DCS P-51D QUESTIONS

Watch RPM vs. MP (manifold pressure).

The rules as I remember them, are actually to increase RPM first and then MP, and likewise when backing off decrease MP first and only then RPM. Your humongous piston-driven beast of a powerplant will love that I'm sure ;)

Fire rocket

Can someone please tell me how to fire my rockets by just hitting one button on my joystick and the same with bombs. I would really appreciate any help. Had this game for 3 weeks and cannot get anything to work except cannons or guns.

Thank You

Jaye in Seattle

Why does my engine temp climb until the engine dies when I'm idling on the ground? I'm in a winter mission (-2C) and if I let it idle at 2300RPM (propeller set to full increase) until the oil temp hits 40C, the coolant temp just keeps climbing. It does the same if the propeller is set to full decrease. Manually opening the radiators doesn't do anything. Am I just supposed to get her off the ground and gulping air ASAP? Can the plane really not idle for 5 minutes without overheating? Am I missing something or is this a bug?

edit: here's a track

overheating.zip

Edit again: Found my answer, so how about another question: When I'm flying in cold conditions, I open the hot air and close the ram air. Shouldn't the carb temp increase when I do this?

No Vapour trails from wings on high G moves ?

Why are there no vapour trails from the P51 wingtips during high G moves...

These do exist and Korea Vets have explicitly mentioned these...

Is this a P51 modelling problem ??

..to continue wrt wingtip vapour trails.

I've yet to see this on any DCS aircraft... correct me if I'm wrong :-)

..to continue wrt wingtip vapour trails.

 

I've yet to see this on any DCS aircraft... correct me if I'm wrong :-)

Was present, then removed. Currently on the bug-list for re-implementation.

Can someone please tell me how to fire my rockets by just hitting one button on my joystick and the same with bombs. I would really appreciate any help. Had this game for 3 weeks and cannot get anything to work except cannons or guns.

 

Thank You

 

Jaye in Seattle

have you looked at the weapons panel behind the control column? The switch on the left side of it covers the guns and gunsight as you may know). The controls to the right of that control the ordinance.

There is also the pdf manual as well enclosed within the install.

I do have a question myself though. I was going through the start up and warm up procedures the other night and I managed to set off the alarm and the yellow light on the left hand side of the dash board. Does anyone know what sets it off and how to silence it other than a respawn?/

Thanks

A couple of questions.

1. Take-offs. The ED manual suggests full power, but my understanding was that a normal take off should be performed with 40" MP. What is the basis for 61" MP on takeoff?

2. Go arounds. I can't find anything on this, but my friend, who had over 800 hours in P51s and F51s, told me, if I recall correctly, that 38" MP was used for any rejected landing because of limited rudder effectiveness at approach speeds. Anyone have official guidance on this?

A couple of questions.

 

1. Take-offs. The ED manual suggests full power, but my understanding was that a normal take off should be performed with 40" MP. What is the basis for 61" MP on takeoff?

 

2. Go arounds. I can't find anything on this, but my friend, who had over 800 hours in P51s and F51s, told me, if I recall correctly, that 38" MP was used for any rejected landing because of limited rudder effectiveness at approach speeds. Anyone have official guidance on this?

Well wartime P-51 had military equipment and full fuel load so take off power was nessesery ( 61 MP). Probably with less fuel load and without military load 46 MP could be used succesfully either.

Dunno about go for 2 around could be that with landing speed 38 MP was enough to go away and give less prop effects to counter then with nominal power. I think more dangerous in such situation would be too quickly add power from idle to miliatry power. I think the key is the same like with take off run - in smoothly adding power even to full miliatary power.

BTW i wonder if Your friend ( P-51 pilot) try DCS P-51? I wonder expecially his opinion about accelerated stall in turns and pull ups - if real P-51 was really so tricky like DCS one? Also about heating engine - i wonder if really at slow speed engine coolant and oil temperature could rise so quickly?

Normal take off MP TFC P-51D usually used for is 50". It is unarmed plane usually having 50% fuel in wing tanks at takeoff.

Thanks. I just seem to be finding conflicting sources. So far I've seen 40", 50" 60", and 61".

BTW i wonder if Your friend ( P-51 pilot) try DCS P-51? I wonder expecially his opinion about accelerated stall in turns and pull ups - if real P-51 was really so tricky like DCS one? Also about heating engine - i wonder if really at slow speed engine coolant and oil temperature could rise so quickly?

My friend was killed in a Yak52 crash two years ago, but I think he would have really appreciated DCS, especially because of the many connections to his flying career. With the upcoming releases, these connections are growing.

Of the nearly 200 types he was qualified in, he had over 800 hours flying P51 / F51 variants.

He had nearly 2000 combat hours in Vietnam where he earned 60 air medals, flying the UH1, AH1, and *I think* the RU21G, it was the military version of the King Air with antennas all over it. In the King Air, he actually survived a direct engagement by a MiG17, but in the process of maneuvering he bent the Beechcraft so badly the airframe was totalled. He really liked flying the AH-1 from the back seat, to him the view was similar to flying a P51, but he didn't like the side sticks up front.

After the war he became a test pilot and flew numerous projects, using a wide variety of aircraft. Just before the Gulf War, he was scheduled to join an Air Force class to learn the A10 for a project, but the project was cancelled when all or most of the A10s headed toward Iraq, so he never got to fly one.

He did have experience in both the AH64 and MiG21. In fact, he flew both of them against each other as part of a project.

