How to be an effective p51 flyer?

[BeauAbel]

This plane has been growing on me and by far the most time played compared to the other bodenplatte planes, i usually look for sherrif "how to" videos but apparently his still working on it. Im very new to IL2 but i have many hours in dcs even though its time period is very different some of the same fundementals carried over such as navigating without gps, turn fights, knowing to be patience, etc. But as i progress more and play more with the p51 i wana learn all the ins and out.

London to Brighton by car

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by BeauAbel

[Lusekofte]

What improved my abilities is learning to spot better. 
If I had that interest of only a2a I would tweak the settings to the most spotterfriendly settings possible. 
I dont do that. I have a inbetween 
I would fly qmb with a lot of opponents. After first encounter the enemy can be hard to find

and those ai can be sneaky bastards after dogfights over. Spotting is essential. 
P 51 is as good as any opponent, but it is worthless if you let someone zoom in from behind. Besides, you will not be able to use it to the fullest alone. You are fighting squads and friends with coms in mp. Do not like me and fly alone. Find a squad and learn from them

Edited February 24, 2020 by LuseKofte

[PatrickAWlson]

Based on the history books the P51 has great acceleration in a dive and great zoom capabilities.  It is very fast.  It is also a top notch high altitude performer.  Get high and dive on people.  Do not accept combat co-E.  Try to get into an advantageous energy state before entering. combat.  If you find yourself in a bad situation try to dive out of it followed by a zoom.  Keep speed and relative energy state high.  

 

I think that's how you are supposed to fly a P51  - looking forward to feedback from others

[cardboard_killer]

I've not yet spent time in a P-51 in the game, but when I think of them historically, I think high acceleration, maintain energy, and straight line speed. And range. E.g. I don't think it would out turn a Jug, but it would come out of any turn with more energy than a jug and would regain energy much faster. Again, I don't know how its modeled yet as I'm still learning to fly the P-38 right now. I'll get to the mustang soon enough, although it may end up being BoN P-51B.

[LemonQuat]

Recently transitioning to learning the P-51 and P-47 after maining the P-40 for a while, and am really loving the performance upgrades and better cockpits. If you haven't flown the P-40 much, or ever I seriously recommend starting off with it if you want to really appreciate the horsepower you have. General handling seems very good in the P-51, but there is a *nasty* snap stall if you try to do any quick and hard maneuvering if going slow, or pulling hard Gs already. Right now since I'm still unfamilliar with the 51, it frequently happens when I try to reverse from a high G turn, or when I'm maneuvering hard on the deck. She really seems to need finesse on the stick, no hard panicked jerks, but smooth and consistent pressure to get her around the tightest curves with flaps a couple notches down if needed. She Booms and Zooms with the best, but is also a demon in a dogfight if well handled.

The .50s are godly if you're a decent shot, and luckily enough the cockpit canopy frames are narrow enough to let you track targets at high angles off for really well aimed deflection shots, and there's plenty of ammo for them. On high-g tracking snapshots, just pull more lead than you think is needed at first. I personally prefer to lob tracers *in front* of the bandit if I'm going to miss, rather tham behind. Who knows, maybe the guy will panic and have a seizure at the controls?

[ShamrockOneFive]

If you haven't already, check out Requiem's Learn to fly the P-51D Mustang guide so you have the basics of operating the aircraft down.

 

As for combat, the P-51D is a terrific mix of capabilities. It's fast at most altitudes, its reasonably well armed, and the D model's visibility is excellent so you should be able to keep eyes on targets in close fights. What the P-51D is not best at is tight turning battles, although against the aircraft we currently have, it's about on par with them and depending on energy states you should be able to hang with 109s and 190s in tight turns.

 

I still suggest flying the P-51D in more of a boom and zoom style. Stay fast, use roll to reposition your aircraft in the fight, and don't stay glued to the six of an enemy aircraft for very long.

 

[Apanos9]

 

FRESH....

