Just curious about the P-51 FM

[pandacat]

Originally Posted by tango2delta

I do not know if this counts but I fly scale P-51D models, I have 2 that is 82" and about 30 to 40 pounds and let me tell you this, if you even breath wrong they will stall. And if you take off before you get your airspeed up it will snap roll. A P-51 will not fly tail heavy, if the CG is not right it will never leave the ground, it will but not for long. Now my 80" P-47 flies like a dream. I think the P-47 was the best U.S. built.

Sorry to resurrect this old dead horse. I can't help but to comment on this. But drawing conclusion on RL planes from scaled models is just not right. If P-47 is so great, why would USAAF and later USAF replace most of them with mustangs? You may say 51s have greater range, but what about P47n models? They have similar ranges. If 47s are better, then they should have built more 47s rather than 51s. How about the fact that P51s were even retained and used in Korean war? You may say they were primarily used in AG operations. Well, wasn't P47 (aircool engine) an evern better AG bird than liquid cooled pony? Yes, p51s were built for speed and range, but classifying them as interceptors is plainly wrong. Have you seen any airforce use high speed interceptors for AG operations?