Specifications

[P-51D Mustang]
DCS
EAGLE DYNAMICS
101
When you lower the landing gear, the airplane becomes nose heavy.
Similarly, normal flight attitude changes can be expected when raising or lowering the flaps and
landing gear. Increased drag causes the aircraft to lower the nose, while decreased drag results in
raising the nose.
The P-51 does not hold a sustained side-slip. The aileron control is not sufficient to hold the aircraft
in a side-slipping angle. However, side-slip can be maintained for a short duration of time in an effort
to evade enemy fire. When any side-slipping is attempted, complete recovery should be achieved
above 200 feet to avoid ground collision.
As new equipment was added to the aircraft over the course of its development, in particular the
radio equipment and the fuselage tank installed aft of the cockpit, the center of gravity (CG) has
been moved back. This has resulted in decreased back pressure required to move the control stick.
Instead of a force of 6 lbs. per G of acceleration, the required force in the P-51D is only 1 ½ lbs.
Additionally, the stick forces begin to reverse as acceleration exceeds 4G. Great care must be taken
not to black out or over-stress the airframe in sharp pulls and turns.
Operating Limits
Load Factor Limitations
The P-51D structural load limit is +8G and -4G (plus a standard safety factor of 1.5). The below chart
illustrates the maximum load factor limitations for different indicated airspeeds and three altitude
bands at a gross weight (GW) of 9,000 lbs.
To calculate the maximum G load for a different GW, take the maximum load for the desired airspeed
and altitude band provided in the chart, multiply by 9,000 and divide by the desired GW. For
example, to calculate the maximum G load for a GW of 11,000 lbs (i.e. a P-51D with payload) at 225
IAS and altitudes below 10,000 feet, perform the following steps: