Feature February 28, 2006

Wings Of Power P-51 Mustang

by Jim "Hornit" Campisi

Introduction

One of the first things I'd like to get out of the way is the fact that I am a VERY discriminating payware buyer. What's payware you ask? Payware is the one of the wonderful reasons Microsoft's flight sim line has enjoyed so much success over the years. Flight Sim has an open design philosophy which caters to the aftermarket crowd both freeware and payware. Freeware encompasses all the wonderful tool, utilities, add-on aircraft and cockpits which make flight sim really shine. What comes in the box is but a scratch on the surface of what is available to you as a user of this software. Over the years many artists and programmers have taken advantage of this open design to provide just about everything one could imagine to enhance the experience and give us what Microsoft did not. Freeware is everything available for free. It's provided with no strings attached and it's become one of the great things about this sim. Pay ware is basically the same stuff but it's packaged and sold by those who know they can make a buck by providing quality products, which provide detail, realism, and hours of extra enjoyment inside the framework of flightsim. Most pay ware has a bit more polish, detail, and realism in all departments than freeware. Every now and then some free stuff comes along which happens to be as good or better than the pay ware stuff! It's a real treat, and those who develop the add-ons for free do it for the satisfaction and the recognition. It's a hobby unto itself inside the domain of flight simming. Pay ware is very prevalent for flight simulator. There definitely is plenty to go around and the old adage "caveat emptor" is one which every buyer should heed.

I've been using flight sim for many years now and I have seen a lot of free and pay add-ons that have come and gone. I am very selective about what I will pay for. It has to be measurably better than anything that I can get for free. Some folks snatch up everything that comes along, but my budget for flight sim won't allow that. One area where I weaken my stance a bit is when it comes to historical aircraft. Microsoft can't provide too many examples of airplanes and I believe they have done a good job overall providing a nice selection of different types to fit the bill for just about everyone. Since there are many types of great aircraft we have many kinds and types of add-ons for which one can pay to have. Scenery is also a huge area where there are many products both free and pay ware from which to choose.

I like to concentrate on those aircraft I personally enjoy from history and ones that I have flown in real life. Some of these include the really popular WWII fighters and bombers. This is where Wings of Power comes into the picture. Not too long ago, this Farmington CT. based company began producing add-ons for Combat Flight Simulator. Their reputation for quality and service has been excellent. While I'm not a huge CFS fan, I was aware of the name when they started working on aircraft for FS.

Reviewing pay ware add-ons for Flight sim is a tricky business. A lot of things are really based on some very personal assumptions. My likes and dislikes are different from the next simmers. My thoughts about modeling, sound, flight dynamics, etc. are skewed in a big way due to my experience as a real world pilot. When I talk about add-ons to flight sim, I try to do it from an objective standpoint. I’m also a fairly avid and accomplished texture artist and have been involved with many sims over the years in this regard. So I approach reviewing in a way that reflects this. I’m a lot less concerned with the flight model as long as It’s convincing to me. Since I value modeling skills over the flight dynamics, my reviews tend to be more about that. Rest assured though that if I sense anomalies in a flight model, I'm going to let you know. I have never been concerned with things like a few knots difference in book speeds, turning capability, or climb capabilities. It’s just not that big a deal to me. This is a sim, almost a game, and due to it’s limitations will never really duplicate reality. It does do a damn nice job though with the basics and the true art form of a good add-on is fooling us into thinking this sim is better than it really is!

I think I should mention here that I possess what I believe is probably the finest pay ware aircraft currently in existence for Flightsim. I tend to measure every aircraft I might pay for against it. Its truly benchmark stuff in the flightsim world. I'm referring to none other than Real Air's Spitfire. Everything about it screams quality and perfection. It has few if any vices and a cockpit and flight model second to none. If you’re familiar with the world of aircraft add-ons at all you have heard of this one. I guess you could consider this one a "Ten" and something everyone else should be striving for with their pay ware.

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Feature: Wings Of Power P-51 Mustang

I have to say that the Wings of Power series comes very close to the mark when we have something like the Real Air Spit in the picture. Another pet peeve of mine when it comes to add-ons is cost. A lot of quality stuff simply is too pricey. I draw the line when add-ons reach about 40$. After that I just can't seem to justify spending that kind of dough for basically what amounts to the cost of another sim. A lot of times there are likely a good bit of freeware which will fit the bill anyway. Wings of Power sits squarely at what I would call a good deal. The price is worth what you get. For 25$ US, you can't go wrong.

