New FSX P-51D Mustang not far away

[Panther_99FS]

Personally,
I think everyone needs to take up some photography - keeps you relaxed & cool about life

[IanP]

Oh yeah? You haven't seen me fighting with depth of field and little Lego people!!!

My own take on this is that it will sell. If you don't want it and would rather wait for A2A's, then that's entirely your perogative. More money to spend on beer in the meantime!

[Panther_99FS]

Oh yeah? You haven't seen me fighting with depth of field and little Lego people!!!

........What's your aperture ?

[IanP]

http://forum.siminsider.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=552

Although this thread is a little more apt to the topic, if not much...

http://forum.siminsider.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=553

[Panther_99FS]

Thanks Ian,
I haven't been there for a bit - time for me to show up again

[Nick C]

It seems we are turning into a bunch of grumpy old men here :d.

Well at least I must be getting old as I can remember the day we were still happy with new releases. Huub

In FSX, that was when there was about 5 of us in this forum. :d

[JIMJAM]

I understand the universal appeal of the Cub and Mustang. Especially among Joe Q public there are 4 planes.
If its small it s either a Piper Cub or a generic" Cessna".
If its a big airliner is a 747. Every small jet is a Lear jet.

I understand the univeral appeal of the Cub and Stang but cmon.....
But ya right. When times are lean we all bitch about it then when it rains Cubs and Mustangs, well we dont really bitch to much unless they are over $60.
I am starting to wonder if some of you guys actually fly all of your planes and helis? I have a few dozen and most sit idle and maybe once or twice a month for kicks I will take one up for a quick spin. I still have another dozen or so earlier FSX paywares I have not even bothered loading since my last reinstall.
My latest the A2a Cub and Tongass have been my flavor of the month but I am already getting bored. Soon it will be hangered collecting dust until the nexr must have comes out. I think there are enough aircraft out there already much less threepeats. Maybe more sceneries which I seem to get the most mileage out of.

[deimos256]

I understand the universal appeal of the Cub and Mustang. Especially among Joe Q public there are 4 planes.
If its small it s either a Piper Cub or a generic" Cessna".
If its a big airliner is a 747. Every small jet is a Lear jet.

I understand the univeral appeal of the Cub and Stang but cmon.....
But ya right. When times are lean we all bitch about it then when it rains Cubs and Mustangs, well we dont really bitch to much unless they are over $60.
I am starting to wonder if some of you guys actually fly all of your planes and helis? I have a few dozen and most sit idle and maybe once or twice a month for kicks I will take one up for a quick spin. I still have another dozen or so earlier FSX paywares I have not even bothered loading since my last reinstall.
My latest the A2a Cub and Tongass have been my flavor of the month but I am already getting bored. Soon it will be hangered collecting dust until the nexr must have comes out. I think there are enough aircraft out there already much less threepeats. Maybe more sceneries which I seem to get the most mileage out of.

I know there are a ton of craft that I bought and never fly anymore, but then again i have phases where ill fly in FSX nonstop and then i wont touch it for a month. The a2a cub is not something i would normally buy but i was blown away by their p-47 so It was a no brainer, sadly though it has been neglected now that there are 2 p-38s recently released, but therein lies a problem too, two p-38s each with their own issues, one having stunning visuals and flight model, but refuses to run decent on my system, the other being very frame freindly but full of bugs and inaccuracies, so which one do you choose? All I can do right now is fly both and pull my hair out trying to choose which one to delete.

[tigisfat]

Tell ya what Tigs everyone is entitled to their opinion. IS THAT OK WITH YOU?????
Ted

Sure; I was expressing mine: I don't have a problem with more P-51s, because they're awesome and I'm waiting for the right one. Every modeller/texture guy has teir own trademark. I'm partial to the kind of stuff that Milviz and Aerosoft put out. I like the high-detail, photoreal baked in texture kind of VC.

[txnetcop]

Good for you, all I ask that you respect others opinions. That shouldn't be too hard.
Ted

[Nick C]

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Mmmmmm....
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[Rezabrya]

You are so lucky Nick...
I have to ask though, how are the systems modeled? What kind of systems management does it have?