He was also a Warbird instructor, and flew and was qualified in P38, P40, F4U, B17, and B25 among many others. He was scheduled to go fly the RAF's Spitfire in the fall just after he died. It was a bucket list thing for him. The F86 was also on it, but that one would have been a long shot anyway. I think the F86 was the plane he never flew but badly wanted to.

I was very lucky to know and fly with him. He was the kind of guy that would get up two hours early to take a half hour flight in a Pitts before he flew government projects all day. One thing is for sure, he would have known many of the answers for us.

I do know a mechanic who was with the Tuskegee Airman during WWII. I see him every so often. Next time I'll try to remember to ask him about the temps question. He used to tell pilots back in WWII if they had any choice to fly something like the P47 instead of the P51 to do it, because any damage to the cooling system and you wouldn't make it home, whereas the P47s would come home still running with heads blown right off the cylinders and missing pistons, etc.

Respect for You friend. Sry to hear that he is gone. He surly was a great pilot. Salute!

Could you tell what was the reason of these accident? Im also RL pilot and never would have such experience like him but also love warbirds and i fly aerobatic Zlin 526.

Respect for You friend. Sry to hear that he is gone. He surly was a great pilot. Salute!

 

Could you tell what was the reason of these accident? Im also RL pilot and never would have such experience like him but also love warbirds and i fly aerobatic Zlin 526.

Zlin 526, very cool!

Thanks for the kind words. Here's a link for the accident:

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20100717X74629&ntsbno=ERA10FA364&akey=1

Hmm i cant find reason of accident probably my english is not so good. Could you wrote what was happend there in private message.

S!

I have a question about skins and markings; How do you use custom skins or at least choose a skin included in the Sim Online? I don't see an interface for it and what is with the odd numbering down the fuselage? It looks to me like numbers for both sides run down the fuselage through the Nat'l Insignia, for ex. an Aircraft might be marked B6*E with the * where the Star is. In DCS it's

B6 E B6 E and it goes right through the Star. Is this a Bug?

I have a question about skins and markings; How do you use custom skins or at least choose a skin included in the Sim Online?

Skins in MP are preset by the mission maker. Skins in SP can be chosen in the mission editor or in the mission planer alongside the preset loadout.

P-51

I've had DCS P-51 since the beta version and I've had nothing but control issues since then. I've tried Axis Tuning and everything else I can think of. The only thing that I've been able to rectify is the rudder. I can't do a loop without the plane tipping to either the left or right. I'm using a Cougar HOTAS with Saitek rudder pedals. Is there anyone out there you can help me? Thanks

I've had DCS P-51 since the beta version and I've had nothing but control issues since then. I've tried Axis Tuning and everything else I can think of. The only thing that I've been able to rectify is the rudder. I can't do a loop without the plane tipping to either the left or right. I'm using a Cougar HOTAS with Saitek rudder pedals. Is there anyone out there you can help me? Thanks

First thought would be to simply not pull as hard, keep an eye on the ball to minimize slip, and in the case of loops in particular, make sure entry speed is not below 300 mph. Keep in mind as airspeed changes, so does the pedal input, hence you need to keep an eye on the ball as you maneuver.

If you post a track we'll be able to tell you exactly what's the bother.

P-51 Control Issues

If you post a track we'll be able to tell you exactly what's the bother.

Here's a video clip. It keeps pulling to the left. I was at 350 mph when I entered the loop and you see the result. Here's the link to the video.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I need a track - the vid does not tell me anything, apart from the fact that you stall, spin and die. In order to know why you SSD, I need to see a track.

Here's a video clip. It keeps pulling to the left. I was at 350 mph when I entered the loop and you see the result. Here's the link to the video.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

OK - Had another wee look. 2 issues here:

1 - Aileron and Rudder Trim

Preferable you want both trim wheels bound to an axis device such as the CH Quadrant. I would go so far as to say that this is an absolute necessity as far as the Mustang is concerned. Essential that you are always trimmed 100% for your flight attitude. That said, in the absence of a track, I cannot elaborate further.

2 - Elevator Input

The most important aspect and the reason for your SSD. You are overweight (2 bombs and 6 HVAR's). Not knowing fuel weight, but at 68% fuel it will put your weight with that load at 108% GW. Now with that in mind, you can loop her, but you need to be gentle.

Herewith elevator input for successful loop:

Herewith elevator input for stall, spin and die:

See what little difference there is?

Above inputs taken from the following vid:

Ti65sRxOXgE

In conclusion, I think the issue here is elevator input for the stall attempting the loop whilst overweight and absence of trim for the wing dropping to the left. By no means an expert opinion - just my thoughts.

OK - Had another wee look. 2 issues here:

 

1 - Aileron and Rudder Trim

 

Preferable you want both trim wheels bound to an axis device such as the CH Quadrant. I would go so far as to say that this is an absolute necessity as far as the Mustang is concerned. Essential that you are always trimmed 100% for your flight attitude. That said, in the absence of a track, I cannot elaborate further.

 

2 - Elevator Input

 

The most important aspect and the reason for your SSD. You are overweight (2 bombs and 6 HVAR's). Not knowing fuel weight, but at 68% fuel it will put your weight with that load at 108% GW. Now with that in mind, you can loop her, but you need to be gentle.

 

Herewith elevator input for successful loop:

 

 

Herewith elevator input for stall, spin and die:

 

 

See what little difference there is?

 

Above inputs taken from the following vid:

 

Ti65sRxOXgE

 

In conclusion, I think the issue here is elevator input for the stall attempting the loop whilst overweight and absence of trim for the wing dropping to the left. By no means an expert opinion - just my thoughts.

What should I set the trims to?

Quick Question, is it possible to disable gunsmoke as it kills my framerate?