ripping the wings off

[Ratfink]

Just got DCS P-51 today, and just while flying about pulling some g I managed to rip the wings off. A couple of times. Ooops.

 

Can I draw the conclusion, there's a limit on g so I should be watching the meter a bit closer?

[Mike Busutil]

Yes, and a max speed...

[Blaze]

Yes, real aircraft have G limits. Check the manual on the maneuvering limitations.

[EtherealN]

You most definitely have a G limit. Consider the below:

 

 

------O------

 

That's an aircraft. Currently in level flight. So the fuselage (the "O") which we declare has a mass of 1000 kilogrammes is pressing down on the wings with a force of 1000 kilogrammes. (Or, well, we could say that it's the wings that are pressing up rather than the fuselage pressing down, but easier to visualize.)

 

Now we take the same aircraft:

 

------O------

 

but at 4G's. So the 1000 kilogramme fuselage exerts a force of 4000 kilogrammes.

 

Now the same aircraft at 10G:

 

------O------

 

The wings are gone, because the 10 000 kilogrammes of force was more than the wingspars could handle and they broke like a piece of spaghetti, making the plane quite a mit more streamlined. ;)

 

In the case of the P-51D, see page 102 in the manual:

 

The P-51D structural load limit is +8G and -4G (plus a standard safety factor of 1.5). The below chart illustrates the maximum load factor limitations for different indicated airspeeds and three altitude bands at a gross weight (GW) of 9' date='000 lbs.[/quote']

 

The above means that if you reach 12G, you're pretty much guaranteed that your aircraft will multiply. Though it can of course happen earlier too...

 

A way to consider how this works is to take a thin wooden board, and bridge two tables with it. Put a cup of water on it - it's probably fine. Put a couple pints of milk on it - might be starting to budge now. Stand on it... well, you won't do so for long. :)

Edited October 31, 2012 by EtherealN

[cichlidfan]

That is most certainly not the only way to break the P-51. Other things are simulated accurately too!! :D

[Ratfink]

You most definitely have a G limit. Consider the below:

 

Thanks EtherealN, that's a good explanation :thumbup: