Simviation Forum - Its just a romance between myself and the P-51

Apr 16^th, 2011 at 6:03pm

Steve M Offline
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Cambridge On.

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Dougs post on the beaver, led me here. Are the Spitfire and the P-51 really so different? Other than armament and age?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xITLBRkOd2k&feature=related

Part 1 of a commentary which refers to the Spitfire and the Mustang seems to say the Mustang had range but the Spitfire could turn on a dime..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNl7OJsLMc&feature=related

Flying with twins is a lot of fun..

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Reply #1 - Apr 16^th, 2011 at 11:54pm

patchz Offline
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I've always felt the two were kindred spirits, with the Mustang being slightly more sleek and esthetically pleasing.

But if you close your eyes and just listen to either one pass, you can't help but smile.

If God intended aircraft engines to have horizontally opposed engines, Pratt and Whitney would have made them that way.

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Reply #2 - Apr 17^th, 2011 at 4:18am

Hagar Offline
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Steve M wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 6:03pm:

Dougs post on the beaver, led me here. Are the Spitfire and the P-51 really so different? Other than armament and age?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xITLBRkOd2k&feature=related

Part 1 of a commentary which refers to the Spitfire and the Mustang seems to say the Mustang had range but the Spitfire could turn on a dime..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNl7OJsLMc&feature=related

That would depend on which Mark/model of the aircraft you're talking about. The P-51A was a very different aeroplane to the P-51D in the same way as the Spitfire Mk I compared with the Mk XIV or XVI. Jeffrey Quill says in his autobiography that a Spitfire F.24 weighed the same as a Mk I plus 36 passengers and all their luggage and was still 100mph faster.

A lot is made of the Mustang's laminar flow wing but John Leland “Lee” Atwood said in an article in Aeroplane magazine that it didn't make much difference to its performance. The secret was in the design of the radiator air scoop below the fuselage.

patchz wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 11:54pm:

the Mustang being slightly more sleek and esthetically pleasing.

I think that depends on which side of the Atlantic you come from. To me the Spitfire is the most beautiful & aesthetically pleasing aeroplane ever built. Wink

What impresses me about North American Aviation is that this young company was responsible for a surprising number of classic aircraft.

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Reply #3 - Apr 17^th, 2011 at 8:01am

Flying Trucker Offline
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Wonderful post Steve... Wink

If I remember correctly the North American P51 "Mustang" was a joint British and American design and not just by engine only.

We used to hear a lot about the turning ability of the Japanese Zero but at the end of World War Two when the Axis Aircraft were compared to the Allied Aircraft by several different Test Pilots from several different nations the late model Spitfire and Seafire could out turn and out fly the Zero and anything else.

Also the Hawker Sea Fury was in many opinions from many aviators the finest radial engine fighter produced.

Now to get down to aesthetically pleasing neither the Spitfire or the Mustang can hold a candle to a DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 single radial engine Otter.... Grin

Sorry to get so long winded Steve.... Wink

Thanks for those Links everyone...

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

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Reply #4 - Apr 17^th, 2011 at 10:56am

Hagar Offline
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Flying Trucker wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 8:01am:

If I remember correctly the North American P51 "Mustang" was a joint British and American design and not just by engine only.

The Mustang was an American design to a British specification.

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Reply #5 - Apr 17^th, 2011 at 11:54am

Skunkworks Offline
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Super post Steve. Besides all this wonderful and informative commentary, by watching the first video, I learned that I was landing my Ponies with the tail too high in the air.

Happy flying, Greg Cool

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Reply #6 - Apr 17^th, 2011 at 1:13pm

Steve M Offline
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Cambridge On.

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Thanks for all the replies and the additional info. I think it must be that air scoop Hagar mentioned, combined with the exhaust ports, that gives the P-51 a shark like appearance.

Flying with twins is a lot of fun..

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