Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 23, 2009 flynn, it's almost like a photograph based on a painting. Good work and a great idea. OFF is an opportunity revisit history among other things. Again, so good that you have your family keepsakes. Can you tell us more about the painting? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flynn 0 Posted September 23, 2009 Yes, it's a pretty staged representation of an air interaction, which is kind off the fun of it really - to produce a pseudo-realistic version of an impressionistic source image. The painting is signed 'J. Willey' and was given to my grandfather as a present. It is about 12' x 9' and is painted oil on board. It's condition is not great, but I will have it restored one day. I think it was painted at the time by another member of 16 Squadron, possibly 3097 Pte J. Willey, Lancers, attached RFC (reported KIA in Flight No. 471 January 3rd 1918), although this is very hard to confirm It looks like the artist sat down side on to a BE and painted it in profile and then filled in the rest, including a very imaginary EIII, which I love. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 23, 2009 Thank you for the background info. The EIII struck me too. It often seems that contemporary representations of the airplanes are not terribly accurate. But the Fokker in the painting is lent an air of speed and danger as it resembles a bird, perhaps a hawk, on the attack. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 23, 2009 Wow, historical detail - I thought, when looking at the picture, that the painter was from the Allied side, as the British craft shows all the details you only know when you look at it closely, while the German is rather a rough sketch. Confirmed or not, it is very likely, that it was this J. Willey, who was killed in January 1918. It makes an aching feeling round the heart in my body, to see a painting (I am a designer myself) from a very young man, who was killed not much later - he may not have seen his 25th birthday. But his painting still there, there is a trace of him in time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 23, 2009 (edited) Jasta 40, Wasquehal, 1. Mai 1918 Leutnant Karl Alfred Mahlo Afternoon task: escort 5 Hannover recon craft to mil. def. 429 north of Lille. West of Ste. Marguerite, we saw three flights of Brisfits at various alt. and two flights of Camels; one higher, one lower than us. The nearest flight of Bristols attacked our Hannovers, but Hertel's flight drove them off; they all went down towards the deck fighting. I stayed high with the Hannovers. Now the high Camels turned in to attack them. I led my flight closer and ordered free attack for everyone. I fought with one Camel, and we spiraled all the way down, before I finally hit him so hard, that the lower left wing came off. He crashed west of Ste. Marguerite. He still kept it flying, but my wingman finished him. I attacked a second Camel and shot off a wing again; this guy crashed right after that. Then I turned round east, where I saw three of my wingmen in a fight with two F2b. They succeeded to shoot one down, before I joined in. I hit the other Bristol twice with long range bursts; then I got so close, I could kill the rear gunner from above. Now the pilot tried to escape, but I fired more than 200 rounds into the craft, until it crashed north of Lille. Edited September 23, 2009 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted September 24, 2009 Here's another one for the Ricketycrate hanger. The next one on my list is the "Rising Sun". Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 24, 2009 It's indeed an honour to have a collection of your wonderful crates in my hangar Beard. I'll be taking her up very soon and be putting her to the test against the Kaiser's best. Thank you so much, and now you're onto the "Rising Sun". To my mind that one will really be a challenge but from what I've seen you are up to it. Good luck and bestwishes, Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted September 24, 2009 I have uploaded the "Bolt" but haven't seen it yet, if it doesn't show up by morning I will try again. Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 24, 2009 I'll keep an eye open, believe me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted September 24, 2009 Great painting/pic, Flynn. Nice action shots, Olham. Another great skin, BB. Now my humble contribution. I was fighting some SE5 ace and we were in a hard left turn with me on the outisde track. I cut in and gave him a good burst in the belly, intending to pass just under him and yoyo up and over. Unfortunately, my burst sawed his right wing off so he flopped over right onto me at my closest point of approach. I managed to snap this pic just before everything went black.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 24, 2009 Oh no! Bullet, we can become as good as possible in coordinating and focusing things - fate is a kung fu fighter. We don't see them coming. Burning Beard, you make very good skins, Sir. Your presentation looks also fine - I assume you are a graphic designer or something that direction? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoomzoom 2 Posted September 24, 2009 I managed to snap this pic just before everything went black.... I coulda landed that.............. ZZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted September 24, 2009 I'm a sign painter. Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 24, 2009 Yeah, I see, that makes sense. Keep them coming, BB! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 24, 2009 Just had a sortie with some of the finest German aces, against French Escadrille 62 with aces, too. Here is a screenshot with Labels on, so you may be able to read the names. There were Heinrich Gontermann, Albert Haussmann, Richard Schleichardt, Kurt Monnington and Hans-Herrmann Budde on the German side; against Francois Coli, Paul Albert Pierre Tarascon, Charles Alfred Quette and Etienne Mougeot on the French side. There where 4 French SPAD VII and 2 Nieuport 17 versus 10 German Albatros D.V. While the French flight was completely downed, the German losses was one wingmen of A-flight only. I shot down Francois Coli, after getting hit myself so hard, that the enine crackled and the ailerons did not work well anymore. But I hit him fatally; and after that fight, I crawled home through Winder's very beautiful landscape. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 25, 2009 The latest addition to the Rickity Hangar. Lt. Cook's "Lightening Bolt" curtesy of Burning Beard. Our mission, to intercept a flight of Hannover CIII on thier way to raise hell with our boys at the front. We soon encountered a lone DVII flown by Bruno Loerzer. The wiley hun managed to give us the slip but we had another purpose and knew we needed to stop them before they could strafe the trenches. Approx. 5 miles from the front we closed on our prey. We gave them a rather jolly what for. The last of the flight of six crashed into a shellhole near our line. We headed for home, all shot to bits and bob's. Nasty business those rear gunners. My crate was running rough and I could smell petrol and knew I would do well to return to base. Made it to our aerodrome and eased the crate earthward. Crack, snap and spin about, then ass end over tea kettle. So I write you from my hospital bed. Should be right in two weeks time I'm told. Sure is nice to see the nurses and catch a hint of their perfume as they tend me with kindness. Watch your six mates, you may not be as lucky as I. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red-Dog 3 Posted September 25, 2009 Another one for your collection Rickity, Nice bird Beard.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 25, 2009 Bless your heart Red Dog. I'll be giving her the treatment as soon as I can. Both yourself and Beard have done wonderful work on these postwar skins and I can't thank you guys enough. Just having one of these skins was my wish from the beginning of my OFFing. Now I have six or so including the U.S. flag skin from Olham. I've got years of flying Between Heaven and Hell to look forward to. I'm a little overwhelmed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 25, 2009 Rickity, you lucky man, your hangar is now full of wonderful SPADs, so I wish you a fast recreation in hospital, that you may soon be able to fly them all. If I was your mechanic, I must say I would be very upset about the close way you approach Hannovers and to come back with all those holes in these nice designs, Sir. Did Bruno Loerzer really fly off and away? That would be a great point in the AI, if it would understand, when it's time to escape - even for an ace. Be happy, that it wasn't me - I don't have such intelligence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ras 0 Posted September 25, 2009 The latest addition to the Rickity Hangar. Lt. Cook's "Lightening Bolt" curtesy of Burning Beard. Our mission, to intercept a flight of Hannover CIII on thier way to raise hell with our boys at the front. We soon encountered a lone DVII flown by Bruno Loerzer. The wiley hun managed to give us the slip but we had another purpose and knew we needed to stop them before they could strafe the trenches. Approx. 5 miles from the front we closed on our prey. We gave them a rather jolly what for. The last of the flight of six crashed into a shellhole near our line. We headed for home, all shot to bits and bob's. Nasty business those rear gunners. My crate was running rough and I could smell petrol and knew I would do well to return to base. Made it to our aerodrome and eased the crate earthward. Crack, snap and spin about, then ass end over tea kettle. So I write you from my hospital bed. Should be right in two weeks time I'm told. Sure is nice to see the nurses and catch a hint of their perfume as they tend me with kindness. Watch your six mates, you may not be as lucky as I. Fanatastic Pictures!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 25, 2009 Olham, the story is a minor work of fiction. Largely true but tweaked for purpose of color. Ras, thanks. The pictures are made possible by the hard work and skill of others than myself. I do like to get in close. I feel this is dramatic and shows more detail of the wonderful crates. Much of my purpose in posting pics is to say to anyone interested, look at what OFF and it's community have to offer. Another sim has a few planes. Off has all these planes and wonderful modders/skinners and personalizing is possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 25, 2009 You gotta break a few eggs to get the big birds. Time for the Easter Egg Spad XIII Lt. Samuel Kaye U.S. 94th from 1919 to take to the air. Reports of 2 Gotha bombers came in. Apparently their mission, bomb gay Paris. Our boys having just received the Spad XIII into service are anxious to hunt the oversized hunbirds and put the new crate to the test. Our boys found that the engines where the best targets. Being two large and vital targets the engines were their focus. The Spads swarmed the big birds and pecked away. Sure enough the first Gotha caught fire. Shortly after the second was ablaze. Just as the first injured monster seemed to lose control and spiral earthward our lad with the camera ran out of petrol, must have gotten his tank dinged. Some pics were taken of the Gotha's descent as our young man safely brought his craft to rest in a glade between some woods. His spad will be back in service in two days. Many thanks to Red Dog for yet another historical post-war skin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted September 25, 2009 Good job Red Dog, this skinning is fun :), I don't get shot down as often, lol Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red-Dog 3 Posted September 26, 2009 Good job Red Dog, this skinning is fun :), I don't get shot down as often, lol Cheers mate, i know what you mean.I think the ground crews got it right while your painting your not fighting....... Thanks rickity for showing our creations off in all their glory,its nice to know they bring not only us enjoyment.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted September 27, 2009 . Outstanding work as always Gents! We are getting quite a collection of additional skins for our beloved sim, and here is another I just finished, (a fun one for all you Tripe flyers who desire a bit more colour in your lives. Resized to 74% (was 1300 x 900) - Click image to enlarge Resized to 74% (was 1300 x 1100) - Click image to enlarge I have added this skin to our downloads page, but if you wish to grab it right away and give it a go, here is a direct link: 1917 RNAS Tripe "Where's the Bratwurst?" Let me know what you think and if there is anything than needs tweaking. Enjoy. Cheers! Lou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites