How can I tell if my aeroplane is damaged?

[JimAttrill 24]

Fying the other day, minding my own business in my BE2c (I am trying to fly the kite as it was in those days, that is I don't look for any trouble at all). All of a sudden my engine seemed to lose power and eventually I sort-of landed in some trees. Luckily on my side of the lines and I was only injured. It took a while for the crash to happen and I have no idea why it happened. Maybe I had dirt in the petrol or something. Or maybe I had been hit by Archie? There were certainly no EA around at the time. I remember other FS where you could look to see what damage your aeroplane had sustained - is there any way of seeing what is going on in OFF? There is that 'health' thing which always says 59% so that isn't much help at all.

 

ps. now up to 23 hours, mainly because I try to fly highish 5-6000 ft and the Fokker EIIIs are always lower and I stay up there. Maybe I'm a chicken, but I'm still clucking away unlike my other pilots

[Hellshade 110]

Fying the other day, minding my own business in my BE2c (I am trying to fly the kite as it was in those days, that is I don't look for any trouble at all). All of a sudden my engine seemed to lose power and eventually I sort-of landed in some trees. Luckily on my side of the lines and I was only injured. It took a while for the crash to happen and I have no idea why it happened. Maybe I had dirt in the petrol or something. Or maybe I had been hit by Archie? There were certainly no EA around at the time. I remember other FS where you could look to see what damage your aeroplane had sustained - is there any way of seeing what is going on in OFF? There is that 'health' thing which always says 59% so that isn't much help at all.

 

ps. now up to 23 hours, mainly because I try to fly highish 5-6000 ft and the Fokker EIIIs are always lower and I stay up there. Maybe I'm a chicken, but I'm still clucking away unlike my other pilots

 

Any chance at all you ran out of petrol? If you warp and are at full throttle, it has a tendancy to use fuel at a disproportially fast rate.

 

Hellshade

[Hauksbee 103]

Maybe I'm a chicken, but I'm still clucking away unlike my other pilots

Nothing wrong with picking your fights wisely.

[Olham 164]

Jim, if you had Flak activity against you, a leakage in the tank might have been the reason.

You can check this by pressing "H" (or Ctrl.+H, or was it Ctrl.+Shift+H ?)

The you get a blue text with info data about your "health", and the amount of fuel left.

Watch that - if it deminished fast, you have a leakage.

 

The "warp-thing" happened to me often: entering warp with full throttle end with to little petrol

for some (not all) players. So best enter warp with 65 - 70 %, not more.

Also make sure, you take 150 - 200 % fuell of what the whole round trip would need.

[JimAttrill 24]

Any chance at all you ran out of petrol? If you warp and are at full throttle, it has a tendancy to use fuel at a disproportially fast rate.

 

Hellshade

 

I had 90% or so fuel left. The engine sounded normal and was apparently at 100% throttle, just no power and a sinking feeling as the airspeed dropped off. I hadn't been in a fight at all, just cruising along. Maybe AA damage from when I was over the front. The aircraft didn't want to glide well, but apparently most WWI aircraft don't glide well (read that somewhere on this forum).

 

If I had a rev-counter I could tell you what it was reading ..... Maybe I should look in the cockpit occasionally. I don't even know if there is a rev-counter in there. I know pilots of that day were always mentioning that their engine either did or did not reach the correct 'revs'. Bill Lambert seems to have been obsessed by this and was forever taking his engine to bits to fix it. He also lived out the war, so there is a message there.

 

One thing is that I was flying home 'manually' as the TAC insists on pointing the blue line back towards a waypoint over the lines. Is this because I didn't stay at the target for the required number of minutes - normally 12 or 14? I can warp until I am blue in the face over the lines and just go round in circles, or backwards and forwards more like between two waypoints very close together.

Edited July 4, 2009 by JimAttrill

[Olham 164]

Perhaps you made the mistake to press "M" - magneto off? I did that once,

confusing it with "map".

[JimAttrill 24]

Yes, I have occasionally swiched my engine off by pressing '1' instead of TAB, or the padlock ` toggle - which I instantly switch off again as I find it doesn't help - but it does show me if the enemy is above or below my position which the TAC doesn't do. If the Fokkers are below me I ignore them, and none (so far) have been above. If on the same level I send my mates to sort them out with 'A' while I put the pedal to the metal and get out of there. The Fokker EIII seems to be even slower than the BE2c!

 

But the engine was running at 100% throttle and sounded ok, but obviously had no power at all, maybe 20% at best.

 

The BE2c engine often stops of its own accord, especially when you start it with 'E'. I have to whack some throttle on before it stops. This only bothered me the first couple of times.

 

Anyway, I always remember that many famous aces started in 2-seaters including MvR and (I think) Bishop. Also McCudden? By the time I have learnt to fly I shall be the ace of the base

[JimAttrill 24]

Jim, if you had Flak activity against you, a leakage in the tank might have been the reason.

