how to get the best out of an aircraft?

[Ctrl E]

can anyone direct me some place where i can best learn how to use the mustang in Il2? i'm sure i'm not getting the best out of it. stalling all the time and constantly having other aircraft turn inside me that on paper should not be able to. i have similar problems with the corsair. historians write it up as one of the great aircraft, however i regulalry find myself being downed by zeros online. while i'm at it, i'd like to know how to get the best out of a bunch of others, like the various classes of 109 and fw. i'm across the whole zoom and boom theory, but there's got to be more to it.

a footnote to my complaint about the .50 cals being useless. i adjusted the range down to 110m and it worked a treat. cuts the wing of a zero in half every time with just a quick squirt.

thanks in advance.

[Anak]

Originally Posted by Ctrl E

how to use the mustang in Il2? i'm sure i'm not getting the best out of it.
stalling all the time and constantly having other aircraft turn inside me that on paper should not be able to.

Hopefully you ain't fishing.

As you seem to be familiar with gunnery and convergence, pointing to tactical usage.

Engage on your terms, not opponents.

Mustang, fast, very maneuverable at high speeds, average climb rate.
Zero, average speed, very sluggish at high speeds, good climb rate, very maneuverable from med to low speeds.

As you're stalling and having other aircraft turning inside of you, sounds like you're hamfisting it to be spitfire that
it certainly ain't and by hamfisting it you're turning it to a dog.

If you fly mustang with radiator closed and don't overheat at 100% power, you're keeping speed high enough.

Now trim is your friend, trim it, constantly, keeping plane as slick as possible, that means if speed varies, you trim it
again, again and again.
Be gentle with controls, as they really are very effecient at all speeds, you get to 15G marker in about 0.2secs
by pulling stick to max deflection at speeds above 600km/h IAS ---> wingless 51. That shouldn't be problem
as when you get familiar with mustang, you rarely need more than 1/5th of deflection while engaged by using trims
and your head.

Hold on to your advantages, if start of fight didn't go like planned and you note that advantage you got on start
of engagement is starting to vanish (you had one of course, otherwise you wouldn't have engaged on first place, right?)
you disengage while still holding that advantage, so you can re-engage later, still from more advantageous position, or
set nice drag and bag for persistent opponents with your wingman you brought along you to battle, only fools fight alone.

[Therion_Prime]

Originally Posted by Ctrl E

i'm across the whole zoom and boom theory, but there's got to be more to it.

No, there isn't.

[Former_Older]

People talk about the historical use of aircraft and how it does not "work that way online in this sim"

They never stop to think about how each nation trained it's pilots, how tactical doctrine evolved, how aircraft between the nations involved had many unknowns concerning performance (as viewed by their opponents) and how anyone can hop into any plane in this sim, with no training, get in a furball, and walk away saying "This ain't right"

When you hop in a F4U, and engage a Zero flown by a human, you SHOULD get shot down if you are not securing your advantages

Boom and Zoom is not difficult. It's just that most online pilots do not have the discipline to do it. They think it means diving and climbing, they don't consider how it actually mean initiating combat and ending combat on their own terms, and how it's not the same as "dive, shoot, climb"

It's not case of "historically, this is wrong". It's case of taking the historical, real life usage of the aircraft and tactics and training, and comparing it with online dogfights, in which the planes are not flown historically, and there is no game penalty other than having to hit "refly" for using bad tactics and not being trained

Simply put, unless one side uses the tactics used by the Japanese, and the other uses the tactics used by the US, how can you begin to compare that with real life results?

[DKoor]

Originally Posted by Ctrl E

can anyone direct me some place where i can best learn how to use the mustang in Il2?

Use this basic theory .

[DKoor]

It boils down to; don't twitch with P-51, fly fast.
Use less prop pitch in dives because it helps cooling the engine and you lose nothing in performance.

Many aircraft will outfly you at low speed.

Just about none will if you fly fast.

For PTO US airmen had employed/learned this gospel: never go below 250mph .
It really works!

[T}{OR]

http://www.battle-fields.com/commsce...423#post179423

[Avimimus]

I'd say: Make sure you never need to get the best out of your aircraft

Basic rules for flying:
- Don't panic, stay relaxed
- Only attack if you have equal or greater numbers
- Never attack a bomber from the rear (unless the gunners haven't had time to find you)
- Make sure you know the number of enemies and try to keep altitude so you can escape
- It is a good thing to go home with plenty of ammo remaining (never know what you might meet)
- Negotiate each maneuver with your airplane and trust it. It deserves respect and will not always do your bidding
- Be conservative enough in your flying to avoid the ground (one can lose controls in a dive or enter into a spine while flying low)
- Don't expect to be an ace, just try to survive each encounter
- Be patient, wait, watch, climb, retreat, refuel, repeat

There are also some good guides for campaign flying (different skills from Dogfight or QMB) around...

[Bearcat]

The best source of info I know of on flying the P-51 as modelled in this sim.

Tips to fly the P-51 in IL2 1

Tips to fly the P-51 in IL2 2

[K_Freddie]

Fly your opponents aircraft first... lucky we can do this.. and then fly the P51.

The P51 is fairly un-matched at high speed, at high altitude, where it mattered in WW2.
But down here on earth, in your computer chair, we like to do things differently... like dogfight with the P51.... Well if you know how to handle it, you're ok, but it's not really a DF machine, but a slash and burn for most users.

This is similar to the FW's, but the FW's pack a bigger cannon punch (50cals are porked you know ) so are more effective.

Try it out in all conditions, it's good experience.