Screen Shots, Videos, Media, OFF Posters

[Shiloh 12]

My first screenie. I'm still learning how to fly, let alone turning off all the bling and getting a decent screenie so these will improve as I get battle-hardened. I'm cruising low and enjoying the french countryside a minute before getting jumped from above. I crash-landed her 5 minutes later but she looks good here.

 

 

[Olham 164]

I always wanted a blue skin with white stripes on the Albatros D.V. Now I made me one and had a sortie with it.

Gee, that was a melee over Lille - we got engaged by three flights of Triplanes during our patrol.

But it wasn't the perfect day for RNAS-1. Together with Albatros D.III from MFJ-1, we shot down 6 Tripes altogether.

 

 

[Shiloh 12]

Nice screenies and a fine new skin there Olham.

[Olham 164]

Thank you, Shiloh - skinning is still my greatest fun besides of the flying. Here is another Jasta 2 skin - I change between the two.

 

In our patrol area east of Ypres, we sighted two flights of Sopwith Triplanes. Bernert, who flew 500 meter higher than us, attacked,

and so I had to join in with my men. It was an amazing scrap, a real furball! After only minutes, we found ourselves fighting low at

the deck. Here, I managed to shoot a wing off one Triplane, and the Tommy crashed.

By then, the other Albatros were out of my sight, and I tried to run away from 4 or 5 Tripehounds. They kept chasing me; after two

miles, I still had two of them behind me. I lured them to a nearby airfield, to get some assistance from Flak and machine guns.

We were turning incredibly low and tight - I was constantly in danger of stalling or hitting a tent or a tree.

But then came my chance! One Tommy got driven away from us, when he evaded some Flak bursts.

Before he was back at my six again, I got behind his wingman and shot him to pieces. He crashed right into the field.

Then I put my kite down near a machine gun position.

 

 

[Olham 164]

Jasta 2 had just taken off, when we were attacked by 6 or more Bristol F2b fighters. My engine got damaged within seconds,

but it lasted long enough to bring down one of those grey-nosed "Killer-Pigs". I real life, they would have scared the hell out of me!

 

 

Edited April 25, 2011 by Olham

[Olham 164]

1916: Jasta 2 had a very successful afternoon patrol near Cantin aerodrome. We sighted some silver Nieuport 17 attacking the airfield

and engaged them with great advantage. They had no chance and fell within minutes. One had almost escaped. But he returned, when

he saw that his comrades were kneedeep in trouble. This single fighter took all six of us on in a desperate fight. When he fell under my

guns at 16:24 h, west of Cantin airfield, he fell as a hero.

Some say, the French fighter pilots were not the bravest. That is utter nonsense!

 

 

[ReDDoT 0]

Beautiful report and screenies again Olham

Thank you

 

 

PS: My pilot died again before August 1916. I crashed on the rooftop of a building while attacking a Railyard... I gave up with the Eindecker.

[Olham 164]

... I gave up with the Eindecker.

A wise decision. Join Jasta 2, when they get the Albatros D.II. If you want it harder, join them, when they get the Halberstadt.

Still a quite good fighter. But to the Eindecker, you should come back after a year or so in OFF.

[TaillyHo 2]

Nice artwork via your new rig, Olham. I see - not surprisingly - you look right at home there in your beloved at Jasta 2.

 

I'm not so sure about your Pup pilot's claim tho - from your 'report' it seems you did no more than fly close to an already thoroughly shot-up DFW and watch it fall apart and crash down. The 'claim' aside tho, it was a great account of your new recruit's arrival and early days experiences at his new squadron.

 

After a few days away, I installed HiTR successfully last night and my 2 long-term pilots seem to have survived the upgrade ok (at least, they still appear on my list of pilots). I was pleased to see quite a bit more ground level detail added for seemingly no FPS penalty. I've enlisted a new DFW pilot at FA(A) 250 (again) to check a few things out with before I risk my more established pilots in the 'new' sim.

 

New sights, new sounds, new planes - all nice (for me) to have this step-up to enjoy between now and whenever P4 is released!

[Olham 164]

Nice artwork via your new rig, Olham. I see - not surprisingly - you look right at home there in your beloved at Jasta 2.

