Well, I know it is a matter of preference, but I'm open for your impressions and suggestions. I'm searching for a accusim warplane that has soul, not  extra complicated to manage, and feels most natural and "alive" aka breathing machine. I'm somehow closest to purchasing Civilian Mustang, but I like more the looks of P-47 Razorback.

Thanks folks!

If you are into the warplanes strictly, then the Civ Mustang is a very good choice, as you have the normal avionics inside.

It isn't very complicated as some cooling systems are automated.

 

 

However I still like the Spitfire as you have there really watching the systm to avoid boiling over. Sometimes much moe fun

Real men fly the 377!

 

I kid I kid, I think the Mustang would be great for you. Plenty of stuff to manage, but not to a point where it gets overwhelming. I'd definitely pull the trigger on the Stang.

It's hard to go wrong with any of them.  They have radically different personalities.  There are even notable differences between the civilian and military Mustangs - the military one is heavier, marginally slower and marginally more stable thanks to the armor.  The modeling is careful enough that you feel the difference.

 

Others will probably be more eloquent about them, but a quick overview:

 

The Mustangs, Spitfire and P-40 are the most recent, and have the most complex systems modeling (for example, primer-only starts since they model fuel in the line).  Of them, the Mustang is most capable (fastest, longest-range, most automated systems) but the hardest to master (enormous amounts of power for the weight - if you feed in throttle too fast on takeoff it'll flip over on its back and kill you because of the torque).  The Spitfire is a dream to fly but a cantankerous nightmare on the ground thanks to poor cooling (as guenseli notes) - get it airborne in five minutes before it boils over.  Think of it as a cranky British sportscar.  The P-40 is raw and needs lots of hand-on management but it'll get you into and out of short fields, which the Mustang won't, and it's a little tamer on takeoff.

 

The P-47 is an older product (you can only overhaul the engine, you can't replace individual parts) but lots of fun and a different kind of challenge - it's very stable but very heavy, and the engine needs lots of management (cowl flaps, intercooler flaps, oil shutters).  But it's a graduate course in radial engines and you'll find out why its pilots loved it - I always feel safer in it than any of the others.

 

Then there's my personal favorite, the B-17.  Totally different kind of flying, of course, but it's the easiest to fly (designed by Boeing for novice pilots) and has a crew to help you with the systems, so you can treat it as an enormous Piper Cub - or not, if you want to do everything hands on.  Lots of great talkback by the crew and a big selection of period radio broadcasts that the radioman finds for you as you fly.  I just now got back from a coastal B-17 flight at dusk in low overcast in Orbx South Alaska and I haven't had so much fun in a flight sim in weeks.

 

So there you go - something for all tastes.  If you go over to the A2A forums, there's a subforum for each aircraft.  Each one of them has fans and all the fans will be happy to tell you why.

 

Final note - whichever one you pick, make sure to buy the Accu-sim module too (separate purchase for the warbirds, the GA aircraft come with it).  That's what gives you the living, breathing machine thing you're looking for.

 

EDIT:  Wendall posted while I was finishing up.  He's right - the 377 (plus the Captain of the Sim expansion) is still another great adventure.  Check it out.

Civilian Mustang gives you the feel of flying a P51 but works great in an IFR environment and even has AP

 

Gets my vote

You know the only thing that bothers me about the civilian Mustang?  It's too clean.  Makes me feel like I'm flying a millionaire's toy instead of an honest working airplane.

 

Strictly my lunacy - it's a great product.  And you can use military repaints on the civilian model, which helps.  But for me there's nothing like a battered cockpit.

 

 

On the plus side, the civ Mustang works best for FSX flying.  

 

So check it out.  

I bought both Mustangs as I just have a hang for them. I hardly fly the civ one after I was able to put a limited AP in it (holds just height and wings level after engaging with "Z". Great for some longer flights as without proper feedback, e.g. sitting in the plane and feeling it move up an down, it can be very exhausting).

 

The old military P51D all the way.

 

But as some said, it´s very demanding on take off and landing. You might check out Ant´s T-28D as trainer.  That´s of course a 1950´s plane but I feel it´s good training for flying with old prop planes. 

FSX only i take it  :(          Will A2A port the war stuff over to PD3?  They look really great 

Thanks guys, especially Alan_A for detailed answer I was hoping for.  :ph34r:

I already have B377 with CoTS and had lots of fun with it, but somehow over time I've got bored with it mostly because of very difficult instrument approaches and very lazy engines.

 

I will certainly get a war bird with accusim, no other way. And it probably will be Civilian Mustang, as, amongs other important thing that Alan described, it is most immersive, as I can see watching some YT videos.

Like the others have said, each Accusim plane has it's own personality, each one suits a different type of flying.  Like to fly fast and far....the P-51 is your ticket.  Want to do it like the pros? Get the Mil.  Want to do it in today's airspace...get the Civil version.  Like to fly down in the weeds with an attitude while looking at scenery with a rugged Allison and shark's teeth up front?  The P-40 is your ticket.  Want to fly a temperamental beauty that loves dancing in the cooler high altitudes and handles like a dream?  The Spitfire is your ticket.  Want to fly a tank?  The P-47 is your ticket.

 

My personal favorite is still the P-40, but love the others too because each brings a unique experience.

 

Cheers

TJ

FSX only i take it  :(          Will A2A port the war stuff over to PD3?  They look really great 

 

I fly P3D exclusively and they all work fine.  While not officially supported in P3D, there's help available for them in the A2A forums (right now only the GA airplanes have P3D-specific installers and licensing).  Many users report that they do fine by pointing the installer at P3D and making sure there's a dummy fsx.exe in the main folder.  I've had to use the Estonian Migration Tool, I think because my P3D installation is on a separate disk and the installer has problems with that. Or maybe that's just an issue particular to my system.  In any case, they're ready to go now in P3D and there's no reason to wait.  

 

 

Like the others have said, each Accusim plane has it's own personality

 

I actually need to credit pilottj for first pointing out to me the differences among the A2A fighters and helping me think about them (the Spitfire-as-English-sportscar analogy was his and IIRC he referred to the P-40 as more of a jeep, which is dead on).  Now that I've tried them all out, I can confirm exactly what he said based on my own experience, but the descriptions you're reading in this thread are very much a group effort.

You know the only thing that bothers me about the civilian Mustang?  It's too clean.  Makes me feel like I'm flying a millionaire's toy instead of an honest working airplane.

 

But that's EXACTLY who owns these things.

 

I'd say the Civvie P-51 is indeed the best A2A warbird offering overall, though something about the character of the Mk 1 Spitfire keeps tugging me back. Because of the temperature management involved it does feel the most 'alive' to me.

 

 

But that's EXACTLY who owns these things.

 

Of course!  It's just that I have a hard time seeing myself as a millionaire in a Mustang.  Am much more at home hauling fish (or whatever) around Alaska in a surplus B-17.

 

Agree with you about the Spit, though for obvious reasons it tends to be one of my winter rides...

Anyone have positive experiences with the Aircraft Factory Corsair F4U? I'm building a balsa model of it, and went looking for an FSX version but that's the only one. Never heard of that particular line, so don't know what to expect.

 

 

I fly P3D exclusively and they all work fine.

Does the 377 work? Last I heard there were issues with starting the engines and some of the panels not working. If it does work now, I know exactly what I'm spending my Sunday in  :wink: .