ASOBO P-51 IMPROVEMENT MOD

collensr

collensr

SOH-CM-2025
just saw this today.


Animated canopy opens and closes by canopy handle and closely follows real-world geometry.
Landing gear legs and doors do not "bow out" on ground compression.
Added cockpit switch to enable/disable 3D pilot model in exterior view. (AMBER IFF/formation light switch on right side of instrument panel)



Asobo Reno P-51D Improvement Mod for Microsoft Flight Simulator | MSFS

✓ Asobo Reno P-51D Improvement Mod is a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 mod created by RandallSnow. The Asobo Reno P-51D Improvement Mod enhances the fidelity and functionality of the Reno P-51D aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This add-on uses model attachments from the MSFS SDK to...
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I normally grab these right away for other default/Asobo aircraft. Have the pack, but hardly fly them anymore and this would at least get me back in the -51.
 
Question on the Asobo Mustangs. Looking at marketplace, some have different cockpit layouts. Will any repaints work on any Asobo stangs?
 
Bomber_12th said:
I absolutely love this, and I'm looking forward to the other improvements the author plans. I think I'll have to work on completing some more of the Mustang repaints I had started but shelved a while back.

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Brilliant shots, John!
I have a question for you: in the shot above, I see the number 2473 on the engine covers, yet the serial is 44-14237, so I would expect the numbers on the engine covers to be 4237 as well. If I look for pics of the flying Moonbeam, I see shots with both numbers on the engine covers. Are there two Moonbeams, or did they change the numbers? And if there are two, why not put 4237 on both of them?
 
Brian_Gladden said:
Question on the Asobo Mustangs. Looking at marketplace, some have different cockpit layouts. Will any repaints work on any Asobo stangs?
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Brian, unfortunately each of the Asobo Mustang variants have various amounts of differing mapping and texture requirements, making the repaints only work for on particular model. All of the repaints I've done, as well as most of the others, are for the generic/most stock-looking P-51D, only included in the full Reno product.
 
jankees said:
Brilliant shots, John!
I have a question for you: in the shot above, I see the number 2473 on the engine covers, yet the serial is 44-14237, so I would expect the numbers on the engine covers to be 4237 as well. If I look for pics of the flying Moonbeam, I see shots with both numbers on the engine covers. Are there two Moonbeams, or did they change the numbers? And if there are two, why not put 4237 on both of them?
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Great observation! There has only been the one flying restored 'Moonbeam McSwine', in addition to a static outdoor-displayed Mustang also painted in 'Moonbeam' markings. The restored/flying example used to have the stencils on the cowling correct, as 4237, but after the stencils were redone a few years ago (due to the old stencils having been mostly polished away over time), the new stencils have the number on the cowlings wrong, as 2473. When I made the repaint, I wasn't paying too close attention to that and just wanted to make them correct to the way it is currently, however it is still a little bit of a hodge-podge, as the way the nose art is depicted is from quite some years ago, before it too was redone - I liked it better back then, and I had a extremely good photo to use to get the nose art from.

Speaking of 'Moonbeam McSwine', its last owner, the Warbird Heritage Foundation in the US, sold the Mustang a few months ago and it is now going to be based in England with its new owner at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.
 
Bomber_12th said:
Great observation! There has only been the one flying restored 'Moonbeam McSwine', in addition to a static outdoor-displayed Mustang also painted in 'Moonbeam' markings. The restored/flying example used to have the stencils on the cowling correct, as 4237, but after the stencils were redone a few years ago (due to the old stencils having been mostly polished away over time), the new stencils have the number on the cowlings wrong, as 2473. When I made the repaint, I wasn't paying too close attention to that and just wanted to make them correct to the way it is currently, however it is still a little bit of a hodge-podge, as the way the nose art is depicted is from quite some years ago, before it too was redone - I liked it better back then, and I had a extremely good photo to use to get the nose art from.

Speaking of 'Moonbeam McSwine', its last owner, the Warbird Heritage Foundation in the US, sold the Mustang a few months ago and it is now going to be based in England with its new owner at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.
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Looking forward to hearing her overhead our garden at some point in the Spring then!
 
Yesterday morning I donated a set of WWII era-correct K6523A-24 Hamilton Standard propeller blades to Randall Snow, author of the improvement mod, and he has been working his magic on getting them incorporated as an optional feature on the Asobo Mustang.
 

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Although Randall is planning on making his own updates to the flight model of the Asobo P-51D, to be included in a future update, in the mean time I have added the Flight_Model.cfg file from this flight model improvement mod for the Asobo P-51D 'Lady B':
https://flightsim.to/file/67011/modified-flight-model-for-asobo-p-51d-goldfinger-and-lady-b

I've simply copied the Flight_Model.cfg from the Lady B mod and pasted it into the correct location of Randall Snow's improvement mod. It fixes the most standout issues with the Asobo P-51D flight model - it corrects the in-flight attitude, as well as the approach and landing profiles, allowing you to fly an accurate approach (correct airspeeds and attitude), as well as allows proper two-point and three-point landings.
 
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Bomber_12th said:
Although Randall is planning on making his own updates to the flight model of the Asobo P-51D, to be included in a future update, in the mean time I have added the Flight_Model.cfg file from this flight model improvement mod for the Asobo P-51D 'Lady B':
https://flightsim.to/file/67011/modified-flight-model-for-asobo-p-51d-goldfinger-and-lady-b

I've simply copied the Flight_Model.cfg from the Lady B mod and pasted it into the correct location of Randall Snow's improvement mod. It fixes the most standout issues with the Asobo P-51D flight model - it corrects the in-flight attitude, as well as the approach and landing profiles, allowing you to fly an accurate approach (correct airspeeds and attitude), as well as allows proper two-point and three-point landings.
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Bomber, what does the folder Asobo_P51D_Reno_LadyB_Passive in this mod mean?
 
