Milt:
You can feel very comfortable in a Mustang when you are being shot at when you have almost 3,000 rounds of 0.50 cal in the bins and 6 HV rockets.
You can feel uncomfortable if the fuel tank just behind the cockpit is topped up with 75 gallons. It's longitudinally unstable. Might be nearly stable again when that space is you.
I can't comment on the first.
But the TF-51 didn't feel too unstable. It took a while to get used to the strong nose-down position for flying straight and level, and elevator trim was important. But otherwise it was a delight to fly.
White Cloud, I didn't find a stick difficult compared with a rudder. Cdertainly for doing aerobatics, a stick seemed to be far more manoeuvrable and "natural" - I imagine a yoke would be a bit more unwieldy. But given that was the first time I've ever done aerobatics, mine is hardly the voice of experience!
And don't worry about
your lack of experience - you will love it. Lee said that most people doing orientation flights are PPLs with about 200 hours. And those who have done lots of aerobatics in, say, a Pitts, can sometimes be at a disadvantage, because they are often too forceful on the controls; the Mustang actually requires quite gentle pressures. Just go for it!
