Simviation Forums

Right, a lot of people keep posting about the problems with the handling of the P51D Mustang. The problem is this IT IS A LONG RANGE FIGHTER!!!!!
So it has an extra fuel tank tucked in behind the pilot (scary but true, these guys really did fly them like this, and my hat is off to anyone that did fly them). So if you want Spitfire type dogfighting capabilities, set your fuel level to 40% and that should eliminate the nasty stall characteristics due to the changed CoG.
If you are flying escort missions however, you'll want every last drop of that precious fuel (and this is what the Mustang was for...).
Remember the Mustang had range that no other fighter could really match, the Spitfire was without a doubt the best short range fighter ever made, but the Mustang could go all the way to Germany and back.
Both fabulous aircraft, but comparing them is like comparing a Land Rover and a Ferrari, both are marvelous in their specific enviroment, but chalk and cheese otherwise inspite of their having wings and a single engine apiece.

Ozzy

Darn straight!

Give it to us straight, Ozzy.

I met a P-51 pilot three days ago.  He told me that even with the fuel tanks full it was a fantastic fighter.

It had cockpit heating so he could fly in shirtsleeves at 21000 feet.  The thing was so well balanced that if correctly trimmed you could sit back and smoke a cigarette while it flew itself.  I asked him if this was safe because of the fuel tank layout and he replied "No-one ever complained after one blew up." and shrugged LOL.

I told him about the flight simulator and the difficulty in fighting on full fuel and it was his opinion that the simulators had it wrong and you could fight.  

In the sim you need to do as ozzy says.

Will

I don't think ozzy was saying you couldn't fight in it. Only that you can't expect to turn like a spit in it, which is more or less true at 5000 feet fully loaded.
 Course, on the other wing, I don't put to much stock in microsofts rendition of flight models either. I think they've been simplified for use by the genneral public more than anything else.
  At any rate, if your starting off in quick combat with full tanks, your not gonna get the combat performance that the accual pilots remembered probably, as they ussualy burned up some fuel before rondevous with bombers, much less most combat.  Banking and yanking most anything with full tanks is gonna lead to a potential for stalling.

I found the best way to handle the P-51D problem is to substitute the AV History 1% airfile for the stock one, then delete all of the stock cfg file after the first paragraph from "editable" on down.  Copy the 1% cfg file FROM the second paragraph to the end.  Paste it in the stock cfg file right below the model number.  You probably won't be able to use this aircraft on the "zone" however.

I find 30% fuel gives you optimum performance actually.

Also, shouldn't this be in the CFS FAQ forum? After all thats what its their for. IS THERE A MODERATOR IN THE BUILDING?

Ha ha ha Woodie. Actually I just put it here as this question keeps coming up and Scorpion and I had a chat about it. So I think it should stay here, as this is where everyone seems to look for CFS3 stuff.
Normally I'd have popped it in FAQ but...... errr.... ummm.
And I can't think of a decent excuse

Ozzy

Thank you Ozzy.  I couldn't agree more.

From talking to people who have flown spit, hurris and mustangs it is in my opinion that they always wax lyrical about how their aircraft was the best and had the best handling.

I reckon that what ozzy's first comment say's is most prabably accurate and that they were all great in their own way.

ilginc, sasırdım valla ilk defa g

I agree with Ozzy. Also, I met a P-51 Pilot a couple months ago, I asked him if it had any handling problems, he said,"heck no, best plane I've ever flown!"
So there u have it.

I have the proof. In the program of flying legends there was a pilot interviewed who said that when the p-51 was in a heavt fuel configuration it was not terribly responsive and not one of the nicest planes to fly and also it apparantly suffers from pitch control reversal if pushed to hard with heavy fuel load so you have to push down in a turn  :o Proves all fighters have their problems.

They certainly do if you convert them into a flying fuel tank! However for personal preference I'd still take a 'Stang for long-range work and a Spit for short stuff.

I know but them spits are so gawdamn B-E-Autiful