 

Hi Olham, I always enjoy your posts on this forum. But tell me, what did the Germans in WWI call what the Brits referred to as 'Archie' or (possibly) AA? I have forgotten the German expression that 'flak' came from, I think it was originally a description of the AA gun itself. I do know that 'flak' is definitely a WWII word, rather like 'Stuka' which was really a description of a type of aircraft, not just the JU87. Linguistically this is all interesting, rather as the Brits call all vacuum cleaners 'Hoovers' and it has become a verb 'to Hoover the floor'. Apparently in the 20s a 'Handley Page' was Brit-speak for any large aircraft (and I would like to have a HP 0/100 to play around with, devs please note :yes: ).

 

Oooh I remembered one German word - 'Sturzkampflugzeug'!

Edited July 4, 2009 by JimAttrill

[Olham 164]

Yes, Stuka is for "Sturzkampfflugzeug" or "Sturzkampfbomber", which would be "dive bomber" in English.

 

Flak = Flugabwehrkanone, and you may be right about WW2, cause there it was the

notorious 8,8 gun, which was in the final days of the "1000-years-Reich" used as an anti-tank gun with

good results.

[JimAttrill 24]

In our local war museum here we have a beautifully restored (or kept) Flak 88. Along with the unique ME262 2-seater night fighter, and an SE5A. Also Mosquito, Hurricane and Spitfire, 2 Bf109s, a FW190 A4(?) and other stuff.

 

Just looking at the SE5A makes you wonder about the bravery of those who flew such bits of wood and wire. It is TINY and doesn't look strong at all. Unlike the SE5A in the Imperial War Museum in London it was not used as a skywriter, but just got lost for about 50 years at a technical college in Durban.

 

It's a pity there are no German WWI aircraft in the museum. Guns, yes, but no aircraft.

[Olham 164]

Well, from WW2 you have more than the whole of Germany!

 

For the S.E.5a: if that craft does look tiny already, how small must an EIII have appeared?

Or even the very small Dr.1

[Check Six 2]

The 88mm gun of which you speak was one of the most formidable and versatile weapons of WW2. Worked as a tank gun, an anti-tank gun, a flak gun, an artillery piece. Hope the inventor got an Iron Cross or two (crossed swords, Oak Leaves...DIAMONDS?)

 

Olham, I'm sorry to hear that Germany does not have that many museums that at least CHRONICLE the war. Reasons for it, result etc might be very unfortunate...but still, it did happen, and was part of history. Do you think it is because of the fears of Neo-Nazism raising it's ugly head? I heard that some sites that have significance due to their "history" or their place in it are swept under the carpet because of these very fears. I'm sorry if this is a touchy subject.

Edited July 4, 2009 by Steve Drew

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

One thing is that I was flying home 'manually' as the TAC insists on pointing the blue line back towards a waypoint over the lines. Is this because I didn't stay at the target for the required number of minutes - normally 12 or 14? I can warp until I am blue in the face over the lines and just go round in circles, or backwards and forwards more like between two waypoints very close together.

There is a keyboard command to cycle through your waypoints in case you wish to skip some of them, to bug out and head home, for instance. Mine is Shift-W, but I have remapped my keys, so I don't know if this works for you or not.

[SirMike1983 3]

Was your mixture proper?

[Hauksbee 103]

Apparently in the 20s a 'Handley Page' was Brit-speak for any large aircraft...

I particularly like the other name for the Handley-Page, which was 'the Bloody Paralyser" for its bomb load.

[JimAttrill 24]

Somewhere in Germany there is an Me163 - I get this from 'Wings of the wierd and wonderful' from Capt E Brown RN who flew one as a glider back in '46.

[Hauksbee 103]

...the notorious 8,8 gun, which was in the final days of the "1000-years-Reich" used as an anti-tank gun

When used this way, was it not referred to as PAK: Panzer Abwher Kanone?

[Olham 164]

Well, there are some craft in Germany. MBB have restored a Messerschmidt Bf 109 G, as they have Mercedes as a partner.

So they got it even flyable, after rebuilding parts of that engine.

There are some craft in Sinsheim, and most in Deutsches Museum, Munich (though I don't know which ones).

 

On a big airshow south of Berlin, the ILA - Internationale Luftfahrt-Ausstellung, I even saw the rebuilt Me 262 flying!

 

But many other craft are rather at the Smithsonian, like the Dornier "Pfeil" (forgot the number) with two piston engines -

one pulling, the other pushing. It was neatly restored here in Germany, but then shipped back to America.

 

Yes, the fear of Neo-Nazism may be a major reason, why we cannot show these war machines. After the holocaust, we find

it very difficult to develop some "pride" for German war technology as much as other nations.

It's easier for WW1 - here several nations where clashing and fighting a war which had to come, one or the other way.

And I realise from looking at it, that the soldiers and pilots where pretty much the same on all sides. The famous "chistmas truce"

is the best example for that. That's why I keep repeating again and again: they where not enemies - they where opponents.

