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New P-51D Mustang - Little Friends

WarBert

WarBert

Charter Member
North American's P-51D Mustang is brought to life in part 3 of our series of this classic aircraft for FSX. Little Friends was the colloquial and affectionate label for the Escort Fighters as given by the Allied Bomber Pilots in World War II as they embarked on daylight raids to their targets, escorted by mainly US 8th Army Air Force Fighters of many types. The most commonly associated for this task is the P-51 Mustang. Because of its long range capabilities, large fuel tanks, and external fuel tanks, the P-51 was able to escort bombers deep into Germany. In this the most detailed of our part series on the P-51D Mustang, the only thing that is missing is the smell! Here the D model is modelled for the first time by Warbirdsim in its true original form. Featuring the most detailed Gunbay so far created for any Flight Simulator. All of the mounting brackets, ammunition feed chutes, link-ejector chutes, and shell ejector chutes for each individual 50-cal machine gun are accurately reproduced. For the rivet counters amongst us, even the number individual links in the ammunition feed chutes is correct.
Also Featured is a working 2 Stage Supercharger. Careful use of the power is needed; keep an eye on that manifold pressure and RPM, as the engine will quite literally blow up if due care and attention is not taken.

INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE
Eight Aircraft
Packard Merlin Sound Set
Full Livery Package (details below)

P-51D-10-NA (44-14798) "Butch Baby"
P-51D-15-NA (44-14985) "The Millie G"
P-51D-15-NA (44-15137) "Baby Duck"
P-51D-20-NA (44-63668) "Live Bait"
P-51D-20-NA (44-72218) "Big Beautiful Doll"
P-51D-20-NA (44-72366) "Hubert"
P-51D-25-NA (44-72671) "The Enchantress"
P-51K-15-NT (44-12653) "Factory Fresh RAF"<o:p></o:p>

www.warbirdsim.com<o:p></o:p>
 
I have a 1:48 scale model of Big Beautiful Doll - may have to get this one for that reason alone (although I don't need much of a reason to begin with!).
 
Hi all,

Just got off of a very tiring work day (archeological project), and it is great to be able to get in here not too long after the release was made (thank you Albert for waiting so far into the night on your side of the pond)! If anyone wants a copy of the official paintkit for this product, please PM me (though serious requests most appreciated - due to the size of the files), and I'll be able to hopefully get to you by Friday night, and if not, certainly this weekend - there are just a few things I need to go over with you first.

I am very excited about having this product released, because once again, it 'ups the anty' in comparison to our previous products. It was amazing to get the chance to open up one of the gun bays, and give it the same level of authenticity as the rest of the aircraft - though perhaps I spent a bit too much time on it, because it pushed us a bit over schedule. :) In any case, I hope others will find it fun to explore - the closest thing to being able to poke your head into a real P-51D gun bay, than actually poking your head into a P-51D gun bay. :)

There are a number of items covered in this product, that have never been done nor seen before in any other P-51 product for flight sim before. One of the examples being the Iwo Jima P-51D, otherwise known as a VLR P-51D, due to its VLR mission assignments - escorting B-29s on raids over Japan. These missions, taking an average of 7-hours or more, were some of the longest escort missions of the entire war, and demanded several unique modifications you won't see on any other Mustangs, which have been reproduced in this product.

Another interesting item, at least to me (that I have FSX to thank for!), is that the antenna wire is faithfully reproduced, not only in a modeled sense, but that it also is animated correctly to travel with the canopy/canopy roller.

I'll try to delve into some other details in the near future, but for now, I'll just add a few more screenshots - some of my favorites.

And I am hoping this product brings a lot of enjoyment for folks. Thank you, Noddy, for your much appreciated compliment!! It really means a lot!

BBD_5.jpg


ButchBaby_7.jpg


millieg2.jpg
 
Some "artsy fartsy" shots of the details: : )

bbd_exhaust.jpg


gunbay_bbd1.jpg


gunbay_bbd5.jpg


p51_gunbay3.jpg


Two of the four different main cockpit layouts, depending on which variant you fly (though each is unique, depending on which external mirror, if any, is fitted).

cockpit_img1.jpg


cockpit_img9.jpg


cockpit_img2.jpg
 
Well, I know what my next purchase is going to be. Beautiful work!

Now, we need a Dora. Not from John, though it would be beautiful, as he still has a dedicated FSX P-51B to make. BTW, any chance of an A-36? I'd really love one of those.
 
Thank you YoYo, it is greatly appreciated!!

Here are some fun comparisons with Warbirdsim's P-51D "Little Friends" in FSX, and 'the real deal':


"Butch Baby", in one of only two known-to-exist photos of this aircraft, this example being the more commonly seen. The artwork for this variant, was vector-drawn straight from this original photo - though in higher quality, larger-size format. ; )

44-14798G4-VButchBabycolour_a.jpg


ButchBaby_1.jpg



"The Enchantress", parked on Iwo Jima. All of the artwork on the Warbirdsim recreation, was directly vector-drawn using this photo, manipulating it enough, in sections, to properly overlay on the fuselage textures. Recreating the pyn-up, required some more finesse however, using the airbrush tool.

