A2A vs. DCS P-51

[Rusty Lock]

For me not only is an accurate - or as accurate as we can reasonably get - flight model important, but also the detail and scope of the terrain, I have the older A-10 software, and the terrain is very believable, yet I feel hemmed in.

FSX isn't all that nice to look at by default as the Eagle Dynamics offering, yet we can build upon it, not only that, but we have a huge playground to bimble around, I can discover real world places, and challenge myself to take-off/land at some bizarre and beautiful airstrips, real-world weather adds to the experience of flying within a living world - especially if others are sharing the skies with you online; a few days back Buzz and myself 'pit shared a Cessna Skymaster for some pea-soup flying, a few hitches here and there, me derping about generally confused, but a damn good laugh, and I learnt a few things.

For me, and seemingly others; it's what the software as a whole can deliver.

[VulcanB2]

Completely agree with that! I mainly care about how the aircraft operates/flies. The ground could be solid green and sky solid blue, and frankly I wouldn't notice much. If an ILS or VOR is in the wrong place however, I'm acutely aware of it.

Best regards,
Robin.

[budmorgan]

...but we have a huge playground to bimble around, I can discover real world places, and challenge myself to take-off/land at some bizarre and beautiful airstrips, real-world weather adds to the experience of flying within a living world - especially if others are sharing the skies with you online...

Agreed - I just started a VFR, world coastal tour through my VPA and I will complete it only flying the A2A 51... With Vatsim ATC, and a host of scenery addons... I can't imagine it getting much better

300 legs. 102,965 nm - Will take at least a year to complete.

I'm on leg 7 and what I've learned about the P-51 is that it's an easy plane to fly "good"... Difficult to fly "great"... The rw nuances re-created by Scott and the boys make the distinction.

Cheers!

Bud

[Rocket_Bird]

I just can't see enjoying the DCS P-51 in a modern combat environment at all. Until they develop a full WWII expansion, I have no interest in the DCS P-51. I'm sure it's a really well done sim (I have and enjoy Black Shark 2 and A-10C) but the anachronistic way they are doing things is too weird for me.

Therefore A2A is the warbird for me so I can take it on some beautiful sight seeing trips across the US.

I only just recently focused my interest in DCS after fiddling around with A2A, just for sake of potentially exercising my trigger finger! In any case, I was combing around hoping to see at least a BF109 in at least one DCS P-51 screenshot or vid, and to my disappointment, there are not any. Then I stumbled on this post here. Is this true? The DCS P-51 will be in a modern combat environment? No WWII stuff be default? The whole re-enacting WWII with old-school bullet holes is kind of what appeals to me with regards to study sims like these, and in lacking this, I just don't see any other reason to fly anything other than A2A, which does a great job in modelling everything else besides combat. I just wish I can fly the thing through flak, defend a bomber with my virtual life, and pull some series G's trying to dodge on-coming fire in something a little more serious .

[Sundowner]

Yes, just yesterday I attacked bunch of T-72 MBTs with HVARs, going through ZSU-23-4 Shilkas fire... just to be shot down by SA-9 missile Later that day I was dogfighting with L-29 Albatros jet

See the current trailer - bunch of Mustangs fighting each other, and then shooting modern trains. If no 3rd party developer make a second World War elements - you will be thrown into modern conflict flying a 70 year old equipment.

[Norforce]

P-51 will still out turn the A10 just don't let it get behind you lol

[Skycat]

I'm reviving a six year old thread, and DCS has come a long way on building a WWII faction. I finally took the leap this weekend and downloaded DCS World 2.5, which is free and gives you the unarmed F-51DT two-seater model. I also finally claimed my Kickstarter rewards (half a decade later, ha ha!) of one plane, the Normandy 1944 map and the WWII assets pack. I chose the combat P-51D.

First thing, the trainer Mustang is fairly enjoyable to fly but the ground handling is atrocious. When standing still the wheels feel stuck to the pavement, and compared to the A2A version it seems to take a lot more throttle to begin rolling forward. Not a big deal... except tapping the brakes is very likely to cause a prop strike or nose-over. Once in the air, the visuals are beautiful and really immerse BUT I don't get the same feeling of flight I do with A2A in FSX. In my opinion the feel of DCS is very similar to the Wings of Power I Mustang in FS2004. The nose-over problem is, in fact, very reminiscent of the original WoP Thunderbolts in FS2004.

I only have a couple of minutes logged in the DCS combat P-51, but my first impression is that it doesn't bleed speed. Just like the old FS2004 problem, you can chop throttle, drop flaps and gear, make a 45 degree turn and still struggle to get airspeed to below 200 mph. My only attempt at landing the DCS combat P-51D resulted in broken landing gear and shorn wings. In the F-51DT I've had one successful landing and several fatal catastrophes.

That said, the DCS World is free and provides an excellent tutorial. I recommend giving it a look for that feature alone. It's difficult for me to endorse the modules because they are each so expensive, but if you need working guns then go for it. The fully clickable DCS cockpits are a great feature that I wish was in the IL-2 series -- especially Cliffs of Dover Blitz which I think is money better spent for a WWII sim than DCS Normandy 1944 is, despite the lack of American aircraft in IL-2 COD Blitz.

Verdict: the free version of DCS is a good starting point for newcomers to flight sims; flying the TF-51D gives a reasonable expectation of they could also expect of the A2A Accusim P-51D in P3D with ORBX scenery. I need more flying time with the DCS paid addon P-51 module but so far I am unimpressed by the flight model.

Edit: After several more hours of flying the DCS P-51D, mastering its interface and making several successful landings, my appreciation for it is growing.

Edit #2: (9/20/2018) For whatever reason my initial complaints about ground handling and air speed physics are resolved. DCS World has updated itself a couple of times from version 2.5 and perhaps fixes to the flight model were part of that. Ground handling is fairly smooth, especially with wheel brakes individually mapped. I've been flying the familiarization campaign that comes with the P-51D, set over the Caucus map. An odd quirk is that in one of the missions the pilot needs to fly through gates at 20,000 and 30,000 feet but I flew that mission more than half a dozen times over several nights and I could never get the Mustang above 17,000 feet. (I flew a free-flight over the Normandy map as a comparative test and there I could achieve well over 30,000 feet.)

[Dreamsofwings]

I’m not sure about the P-51 but the DCS flight model isn’t a patch on the A2A version. I appreciate they are different marks but I didn’t like the DCS Spitfire experience at all. A-10C a whole different story.

[Skycat]

I didn't mean DCS is a patch on A2A, or the converse ... by 'demo' I meant DCS World is a free platform where anyone inexperienced with flight sims can try out a Mustang featuring mouse-over controls and cockpit shadows. Obviously there is no direct relationship between MSFS/P3D and DCS.