
Built
with “Absolute Realism” technology




“For those out there that live for realism and
depth, Wings of Power aircraft deliver on a scale never seen before. However,
even with all this tremendous detail, you can still just throw the throttle
forward and fly away…”
Features:
ü
Built
with “Absolute realism” flight technology
o
Can be flown “by the book”
o
Famous Mustang stall characteristics,
including the deadly flat spin
o
“Absolute Realism” means the entire
flight envelope is modeled via the actual pilot’s training manuals
§
Authentic
cruise performance under various conditions with realistic fuel economy
§
Absolute
Realism even delivers authentic “distance-to-altitude” performance under
various power settings
§
Merlin
torque means full power cannot be applied with brakes on or aircraft will “nose
over”
ü
Gorgeously
constructed aircraft, inside and out, down to the last rivet
ü
Authentic
sounds
o
True-to-life sound characteristics of the
famous Rolls Royce “Merlin” engine from idle to war emergency power
o
Actual P51 gyro and flap motor sounds
o
Stall buffet, canopy, ground roll, and
authentic cockpit wind
ü
Both
modern and veteran P51 pilots helped create the “feel” of flight
ü
“Wings
of Power “Special Effects” package includes:
o
Historically
accurate lighting for stunning nighttime visuals
o
Realistic
startup visuals modeled after the real aircraft
o
Belly
landings with realistic effects and physics programming
Screenshots (click on any picture to view):
Interior screenshots taken from actual in-game,
fully-functional 3D cockpit
In-game MOVIE:
P51 flies with the Wings of Power “Heavy Bombers and Jets”
Click HERE
to download (10MB):
WINGS
OF POWER CERTIFIED

WINGS OF POWER
CERTIFIED
“Absolute Realism”
WINGS OF POWER CERTIFIED SPECIFICATIONS
Wings of Power P-51D Mustang

Like the entire Wings of Power
series, the Wings of Power P-51D Mustang was created with a process called
"Absolute Realism". The flight model was very carefully
researched. We interviewed many pilots who flew the P-51D, two of them
double aces. We took our own orientation flights in existing P-51D
aircraft to get a true feel for how these marvelous aircraft sound and fly in
real life. And we used the actual pilot's training manual and technical
orders to ensure our procedures and performance matched the real thing as
closely as possible.
To get the most realistic
experience possible from Wings of Power aircraft, we recommend you purchase a
copy of the actual Pilot Training Manual, which is available either on a CD-ROM
or as a printed copy at many sites on the web. Then, use the procedures
in the manual to fly your Wings of Power aircraft. Most of the procedures
below are taken verbatim from the P-51 Pilot Training Manual, so having the
complete manual will add the ultimate level of realism to your Wings of Power
experience.
The following abbreviated
procedures were condensed from the P-51D Pilot Training Manual. It's
worth noting that the manual begins with a cautionary tale, several pages long,
comparing the P-51D to a wild stallion. It was -- and is -- that kind of
airplane. Throughout the manual, the prospective pilot is warned
repeatedly about the high-performance nature of the Mustang, and its propensity
to turn on the unwary. It also, however, strongly emphasizes the fact
that the P-51D is a superb aircraft in the right hands, asserting that it was
the finest aircraft of its kind anywhere in the world. That argument
continues to this day, but there is little doubt that, among the piston powered
aircraft of the 20th century, the North American P-51D Mustang has emerged as
an icon, and is by far the most widely recognized piston fighter ever produced.
General Information
Weights and Loading
The Wings of Power P-51D flight
model is set up with a high level of realism, which extends to aircraft loading
and fuel supply. In the Fuel and Payloads menu, you will see three fuel
tanks and six station loads. The first two station loads are the pilot
and weight of the engine oil, which is stored in a tank mounted on the aircraft
firewall. When full, this tank weighed 94 pounds, which is reflected in
the default weight of this station load. The normal pilot weight was
considered to be 200 pounds for this aircraft, also reflected in the station
loading. The remaining four station loads reflect the guns and
ammunition, handled separately for each wing. Thus, the plane can be set
up for flight with the normal gun and ammo weight present in the wings, without
ammo but just with the gun weight, or without guns and ammo for acrobatic
trim. The manual states that the presence of the gun and ammunition
weight has a negligible effect on aircraft handling, but this weight will affect
the rate of climb and fuel consumption as well as takeoff distance, albeit
marginally.
