Here are the screens that I've been working on. If you'd like to test them, please refer to the README enclosed.

Updated 19/4/08.
I've now included a louder "bullet hit" sound. Designed to make you jump when your plane gets hit!
 
EDIT 30/4/08: It's taken a while for me to work this out, but initially I didn't realise that the bullet hit sound was as loud on the AI planes as on the players...Even from long distance. Not very realistic...There's no way you'd hear hits on the target plane above your engine noise. So, to rectify this, extract, then open the "SOUNDLIST.INI" file from the "FlightData.cat", scroll down to "DirtHit", and change the "MaxDist=" line to: MaxDist=030.000000 or even 025.000000.
Job Done!
 
 
The player engine sound in FE is not loud enough IMO. The AI flyby sound easily drowns it out, so here's a louder version which to my ears sounds a lot better.
I've also included louder and better machine gun sounds which I think balance nicely with the new engine and ambient sounds.
There are various ways to use them, but the way I do it is to rename the original file, eg to Proploop2 or Vickersorig, or whatever suits you, then drop the new files into your Sounds folder and you're good to go...
I think it's an improvement, I hope you do too!
 
Bucky.

Updated 18/4/08.
Just a quick note to confirm that this mission will work with the expansion pack and April 08 patch, as long as
you have ALL required skins, terrain etc installed.
 
 
 
A Quick Mission for First Eagles: "McCudden Vs "Green-Tail"
===================
 
This mission is a re-enactment of an actual aerial combat that took place on Monday 18th February 1918, at
approximately 10.30am, between two "elite" units: 56 Squadron RFC and Jasta 5.
 
56 Sqn were based at Lavieville, near Albert. Led by Major James McCudden VC (57 victories).
Jasta 5 were based at Boistrancourt, near Cambrai. Led by Oberleutnant Richard Flashar. (2 victories)
 
=====================================
 
McCudden gives a quite detailed account of the combat on page 255 of his excellent book 'Flying Fury'. Essential
reading for any student of the first air war.
In the book he describes several encounters with an Albatros DV which he dubs; "Green-Tail". He acknowledges
the flying ability and bravery of the German pilot repeatedly. In fact, McCudden thought it was "Green-Tail" that
killed his good friend Cpt Richard Maybery (21 victories), on 19/12/17 during a fight with Jasta 5.
 
==================================
 
To set the scene:
 
McCudden's flight took off at about 10.00am from Lavieville on an Offensive Patrol, and crossed the lines over
Bourlon Wood at 13000 feet...Almost immediately they spotted a patrol of Albatros DV's below...
 
This is how McCudden descibes the action in his book:
 
"I signalled the attack to the patrol, and down we went, with the sun behind us. I singled out the leader and
fired a good burst from both guns, and I must have riddled the pilot, for he still flew on straight until the machine
burst into flames, and it then fell over sideways. I got a plain view of the Albatros as it fell a flaming wreck.
It was "Green-Tail"! Maybery was avenged!"
 
McCudden went on to score a second victory during this dogfight, bringing down another Albatros DV very soon
after despatching "Green-Tail".
 
There has always been controversy over exactly who "Green-Tail" was, McCudden describes the plane as having
a white inverted 'V' on the top wing, and the letter 'K' on its fuselage.
It's now pretty well established that his two victims that day were Unteroffizier Justus Kaiser who was killed, and
Uffz Von Stein who survived the encounter, but was wounded.
It's likely that they weren't from Jasta 5 at all, but from Jasta 35 who were also based nearby, and often flew
alongside Jasta 5.
 
The Jasta 5 skins available for FE, with their green tails will do nicely for our purposes though!
 
========================================
 
Mission and game limitations:
 
For the purposes of this mission (seeing as we don't yet have a skin that fits perfectly), We'll have to choose one
of the currently available Jasta 5 schemes as "Green-Tail"...
Well, fortunately there is one with an inverted 'V' on the wing, which I consider to be the closest match.
So if you want to duplicate McCudden's actions, that is the plane you have to single out and bring down, plus at
least one other.
 
