Merlin-27

To a point. The source material was funded by the US government with taxpayer dollars. I'm sure they obtained the footage for pennies on the dollar.... and it's hard to believe the operating costs to index and host these small snippet files could warrant such a price point. A lot of people will miss out on good glimpses into history because of greed. It's just sad to me.

That's pretty cool. It's a real shame about that watermark. I took a look at their website. It's a bit shocking they are trying to sell a 50 second video clip with no sound for $170. That should make any DCS pilot grateful to fly the bird for unlimited hours for a fraction of that price. I understand everyone would like to make a little profit but wow, that looks to be quite a rip-off. Am I missing something?

Speaking in absolutes is something that usually gets people in trouble. To say NEVER use "combat" flaps which are part of the design of the aircraft is a bit odd to me. That first notch of flaps on the P-51D is a beautiful thing when used at the right time. (I'm basing my opinion on sim experience and written accounts) On the other hand if you are looking to fly slow in the P-51 you will probably get eaten up pretty quick. It's hard to find too many aircraft of the era that can handle any flaps over 350mph so why wouldn't you use it as an advantage. Of course, if you are facing a speed/energy mismatch you have to be careful with anything that will bleed energy i.e. flaps, elevator, rudder etc. It will become more of an issue when we are not fighting a mirror image of ourselves (MP) and I think that is when everyone will really begin noticing the strengths and weaknesses of the airframe.

Gav, are you posting on a thread to tell everyone how uninterested in the thread you are? :doh:

T-minus 3 Days.

That's pretty interesting stuff. Seems so odd to see a Fokker product shooting down German aircraft. Excellent trivia item. .

The instant action mission really isn't the best introduction to the P-51. If possible create a mission in the editor were there is a little more separation between you and the enemy to start. This allows you to trim the aircraft, adjust the sight and feel out the plane before you are pulling those high g's. Also you may want to decrease the fuel level just a bit to help with those snap rolls at first. (try 20-30%) Then once you get a feel for that behavior you can add fuel back. And most of all, keep practicing.

It is fairly easy to do this, I have it set up on mine to use with all of my custom skins. If you do a search you can find the WW2 pilot change. If I locate it first I will post the link.

Thanks David! Thank you for that write-up! The time and effort is appreciated. THAT is what makes the community so awesome. I'll be trying this out when I'm home. Also, just as an FYI. In the TrackIR software there is a "limit" option that stops you at 180 degrees. I have had that enabled for the Yaw axis so my virtual neck doesn't snap right off.

Guys, Can you possibly share the specifics? I'd like to try adjusting the FoV also. And I think I've searched it before, but is there a way to make the max zoom not so extreme? Maybe back it off a bit? When I use it, I tend to think it feels too much like a telescope and departs quite a ways from reality.

Unfortunately, for a lone pilot who can't use his comms advantage or conduct an effective thatch weave by himself... those tactics that gave the Navy Fliers the advantage won't get him all of those kills you claimed. As we all know with the DCS Mustang, when dogfighting a closely matched pilot in an equal machine, it can end in many different ways. Now, give one guy a little performance edge and I personally feel it will be worth creating in the sim. I personally, think the Zero will be fine in our world :thumbup: (Keep in mind it's not at the top of my list either) Also the Pacific will be a very lonely place without it. I can almost hear all of the carrier ops dreams shattering to the ground. As a side note: I think we already know how vulnerable it felt to be a Zero pilot flying defensive. Set up a mission with a High level AI FW-190 directly behind you at 1000 ft. You will feel like you are in an unarmored plane with explosive fuel tanks. :music_whistling:

Wildcat or Hellcat? The Wildcat could not outperform the Zero without help. The Hellcat was a direct response to the Zero... which of course is a compliment in itself to the capabilities of the A6M. My point was that if you were a pilot in some aircraft... Spit, Hurricane, P-40 you would get chewed up in a turning fight with a decent pilot in the Zero. EDIT: Lots of reading out there about the frustration caused... In a report based on questioning forty fighter pilots of VMF-121, 212 and 251 and VF-71 concerning combat in October 1942 the discussion of comparative performance was brief: "A Zero is faster, more maneuverable, and has a higher rate of climb than our F4F-4s". In an after action interview given in November 1942 Major John Smith, commander of VMF-223 at Guadalcanal, said little about the Zero's performance until asked a direct question and then replied: "They had much more performance than we had. I think they did because we just couldn't stay with them at all, and dog fight at any altitude."

Are you saying Zeros didn't invoke fear with a good pilot aboard? Yes, if you hit one it was quite a show... but don't act like they didn't shoot anyone down. The lopsided advantage that the Zero enjoyed early in the war is what lead to the creation of "boom and zoom." It really depends on what aircraft and how many are opposing it. However, I do agree that the European theater has a bit more parity and options available. Carrier landings and dogfights in the Pacific setting sounds pretty fun too though!

Make your own list! Don't hate on mine :D The '38 will be great for DCS: WWII Pacific Campaign. Gives me time to figure out the yoke and dual throttle quadrant issue.

Oh man, we must love torturing ourselves. I think a good start would be DCS quality P-51D vs. FW190-D9 with period relevant ground units, no gun lag and less server crashing (Edge?) Thennnnn after that the sky is the limit. (Pun intended) I may be a little biased but if I could pick the next 5 fighters... P-47 Me-109 Spitfire Hellcat P-38

I think you mean... Flaming Cliffs of Dover© :)

Roger, bringing it back up now. EDIT1: We are experiencing some technical difficulties. Please stand by. EDIT2: Back up. Hopefully it will stay that way.

I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a few beauties today. The Wings of Freedom tour was at a local airfield. Thought it was a good way to get excited for the September announcements :) I could have sat all day and listened to that Merlin. ...and now I have door-gunner experience.

Do you mean 300mph? I feel pretty confident following with that kind of speed that I will get off a nice close shot at the top. Especially if he started the climb from below. Be careful not to climb after him with any flaps, that can be unpleasant. There is a wide mixture of skill levels on the server. You may encounter all kinds.

Well, I didn't say it was easy. :) But I'd rather be up near him with energy to burn than down low running for my life. I find it's crucial to keep a visual on him and turn inside him as he comes down from that climb. If you are closer he has less options. If he has a shot at you he will take it... otherwise he will resume his big dive so he has the speed to pull off another super-climb. Results may vary and sometimes they do mix it up. Come by my server any time and test it. There's a good chance you will see the method in action. And to the disbelief of many, you don't need WEP to do it.

My observations: You have to anticipate his climb and make sure you have the energy to at least keep him occupied. If you don't have the speed to reach the top of his climb watch your airspeed and end your climb before you stall. Once you have that energy potential try to gain on him in the next dive. If you DON'T give him chase in the vertical he will position himself for a diving attack on your six and there is no EASY counter at that point with his amazing sniping abilities. In a one-on-one fight this works for me most times with any skill AI... just keep your radiator flaps open and enough air flowing to keep your engine alive.

Are you saying you've never out-climbed the 190 with the P-51? I've seen you shoot down plenty. And even if the pure climb ability is to the 190's favor there are plenty of ways to gain the advantage on him... Just don't make any mistakes in the process :)

That's a bold statement. There are quite a few DCS P-51D pilots who have no problem matching and outperforming the AI tactics. As far as I've seen, my only issue with the AI pilot is the incredible gun accuracy. Perfectly placed deflection shots at extreme distance with no gyro gun site is a bit far fetched, but good defensive practice. The damage model for the AI 190 is obviously incomplete but just adds to the challenge.

Amen brutha.

Looks amazing... and it's not even September yet :) I'd definitely buy CA if these were included.