Today we'll talk about The Wings of Power P-51 Mustang. Arguably one of the finest fighters to come out of WWII and one of my all time favorites behind the F4U Corsair. After downloading my package from the link provided installation was a breeze. Documentation is exceptional and there is ample information for even the more discerning user. Everything is explained in detail with diagrams and screenshots throughout. Nice job on this, it's often neglected even with some of the more expensive add-ons I've seen. Wings of Power is a company with an eye for fairly extreme detail. All of the models are superb both externally and internally. Systems modeling is good and the VC's for all of their products are top notch.

You get with your package the P-51D and the P-51H models in exhausting detail. Very well done models and textures for seven aircraft with the P-51D and two versions of the P-51H. The fine lines of this thoroughbred are represented very accurately, and as far as I can tell you’re getting the best representation of the Mustang available. For me this is one of the main reasons to buy. The external model has to be good as a lot of us really enjoy the outside view. The textures are also very well done and provide both "dirty" and clean versions of the aircraft. I like how W.O.P included the later version, the P-51H. Although not really historically significant it's still a well-modeled and interesting aircraft. The animations for the aircraft are great and I found no real flaws in this area with all the doors, actuators, and surfaces moving as they should. Even the radiator door was modeled correctly.

3d modeling is one thing but another area where it’s important to excel is flight modeling. W.O.P has done an excellent job with the Mustang. The aircraft demands respect on the ground, and in the air is a joy to fly, just as the real aircraft must be. I've never flown the P-51 in real life but this just "feels" right. It's very close to real world numbers and I am quite satisfied with how it handles in all regimes of flight. One of the nicer touches is the behavior when you approach a stall. The airframe buffets and shakes and actually gives an aural warning just as you get in real life. The only thing missing here is your chair shaking!

Included in the screenshots are a few with my AI traffic which come as part of the West Malling Airfield included with Real Air's Spitfire. While I really like this scenery, the awesome thing about it is the Spits dragging around the pattern. It allows hours of really challenging formation work. This is where the Flight modeling on the Wings of Power birds really excels. I'm able to smoothly join and fly good parade formation with my unknowing British friends. This to me says a lot, as there aren't many aircraft that you can do this smoothly with. It makes this one a real pleasure to pilot.

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Feature: Wings Of Power P-51 Mustang

The Cockpit consists of a good to excellent 2D panel and I would consider it adequate for what you get. Nothing spectacular here, but again competently executed and above average for those who like the 2D panels. The VC is superb and this is where the meat really is. While Flightsim suffers from gauge update problems, it’s still fully functional and superbly executed. Bravo Zulu W.O.P! I really enjoy this office. The modeling of the interior is really well done with everything right where it's supposed to be. Just about everything is clickable and functional. The only minor nitpick I have is that the textures are just a tad dark It's really not a big deal but something I think could be addressed fairly easily and would help "put it over the top" in terms of quality. I'm not a huge VC user, but in the GA and simpler type aircraft, I like the realistic views they provide. W.O.P has done a great job with this on all its aircraft. When it's done this well, I really spend most of my time there.

Sounds provided with the package are good, they're not fantastic, but it does sound like a Mustang. I think there is some slight room for improvement here but as I said, it's adequate. Sound is an area that is fairly subjective. I have noticed that the better the sounds, the more immersed I feel sitting at my 2d monitor. The cockpit sounds are really well done. Overall this is a topnotch piece of pay ware and I can recommend it to anyone who even has even a fleeting interest in these types of aircraft. There are a few freeware versions of the Mustang and I've used them all. Nothing comes close to the detail and realism you get with this package. There are already loads of detailed and historically accurate repaints available on the normal download sites. I have several of them already, and being a painter myself can attest to their quality.

So If your a Mustang fan, this is pretty much a must have. Don't hesitate another moment and go get it, you won't regret it. The one thing that really signals a great add-on for me is when I keep coming back to flying that particular aircraft. This add-on and the others I have from W.O.P are like that. I always find myself flying them for even just a few minutes to admire the craftsmanship and the artistry almost every time a jump into the sim. It's one of the big reasons I get pay ware and this one is one of the best.

Next up....Wings Of Power P-47 Thunderbolt, one beautiful Jug!

Jim "Hornit" Campisi

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