Thank you, TaillyHo. Yes, Jasta 2 is one of those Staffeln I always come back to. Yet dreaming of surviving the whole war with them.

So far only a dream - I never even made one year of the war.

 

I'm not so sure about your Pup pilot's claim tho - from your 'report' it seems you did no more than fly close to an already thoroughly shot-up DFW

and watch it fall apart and crash down.

Maybe I wrote it up a bit confusing? No, I did fire, and I definitely shot that wing off the big two-seater.

It was only, that I hadn't chased or aimed at that DFW - it crossed my sight and grew larger, and I only had half a second to react.

So I fired and then pulled hard to the right. I wouldn't have got a claim form, if I hadn't shot it down. Sheer luck though.

 

After a few days away, I installed HiTR successfully last night and my 2 long-term pilots seem to have survived the upgrade ok (at least, they still appear

on my list of pilots). I was pleased to see quite a bit more ground level detail added for seemingly no FPS penalty.

The pilots should still work well after the "upgrade". I almost envy you for making the new experience with HitR.

Remember to check for patches - I think there were one or two necessary.

 

I've enlisted a new DFW pilot at FA(A) 250 (again...

Hasse Wind would be happy about that decision.

[TaillyHo 2]

Maybe I wrote it up a bit confusing? No, I did fire, and I definitely shot that wing off the big two-seater.

It was only, that I hadn't chased or aimed at that DFW - it crossed my sight and grew larger, and I only had half a second to react.

So I fired and then pulled hard to the right. I wouldn't have got a claim form, if I hadn't shot it down. Sheer luck though.

 

The pilots should still work well after the "upgrade". I almost envy you for making the new experience with HitR.

Remember to check for patches - I think there were one or two necessary.

Hasse Wind would be happy about that decision.

 

My apologies for getting the wrong read on your Pup claim. I thought you said you fired but narrowly missed - but if you did all that damage shown in your pic, you surely deserve this 'victory'.

 

I could only see one 'patch' for HiTR, so that is also installed and now I am at version 1.47

 

Well I did notice some more (presumably wind) buffeting flying HiTR over the original BH&H, so I wanted a good sturdy plane to get a few more hours experience of this . . .and with 2 established British pilots, I wanted to have another start flying for Germany.

[ReDDoT 0]

A wise decision. Join Jasta 2, when they get the Albatros D.II. If you want it harder, join them, when they get the Halberstadt.

Still a quite good fighter. But to the Eindecker, you should come back after a year or so in OFF.

 

OK, startet a new campaign with Jasta2 now.

"Drück mir die Daumen"

[Olham 164]

...but if you did all that damage shown in your pic, you surely deserve this 'victory'.

Not all of it - I think the tail was shreddered by Amherst or Trevelyan. I sure did saw the wing off.

 

I could only see one 'patch' for HiTR, so that is also installed and now I am at version 1.47

That should be the right version. Maybe the other patches still were before HitR.

 

. . .and with 2 established British pilots, I wanted to have another start flying for Germany.

The DFW is a great sturdy and strong Lady. She will climb away from early Nupes!

The Albatros D.II and the Pfalz D.IIIa are sturdy German fighters, if you want to try that some day.

 

ReDDoT: "Hals- und Beinbruch!"

[TaillyHo 2]

The DFW is a great sturdy and strong Lady. She will climb away from early Nupes!

The Albatros D.II and the Pfalz D.IIIa are sturdy German fighters, if you want to try that some day.

 

Yes, I really like the DFW. Aside from the engine blocking half your forward view (and dictating the offset gun position), it's all good.

 

I did try the D.II (briefly) and was chalking up a few victories against Bees and Fees - but when it came to matching it with single-seater opponents, it got too hard. I was surprised by how quickly I was out of position against a humble Bristol Scout, and then I got shot down by a Pup a couple of days later. So I think there is a lesson on 'Energy Fighters' I definately still have to learn because flying the D.II in the manner I'd been flying most everything else before that, clearly didn't work.

[Olham 164]

If you are a "rotary-man / turn fighter", you may find it very different to fly an energy fighter.

First thing to remember would be: don't let yourself get dragged into a turn fighting style.

 

If you have the alt. advantage, dive on your opponents, attack them, and pull up again with the energy,

to re-gain the advantage.