[=621=Samikatz]

The P-51 is a pretty flexible aircraft in this sim, I've been able to wiggle out of tough situations several times against real players, and shoot down a couple who weren't expecting it to be so agile. One thing I'd note compared to most planes is that it seems a bit laterally unstable? You have to use a lot of rudder as you adjust power settings and go through turns to keep your flight efficient, especially compared to the Yaks, Spit, 109s, etc. Thankfully, some really smart person put a slip ball just under the gunsight, presumably for that reason. The plane excels at high speeds due to its great control authority, but don't be afraid to maneuver if you're forced to, the first two flaps stages will put you will within the turning circle of a 190, and even the 109K-4 has to fly carefully against you in a stall fight. It's not the ideal kind of fight for the P-51, but it can do it (and also it's just a lot of fun)

[Guster]

Oooh the Cadillac of the Skies - one of my fave warbirds!

 

As already stated, go easy on the controls and stay fast. 50% fuel is more than plenty for a sortie. With full tanks, you'll be in trouble, as it's very tail heavy and things get rather wobbly if you're not careful. Listen to the howl from the gun ports as the pitch indicates how close you are to stalling or dropping a wing. 

 

The 2x3 .50 cals combined work like a Gatling and have tremendous power and accuracy even at longer distances. I tend to set my convergence at 250m, but I think I usually open up a bit closer than that. With smooth inputs and a cool head you can indeed take out a 109 in a single pass.

[Sublime]

5 hours ago, cardboard_killer said:

I've not yet spent time in a P-51 in the game, but when I think of them historically, I think high acceleration, maintain energy, and straight line speed. And range. E.g. I don't think it would out turn a Jug, but it would come out of any turn with more energy than a jug and would regain energy much faster. Again, I don't know how its modeled yet as I'm still learning to fly the P-38 right now. I'll get to the mustang soon enough, although it may end up being BoN P-51B.

OMFG you havent?!?!

Listen friend - Ive played flight sims since like 93.  I played the P51 in every game.  Usually I found it meh.  The DCS P51 I own and its meh.  (Mostly because the .50s suck in it but nvm that) but the P51 in this game is AMAZING. Please fly it for an hour! You wont believe it!  It for one reinforces all the stereotypes, 2 is modelled very well, and 3 flies wonderfully.  

The P38s also wonderful but another day... I adore the turbos revving up and everyrbinf but my god please try even a flight with the P51 Im begging you.. lol

I rarely go into combat mode. Keep your rpms at about 82 83%.  Throttle just under combat mode.  Press L to light up instruments it helps.

Keep her fast.  If you keep fast (at least above 250 mph)  you'll be ok.  She can turn fine but you really shouldnt play that game.  Try to keep it to passes with hard bursts then extend away at fast speed always keeping your enemy in sight. Perhaps a 1000 m away or so you should be already turning to begin another pass.  Its hard to do that at first with little experience though (this is also the way to focke wulf)

Luckily the P51 is forgiving and decent as a turn fighter. Youd die fighting yaks or spits but you wont.  It can manage a 109...  pilots depending. But def not hopeless in a turn fight.

Your mgs are e a huge strong suit because you have lots of ammo and can almost use them like a lazer sword it seems.   The .50 cal is very lethal in this game too.

Make sure you dont ever take a mustang over fueled.   Never ever take more than 74% and I usually take 50%

More is totally unnecessary.

Otherwise the higher the better for her.  She flies great on the deck but as you go higher you can push the engine to higher throttle and rpms and itll stay "'continous"

[II./SG.1-MarkWilhelmsson]

Bring your P51 against my A8 and I'll have you blacked out in no time. Hahaha! 

[Sublime]

You know I dont know how you and some others (esp one youtuber) do it with the A8. Shes so heavy to me I cant do much with her. A dora or A5 sure. The A8... does not taking 30mms really help so much?

I feel very confident against A8s most the time.  However that said if I know Doras are avail and I see an A8 flying for a fight I usually run because its one of you damned masters. (The very rare occassions Im not informed of enemy aircraft by shattering instruments)

Doesnt help Im awful at BnZ. My extending isnt really even extending. I always lose my target trying it.

Anyways I know this is about the P51 but I wanna know whats your tip on the A8?