Set up your Wings of Power
Mustang to suit your mission and proceed to the Cockpit Check. The default
loadings for weight are normal for this aircraft, so no action needs to be
taken here unless you plan a special mission.
Cockpit Check - Fuel Supply
The first thing you will want to
consider is whether or not to fly with the aft fuselage tank filled. When
even half-full, this tank had a severely adverse affect on the aircraft's
handling. Only normal, conservative maneuvers were allowed with this tank
full, as it moves the aircraft's center of gravity well aft. Unless you
are planning a long-range ferry mission, it is recommended this tank be set to
empty or nearly empty. Note: for "Auto Start", this tank must
have enough fuel in it to get the plane started, as the simulator will NOT
select either wing tank automatically. To get around this, start with
five gallons of fuel in the center tank if you plan on using the "Auto
Start" feature to start your aircraft.
Cockpit Check - Controls
Engine Starting
The following procedure was
taken directly from the P-51D manual except for those noted with an asterisk.
Pre-takeoff Check
Takeoff
This section was taken
directly from the manual except for the notations in parentheses.
After you have pulled out and
lined up on the runway, make sure the steerable tailwheel is locked and the
stick well back. Then advance the throttle gradually, and smoothly, up to
the desired manifold pressure. Don't hoist the tail up by pushing forward
on the stick until you have sufficient airspeed to give you effective rudder
control (at least 60 mph IAS).
This is important to watch in
the takeoff, since the P-51, like all single-engine planes, has a tendency to
turn left because of torque. If you horse the tail off the ground too
quickly with the elevators, better be ready to use the right rudder promptly.
Keep the airplane in a
three-point attitude until you have plenty of airspeed. In a normal
takeoff, the rudder trim tab is sufficient to make torque almost unnoticeable.
After Takeoff
Landing
Climb Control
A normal, brisk climb is made at
175 mph IAS with a manifold pressure of 46" and the propeller set to 2700
RPM. A climb to 25,000 feet can be accomplished in about 15 minutes and
will cover about 50 nautical miles. Allow the climbing speed to fall off
gradually above 15,000 feet until you are climbing at 165 mph IAS at 25,000
feet. A climb to 25,000 feet will use about 21 gallons of fuel in this
flight model if the mixture is set to automatic. For maximum performance,
climb at 61" and 3,000 RPM at 175 mph. A climb to 20,000 feet at
this power setting will take about 6.5 minutes and cover a little over 20 nautical
miles.
Cruise Control Schedule
Set your Mustang up for optimum
cruising, depending on your mission, using the following table, for aircraft
weights of 8,000 to 9,600 lbs. These two settings are just two possible
examples taken from the manual. Your WoP P-51D matches the fuel economy
and range of the real aircraft per the manual, and you can use the manual to
set up a variety of cruise settings. Use the "Range"
information below, in miles per gallon, to calculate your range based on the
amount of fuel you have on board. All figures are for the mixture control
set to automatic.
|
Altitude |
Pilot's |
Manifold |
RPM |
TAS MPH |
GPH |
Specific |
|
10,000 |
215 |
31 |
1600 |
248 |
40 |
6.3 mpg |
|
20,000 |
235 |
35 |
2100 |
316 |
56 |
5.6 mpg |
Engine Limitations and
Characteristics
The Packard Merlin V-1650-7 used
in this P-51D was a potent engine and a good performer at high altitudes.
The two-stage supercharger did a good job of maintaining power up to moderately
high altitudes and its operation was normally automatic. The maximum
allowable manifold pressure for this aircraft is 67", which is considered
"War Emergency Power" or "Combat Power". This setting
was to be used for only five minutes at a time. The normal maximum power
for takeoff is 61" at 3000 RPM. There is no War Emergency Power
switch on this aircraft. Just use the throttle to set the appropriate
manifold pressure.
|
ENGINE POWER CHART |
TAKEOFF |
TAKEOFF |
WAR |
MILITARY |
MAXIMUM |
MAXIMUM |
NORMAL |
|
MP |
61" |
45" |
67" |
61" |
46" |
36" |
30" |
|
RPM |
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
3000 |
2700 |
2400 |
2250 |
Flight Characteristics
From the P-51 Manual:
"The P-51 is one of the
sweetest-flying fighter planes ever built. It is very light on all
controls and stable at all normal loadings. Although light on the
controls, it is not so sensitive that you would call it jerky. Light,
steady pressures are all you need to execute any routine maneuver. At
various speeds in level flight or in climbing or diving, the control pressures
you have to hold are slight and can be taken care of by slight adjustments on
the trim tabs. However, the trim tab controls are sensitive; use them
carefully.