The-Enchantress.jpg


Enchantress_2.jpg



The left gun bay details:

4855281276_dc7e58fe63_o.jpg


0810019_6.jpg


gunbay_bbd4.jpg


Image2_Enchantress.jpg
 
This is the P-51 pack I was waiting for, definitely going to pick this up in the near future despite having spent a bit this month with the sales!

Looks beautiful.
 
Sundog said:
Well, I know what my next purchase is going to be. Beautiful work!

Now, we need a Dora. Not from John, though it would be beautiful, as he still has a dedicated FSX P-51B to make. BTW, any chance of an A-36? I'd really love one of those.
Click to expand...

Thank you Sundog!

Regarding an A-36, all I could respond is to say that it is a possibility, given my equaled interest in the aircraft, though it would be sometime out, due to a laundry-list of other scheduled projects. ; )

(And I too would love to see a properly-made Dora, perhaps my all-time favoritie 'axis' fighter.)
 
BTW...

When you look into the gun bay, the ammunition in use is what I believe to be the most common used by the Mustang during WWII, that being incindiary rounds, which are marked with a greyish/silver tip. These were commonly used in air-to-air combat, as well as select air-to-ground missions against general targets. Every fifth bullet is tracer-round, marked with a deep-red tip. The belts of ammunition themselves, have been loaded into the ammo bays, exactly according to the ammunition-loading placard on the hinged gun bay door.

On the interior, the cockpits have been weathered to match a blend of various time-capsule Mustangs, as well as rare period photos from 1945-1946, of P-51D's that served in the 8th AF during the war, such as this one, though they weren't necessarily weathered to match one Mustang in particular - the importance being to capture the same look and feeling:

J-2002cockpit_a.jpg
 
Bought and downloading as I type. I can't wait to fly this set. John your are a master and love all that you have done. I am so glad you picked BBD as on of the aircraft.....one of my all time fav's, and the LATE variant is awesome!!!


What is the alernate aircraft.cfg for?
 
Thank you John, and thank you Andy!! Despite working through some troubles to get this product finished, I really had a blast working on it!

Creating Big Beautiful Doll was quite a bit of importance for both myself and Albert, as we wanted to make it the most accurate depiction, to date, for any sim, then has been done before of this aircraft (though that went for all the rest of the variants as well). I have always loved the fact that the name of this particular Mustang, speaks volumes for the aircraft itself, and goes so well with the beautiful black/white checkerboard markings of the 78th FG, all the while being a modern machine of war during its time.

Just a few more of BBD, if you don't mind (I love when it catches the sunlight!):

BBD_6.jpg


bbd_3a.jpg


bbd_5a.jpg


BBD_1.jpg
 
Alternate Aircraft.CFG File

As Skyhawk has asked about, there is an alternative Aircraft.cfg file present, in each of the product's three aircraft folders.

The use of the alternative Aircraft.cfg files, is outlined in the beginning of the product's user guide. ; )

The reason for these files, is that the modeled supercharger can only work with Acceleration installed, but without Acelleration installed, you can still get very similar performance characteristics, up to 25,000-35,000 ft, by using the alternative Aircraft.cfg file. If you don't have Acceleration installed, the simulated gain in power with high blower at 17,500 ft, won't work, so the alternative Aircraft.cfg files allows you another option of maintaining enough power to get you up to combat-heights, if you don't have Acceleration.

We felt it was very important to include a working supercharger in this product, but at the same time knowing we couldn't get it to work without Acceleration installed. The alternative Aircraft.cfg files allow anyone with FSX, to fly the product, and still get very accurate performance results, either way.

With the default supercharger system working in Acceleration, you will know when it automatically comes on at 17,500 ft, because you will get a great boost in power, that will now allow you to achieve maximum performance through the 20,000-30,000 ft heights, and if you are very lucky, and running a light load, you can just barely make enough power to just touch the aircraft's highest recorded height ceiling, by the time you reach 41,900 ft.
 
We have also worked in new/better coding for the pilot visibility, and maintained the same coding for activating the drop tanks when you are in the sim, so it is an excellent aircraft to fly with a buddy in multiplayer, or in a recorded formation flight. When you are playing-back a recorded formation, if you go into the cockpit on the main Warbirdsim Mustang in the playback, and activate the drop tanks so that they are showing, they will also show up on all of the other Warbirdsim P-51D's within the playback. ; )

Formation_Shot_1.jpg


Formation_Shot_14.jpg


Formation_Shot_6.jpg


Formation_Shot_7.jpg
 
The user guide can be found in the Wabirdsim folder in the main FSX folder. ; )

Great screenshot, John! Good to see it with those huge 110-gal tanks fitted too!

(Note the very thin wire antenna just aft of the right landing gear well, one of the additions to the Iwo Jima/VLR Mustangs, besides the 'main' antenna modifications that can more clearly be seen)

p51_img2.jpg
 
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