[tigisfat]

You are so lucky Nick...
I have to ask though, how are the systems modeled? What kind of systems management does it have?

I believe they've done a great job with the dual INSs, but I've heard that they didn't simulate reciever autonomous integrity modelling for the GPS units. How could anyone ever fly a CAT II approach to minimums that way?

....I'm just playing with you. I'm no P-51 expert, do they have any systems that would cause a developer any out of the ordinary stress?

[The Rev]

Hello chaps,

Nick pointed out this thread about the upcoming Aeroplane Heaven/Flight1 P-51D.

I run the European office of Flight1 and thought would drop a few answers and thoughts to the various questions here. I am not one really for forums, so go easy on me. I am very blessed to also fly a very high performance aircraft for real, love old aircraft, know many owners of them and so this project became a little bit of a passion of mine. So here I am saying hello and joining in

Yep, there are other P51 add-ons out there. But there weren't any good ones when we started this project well over a year ago now - maybe longer!

Yep the first images on the Simforums thread were pretty early shots. We've done a lot of tweaking and alterations to a whole number of areas since then. Nick's two shots here are representative of the final product. He will post more I hope

First thing to remember is if you ask three different pilots about something to do with flying you will get three dfferent answers! The same is is with P51 owners and pilots. Each plane has been restored slightly differently, there are countless different canopies for one thing - without even getting started on cockpit layouts, compass cards, lighting arrangements and other details.

Even Maurice Hammond who rebuilt two P51s and flies and owns them both (and who helped us with many hours of time pouring over his aircraft and him flying our sim model and advising on how things should be) has canopies which are different on each aircraft. We took a view of modelling as best we could a 'factory-fresh' P-51D. So no rear seats as many restored versions have instead of the centre fuel tank and a cockpit layout that fits the POH c1944.

The cockpit is roomy in a P51, but with a modern helmet on you have to duck your head to close the canopy, so yes the pilot can look big at some angles. But he is the right size in our version I promise you. I took pictures of Maurice in his aircraft and you would wonder with some of them how he would fit at all, at other air to air images he looks tiny.

And yes this is a ground up FSX development, not a port from anything else.

We have modelled everything that makes sense to model - the pilot uses oxygen above 8000ft and you see him with mask on above that height for example.

Yes, we modelled WEP. There is (well was in WWII) a wire gate if you needed to really get the hell out of there. We have modelled this, so full throttle will take you to 61". But you need to 'break the wire' if you want to unleash the final few inches of MP. Just remember that this usually would involve a post sortie engine inspection, strip down in some cases and possible rebuild. Thankfully in FSX you can just load a new one in without a $100,000 bill.

We did initially model engine seizure if you fly inverted for too long (the Packard Merlin had an injection carbuerettor so it was the lack of oil from the scavenger pump that prevented flyig upside down rather than fuel starvation as many seem to think - the POH warns against flying inverted for more than 10s) - but the way FSX and different computers work together meant we couldn't get this to be accurate as it should be. So we removed it as I'd rather not have something in than have it done badly. Does that make a difference? Maybe. But which one of use is going to fly upside down for 30s (well apart from me, but that is a long story for another thread...)

We modelled what happens if you over-prime her. I'll leave that as a surprise, though Nick may post up a shot. Though you can all probably guess.

We have a variety of different weapon load-outs and wing tank fitments and such like for those who want them.

We modelled the gun ports individually for Maurice's aircraft which are different from those on other P51s.

We changed the look of the wing spar internally when the gear is down. We modelled the hydraulic bleed off for the undercarriage doors.

It was impossible to see the centre fuel gauge without Track IR (it's located behind the pilot's left shoulder) so we added a special view for that.

The performance is right on the numbers. She sounds beautiful. She handles as a P51 does. She has massive torque as you'd expect (by way of a sad warning: Maurice told me a story of a friend of his who owned a P51 in the US very sadly died when going around as an aircraft lined wass on the runway and not visible, as he accidentally put on too much power at low speed and the torque flipped the aircraft on its back).

Like most high performance aircraft she is pussy cat when treated right, but will bite if you don't.

