P51 wing loading

[Anaxogoras]

If you want to do some comparisons check out: http://www.rdrop.com/users/hoofj/

The P38L has been called in Warbirds, and rightfully so, the Super Plane. The P38L is Jack of all trades, and master of most. The P38L does practically everything well, it dives with the best of them, is fast, has excellent high altitude performance, rolls with the best of them, until beyond 275mph, where it leaves all other planes in the dust, outturns all but the Zero and Ki43, has an excellent climb rate, has one of the best and most accurate gunnery packages in the game (with the exception of Otto), and has plenty of ammunition to burn. It's only major weakness is it's huge planform, making it an easy target in some situations. Fortunately, it's exceptional roll eliminates it's predecessor's big problem of being unable to roll away when that huge planform is exposed.

[Shuffler]

I'm not going to get any sympathy in this crusade am I. 

Too many different options in most planes. They have to freeze it at some point and use that aircraft specs. Many if not all planes in the game are that way.

P-38J at one point had higher MP and faster speed.
P-38L at one point was able to carry torpedos.

Just enjoy the game...

[Yeager]

Just enjoy the game...

Sort of like flying inverted through hangers at fully defended enemy fields... just for fun

Agree completely 

[iTunes]

As long as the pony is able to do a quick split-s followed by a run to the ack or friendlies then it'll be just fine

[RTHolmes]

a couple of mph difference? there would have been way more variation between individual airframes or batches (aircraft, engine, fuel etc) than that, and unless HT has literally clipped its wings, the wing loading has to be right. plenty of other factors too like temp and humidity.

given the mostly US player base, and the fact that so many 51s are still flying (hasn't HT even flown one himself?) doesnt it seem reasonable to assume that its probably one of the better modelled ac in the planeset?

cant kill anything in it myself but it seems a pretty nice ac to fly

[Shuffler]

I met with several ponies last night in MW. I unloaded all their wings. Not one ran to ack..... of course they were coming in high to cover the lower heavies that were attacking our base. I was surprised as all of them chose to fight instead . Not one moved out more than 1.5k.

[Chalenge]

As long as the pony is able to do a quick split-s followed by a run to the ack or friendlies then it'll be just fine

99.9% of the people I engage run regardless of what they fly or who they are. Against a co-alt aircraft that turns similar or slightly better then my plane (and also has my six) I will extend to 3k and then turn back (which levels the fight more or less). Those individuals that hate to die will always PM afterwards about how I kept running. Funny stuff! They always forget their friends around too who will always join in if given the chance. Everyone in this game is a potential 'cherry-picker' if given the chance regardless of how they talk about it.

a couple of mph difference? there would have been way more variation between individual airframes or batches (aircraft, engine, fuel etc) than that, and unless HT has literally clipped its wings, the wing loading has to be right. plenty of other factors too like temp and humidity.

given the mostly US player base, and the fact that so many 51s are still flying, and indeed HT has flown one himself, doesnt it seem reasonable to assume that its probably one of the better modelled ac in the planeset?

cant kill anything in it myself but it seems a pretty nice ac to fly

Assumptions are just that but I dont have a problem with the majority of the way the plane flies or the way planes compare one to another. The flaps on the P51 being the one exception that kills its ability to engage fairly against Yaks and Tempests and UFOs... I mean F4Us.  

[RTHolmes]

its ability to engage realistically against Yaks and Tempests and UFOs... I mean F4Us.  

surely thats more important? I guess it would take a pilot like Ray Hanna with plenty of hours (and big balls) in a wide variety of warbirds to fill in the blanks for us. imagine trying to model eg. the typhie when theres only one left - a static exhibit

[Chalenge]

surely thats more important? I guess it would take a pilot like Ray Hanna with plenty of hours (and big balls) in a wide variety of warbirds to fill in the blanks for us.

I said 'fairly' because I meant on a realistic (real world) basis rather then a modified and incorrect basis. So its the same point.

And I believe the Typoon is incorrect.

[RTHolmes]

ah I see

shame we'll never find out about the typhie for real not wanting to hijack, but how so with the typh? I've read plenty of accounts, pilots thought it was fast and capable but easy to get into big trouble with, they were very relieved when the temp arrived. wikipedia has a great account of a first hop in one, the pilot was bathed in sweat when he landed - sounds about right

[Murdr]

Just as I suspected    I have a printout of the performance calculations of the P51D from North American Aviation,Inc. dated 2/6/46 and in comparing HTC P51D to the real one, the differences are stacking up in almost every catagory.

For instance: max rpm is 3000 rpm in real world. Hightechs world..2900. Top speed on the deck without WEP is 355 in RL, HTCs 353

At 13,300 ft 412 in RL...HTCs 411

The speed at 26,200 is the only thing I've seen so far that does match. 435 MPH

The tests I did in the TA were with a lighter fuel load then the NAA printout of 9611 lbs. My tests were done with a weight of 9368 at take off. Also it took me 8.0 minutes to climb to 20K (with wep).
According to NAA it only takes 6.4 minutes.

I've thought for some time that the P51 is not what it used to be in the game. I do believe HTC has porked the P51. Why? I don't know, but it's a real shame we can't have the P51 modeled right.

1.  Wing loading is not a static figure.  It's gross weight divided by wing area.  Gross weight changes.  For every gallon of fuel consumed, gross weight drops by 6 lbs in flight.  Wing area of the 51D is 233 sq.ft by the way.

2.  Max RPM is 3000 in the game.  The in game guage reads exactly the same as the insturments figure in the USAAF pilot training manual for 3000 RPM.

3.  Your "tests" have a margin of error.  I just ran a P-51D at MIL power with 9700 lb weight at 10 ft altitude for 354 IAS/355 TAS maxium speed.

[bongaroo]

As long as the pony is able to do a quick split-s followed by a run to the ack or friendlies then it'll be just fine

Good times.  I need to review a film from today at lunch.  A p-51b made a few passes at me in a 109K.  After watching him turn tail and run I pursue for a few minutes on the deck with WEP on.  He was making a straight line for home.  I got to 800 out and knocked a flap off him trying to get him to break but had to let him go as I was running on fumes at that point.

Can't wait to see who it was and mock them if I know them.  

[VonMessa]

Uptown, maybe if you washed and waxed it more often, you might squeak out the couple of extra mph you are looking for.

I saw you last night and man, was that thing filthy.     

 

 

[ColKLink]

 I have 2 words.........Tobbacco juice.........

[iTunes]

Good times.  I need to review a film from today at lunch.  A p-51b made a few passes at me in a 109K.  After watching him turn tail and run I pursue for a few minutes on the deck with WEP on.  He was making a straight line for home.  I got to 800 out and knocked a flap off him trying to get him to break but had to let him go as I was running on fumes at that point.

Can't wait to see who it was and mock them if I know them.  

I'm switching my attention to the hog and 38 drivers now, You get a much better fight as those guys (mostly) know what they're doing. What you describe is a typical engaement with a pony, got 2 last night like that, fun seeing their wing come off when a tater hits them As fas as the thread goes, I think HT has it about as accurate as he can get, I betcha we could all  get different results, as it stands, it's fast, dives well, got good guns (although I can't hit squat when I've tried flying it ) in the capable hands of a decent stick it's a capable oponent, just a shame the bad rap it gets from being used by the ack huggers and runners.