=========================================
 
Mission Guidelines:
 
When the mission starts, you'll be at an altitude of approximately 12,500 ft. with a few miles to fly until you reach
the lines over Bourlon wood. Keep climbing until you reach 13000 ft or even a bit higher, and keep to a heading
of around 60 degrees.
Don't forget, you're looking for the Albatros with the white 'V' on the upper wing. although it's not a mission goal,
so don't get target fixated!...And make sure you SIGNAL YOUR WINGMEN when you sight the enemy by pressing:
'TAB', then '1'. Otherwise you'll be on your own!
 
That's all I'm going to tell ya...Good Luck!
 
PS. I've decided to start this mission in the air because at the moment FE is not geared up very well for take off's
and landings.
 
PPS. I've included a few German two seaters roaming the area that you can hunt down after the main furball....
If you survive and have any ammo left!
 
========================================
 
Requirements and installation:
 
All skins and terrain are available from the downloads section of the Combat Ace website.
 
To fly this mission, you'll need:
 
Flanders Terrain
By Edward.
 
SE5a 56 Sqn, RFC,1917 - Two versions.
By dhasdell.
Available on Page 7 of the WW1 skins download page
Not absolutely essential, but these markings are more accurate than the stock versions.
Please note: If you want to fly as McCudden, then you'll have to select No.6 at the 'Loadout' screen.
Nothing I do can induce the game to give the correct number automatically. Dunno why!
 
Jasta 5 skins X 5.
2 by JFM. 4 by Warbirds. (Yeah, I know that makes 6. Read on...)
Available on page 13 and 16 of the WW1 skins download page
Note that there are two versions of Flashar's "Dragon"...Only one required so take your pick!
 
Many thanks to all the above artists for their most excellent contributions to this great game.
 
======================================
 
Install the mission by unzipping the downloaded file to the following path:
C:/Program Files/Thirdwire/WW1/Missions
 
======================================
 
Phew!...Sorry for the long winded intro. I hope you enjoy flying this Quick mission and find it challenging enough.
I've tried to make it as authentic as the game will allow.
 
If you find anything wrong with it, or have any suggestions please let me know via any one of the FE forums.
 
Cheers!
 
Bucky.
 
***************************************
***************************************

Updated 18/4/08.
Just a quick note to confirm that this mission will work with the expansion pack and
April 08 patch, as long as you have ALL required skins, terrain etc installed.
 
 
 
A Mission For First Eagles.
 
Bucky's Quick Mission No.5. Rene Fonck: 'Ace Of Aces'. Parts 1 & 2.
 
Released: 09/05/07... The 89th anniversary of the action depicted in this mission.
 
============================================================
 
Introduction:
 
Ask any student of the first air war to name their top ten WW1 fighter pilots and all the usual
names will crop up, plus maybe, a few lesser knowns. Chances are though, the name Rene
Fonck won't be among them... He's been largely forgotten... Even in his own country.
A true case of criminal neglect IMHO, because Rene Fonck was probably THE greatest fighter
pilot of WW1. The only problem is/was, Fonck knew how good he was and wouldn't let anyone
forget it...He was regarded as a boastful, boorish, braggart, and generally not well liked by
his comrades.
But when you talk the talk, you've got to be able to walk the walk...Fonck could and did!
 
This mission, which comes in two parts, depicts the events of Thursday, May 9th, 1918. This
was the date that Sous-Lt Rene Fonck of escadrille SPA103, shot down six German aircraft
in a single day...An outstanding feat in itself , but amazingly, he was to repeat it again on
September 26th!
In fact, he brought down two or more enemy planes in one day, an incredible eighteen times
in one year!
 
His marksmanship was of olympic gold medal standard. He usually expended very little
ammunition when bringing down enemy aircraft. About nine rounds on average.
 
His official end of war total was 75 confirmed victories, but in his book 'Ace Of Aces', he gave
all the dates for a further 52 unconfirmed victories, which would give him an actual score
of 127.
 
