P5 51D20

in Combat t
Withdaylightbombing gofGermant targetsreachingbeyondth herangeofexistingfighterescortsa desperate eneedforafighterthatco ouldgoallthewaybecam meapparent.Anexperime entalmodifica ation ofaNorth hAmericanAviationP51a andtheRollsRoyceMerlin nenginecrea atedwhatiso oneofoutstan nding fightersofWorldWar2.

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 OriginallytheP51was smatedtoan nAllisonV17 710engineto fulfillatactic calreconnaiss sanceroll.While freliableinea arlieraircraft itwasnotde esignedforhi ighaltitudelo ong theAllisonenginehadprovenitself rangeope eration.Withdaylightbom mbingreachin ngacriticalsta agetheMer rlinMustang projectrece eived enthusias sticbackingfr romboththeRAFandUSA AAF.TheMerllinenginepro ovided600hp pmorethant the Allisont turningareas sonablyperfo ormingaircraf ftintoawarw winner.

Golden rules for t the P51D D pilot

KeepFastthemustangisdesignedtobeamaneuverab blehighspeed dfighter. KeepHighorLowavoidcomb batinthe13,0 00026,000ft taltitudeband. Searchvisuallythecanopyof ftheP51Dgivesexcellent tsearchvisibi ility

Perform mance Env velope

TheM MerlinMustan ngperformsb bestat11,000 0ftand24,50 00ft. Bestc climbspeed:175mphindic cated Corne ervelocity:22 25mphindica ated Highe esttrueairspe eed:440mphat24,500ft Maxim mumairspeed d:550mphindicated

Handlin ng Charact teristics

TheMustanghasexcellentelevator rauthorityathighspeeds. .Howeverth heairframeca anfailifyoup pull backviole entlyatthebo ottomofaste eepdivepa articularlyify oualsorollto otheright.

Engine Managem ment

TheMerlinengineisfa airlyhandsof ffwithproppitchbeing gtheonlythin ngyouwishto ocontrol.Onthe catorthereisagreenbar useproppitchandthrott tlecontroltokeepRPMin nthegreenzo one RPMindic (2600270 00RPM).

Contem mporary op pponents

MesserschmittBf109G6/AS soverthe109 9G6/AShigh haltitudeper rformancean ndaslight TheMustangholdstwoadvantages einairspeedatloweraltit tudes.Above24,500feett themustangholdsa30MP PHspeed advantage advantage e.TheMesserschmittwilloutturntheM Mustangatalllspeeds,wit ththe109sg greatestadvan ntage atlowera airspeed.The eMesserschm mittdominate esthevertica lfightunder18,000ftwith hitsexceptional climbrate e.A30%pow wer:weightadv vantagegoes stothe109. Whenfigh htingaBf109 9G6/ASyouc cannotaffordtotangleup withthemas stheycanoutturn,outclim mb andoutaccelerateyou u.Itisbesttokeepyourairspeedashig ghaspossible e,engageabo ove24,500fto orin earto10,000 0ft.Avoidcom mbataround1 19,000ftand usegreatern numbers. apinchne Againstal llGmodelso ofthe109the eMustangha asa25MPHm maxdivespee edadvantage e,whilethe power:we eightadvanta ageofthe109 9givesitasus stainedturnf fightadvanta age.