To me, an enemy can only be someone I know personnaly.

But those young men where just sent into that thunderstorm of steel.

[Duce Lewis 3]

On a big airshow south of Berlin, the ILA - Internationale Luftfahrt-Ausstellung, I even saw the rebuilt Me 262 flying!

Now that would be a real treat!

 

On a similar note, I just saw a show about the Horten Flying Wing figter on National Geogrphic Channel

Apparently US troops captured one intact at the close of the war

Nat Geo wanted to make a full size copy to test if it was early stealth technology

Link: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/epis...ew#tab-Overview

 

Now here's the gut wrenching part

Apparently it was flown and performed well by the Germans

But it was just dismantled and crated up for shipment back to the US

 

NAT Geo was given access to the plane to take measurements etc

Still sitting there dismantled, the wooden structure just cracking and dry rotting ...ugh!

 

Conjures up memories of Indianna Jones and the Lost Ark when they just warehoused it at the end

[Olham 164]

Hey, Duce

Just found a video about the Me 262 at the ILA 2006, that I saw flying.

Here are also vids about a flyable Bf 109 G, and one about a Focke Wulf 190 D9.

The latter showing one of those late war developments (and my favourite piston engine fighter),

that seems to get restored somewhere in America (in Germany we would not show the swastika anymore) -

not flyable yet, it looks.

The choice of music to that one fits incredibly with the silly uniforms. I'm pretty sure, they used

the wrong colour of cloth. Also is the craft not painted absolutely right; but well - great pics.

 

Me 262

 

Bf 109 G (I suppose, a G4)

 

Focke Wulf 190 D9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=strKBh9otYc

Edited July 5, 2009 by Olham

[Duce Lewis 3]

Wow, great stuff Olham!

 

Love that Me109 vid

There is nothing close to the sound of a WWII fighter in the air

 

Here's a Me262 vs B17 vid:

There's a local B17 / B24 fly-in that tours here occasionally

Arrived late so I only toured the 17

Felt like I was in an aluminum soda-pop can

No protection against MG, let alone cannon fire

Gained a lot more respect for those brave aircrews

 

Me410: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waUPuAvZjwo

Wonder how effective those remotely operated MG's were

[Olham 164]

The Me 410 was not as effective as in the video, as far as I know, but still impressive.

I had almost sent a video about the Dornier "Pfeil" (Dornier Arrow), but being made in

America or elsewhere in the English speaking world, it presented the Swastika, and

very German military music, plus graphics, that altogether had style, which I don't feel

good with.

It is often so to me, that the German WW2 war machines (aircraft and tanks) in their

whole appearance incl. the colouring, remind me somewhat of Spielberg's Tyrannosaurus

Rex from "Jurassic Park" - I'm fascinated and have a goose-skin at the same time.

And I wouldn't like to be their prey.

Hope you understand my feelings.

[Tonyo - legion 2]

It is often so to me, that the German WW2 war machines (aircraft and tanks) in their

whole appearance incl. the colouring, remind me somewhat of Spielberg's Tyrannosaurus

Rex from "Jurassic Park" - I'm fascinated and have a goose-skin at the same time.

And I wouldn't like to be their prey.

Hope you understand my feelings.

 

 

Totally Agree, especially if you found a Tiger tank lurking in the bocage & all you were in was a sherman - I recall a story told by a british tankman about a german tank ace called Wittmann i believe who with his one tiger tank, drove up & down & wiped out a whole column of about 20 british vehicles!!!

[Duce Lewis 3]

Hope you understand my feelings.

Sorry about that Olham

I'll be more careful in the future

 

I visited Germany, Schwalbach/Frankfurt area some years ago (business)

I found your country quite beautiful and my hosts were most gracious

They too found a way to pass on their feelings on WWII

They brought it up in a very surprising way but made their point

I treasure the friendship they showed me and sometimes name my pilots after them

[Olham 164]

Nothing to excuse for, Duce - those mixed emotions are a German identity problem.

Just this evening, I saw that 4 German soldiers have got the "Ehrentapferkeitsmedaille" -

the "Medal of Honour for Courage". They had saved other German soldiers from a burning

vehicle, possibly under attack. It was the first time after the war, that this medal was given.

Our politicians still deny, our soldiers where at war there. But what else could you possibly

call it? They prefer the word "Kampfeinsatz" (combat mission).

One Hauptfeldwebel who got the medal, pinned it down, requesting: "We would wish, that

you care for us already BEFORE we have casualties - not only after."

But officially we only have a defensive army - there to protect the Fatherland against offense.

It is all very difficult to sort out, after WW2 and especially the holocaust, you know?

All that will need much more time to change.

So far, I was really surprised, that it was possible at all to make the movie "Der Rote Baron"

in Germany - I had not thought, the time was right for it already. It flopped, by the way.