 
============================================================
 
To set the scene:
 
On May 9th, Fonck didn't even begin flying until 3:45pm because of bad weather, but soon
after crossing the allied lines with his two wingmen, he spotted three enemy two-seaters. He
shot down all three in a fight that lasted just 45 seconds...They all crashed within 400 metres
of each other!
 
After landing to refuel, he took off again at 5:30pm. It was very cloudy and eventually Fonck
became separated from his two wingmen. He emerged from a dense cloud and immediately
came across another German two-seater and shot that down.
Continuing his patrol, he spotted a flight of four Fokker D.VII's, escorted by five Albatros
D.V's flying slightly above, and ahead of the D.VII's. Weighing up the odds and feeling brave,
Fonck put his SPAD into a dive, positioned himself amongst the nine enemy planes and shot
down the rearmost D.VII.
Alerted by the machine gun noise, the remaining E/A attempted to turn and bring their guns
to bear on Fonck, but this manoeuvre slowed them down, and his momentum allowed him to
pass between them. He then shot down the leader of the patrol and bolted for home, with
seven enemy planes in hot pursuit!
 
============================================================
 
Mission guidelines:
 
As already stated, this mission comes in two parts to more accurately depict the events,
weather and timing of Thursday, May 9th, 1918.
 
PART 1.
You'll join the action at about 7500 feet, having just crossed the allied lines at 4:15pm. The
weather, which has kept you grounded for most of the day has cleared nicely, Although it's
still quite cloudy.
You're accompanied by your two able wingmen; Lt Fontaine and Cpt Battle. Suddenly, you
spot three specks in the distance...Bosche two-seaters!... Manouevre yourself into a
favourable position and dive into the fray!
Fonck managed to shoot down all three German two-seaters himself...Can you do the same?
 
Having achieved the mission goal, feel free to press 'ALT+N' to fast forward to your
aerodrome...You can then land, and wait while your ground crew refuel and re-arm your
SPAD...You may want to grab yourself a coffee and a croissant while you wait...
 
PART 2.
We join the action at 12,500 feet. It's 6:10pm, and you've been in the air for 40 minutes. It's
very cloudy and you've lost your two wingmen, and the light is fading...
You emerge from a dense cloud to find a German reconnaisance plane very close by...Once
you send him down, prepare yourself to dive into the midst of the Fokker D.VII's and
Albatros D.V's!
Fonck shot down two Fokker D.VII's before making a break for home, but do feel free to try
and better him if you think you can!
 
If you survive, you can navigate your way back to Villers Bretonneaux airfield (or press
ALT+N like I always do!) and land to a rapturous reception from your comrades...Just as
Fonck did.
 
============================================================
 
Compromises and game limitations:
 
1. During the spring and summer of 1918 the German offensive had pushed the allies back
much further than the actual front line depicted in the game. Also, the FE map is very sparsely
populated around the Montdidier area where these combats actually took place. This means
that I've not been able to place the action as accurately on the map as I would've liked.
 
2. FE won't allow multiple 'named wingmen' in the players flight. This means the game will
recognise only the players plane. consequently, there will be no record of your wingmen's
actions in the 'stats' screen at end of mission. It also means you can't issue orders via the
'tab' button.
The good news is; this doesn't stop your wingmen from participating in the action, although
for this mission you won't want any help anyway!
 
3. In Fonck's second patrol, about 45 minutes passed between him shooting down the
two-seater and the dogfight with the flight of German fighters...Here, I've condensed the
action to save you flying around aimlessly for the best part of an hour.
 
4. Again, in the second patrol, Fonck was able to dive into the German fighter formation
undetected before causing havoc...As far as I can tell, the AI in First Eagles is 'all seeing'...
This makes it impossible (I think!) to sneak up on 'em! You'll just have to take your chances
mixing it with 'em I'm afraid!
 
============================================================
 
Mission requirements:
 
To fly this mission as intended, you'll need:
 
Flanders terrain.
By Edward.
To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'Maps/Terrains' section.
 
