You can learn two things from this P51 video

I couldn’t see the Reno P-51 on that list. Or was it too modified to be called one any more?

Are they usually two-wheeled on?

Wartime Recollections – Michal Cwynar

While converting from Spitfires to Mustangs during April 1944, there was , with our squadron at Coolham, a tall athletically built, pilot with a small, hardly noticeable, limp. His landing technique could be described, to put it mildly, as “unorthodox”. For sake of anonymity, pseudonym of “Dedal” (Daedalus).

He was an experienced Spitfire pilot, yet, before the final, critical, three point landing, his imaginary ground levels always seemed to be one or two metres above the actual. As a result of his misjudgement, his Mustang, already at critical stalling speed, thumped on to the runway.

On one occasion, standing beside Horbaczewski, outside our dispersal tent, we watched four of our 315 Mustangs coming in to land. When “Dedal” was about to touch down, Dziubek turned his head in the opposite direction pretending to watch nearby trees or clouds or anything but the pilot’s landing. Laughing, I said: He’s all right, Gienek, He is safely down. CO, turned back an replied: All right this time. Until next time!

To end the saga of Dedal’s landings, I must digress. At the end of June 1944, while flying for a short period from RAF Ford, a sprawling sandy airfield, 315 Squadron, led by Horbaczewski, took off with full droppable fuel tanks, early one morning, on a long-range escort mission. While taking off in a Mustang, a strict procedure had to be followed with the left hand main fuselage tank ‘on’ and the booster pump on ’emergency’. On later models it was the auxiliary tanks and booster pump. In the air, you switched to the left hand main tank and continued until approximately 45 imperial gallons had been used. This improved the lateral stability and only after that period could you switch to droppable tanks and use them alternatively, again to improve stability.

Airborne, already over the Channel Horbaczewski set course to rendezvous with American B-17s. He began to climb to the designated height.

After only about 20 minutes in the air, the Operations Room controller recalled our squadron, informing the CO that he mission had been cancelled. We were ordered to land back at Ford with droppable tanks still completely full.

At Ford, “Dedal”, landing last, hit the ground with the left wheel. The whole of the left undercarriage and the droppable tank sheered off. The Mustang veered in a long left-hand semi-circle, losing tip of left wing before coming to a stop.

With the horrific and tragic death of Flying Officer Szajda at Swindon just a few months before still on our minds, we watched to see if the spilled fuel from the sheered droppable tanks would ignite, spreading forward, catch “Dedal”. Luckily, probably because of the sandy soil at Ford, there were no sparks on touch-down and no ignition.

Horbaczewski’s patience snapped. Next day “Dedal” was packing his belongings, posted to different pastures. I felt sorry for him. This time – it was just bad luck hitting a bumpy surface with the left wheel. Mesh runways were much superior. I felt like pleading his case with the CO but it was too late, the dye (sic) was cast. “Dedal”, back to his beloved Spitfire IX, has flown happily with 317 Sqn till the end of the war. Mustang was not his favourite machine! That, perhaps, was the reason for crashing?

Yet later, Horbaczewski felt uneasy. That night, in our tent, he said to me: Next time some clever chap from Ops Room tells me to land with full droppable tanks, after making sure that all my pilots are flying on fuselage tanks and we are still over the Channel, I will order them to jettison the droppable tanks into the water below before landing anywhere!

In was surprised by the number of P51 accidents, in the US alone

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/p51accidents.php

Looks like a case of panicking and forgetting where the throttle is.

I don’t know how representative these things are (I suspect not very) but I’ve spent a good few hours trying to fly a P-51 on the X-Plane 9 sim on my iPad.

I couldn’t say how difficult other people might find it, but I’d be delighted with that landing – 95% of my attempted landings end in ‘flaming death’ as the sim so delicately puts it. You think you’re coming down light as a feather, kiss the earth as gently as possible… then it’s bounce… bounce… bigger bounce… huge bounce… open up and try again or crash. Even if you do get down without turning into a giant metal space-hopper, the chances are you’ll end up with an uncontrollable swing.

I imagine this warbird flying lark isn’t as easy as it looks. There have been fatal first landings in P-51s after all.

I have hundreds of hours on tail-draggers ( hundreds!) and I would be perfectly happy with that arrival.

It was a good firm touchdown (reduces the risk of aquaplaning ) followed by a brisk turn off, and then parking with the minimum of delay. When I was paying by the minute, I considered it ‘de rigueur’ to cut out the faff, and the lengthy taxiing.

Given the fuel that Merlin is guzzling, it makes good economic sense to get it shut down ASAP, and not go wandering around the airfield like a lost soul.

:D:D:D

So that’s where your screen name comes from. 😀
It’s a very good tape for training and instruction, it’s just a shame that after you’ve seen it once all subsequent viewings require the use of the Mute button!

Got sent this clip last week, was going to post it, but have become a shade paranoid on the repost front 😮

Anyhow, as to the P51, he was doing quite well until he wrecked the prop & probably engine as well :rolleyes:

Seen it before – and I still think the mad cackling woman would benefit from some duct tape lippy….

That video is at least 7 years old. The runway at Lodi is quite narrow, 42 feet.

http://airportguide.com/airport/United_States/California/Lodi-1O3/runways.php

The P-51 was sold on, and is now flying with Eddie Andreini out of Half Moon Bay as ‘Primo Branco’, with an underwing pylon mounted smoke system.

I have hundreds of hours on tail-draggers ( hundreds!) and I would be perfectly happy with that arrival.

It was a good firm touchdown (reduces the risk of aquaplaning ) followed by a brisk turn off, and then parking with the minimum of delay. When I was paying by the minute, I considered it ‘de rigueur’ to cut out the faff, and the lengthy taxiing.

Given the fuel that Merlin is guzzling, it makes good economic sense to get it shut down ASAP, and not go wandering around the airfield like a lost soul.

😀

:eek:, was that the taxi way or the runway…..

I have hundreds of hours on tail-draggers ( hundreds!) and I would be perfectly happy with that arrival.

It was a good firm touchdown (reduces the risk of aquaplaning ) followed by a brisk turn off, and then parking with the minimum of delay. When I was paying by the minute, I considered it ‘de rigueur’ to cut out the faff, and the lengthy taxiing.

Given the fuel that Merlin is guzzling, it makes good economic sense to get it shut down ASAP, and not go wandering around the airfield like a lost soul.

Very narrow strip too, prop strike after the bounce – ouch! Then a lack of taxiing skills… at least it stayed right way up – just.

That poor man.

Any landing you can walk away from blah blah blah 😀

… very carefully.