Merlin-27

Good update. Can't wait to see the P-47 come to life. Been reading a lot about the R-2800...amazing engine. If you guys get a chance look up info on Frank Walker, Pratt & Whitney test engineer. "Routinely ran their engines at war emergency power in the test cells for 100 hours straight" and he never once ruined an engine.

If you're extra bored or extra ambitious, read this. http://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Rolls-Royce/R-RmerlinABC/R-RmerlinABC.shtml

This I think is the essence of the issue. Even when you know exactly where to look, with an optimal background, on a perfect day, you will never see a P-51D within DCS at 20nm...or 10. At least, that is what I've experienced.

I would hope we are basing our theories/observations on persons with 20/20 or better vision (corrected or not)

Aircraft visibility is crucial... So this is definitely an interesting topic. I am very curious if the rendering with the introduction of EDGE will improve our impression of a/c spotting distances and such within the sim.

Ok, well maybe the Helipad itself is not new but I had not previously noticed that Helipad was one of the 8 main categories for static objects... but maybe I'm just incredibly ignorant. Anyways, thanks for the help. Having those required units makes perfect sense.

I've seen this happen before but it seems fairly rare. Is there a specific thing that causes the regulator to fail? (Other than battle damage) Or is it just one of the things that get damaged with heat or WEP. I have noticed this twice while in a dive and I'm curious of the cause.

Very good to hear from your Majesty, Yo-yo. :) So the moral of the story: Take care not to push the engine too hard. She may get angry and ruin your day...sooner or later. Anyone see shocking similarities between Yo-yo and Chuck Norris? When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone he had 3 missed calls from Yo-Yo.

Is it possible to get a re-arm refuel from the new ME helipad object with anything other than a chopper? I added a FARP helipad to a mission with the hopes of getting a refuel beyond the airfield but got no response from the ground crew after taxiing up on the pad with a P-51. I believe I had the correct freqs loaded in the radio. Anyone have any other results?

Hey guys, I have to first say that I did not read the entire thread but I'm wondering if this is intended to be for all interested servers on the master list or just A-10/FC servers. I think a collaboration amongst the admins is a very smart idea. My P-51D combat server has been up since June of 2013 and for all intents and purposes is FT. I'm also running a full-time TS3 server. Both are open to whomever wants to fly aside from some squad training sessions here and there. Cheers, Merlin

Agreed. The one example of promising community-facing dev interaction has ended? This would be a great spot to see some official RRG clarification.

Yup. But the standing question for Yo-Yo remains... To what length does DCS simulate the effects of WEP on the Merlin engine.

Sorry, I missed this part. And I agree about the "strange descriptions". I guess that is why this thread exists in the first place. Also, I may be misunderstanding what you said... from what I know about the P-51D, "breaking the wire" or WEP does exactly that. It takes advantage of that extra available power. The down side is that it imparts stresses on the Merlin internals beyond their rated limits. AND to contradict the "no appreciable advantage" of using WEP at sea level view you can see a clear performance increase in the flight testing at Wright Field...if that document can be trusted. So who knows :) Flight Test Engineering Branch Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio 15 June 1945 Flight Tests on the North American P-51D Airplane, AAF No. 44-15342 2. Maximum speed at sea level War Emergency Power (3000 RPM and 67") 375 MPH Military Power (3000 RPM and 61") 364 MPH Normal Rated Power (2700 RPM and 46") 323 MPH

haha ok... I guess it's good I don't fly 6 hour sorties. My flight engineer, if I had one, would be very angry right now.

:) I think the OP is looking for a more detailed explanation as to the simulated effects of WEP within DCS... thus the "dear Yo-Yo" part. We have many many documented tests of different scenarios involving engine settings and the finer details of WEP still remain a mystery. From what I've seen you can fly 61'/3000, despite what any literature suggests, pretty much all day as long as you keep your temps in check. WEP is a different animal altogether... I've detailed situations where I ran WEP at 67"/3000 on a warm day at low altitude for 30 minutes with no problem or indication of an issue and then the instant onset of an engine seizure occurred. I've also heard of people getting results from WEP in low turning fights even though the documentation says it offers no benefit below 5,000 feet. I'm pretty sure the intent of this thread is a little beyond basic engine settings. Correct me if I am wrong, David. EDIT: David beat me to it.

It was great for you! Lol I felt like a target drone. Well done, sir. I was really spent from a long cold day at work...sorry for the early retreat. Good to see you back at it! Hopefully, we can figure out those random failures. That was annoying.

Gav, I think there is some new simulator in the works or something.

Glad to hear it! Always good to see you flying, man. Upgrading server to 1.2.7...

Damn those flooded fields. Their intended purpose is still in effect. Hopefully, no devs are stuck in the hedgerows ;)

This is sound thinking... If the chances of the governor being damaged weren't equally bad from shots originating from the 6 o'clock position. If you've flown much combat in the P-51D you have seen this many times.. and it appears flawed. Much like the frequency that the gunsight is lost during battle.

No one in their right mind would ever suggest a takeoff roll with the tailwheel unlocked. Its sole purpose is to assist turning radius. Why would you chance a ground loop when you don't have to? Of course after the tail lifts near 100 mph you can go forward on the stick. The Actual P-51D flight manual tells you to keep the tail wheel locked when taking off.

I just noticed, our P-51D combat server has been running for 7 months as of today. Many good times and hopefully many more! If you haven't come by yet please check it out. No combat experience necessary.

The damage model isn't "great" for the AI but it is good enough to get quick kills if you focus the firepower. We've all been frustrated with the AI at one point (you can find plenty of existing threads about it if you search) but you will get better flying against it. Specifically, your energy fighting. And their performance can be countered with the right maneuvers quite easily after some time. You really don't need a ton of bullets to set the AI aircraft on fire... but spraying the airframe with random shots will not get you a kill. If you want "more human-like" behavior there are many actual humans that enjoy combat in the DCS P-51D :)

The tail wheel is limited unless you push forward on the stick, then it is free castoring and quite difficult to keep straight unless it is locked again.

Agreed. Unless you can spin the plane off the ground. :D