Rene Fonck SPAD XIII skin.
By HerGr.
To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'WW1 Aircraft Skins' section
 
Many thanks to all the above artists for their most excellent contributions to this great game.
 
For maximum realism, the mission should be played with all gameplay settings set to 'Hard'.
 
============================================================
 
Installation instructions:
 
Install the mission by unzipping the downloaded file to the following path:
C:/Program Files/Thirdwire/WW1/Missions
 
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the unzipped MSN file directly into your 'Missions' folder.
 
============================================================
 
I hope you enjoy flying this mission and find it both challenging and enjoyable enough to play
it more than once...I've tried to make it as historically accurate and authentic as the game
will allow.
Feel free to change any of the parameters as you wish.
 
I would welcome any suggestions or general feedback, good, bad or indifferent, via any one
of the FE forums.
 
Bon chance!
 
Bucky.
 
9/5/07

Alternative menu for First Eagles
WIP - PROVIDED AS IS
 
TO INSTALL MENU
(1) extract all files
(2) copy all files to the \MENU folder in your WWI folder
 
NOTE: the First Eagles menu set is a work in progress and these files are provided as is.
 
 
 
© 2008, Kout
 
These files are made available under the Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0 license
(Please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/ for details.)
This basically means you are allowed to modify and redistribute these files, but that you should (1) give fair credit (2) distribute work based on these files under the same conditions as I did and you may not(3) use these files or works based on them for commercial purposes.

This mod contains the Airfield AA MG mod only. It does include the airfield mod for the Cambrai terrain.
 
Unzip to a separate folder and read the Readme for installation instructions.
 
RESTRICTIONS apply to the redistribution of certain files in this mod. Again read the Readme for clarification.
 
Hope you enjoy,
 
Tailspin

This is the Expansion Pack version. It also includes a combined Bridges & Airfield AAMG mod as an option.
 
Unzip to a separate folder and read the Readme for installation instructions.
 
There are RESTRICTIONS on the redistribution of certain files in this mod...again see the Readme for clarification.
 
Hope you enjoy,
 
Tailspin

Julius Arigi (1895-1981) was the second highest scoring ace in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Unlike most aces, Arigi was an NCO. On August 22, 1916, enemy aircraft were reported to be approaching the Flik 6 airfield. Arigi sought permission to take off and attack them. Because there were no officers available, to fly with him as observers, permission was denied. Acting against direct orders, Arigi took off with another NCO in his in his Hansa-Brandenburg C.I and shot down 5 enemy Farmans in less than one half hour. He survived the war, as the most highly decorated NCO in the Austrian Army Air Service, with 32 confirmed victories. No Hanroit HD-1s were among them.
My time machine is no longer operational. These skins are interpretations, well-grounded interpretations, but certainly a mix of accuracy and flaws. I am aware of two variations from the photos and other sources. The rudder depicted is round at the trailing edge, rather than the straight. Both rounded and straight rudders were used on Alb D.III’s, but I would have preferred to use the straight edge type because there are photos of this plane which clearly show the straight edged rudder. Available models do not offer the straight rudder. Some Alb DIII OEF were filed modified by removal of the prop spinner, because some came loose in flight. Again the available models do not offer this variation. Modifications of this magnitude beyond my present skill. If you can do it, please contact me.
Many sources were consulted in the preparation of these skins, including: Dr. Martin O'Connor, Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1914-1918, Austro-Hungarian Aces of World War 1 by Chris Chant, Mark Rolfe (Illustrator) / Paperback / Osprey Publishing (February 2002), Above the War Fronts by Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest, Gregory Alegi / Hardcover / Grub Street (September 1997), Windsock Datafile #19 Albatros D.III (Oef)/ Grosz/Colours & Markings by Ray Rimmel , The Aerodrome Forum, R.N. Pearson profiles and other material on line.
 
Just drop the folder in your Albatros_D3OAW folder and select Julius Arigi, in the loadout screen. There is no need to edit the ini.
 
This skins is made available only for your personal use. Please no distribution or republication of any part of these files. I’d appreciate any comments, especially with links to source material. Have fun.
 
sinbad © 2008