There are compromises which as a real pilot bug me a teeny weeny bit but would feel unnatural in FSX - for example the sound when flying aircraft like this is LOUD. Now in a real aircraft with a big lump the sounds tends to go from throaty, thumpy loudness at idle-1200rpm to screaming deafening loudness at anything above that. With perhaps a added wail/ear bleed sound at absolute full throttle. When sitting in the cockpit. It's either quiet or loud basically. The same with the Mustang, their pilots tell me. But this would just annoy you all if we replicated that exactly, so the sound is a real Mustang sound, is real loud but more progressive as you push the throttle forward. It seems better and nicer in the sim that way.

Don't worry, I write the above just to give you a feel for the fact that in simulation there are some little compromises that make it a better product. Just as it's nice not to have ring up the insurance company when you hit a tree/hangar/go off the runway, etc. with a $1.5m aircraft

I am sure you will like how she sounds!

I guess I am saying a lot of love went into this...


We have LOTS of documention with it and a very nice colour feature about Maurice and the rebuild of his Marinell aircraft and touchingly a bit about the man who flew Marinell - the aircradt was shot down after 45 days of being operational. For me I never forget what those chaps did for us all back then and I guess I just want to capture a little bit of the spirit of the aircraft and hope that it gives a little chill down the back of your spine, as it does me whether it's the simulated one or as we all undoubtedly feel when we see and hear a real one fly past.

Anyway indulgent emotions aside, we will be selling this little baby for $34.95 by download) and a few more tweaks aside we should be ready to have this one on sale next week.

Flight1 operates a money-back guarantee on all its products, so you can try it and if you like it keep it and tell others, if not then get your money back and you will no doubt tell others too anyway!

But I hope you like it, have room in your hangar for it. And any other questions in the mean time then I will do my best to answer them!

[RudiJG1]

Well said, Rev, and thanks so much for the background and update...looking forward to test-driving this one.

[Nick C]

Thanks for taking the time to register to the forums Mungo and welcome.

Here are some additional shots for the thirsty (sorry, haven't killed the engine yet).












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[jankees]

..and I always thought Col Landers was the pilot of the 'big beautiful doll'?

Ok, let's be a bit critical here:
too bad the checkers don't line up on the tail of #40, and too bad they are not parallel to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. They usually were in the 325th FG.
The textures seem a bit mismatched in the BBB shot too, and the victory markings are a bit too blurry to my liking. Is this using 2048 textures?
There is a very clear texture edge visible just forward of the canopy in the Old Crow shot as well, like in the BBB, it would be nice if that became less obvious.
Sorry to point these things out, I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to Mustangs...
Good luck with the final touches!

[Odie]

Nick C..looks good...especially the one landing...thanks for posting!

[MikeH]

Have to say that this P-51 looks excellent. I will be visiting 'Janie' & 'Marinell' later today at their home - Hardwick airfield, Norfolk for the 93rd Bomb Group museum's monthly open day.

I'm wondering if anyone is planning to model the grass strip at Hardwick? I can do the grass runway but have'nt got the skill (yet) to make & place custom buildings. Can take plenty of photos though for anyone that wants to have a go.

Mike

PS The pilot does'nt look too big, if youv'e ever met Maurice Hammond, the owner of 'Janie' & 'Marinell' you'll know that he's a big guy.

[Nick C]

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[Rezabrya]

Nick, how are the sounds? And Frame rates?

[Nick C]

The sounds are fantastic, not sure about the frames as I don't use the counter, but I haven't suffered any stutters or anything.

[Rezabrya]

Nick, you're gonna make me buy this thing yet. Your screenies are amazing. Thanks for the input!

[Bjoern]

YABM - Yet another bloody Mustang.

Come on guys, this is getting boring....what about a DC-8, early 737 or Mercure?

[IanP]

Ask that a year ago, Bjoern, when you get the time machine. Or has your development experience so far not told you how long these things take to reach the stage they were at?

A year ago, we had ZERO Mustangs. We now have two. Hardly "masses" and "overload" or anything else.

Seriously. If you're not interested, read another thread and ignore Mustang ones. It's not hard.