A beginner's guide to the planes

[Robotic Pope]

Originally Posted by mavrickandgoose

Notice how they say the mustang uses it's tighter turning radius to it's advantage

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_u...?v=FXOCKEotmoU

Link isn't right or something. History channel programmes are not 100% acurate anyway (if that is what the video is)

Take a look at this forum thread about Il2 on PC http://www.warbirdsofprey.org/index.php?topic=7768.0
see the graphs to get an idea on how the Mustang could outperform a 109 and yet get stuck with its pants down when low and slow.

The later 109's were all about power, using brute force for performace. P-51s on the other hand were all about aerodynamics and low drag. Retaining as energy as much as posible. Birds of Prey dogfights award high power to weight ratio planes with draggy wings (thus high lift at low speed) far far more than an energy retention plane like the Mustang.