turns short in duration. Prolonged turns bleed too much E. Even at 380 MPH you can drop a notch of flap and out-turn spitfires (provided you dont slow down too much).

5. 90% of my kills come from rope-a-dopes, which mean you have to trick the enemy into beleiving you have less E than you really do.

6. If you have to, and as a last resort, the pony can turn fairly well. But what it cant out-turn it can comfortably out-run, just dont rely on its poor accceleration - ie get too slow.

[darling]

Stay high and fast in P-51D

Been flying lots of CAP with Outlaw (332nd squaddie), and we take off with 100%. About the time we get to our patrol alt (25-27k) the AUX is finished. Then we are at prime combat weight for high altitude fighting. Just take care not to compress, you'll lose 5-10k altitude.

Regards
Darling

[StSanta]

Haven't met a runstang that hasn't kept hi and fast.

Oh, I am lying. I remember one going nose down and running.

 

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Von Santa
Staffelkapitän 9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
"If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."
- D. Hrabak, JG 54 "Grünherz"

[Swager]

I was always hot or cold in a P-51.  Somedays I couldn't do squat with it, next time I would push 3-4 kills in a sortie (no laughing, that's was good for me)!!  

I have had a few 6 kill sorties, but the only one I ever landed was in a P-51.  It is a sweet and stable gun platform.  I always found my gunnery was alot better in a 51.

Plus Flakbait's and Fscott's sounds with it are pretty cool! I'd spend a half an hour just lowering and raising the landing gear!!    Ah!  the simple things in life are surely a treasure!!  

Sweet Nelly Piece of Iron!!!!  

Yeeee Hawwww!!  Look at her goooooo!!

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Swager
On Leave 3./JG2~Richthofen~[/i]

"Enjoy yourselves now... for I'll be back"
3./JG2

[Dingy]

 

Originally posted by Hans:
Yup, just two tips to go along with that.

Only take 75% fuel.  

Use the flaps in turns.  They're designed for that.  1 or 2 notches.

Hans.

Better idea....take 50% fuel and 2 droptanks then drop one while ya take off (but beware of the sudden change in your center of gravity).  Use the fuel in the drop tank to climb to alt and then dump that tank a couple minutes before you enter the fray.  Thats plenty of fuel to fite with and the empty aux tank will move your Cg far enough forward that verticle maneuvers are nice and crisp.

Second, you should never use more than 1 notch of flaps.  If you find yourself slowing that 2 notches are necessary, its time to think about extending.

-Ding