CAUTION - In designing the later
models of the P-51 and adding new equipment such as radio units and an
additional gas tank, the center of gravity of the airplane has been moved
back. The effect is that the forces necessary to move the stick have been
lightened. Instead of a force of 6 lbs per G of acceleration, you exert a
force of only about 1.5 lbs. to move the stick. As a result, you have
considerable leverage on the stick -- you can easily put greater stresses on
the airplane than it is designed to withstand. So be careful in sharp
pullouts and in steep turns."
Stalls
A stall in the P-51 is
comparatively mild. The airplane does not whip at the stall, but rolls
rather slowly and has very little tendency to drop into a spin. You get
ample warning of any type of stall. In a straight power-off stall you
feel a slight elevator buffet about 3 to 4 mph above the stall. In a
high-speed stall you feel a sharp buffeting at the elevators and at the root of
one wing. Recovery from any stall is entirely normal. Apply
opposite rudder to pick up the dropping wing and release the back pressure on
the stick.
Stalling Speeds and Stall
Warning
Although Flight Simulator has a
stall horn, it does not indicate an impending stall. In other words,
there is no stall warning in Flight Simulator such as you might find on a real
aircraft. Thus, you will get no warning at all before the aircraft goes
into a deep, full stall. At this point, the stall horn will come on and
your stick will shake if you have force feedback. The speed at which the
FS stall horn comes on is actually about 5 knots slower than the actual speed
at which your aircraft will begin to stall. Don't rely on the FS stall
horn to tell you when you're in a stall. By this time, you will be in a
deep, full stall which is more difficult to recover from. The 1-g stall
speeds listed above are the indicated airspeeds at which the aircraft will
begin to stall, but these speeds won't trigger the stall horn. Watch your
airspeed and pay attention to how the aircraft is handling rather than waiting
for the stall horn; by that time, it will probably be too late to recover.
Spins
Never spin the aircraft
intentionally even with power off unless you have sufficient altitude to get
out of the spin above 10,000 feet. Never spin the airplane intentionally
with the power on under any conditions. Like all fighter planes the P-51
loses altitude terrifically fast in this maneuver and has a tendency not only
to tighten up but to go flat when you use power. Recovery is made by
applying rudder against the spin and returning the stick to neutral. In
this situation you may lose as much as 9,000 feet of altitude.
Permissible Acrobatics
All acrobatics
are permissible, with the exception of snap rolls and power-on spins.
Wings of Power P-51H Mustang

Like the entire Wings of Power
series, the Wings of Power P-51H Mustang was created with a process called
"Absolute Realism". The flight model was very carefully
researched. We interviewed many pilots who flew the P-51D, two of them
double aces. We took our own orientation flights in existing P-51D
aircraft to get a true feel for how these marvelous aircraft sound and fly in
real life. And we used the actual P-51H pilot's training manual and
technical orders to ensure our procedures and performance matched the real
thing as closely as possible.
The P-51H differs from the P-51D
primarily in performance. The procedures are identical in many cases to
the P-51D, and aircraft handling is very similar, with the "H" model
having greater agility and a higher roll rate due to its substantially lighter
weight and larger ailerons. The fuel capacity is lower on the
"H" model because the fuselage tank was made smaller to reduce the
negative impact on weight and balance from the excess weight being so far aft
from the center of gravity. However, the "H" model has a range
similar to the "D" model because its airframe has slightly less drag,
and the aircraft weighs considerably less than the "D" model.
The P-51H was conceived and manufactured during WWII and would have seen combat
had the war not ended in September, 1945. It was developed on a timeline
that was roughly concurrent with that of the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, and its
performance was similar to the German aircraft. However, the P-51H, with
its top speed of 487 mph at 25,000 feet, was substantially faster than either
the Ta 152C or H models, by at least 15 mph. In addition, the P-51H
incorporated many of the automatic features common to late-war German
aircraft. It used a Simmonds control unit to maintain a constant manifold
pressure relative to throttle position, eliminating the need for the pilot to
"chase" the throttle lever to maintain manifold pressure as the
aircraft gained altitude. The supercharger switch from low to high speed
was fully automatic, as were many of the controls related to the water
injection and war emergency power.
Perhaps the greatest advantage
the P-51H would have had over the Ta 152 is the fact that the Mustang remained
a superlative dogfighter despite achieving parity of power and speed with the
Ta 152. If anything, the P-51H was a nimbler, better-handling aircraft
than the P-51D, and its lighter weight would have allowed a tighter turning
radius at high altitude than the German plane. In a dive or level flight,
the P-51H was as fast or faster than any single-engine, propeller-driven Axis
fighter ever built. The P-51H, although not well-known, was probably the
finest piston-engined fighter to emerge from WWII in every respect and was
likely the fastest propeller-driven aircraft in the world at the close of WWII.
To get the most realistic
experience possible from Wings of Power aircraft, we recommend you purchase a
copy of the actual Pilot Training Manual, which is available either on a CD-ROM
or as a printed copy at many sites on the web. Then, use the procedures
in the manual to fly your Wings of Power aircraft. Most of the procedures
below are taken verbatim from the P-51 Pilot Training Manual, so having the
complete manual will add the ultimate level of realism to your Wings of Power
experience.
The following abbreviated
procedures were condensed from the P-51 Pilot Training Manual. It's worth
noting that the P-51D manual begins with a cautionary tale, several pages long,
comparing the aircraft to a wild stallion. It was -- and is -- that kind
of airplane. Throughout the manual, the prospective pilot is warned
repeatedly about the high-performance nature of the Mustang, and its propensity
to turn on the unwary. It also, however, strongly emphasizes the fact
that the P-51 is a superb aircraft in the right hands, asserting that it was
the finest aircraft of its kind anywhere in the world. That argument
continues to this day, but there is little doubt that, among the piston powered
aircraft of the 20th century, the North American P-51 Mustang has emerged as an
icon, and is by far the most widely recognized piston fighter ever produced.
General Information
Weights and Loading
The Wings of Power P-51H flight
model is set up with a high level of realism, which extends to aircraft loading
and fuel supply. In the Fuel and Payloads menu, you will see three fuel
tanks and six station loads. The first two station loads are the pilot
and weight of the engine oil, which is stored in a tank mounted on the aircraft
firewall. When full, this tank weighed 94 pounds, which is reflected in
the default weight of this station load. The normal pilot weight was
considered to be 200 pounds for this aircraft, also reflected in the station
loading. The remaining four station loads reflect the guns and
ammunition, handled separately for each wing. Thus, the plane can be set
up for flight with the normal gun and ammo weight present in the wings, without
ammo but just with the gun weight, or without guns and ammo for acrobatic
trim. The manual states that the presence of the gun and ammunition
weight has a negligible effect on aircraft handling, but this weight will
affect the rate of climb and fuel consumption as well as takeoff distance,
albeit marginally.
Set up your Wings of Power
Mustang to suit your mission and proceed to the Cockpit Check. The
default loadings for weight are normal for this aircraft, so no action needs to
be taken here unless you plan a special mission.
Cockpit Check - Fuel Supply
The first thing you will want to
consider is whether or not to fly with the aft fuselage tank filled. When
full, this tank had an adverse affect on the aircraft's handling. Only
normal, conservative maneuvers were allowed with this tank full, as it moves
the aircraft's center of gravity well aft. Unless you are planning a
long-range ferry mission, it is recommended this tank be set to empty or nearly
empty. Note: for "Auto Start", this tank must have enough fuel
in it to get the plane started, as the simulator will NOT select either wing
tank automatically. To get around this, start with five gallons of fuel
in the center tank if you plan on using the "Auto Start" feature to
start your aircraft.
Cockpit Check - Controls
Engine Starting
The following procedure was taken
directly from the P-51 manual except for those noted with an asterisk.
Pre-takeoff Check
Takeoff
This section was taken
directly from the manual except for the notations in parentheses.
After you have pulled out and
lined up on the runway, make sure the steerable tailwheel is locked and the
stick well back. Then advance the throttle gradually, and smoothly, up to
the desired manifold pressure. Don't hoist the tail up by pushing forward
on the stick until you have sufficient airspeed to give you effective rudder
control (at least 60 mph IAS).
