P-51 Combat Tips and Tricks ( Dogfight Guide )

[Janosch]

I wish to know... are you guys talking about the P-51D? Can the other variants do something considerably better or worse than the D? Obviously D variants can use noseart (customized, of course), so it's a good enough reason for me to choose it over the others.

[T}{OR]

Mustang III is the fastest of the bunch, and no LW prop plane can catch it. Downside is that, like all non bubble top versions, it only has two pairs of .50 cals. So you really have to work for your kills. Thus I always took the D model whenever it was available.

How to best describe a mustang in few words:

• You can run away from any opponent, provided you have the room for diving away. If the situation is unfavorable for you that is.
• "Glass" engine (do not do headons unless there is no way out).
• In order to get the most out of it you need to master trimming, fire discipline (firing only when the target is in ideal convergence) and prop pitch for various aspects of flight.
• Never ever take more than 50% fuel (that alone will give you over 2h of flight at max power and RPM). Preferably take 30-35%. Lots of fuel = lots of extra weight. And this thing has insane range.
• Correct propeller pitch settings will make it accelerate like no other plane in a dive. Literary, you can dive as if someone put an afterburner on you. Just be vary of the powerful elevators, not to lose a wing.
• Best used for hit and run tactics against experienced pilots. Against those of a lesser skill you can stay and play with for a while.
• K-14 "ace maker" gunsight is interesting to use, but don't get overly used to it.

In combat vs. LW planes, you can out turn a 109 or 190 easily - but you have only one chance. Then you loose all your energy. So use this as defensive maneuver to get out of harms way and keep your speed up as much as you can.

Versus Japanese planes it is simply a dream plane to fight with. There is nothing that will even come close to your speed if you conserve your energy. Those .50 cals are at least twice as effective here.


This is definitely not a plane for rookies and those that lack patience. You need to get rid of a lot of bad habits and change your approach if you wish to be good with this plane.

[JG27_PapaFly]

Originally Posted by T}{OR

This is definitely not a plane for rookies and those that lack patience. You need to get rid of a lot of bad habits and change your approach if you wish to be good with this plane.

It's similar to the FW190, but less rewarding. A good energy figher must be able to kill in one pass. The Tempest seems more popular and much more succesful compared to the P51. IMO 4 20mm canons would have been better for the P51. When I fly red I prefer to boom and zoom in Spits, they're great at that!

[CWMV]

Same here, tempest is my favorite res ride.
Otherwise 109 only. Takes a special type of masochist to keep flying the 190 lol!

[T}{OR]

Originally Posted by JG27_PapaFly

It's similar to the FW190, but less rewarding. A good energy figher must be able to kill in one pass. The Tempest seems more popular and much more succesful compared to the P51. IMO 4 20mm canons would have been better for the P51. When I fly red I prefer to boom and zoom in Spits, they're great at that!

Fw-190 does not kill, it annihilates in one pass. Mustang on other side, cripples.

Tempests weaponry is second only to 190. But if you do hit in the convergence sweet spot that 190 will turn to dust the same way as most 190 targets do. Not the case with P-51. You will at best deprive your target of a wing and more often set it on fire.

That is why victories with P-51 are so much more rewarding, to me at least.

[JtD]

Originally Posted by CWMV

Otherwise 109 only. Takes a special type of masochist to keep flying the 190 lol!

I not so long ago scored 15 kills in one 45 minute online sortie. I don't think I ever came close to this in a 109. In fact, would doubt a 109 can do that. The 190 certainly is more than a plane for special type masochists, it's a killer. (Meaning: The 190 can exploit favourable circumstance like in my sortie to an extent the 109 can't, imho.)

I dislike the Tempest for lack of high altitude performance, otherwise it's a great plane, too. The decent firepower certainly helps, but somehow I find myself in trouble more often when flying a Tempest than when flying a P-51. Might be because the Tempest is more often opposed by late war opposition, while the P-51 sometimes has easy times against early 1944 opposition.

I find the 4x.50 sufficient against anything but 190ies, and 6 guns don't make much of a difference here. I tend to fly the B&C models more often than the D, and if the 25lb Mustang III is available, I'll pick it every time. Being able to disengage at will and getting out of a tight spot is very important to me, and no plane does that as well as the 25lb Mustang.

[CWMV]

I've taken 6 mustangs in 20 minutes on spits v 109's back when I was flying with a squad. Pretty easy when you get em low.
It's all about knowing your machine and exploiting what it does best. Applies to every plane.

I've never understood how yall can fly the 190. Just a dreadful machine! In a 109 I fear no other plane, but in a 190 spits scare the piss out of me.

[Black_Sage29]

Originally Posted by JG27_PapaFly

I'll second that. A single mustang attacking a single 190 is a pain in the ass, but otherwise my team happily chews up all P51s it encounters. We usually enjoy it because it's a big and relatively soft target that doesn't turn very hard. They are very seldomly able to outrun us. They cannot outdive us, especially not the D9. They are a pain in the ass against 190A versions above 6000m. But then we always have a Dora in our mix in order to be able to catch just about anything at higher alts. Another P51 weakness is it bleeds lots of energy while boom-and-zooming, and of course when it turns hard.

S!

P-51 does "not" bleed off a lot of energy in BnZ. It's one of the best BnZ planes I've ever fought with. You can bounce a bandit at 350mph-450mph, and zoom up thousands of feet back above your target.

Originally Posted by JtD

Kind of speaks volumes about the quality of the combat you usually see - the P-51 can outrun all contemporary German prop fighters and outdive them as well. If you catch them in a dive and a D-9 can catch them at higher altitude, I don't think you've seen a properly flown one.

This! I've outran plenty of Fw-190's and BF-109's with no problem. P-51 is VERY fast..especially when properly trimmed

Don't know much about outdiving german planes..I never dive right in front of a bandit..especially with a Fw-190 on my tail cause just a couple of shots from it's guns and hurt you bad. I usually split-S..or try to initiate some kind of vertical rolling scissors....or chop throttle and let them pass me. They usually zoom back up though

Originally Posted by T}{OR

Mustang III is the fastest of the bunch, and no LW prop plane can catch it. Downside is that, like all non bubble top versions, it only has two pairs of .50 cals. So you really have to work for your kills. Thus I always took the D model whenever it was available.

How to best describe a mustang in few words:

• You can run away from any opponent, provided you have the room for diving away. If the situation is unfavorable for you that is.
• "Glass" engine (do not do headons unless there is no way out).
• In order to get the most out of it you need to master trimming, fire discipline (firing only when the target is in ideal convergence) and prop pitch for various aspects of flight.
• Never ever take more than 50% fuel (that alone will give you over 2h of flight at max power and RPM). Preferably take 30-35%. Lots of fuel = lots of extra weight. And this thing has insane range.
• Correct propeller pitch settings will make it accelerate like no other plane in a dive. Literary, you can dive as if someone put an afterburner on you. Just be vary of the powerful elevators, not to lose a wing.
• Best used for hit and run tactics against experienced pilots. Against those of a lesser skill you can stay and play with for a while.
• K-14 "ace maker" gunsight is interesting to use, but don't get overly used to it.

In combat vs. LW planes, you can out turn a 109 or 190 easily - but you have only one chance. Then you loose all your energy. So use this as defensive maneuver to get out of harms way and keep your speed up as much as you can.

Versus Japanese planes it is simply a dream plane to fight with. There is nothing that will even come close to your speed if you conserve your energy. Those .50 cals are at least twice as effective here.


This is definitely not a plane for rookies and those that lack patience. You need to get rid of a lot of bad habits and change your approach if you wish to be good with this plane.

Good post. Yea just today I reach about 460mph in a dive..and when i came out of the dive i was able to maintain a speed of about 480mph

Also, you don't have to always hit-and run or BnZ a bandit with P-51. It's really fast you can really make a pass on a bandit that is the same alt as you and if he turns you just zoom up and roll over on him. Basically a boom-and-zoom without the diving part

.50 cals don't do much when shooting a bandits six. Deflection shots usually take out bandits engine or set it on fire most of the time. It's like a rainfall of bullets and the LW plane fly right through it lol..getting bullets sprayed all over from head to tail



P-51 is definitely for skilled pilots..Fw-190's are too for that matter.

[T}{OR]

Originally Posted by CWMV

I've never understood how yall can fly the 190. Just a dreadful machine! In a 109 I fear no other plane, but in a 190 spits scare the piss out of me.

Spits are easy meet vs. 190s. Once you learn to appreciate speed that is. There is no running away when in a spitfire, with 190 and P-51 you can more often than not disengage if the situation is unfavorable.

Originally Posted by JtD

I not so long ago scored 15 kills in one 45 minute online sortie. I don't think I ever came close to this in a 109. In fact, would doubt a 109 can do that. The 190 certainly is more than a plane for special type masochists, it's a killer. (Meaning: The 190 can exploit favourable circumstance like in my sortie to an extent the 109 can't, imho.)

Exactly what I am saying. My record with P-51 is 6 victories in one sortie, IIRC.

Originally Posted by Black_Sage29

P-51 is definitely for skilled pilots..Fw-190's are too for that matter.

Seconded. Some of the best defensive maneuvers I learned from 190 drivers.

[Black_Sage29]

Just saw your p-51 mustang compilation video Thor. wow..the was beautiful. A work of art. Very nice flying