Thunderface said:
With all the stuff you have to remember, it's amazing these things even got off the ground, much less competed in dogfights with the enemy. Thanks for the links, DKB.
It's like a lot of things, once you get used to it and comfortable with the operation of things, you don't think about it so much on all the routine stuff, you flow with it and react instinctively. Once the wings are down and locked, nothing more to do with them. Pre-flight, pre-takeoff and pre-landing are on lists that you can use. Priming and start are typical for that vintage. Six degrees right rudder and aileron trim are normal for that much p-factor due to the prop torque. The climb out to high altitude and the supercharger is easy to remember, -3" MP during climb, decrease rpm (prop pitch) and engage SC stage, throttle back up. Cowl flaps, oil cooler, intercooler adjustments per gauge readings and need. It flies just like any other high performance, high wing loaded airplane. I actually thought it was pretty simple. The thing that gets me is what a gas hog this thing is in gallons per hour! Good grief! what a pig! In high performance fighting mode, it's burning $1000+/hr. hehehe...!!! This is where the P51 is way more efficient and why it helped us win the war on those long escorts of the bombers in the ETO. What's really cool when you get a ride in these airplanes is the unlimited view from the cockpit and the big aerobatics you can do. I love doing aerobatics, it's so smoooooth. (btw, yes, I'm a pilot)