This is important to watch in
the takeoff, since the P-51, like all single-engine planes, has a tendency to
turn left because of torque. If you horse the tail off the ground too
quickly with the elevators, better be ready to use the right rudder promptly.
Keep the airplane in a
three-point attitude until you have plenty of airspeed. In a normal
takeoff, the rudder trim tab is sufficient to make torque almost unnoticeable.
After Takeoff
Climb Control
A normal, brisk climb is made at
165 mph IAS with a manifold pressure of 46" and the propeller set to 2700
RPM. A climb to 25,000 feet can be accomplished in about 15 minutes and
will cover about 49 nautical miles. Allow the climbing speed to fall off
gradually above 15,000 feet until you are climbing at 155 mph IAS at 25,000 feet.
A climb to 25,000 feet will use about 25 gallons of fuel in this flight model
if the mixture is set to automatic. For maximum performance, climb at
61" and 3,000 RPM at 165 mph.
Cruise Control Schedule
(Clean Configuration, No Wing Racks, 9,000 lbs.)
Set your Mustang up for optimum
cruising, depending on your mission, using the following table, for aircraft
weights of 8,000 to 9,600 lbs. These two settings are just two possible
examples taken from the manual. Your WoP P-51H matches the fuel economy
and range of the real aircraft per the manual, and you can use the manual to
set up a variety of cruise settings. Use the "Range"
information below, in miles per gallon, to calculate your range based on the
amount of fuel you have on board. All figures are for the mixture control
set to automatic.
NOTE: These figures are
slightly higher than those listed in the P-51H manual. This is because
the cleanest configuration specified in the manual is with wing racks
installed. On a very clean aerodynamic design such as the P-51H, the wing
racks create noticeable drag and thus will reduce the range as compared to a
perfectly clean aircraft.
|
Altitude |
Pilot's |
Manifold |
RPM |
TAS MPH |
GPH |
Specific |
|
10,000 |
220 |
33 |
1600 |
253 |
46 |
5.5 mpg |
|
20,000 |
224 |
33 |
1950 |
300 |
53 |
5.9 mpg |
Landing
Engine Limitations and
Characteristics
The Packard Merlin V-1650-9 used
in this P-51H was an extremely potent engine and an excellent performer at high
altitudes. The two-stage supercharger did a good job of maintaining power
up to high altitudes and its operation was normally automatic. The
maximum allowable manifold pressure for this aircraft is 80", which is
considered "War Emergency Power" or "Combat Power".
This setting was to be used for only five minutes at a time. The normal
maximum power for takeoff is 61" at 3000 RPM.
WEP
In the real aircraft, there was
a gate that stopped throttle travel, limiting power to just 61". To
increase power beyond this rating, the pilot simply pushed the throttle lever
past the gate to the desired setting. The P-51H had both "dry"
and "wet" WEP ratings. The "dry" rating was identical
to the P-51D, which is 67". The "wet" rating is a full
80" of manifold pressure, producing over 2,200 HP at altitudes below
10,200 feet. In the real aircraft, a Simmonds control unit limited the
maximum manifold pressure to 67" unless the water injection switch was
turned on. If the water injection was turned on, a microswitch in the
throttle quadrant was enabled and the maximum manifold pressure allowed by the
Simmonds control unit was increased to 80". If the water injection
switch was turned off, or the water tanks were empty, the maximum manifold
pressure allowed by the control unit was 67" regardless of the throttle
position. In this flight model, there is no War Emergency Power
switch. The maximum "wet" manifold pressure is available by
using the throttle control only. Adjust the manifold pressure using the
throttle control as indicated by the chart below for various flight conditions.
Critical Altitude
The critical altitude for this
engine is 32,000 feet. This is the altitude where the engine can still
produce the full 67" of manifold pressure for "dry" combat power
at full throttle. Above this altitude, the manifold pressure and engine
power will begin to fall off. The War Emergency Power rating of 80"
will begin to fall off above 25,000 feet.
|
ENGINE CONTROL |
TAKEOFF |
TAKEOFF |
DRY WAR |
WET WAR EMERGENCY |
MAXIMUM |
MAXIMUM |
NORMAL |
|
MP |
61" |
45" |
67" |
80" |
|