 

If you are lower than the opponent, dive away from him and then pull up to gain altitude.

If he should follow, you could only continue the diving away. (Here OFF is not yet perfect - the energy fighters

could usually dive away faster than the turnfighters; but here, Nupes can often follow quickly, not to mention

the Tripe, which can dive far too fast in OFF).

 

I have mostly been flying Albatros, and after long training, I can turn with most craft pretty well.

But with the rotary men, you should always force them into left round turning. In right rounds, they are better.

 

It is quite a change still, coming from the turn fighters.

[TaillyHo 2]

Ok, Olham - that confirms a lot of my suspicions. I expect the other element essential for effective 'boom and zoom' is accuracy in positioning your craft and lining up your opponent from a distance; and accuracy in hitting your opponent in a relatively short burst. Neither if these things come easily to a realtive newcomer . . . and I think both can be compensated for more readily in turn fighting.

 

I've previously thought - when watching Hellshades videos - that he has an uncanny knack of knowing when to create space to stalk an opponent, and when to be perfectly 'there' to take the kill-shot. It may come down to experience, but that knowledge of anticipating - or judging - exactly where your opponent is going to be at precisely the right moment you (arriving at full speed) will be at the optimal range to fire (and fire accuractely!). There is a lot of skill involved in all this, to be sure.

[TaillyHo 2]

. . . in the meantime, here's my new DFW (FA(A)250) pilot on Day 1, cruising up behind an unsuspecting B1on a wet and rainy October afternoon and . . . er, brightening up his outlook.

 

.

[Olham 164]

You will learn each aircraft well, when you fly it a lot. Of course it's easier with an "easy" craft like the Sopwith Triplane.

Hellshade is a top gun; he has been flying hundreds of sim hours.

It's like flying with TrackIR - it is hard first, but when you got used to it, it feels like sitting in the cockpit.

 

It took me a year to be as good in the Albatros as I am now. But I wouldn't stand a chance in that plane against

Hellshade in a Triplane. Not the least.

Edited April 28, 2011 by Olham

[TaillyHo 2]

You will learn each aircraft well, when you fly it a lot. Of course it's easier with an "easy" craft like the Sopwith Triplane.

Hellshade is a top gun; he has been flying hundreds of sim hours.

It's like flying with TrackIR - it is hard first, but when you got used to it, it feels like sitting in the cockpit.

 

It took me a year to be as good in the Albatros as I am now. But I wouldn't stand a chance in that plane against

Hellshade in a Triplane. Not the least.

 

Thanks Olham, I'm sure you are right. I didn't appreciate how much difference there is in the way you have to fly energy fighters compared to rotary/turn-fighters. I'm beginning to realise how much I underestimated the skills necessary to execute effective 'boom n zoom' tactics - and more so, how essential those skiills are for surviving in an energy fighter!

Back to 'school' for me - don't you just love that about OFF!

 

BTW, which other OFF craft would you say fall into the 'Energy' camp alongside the Halbs and Albs (SPADs? S.E5s? . . .)

I've just been reading McCudden's 'Flying Fury' where he encounters a Halb for the first time and is amazed that it could dive "vertically" from 10,000 to 3,000 feet and then pull out and fly away. It would seem after the Eindecker, the Germans committed to the energy-fighter concept - at least, up until the DR1 - whereas the Brits didn't really have an energy fighter until the S.E5 (not sure about the SPAD tho ?).

[Olham 164]

Back to 'school' for me - don't you just love that about OFF!

Indeed, TaillyHo, indeed!

 

BTW, which other OFF craft would you say fall into the 'Energy' camp alongside the Halbs and Albs (SPADs? S.E5s? . . .)

The SPADs definitely. They are strong and great energy fighters, but turning with them is something you need to exercise.

The S.E.5s are - IMHO - a good mixture. They are firstly energy fighters; very powerful engine, extremely fast, good climb.

But you can also turn with most German fighters quite well; she is easy to fly and to turn.

Only craft you shouldn't dare to turn against, is the Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker.