Edited February 25, 2020 by Sublime

[II./SG.1-MarkWilhelmsson]

5 hours ago, Sublime said:

You know I dont know how you and some others (esp one youtuber) do it with the A8. Shes so heavy to me I cant do much with her. A dora or A5 sure. The A8... does not taking 30mms really help so much?

I feel very confident against A8s most the time.  However that said if I know Doras are avail and I see an A8 flying for a fight I usually run because its one of you damned masters. (The very rare occassions Im not informed of enemy aircraft by shattering instruments)

Doesnt help Im awful at BnZ. My extending isnt really even extending. I always lose my target trying it.

Anyways I know this is about the P51 but I wanna know whats your tip on the A8?

 

The A8 when light on fuel is a good plane. But it chokes above 6K. You'll probably never see one above 5k. What really sets it apart from the other 190s for me is the boost feature. 10 mins of boost per session for up to 30 mins total. It's putting out somewhere close to 2000 horsepower at max boosted ATA and if you are carrying only 300L, it's fast and holds speed very well. I've gotten away from Mustangs who have jumped me many times by diving in boost and keeping 600kph on the deck. If I have at least 500m lead on them i can usually get away to a friendly airfield before they are close enough to be a big threat. The roll rate of the A3 and A5 is still there and the dual 30mm don't do much to change that as far as I can tell. Many times I've been jumped by 2 or even 3 mustangs and I can roll through all of their attacks with relative ease. Of course they eventually get me if they outnumber me and I have no help. Once a couple weeks ago I had 3 mustangs attack me, I had the 501ETC rack for bomb (had just hit target) and 30mm wing cannons and I outmanoeuvred all 3 of them for almost 4 minutes. They finally got me but I was very happy that I was able to last this long in the A8 against these advanced planes. My main problem in the A8 is dealing with Tempests who get on my six. Boosting with slight nose down attitude I can keep the closure rate slow enough to fly a dozen or so km distance but they eventually catch me and one or two hits from Hispano puts me out of the fight. The P38 I can just plain outrun on the deck with ease. 

 

See here an example. This man was chasing me for well over 2 minutes on the deck at high speed, but he was barely able to get guns on and I made it home. He was less than 500m from my tail too almost the whole time. Many times I was rolling so hard and tight that I was inverted over trees and it looked like maybe my canopy was scraping limbs. Haha. I took him winding down forest roads where the wingtips barely clear and then rolling up on top of the trees next to us inverted and flipping back around to the other side of the treeline, flying sideways through small clumps of trees, etc. It was a great time. I may have it on recording; I'll check later.

 

https://combatbox.net/en/sortie/log/385354/?tour=19

Edited February 25, 2020 by III./JG7-MarkWilhelmsson

[Sublime]

6 hours ago, III./JG7-MarkWilhelmsson said:

 

The A8 when light on fuel is a good plane. But it chokes above 6K. You'll probably never see one above 5k. What really sets it apart from the other 190s for me is the boost feature. 10 mins of boost per session for up to 30 mins total. It's putting out somewhere close to 2000 horsepower at max boosted ATA and if you are carrying only 300L, it's fast and holds speed very well. I've gotten away from Mustangs who have jumped me many times by diving in boost and keeping 600kph on the deck. If I have at least 500m lead on them i can usually get away to a friendly airfield before they are close enough to be a big threat. The roll rate of the A3 and A5 is still there and the dual 30mm don't do much to change that as far as I can tell. Many times I've been jumped by 2 or even 3 mustangs and I can roll through all of their attacks with relative ease. Of course they eventually get me if they outnumber me and I have no help. Once a couple weeks ago I had 3 mustangs attack me, I had the 501ETC rack for bomb (had just hit target) and 30mm wing cannons and I outmanoeuvred all 3 of them for almost 4 minutes. They finally got me but I was very happy that I was able to last this long in the A8 against these advanced planes. My main problem in the A8 is dealing with Tempests who get on my six. Boosting with slight nose down attitude I can keep the closure rate slow enough to fly a dozen or so km distance but they eventually catch me and one or two hits from Hispano puts me out of the fight. The P38 I can just plain outrun on the deck with ease. 

 

See here an example. This man was chasing me for well over 2 minutes on the deck at high speed, but he was barely able to get guns on and I made it home. He was less than 500m from my tail too almost the whole time. Many times I was rolling so hard and tight that I was inverted over trees and it looked like maybe my canopy was scraping limbs. Haha. I took him winding down forest roads where the wingtips barely clear and then rolling up on top of the trees next to us inverted and flipping back around to the other side of the treeline, flying sideways through small clumps of trees, etc. It was a great time. I may have it on recording; I'll check later.

 

https://combatbox.net/en/sortie/log/385354/?tour=19

Youre making me wanna fly with you 

I remember one entertaining TAW flight.  I was in a banged up 110 had just bombed the Reds. I was being chased by legit maybe 10 - 15 Mig3s/I16s/P40s

I starttted hammering down a forest road with the trees above me on either side. The enemy followed for a min or 2 and then said "f this guy" next thing you know they somehow have 2 or 3 goddamned fighters flying as low as me jockeying for a shot looking like pinballs as they banked hard to avoid trees or turns.

I started laughing and the universe heard me. So a bullet slammed into my virtual head.

I signed off for the day after next mission.  Went for same target in a Stuka. Drop and pulling off the target on a wide left loop.  I see a plane.. in a wide right hand loop.  Yeah he slammed into me head on by accident

The 190 A8 i cant just seem to keep her speed up.  My fab is the A3 idk why.  The A5.. I have a question. The Jabo variant has a boost.  Does anyone just take the U17 boost for dogfighting?  Ive considered it in SP before because I could see no downside to equipping it without bombs.

PS F MAN 300 Liters! How long does that keep her airborne for you??

I assume you keep your cowl flaps at 1 or 2%?

On the D 9 how do you handle the engine thermostat.  Out of frustration I treat it like cowl.flaps and perhaps turn it up en route and close it completely for combat.

PS doing careers I just take random names now.  Started one last night. A Major Jackson. Major Michael Jackson.  No I swear I didnt edit it either. Lmao.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Sublime

[II./SG.1-MarkWilhelmsson]

5 hours ago, Sublime said:

Youre making me wanna fly with you 

I remember one entertaining TAW flight.  I was in a banged up 110 had just bombed the Reds. I was being chased by legit maybe 10 - 15 Mig3s/I16s/P40s

I starttted hammering down a forest road with the trees above me on either side. The enemy followed for a min or 2 and then said "f this guy" next thing you know they somehow have 2 or 3 goddamned fighters flying as low as me jockeying for a shot looking like pinballs as they banked hard to avoid trees or turns.

I started laughing and the universe heard me. So a bullet slammed into my virtual head.

I signed off for the day after next mission.  Went for same target in a Stuka. Drop and pulling off the target on a wide left loop.  I see a plane.. in a wide right hand loop.  Yeah he slammed into me head on by accident

The 190 A8 i cant just seem to keep her speed up.  My fab is the A3 idk why.  The A5.. I have a question. The Jabo variant has a boost.  Does anyone just take the U17 boost for dogfighting?  Ive considered it in SP before because I could see no downside to equipping it without bombs.

PS F MAN 300 Liters! How long does that keep her airborne for you??

I assume you keep your cowl flaps at 1 or 2%?

On the D 9 how do you handle the engine thermostat.  Out of frustration I treat it like cowl.flaps and perhaps turn it up en route and close it completely for combat.

PS doing careers I just take random names now.  Started one last night. A Major Jackson. Major Michael Jackson.  No I swear I didnt edit it either. Lmao.

 

The U17 mod without bombs still adds a ton of armour and also the bomb racks are still there on the wings. You can definitely feel a huge difference when rolling and pulling the nose. You're better off without it if wanting to fly as a fighter. Besides, the boost mod is only good for under 1K altitude.

 

300L in the A8 can be stretched to almost an hour flight time if you are careful about not running in max combat all the time. Once I get to patrol altitude I pull back throttle to where there is no smoke. This seems to be about the 68% area. Saves gas and makes you harder to see. And you still stay fast as long as you aren't turning hard. 

Edited February 25, 2020 by III./JG7-MarkWilhelmsson