Meridien said:
Bomber, what does the folder Asobo_P51D_Reno_LadyB_Passive in this mod mean?
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I don't fully understand why that's included, as I believe the passive versions of the aircraft are only used for AI purposes, with their less detailed models and textures, but I suppose it would help them display better in-flight attitude.
 
I have to say this Mustang is just great!

Haven't flown her in a long while but just the combination of the great sound pack and now being able to taxi in with the canopy open ... well it's a real delight.

Can anyone point me to a manual if there is one ? I can't remember how the tailwheel works ....
 
collensr said:
Can anyone point me to a manual if there is one ? I can't remember how the tailwheel works ....
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On the real P-51 (and late model AT-6s), if the stick is neutral or aft, the rudder pedals are engaged with the tailwheel, allowing you to have direct tailwheel steering, but only up to 6-degrees left and right - great for s-turning, and for control during the initial takeoff roll and on the landing rollout. When the stick is pushed a few degrees or more forward of neutral, the rudder pedal/tailwheel link is disengaged, allowing the tailwheel to fully swivel, so that you can make very tight turns when taxiing around sharp corners, parking, etc. Unfortunately, the flight model of the Asobo P-51 (and AT-6) only has a free castoring tailwheel and no tailwheel lock at all. On Randall Snow's Discord page for the P-51/AT-6 improvement mods he's working on, it has been mentioned that it would be nice to work on implementing accurate tailwheel control in both the Asobo P-51 and AT-6, if possible. On the FS2004 and FSX Warbirdsim Mustangs, working within the constraints of those sims, I created a simple .XML gauge which locked the tailwheel when the stick was neutral or aft, and unlocked it when pushed forward to allow it to be free castoring - it wasn't completely accurate, but pretty close.

In addition to the items addressed so-far by the Asobo P-51D Improvement Mod, these are further items that are currently planned or desired to be included in future updates:

- Hamilton Standard K6523 cuffed propeller blades option (IN PROGRESS, as shown above)
- Spinner backplate (missing when spinner is rotating)
- Throttle clipping in external model (FIXED)
- Fix tailwheel strut geometry (it's backwards on the Asobo model, and just needs reversing)
- Improve main gear door animation/geometry
- Drop tanks/bomb payload
- Sound insulation/change with canopy open/closed
- Systems improvement (priming logic, engine stress, fuel management)
- Increase tire friction

Similar work has also been underway by Randall Snow for the Asobo AT-6 Texan, including adding opening canopies (already accomplished), and adding the late AT-6D and AT-6G prop spinner/dome as an option.
 
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Bomber_12th said:
On the real P-51 (and late model AT-6s), if the stick is neutral or aft, the rudder pedals are engaged with the tailwheel, allowing you to have direct tailwheel steering, but only up to 6-degrees left and right - great for s-turning, and for control during the initial takeoff roll and on the landing rollout. When the stick is pushed a few degrees or more forward of neutral, the rudder pedal/tailwheel link is disengaged, allowing the tailwheel to fully swivel, so that you can make very tight turns when taxiing around sharp corners, parking, etc. Unfortunately, the flight model of the Asobo P-51 (and AT-6) only has a free castoring tailwheel and no tailwheel lock at all. On Randall Snow's Discord page for the P-51/AT-6 improvement mods he's working on, it has been mentioned that it would be nice to work on implementing accurate tailwheel control in both the Asobo P-51 and AT-6, if possible. On the FS2004 and FSX Warbirdsim Mustangs, working within the constraints of those sims, I created a simple .XML gauge which locked the tailwheel when the stick was neutral or aft, and unlocked it when pushed forward to allow it to be free castoring - it wasn't completely accurate, but pretty close.

In addition to the items addressed so-far by the Asobo P-51D Improvement Mod, these are further items that are currently planned or desired to be included in future updates:

- Hamilton Standard K6523 cuffed propeller blades option (IN PROGRESS, as shown above)
- Spinner backplate (missing when spinner is rotating)
- Throttle clipping in external model (FIXED)
- Fix tailwheel strut geometry (it's backwards on the Asobo model, and just needs reversing)
- Improve main gear door animation/geometry
- Drop tanks/bomb payload
- Sound insulation/change with canopy open/closed
- Systems improvement (priming logic, engine stress, fuel management)
- Increase tire friction

Similar work has also been underway by Randall Snow for the Asobo AT-6 Texan, including adding opening canopies (already accomplished), and adding the late AT-6D and AT-6G prop spinner/dome as an option.
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Great stuff John. Those Warbirdsim Mustangs were a thing of fun and beauty weren't they!
 
Priller said:
The mod just got updated to include a WWII prop!
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A little piece of Warbirdsim that has made it into MSFS 2020. ;)

After providing the prop model and texture files, I never got the opportunity to test it out in the sim/make changes prior to this release, otherwise I would have done some modifying to the prop albedo and comp textures (which I still plan to do, to incorporate with updates to my repaints).

Also, unfortunately, where things have been modded such as with the prop spinner for the cuffed propeller, the canopy frame and landing gear doors, the display of the rivet texture is different than how it was done on the Asobo model originally. On the stock model, all of the rivets are see-through, allowing the color of the base textures to show through and only displaying the normal map detail of the rivets. However, where the author of the mod has made changes, the rivets do use the rivet albedo texture, thus making them opaque and all using the same texture/color. I would sure love to see that be able to be changed to being as they are on the rest of the model.
 
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Anyone know why this might not be working for me? I have a lot of p51s from the Reno mod and none of them seem to be working with this mod.

LouP
 
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