 

I've just been reading McCudden's 'Flying Fury' where he encounters a Halb for the first time and is amazed that it

could dive "vertically" from 10,000 to 3,000 feet and then pull out and fly away. It would seem after the Eindecker, the Germans

committed to the energy-fighter concept - at least, up until the DR1 - whereas the Brits didn't really have an energy fighter until

the S.E5 (not sure about the SPAD tho ?).

I have to read that book yet. Is it a good read?

Yes, the German craft in OFF are energy fighters. But there had been earlier Fokker with rotaries, which I guess were rather

turn fighters. But for the idea of carrying two guns with enough ammo, an energy fighter would be more like it.

The Germans mostly built great war craft; the British had (before the S.E.5) rather aircraft, which were beautiful to fly with.

[TaillyHo 2]

The SPADs definitely. They are strong and great energy fighters, but turning with them is something you need to exercise.

The S.E.5s are - IMHO - a good mixture. They are firstly energy fighters; very powerful engine, extremely fast, good climb.

But you can also turn with most German fighters quite well; she is easy to fly and to turn.

Only craft you shouldn't dare to turn against, is the Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker.

 

I have to read that book yet. Is it a good read?

Yes, the German craft in OFF are energy fighters. But there had been earlier Fokker with rotaries, which I guess were rather

turn fighters. But for the idea of carrying two guns with enough ammo, an energy fighter would be more like it.

The Germans mostly built great war craft; the British had (before the S.E.5) rather aircraft, which were beautiful to fly with.

 

Thanks for the advice, Olham (as always).

McCudden's book is unpretentious, almost chatty in style. Personal - almost like a diary in places - but easy to read with some great detail on life in the RFC.

[Olham 164]

Every now and then I get into one of the "Epic Battles" that make OFF so special to me.

They begin unexpected, they have a special athmosphere.

 

Today, when I took off with Jasta 2, we got attacked by several Tripes from RNAS.

But it was not a scramble - we were supposed to fly a patrol around the airfield at Roucourt.

I had all aids switched off, and I circled the field and climbed for altitude around our airfield at Proville.

As I had to wait for my comrades to join up with me, I flew over to the airfield at Awoingt, next to ours.

I enjoyed the interesting light - it was looking like a thunderstorm was about to come during the next hour.

I saw my wingmen coming up, and dived on Awoingt to see the aircraft at the ground there.

And then I saw a shadow with three wings!

Three wings?

Sopwith Triplanes?!

Looking up and around, I found all men of my flight turning with red-brown Tripes.

There were several aces from RNAS near, and I fought three craft during 12 - 15 minutes.

I hit all three very hard, and they tried to remain aloft with smoking engines.

They got shot down by other pilots from Jasta 2.

Bernert got one; I saw Frommherz victorious; Bassenge had a flamer; Kempf shot one up.

I for myself didn't get a claim form - I had done the preparations, but had no own victory.

 

But what the heck - I wasn't hit; I turned with RNAS aces, and I took part in this "epic battle".

Here are my pics; all from the end of it, when I relaxed enough to make them - enjoy them as I did enjoy this fight!

 

 

Edited May 2, 2011 by Olham

[TaillyHo 2]

Well done, Olham - you and your Jasta 2 colleagues did well to dispense with the Tripes so efficiently, more so when they had the element of surprise.

 

I think you are selling us a little short with your montage this time tho - looks like 3 of those pics are all the same slice of the action (impressive tho your 'surgery' on that wing is)

[Olham 164]

Yep, I only made screenshots on the last Tripe we chased - I was totally captured by the surprise attack

and the fight we had to take on under such disadvantaged conditions.

That's why I presented one "freeze frame" situation from various angles (I didn't even want to press

"Pause" before - it was all feeling so real and so very immersive.

 

So you only see the last two Tripes here - the smoking one, which is also in the bottom right corner when

it crashes; and the "wing saw" Tripe. The wing was "sawed off" by Otto Hunzinger, as you can see in the

bottom left pic. I had made my firing pass already and was pulling up.

It was a great show to fly with the 5 Jasta 2 aces Fritz Otto Bernert, Hermann Frommherz, Otto Hunzinger,

Gerhard Bassenge and Friedrich Paul Kempf; and I wished I had shown all of their interesting skins.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Olham

[TaillyHo 2]

Ah, a star-studded cast indeed, Olham. No wonder you accounted well for yourselves.