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 MesserschmittBf109G10 sverycloselytothe109G6 6/AS.Itisalit ttlesloweratlowaltitude, ,alittlefasterat The109G10performs highaltitu udeandalittl leheavier.AllholdstrueE Exceptathigh haltitudeth heMustangis sonly20MPH H fasterabo ove24,500ft. MesserschmittBf109G14 ghaltitudepe erformancean ndissoundly youtperforme edbytheMustang The109G14ishobbledbypoorhig above20, ,000ft.Atlow waltitudetheG14isaresp pectableopp ponent,witha ahigherpowe er:weightand d betterclim mbandturnr ratetreatit tasyouwould dtheG6/ASa andG14whe enatlowaltit tude. MesserschmittBf109K4 TheBf10 09K4isamonsterwhilen notasnimble eas109Gusta avvariantsithasanastoundingrateof f climband disalmostasfastastheM Mustangbelow w15,000ft.Ab bovethisaltit tudetheKurf fursthasaslig ght speedadv vantage.Asisusualwhenfightinga10 09,theMusta ngpilotmust tkeepthefig ghtfastandw where possibleo outofthever rtical. The109K4 4iscapableo ofdivingasfastastheMus stangandwil lholdanadv vantageovert theMustangina turnfight. FockeWu ulfFw190A8 8 TheMustangoutperfo ormsthe190A A8particularlybetween n300013,000 0ftandabove e23,000ft.At tSea saslightperfo ormanceadva antage.Powe er:weightiscloseenoughto leveland19,500fttheMustanghas iveneitheraircraftaninhe erentadvanta ageinaturnf fight. eventogi FockeWu ulfFw190D9 9 TheDoraisaformidab bleopponentfortheMustang.Itissligh htlyfasteratlowaltitudes sandbetween n 0,000fttheDo oraholdsala argespeedad dvantage.The eDoraismuchmoremane euverableand d 16,50020 holdsalargepower:we eightadvanta agemakingitaverydange erousoppone entinaturnf fight.Below 20,000ftt theDorahasamuchgreat tersustained climbratebu uttheMustan ngiscapableofkeepingup withitinit tially. Mitsubish hiA6M5 TheMustanghasahug geperforman nceadvantage eagainstthe Zekeatallaltitudes,withtheleast advantage eof85MPHa at19.500ft.Keepingyours speedhighw illallowyout todictatethe etermsofthe e fight.Inm maneuverabili itytheZekeis sbeyondtheabilityofaM Mustangtotanglewith.Ab bove250MPH Hthe Zekeloses sthisadvanta age.TheclimbadvantagegoestotheZ Zekeexceptabove23,000f ftandinthe Zekesperformancetro oughat10,00 00ft. Tofightth heZekeitisb besttokeepa airspeedabov ve250MPHa ndengageinslashingatta acks.Becauseof yourlarge eairspeedadvantageyoushouldperformslashinga attacks.Ifyou uwishtozoom mclimbintot the verticalen nsureyouhav vemaxedout tyourairspee edbeforedoiingso. Divingaw wayat470MPHwillallowy youtooutdist tanceallmod delsofpursuin ngZekeasyo ouwillexceed d theirVMa ax.

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 Mitsubish hiA6M7 TheA6M7 7holdsalmos stidenticalch haracteristicstotheA6M5 5,withtheex xceptionofdi iveperformance andheavi ierarmament t.Treatitasy youwouldanA6M5. Ki84 kisaformidableopponent toutperform mingtheMus stanginallas spectsbutthe ediveand TheFrank airspeeda atcertainaltitudes.Onthe edecktheMustangismar rginallyfaster r,between6, ,50011,500f ftthe Mustangholdsa30MP PHadvantage e.TheFrankh hasaslightad dvantageat18,00021,000 0ft.Above theMustangholdsaclearperformance eadvantage. 25,000ftt Whenfigh htingtheFran nkendeavort toengageitb below15,000 0ftorabove25,000ft.Keep pyourspeedup anduseslashingattack kscoupledwi ithteamwork k.Adivereac hing530mph hwillallowyo outodrawaw way onotattempt ttooutclimb btheFrankat tspeedsbelow w350MPH. slowly.Do N1K1 geisasuperb blowaltitude efighter,butc cannotkeep upwithaMu ustangatanyaltitude.You ucan TheGeorg consideri itasuperzek keinthatitisfarmoremaneuverable thantheMus stangandcan noutclimb, outturnandoutaccele eratetheP51 1.Ithasaveryhighpower r:weightandisabletoeng gageinsustained turnfightsthatwouldbleedtheene ergyoftheM Mustangdry. Asisfairly yusualwhenfightingJapaneseaircrafttheMustang gpilotshouldkeephisspeedup,avoid turningfig ghtsandmos stcertainlyav voidfightingintheverticallunlessthep pilothasalarg geinitialener rgy advantage e. Ifintroub bledivingawa ayat530MPH Hwillallowyo outosafelyd disengageand dextend.

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