How fast does a p51 mustang fly

This left the fuel, which Steve anticipated to be the least concerning of the trio, with a capacity of gallons. Following the first practice the team noticed particularly dark exhaust staining, however on initial inspection the engine seemed in good health.

It was not until they drained the fuel tank the following morning that they found only 55 gallons of fuel remaining — the rich-running Merlin had consumed roughly 57 gallons of fuel, which, Steve mentions, is more than an R would have been expected to burn, by way of comparison.

Running the numbers, they realised that had the full course been flown, Steve would have only had eight gallons remaining after landing. This was rather alarming, and necessitated the fitment of a new carburettor. To further put this into context, with the new and correctly performing carburettor , 54 gallons of fuel was used for the full distance attempt.

Another of the key things that the practice runs helped to prove out was the dive profile — a somewhat contentious point, mainly due to the ambiguous wording of the rules from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale FAI , which state that once the flight performance begins, you cannot exceed m ft.

For the practice attempt, the run-in was entered from ft AGL above ground level , which gave a first pass of mph. Later attempts would use more height to edge the initial speed even higher.

When flying the record attempts, there is a strict altitude limit of ft imposed during the turnarounds and even here, the speeds the aircraft reached created unforeseen problems. The practice runs uncovered that the instruments on the static system airspeed indicator, altimeter and vertical speed indicator would begin to read erratically as Steve climbed in the turns.

Passing through ft, the altimeter would start swinging ft in either direction, which, with the hard cap at ft, was not ideal, especially for something so critical to the success of the attempt. An idea to use spotter aircraft circling at ft was put forward, but given the somewhat hazy conditions on the day of the attempt due to the local forest fires, the visibility was between 5 to 6 miles Steve erred on the side of caution.

Of course, this would lead to sacrificing some performance by capping height in the turns to ft or thereabouts! With the recce and practice runs completed, the team could think about going after the record for real. As well as the defined course itself, Steve had a prescribed climb and entry procedure to follow.

To put these numbers somewhat into perspective, Steve also detailed the power settings that are commonly used on stock Mustangs during a race at Reno. The timing clocks are, as you might have guessed, 3km apart, so at peak speed the timed section of the course would flash by in little over 12 seconds. From there, Steve would enter a huge turn around to bring him back to the runway but, when pulling only 2.

The course itself was huge, with the turn taking him seven miles from the runway. On the first attempt, having climbed to height and with the entry gate in sight, Steve started to push the power up.

Everything seemed to be running well. Declaring an emergency, Steve began pulling the power back and shutting down the additional systems. When in this situation, comparing the Ranch to Reno Stead, Steve notes there is an obvious drawback to the Ranch. Reno is nice because the runways are so large, and there are three of them, so from anywhere on the course you can land.

The engine is running by default when you begin a flight. If you want to do the startup procedures manually, follow the checklist procedures on the Kneeboard. The throttle on the P controls engine power, from idle to takeoff power.

The P has an adjustable-pitch propeller. The normal power setting for taxiing is 1, rpm press F2 on the keyboard, or drag the power levers.

Forward visibility is limited so you need to make S-turns as you taxi. Use the rudder pedals to move the nose side-to-side as you move forward in order to see what is ahead of you. On the P, available flap settings are from 0 degrees to 50 degrees. Flap limit speeds vary from mph with 10 degrees, to mph with 50 degrees. Run through the Before Takeoff checklist.

Directional control is maintained by use of the rudder pedals twist the joystick, use rudder pedals, or press 0 left or ENTER right on the numeric keypad. A good climb speed in the P is mph with a manifold pressure of 47 inches and the propeller at RPM.

Winning races is not about one single skill. Major factors in successful racing include judicious use of boost power and close management of engine cooling. As the propeller lever is moved forward, manifold pressure should increase about 10 inches for each increase of RPM. At 3, RPM the engine should be running at inches of manifold pressure.

One of the most serious complications you may encounter when racing the P is engine overheating. Overheating can have disastrous results, but the Flight Simulator P has systems to manage engine cooling. Uncontrolled detonation of the air-fuel mixture in one or more cylinders is a direct result of high induction temperatures, which the ADI system helps control.

Detonation can damage pistons, rods, valves, and the crankshaft. Detonation causes the engine to run rough and, if left unchecked for more than a few seconds, the pistons are likely to be damaged, causing an immediate reduction in engine power.

The longer detonation continues, the more seriously the pistons are damaged and the the greater the power loss. The Anti-detonation Injection ADI system sprays a water and alcohol mixture into the intake, downstream of the supercharger. As long as the ADI is on and there is ADI fluid available, induction temperature should remain within limits and detonation is deterred. Use ADI whenever you boost manifold pressure beyond 80 inches.

Be aware of overall engine oil and coolant system temperatures. When running within engine limits i. Cruise altitude is normally determined by wind, weather, and other factors. You might want to use these factors in your flight planning if you have created weather systems along your route. By the end of the war, the PH was in commission but did not arrive in time to hit the front lines of battle.

This newest model was 50 mph faster than the D model and was considerably lighter than most of the previous models. By , there were over 15, Mustangs in existence — all types included.

New aircraft and fighters began to emerge and force the Mustang to a second position for war. Proving its usefulness, the Mustang remained with the Reserve and the Air National Guard until they were phased out in The last Mustang in service currently resides on display with the Air Force tactical unit.

It is a recreation of the PD flown by Colonel C. Sluder, commander of the th fighter group stationed in Italy in Voodoo broke speed records for a plane powered by an internal combustion engine on the course. The pilot, Steven Hinton, has won multiple times in the Unlimited Class.

In , Voodoo reached an average speed of mph. This far exceeded the previous speed record in the books. Voodoo is currently the fastest of the P models and is ranked as the fasted piston in the world. These planes have fought and served with and for the Armed Forces over the years and now they battle in a race for the best of the best.

The P Mustang has so much history to its name. This plane has fought in many wars for the United States and has been flown by so many of the great military men of the times.

Nothing compares to the speed and aerodynamics of the P, as the slimmest fighter with long-range capabilities and speed like no other. The broken records, dating back to its inception, prove the P Mustang is one of the top-performing planes in military history.