Flaming Onions

[Check Six 2]

With all the discussion on AA fire and it's accuracy, some loving the new (1.32 Version) of AA fire, others saying it's too scaryily accurate, I was reminded of another dreaded enemy of the airman..."flaming onions".

 

Reading a few pilot's descriptions of this weapon, many were astonished at how beautiful it was, and others of how it terrified them beyond belief.

 

Is "flaming onions" modelled in OFF? Forgive my ignorance, but it may be there, just that I'm flying in the wrong theatre of operations, or too early or late in the war to have seen it so far.

 

If it is not modelled, could the devs consider it for Phase 4 (after their hiatus of course).

[Tripe & Flaming Onions 0]

Yeah, bring on the FO's

 

Make my username a bit more valid

 

Cheers,

 

T&FO.

[stumpjumper 3]

Certain things just can't be done, or I think we would've seen them already.

 

 

Flaming Onions

 

Different colored AA smoke

 

 

oi im not so sure abou that very close to be done jsut a lil tweckign left till im happy with it

[Check Six 2]

There's some book that says "Ask and ye shall receive".

 

I KNEW someone would have been working on it. Thanks SJ. Good luck with your tweaking. Like I said...both beautiful AND deadly.

[JimAttrill 24]

From what I have read, the 'Flaming Onions' were a low-level form of Archie especially deployed around balloons. Apparently they were fired from a sort of mortar. Not very accurate against a moving target, but could be zeroed in on the static balloon position so were very dangerous.

 

Balloon-busting was considered to be a form of suicide among most pilots, only for those who had no fear. Frank Luke comes to mind. But on the other hand shooting down a balloon was of more help to the war effort than shooting down any number of scouts.

 

The Brits were prepared to lose many BE2 and RE8 pilots to get the same information.

Edited August 14, 2009 by JimAttrill

[stumpjumper 3]

if anybody has any inof phots of exploding flaming oion flak burst please let me know that way i can fine tune the effect, going by wqhat lil info i have found

[stumpjumper 3]

once i get the burst where i like it theni can concenttrate on gfgettign the chined/ grouped effect going with the best looking tracer(tail)

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Very good stumpjumper! From my readings, the flaming onion produced a hot yellow-white glow that hung in the air as smaller bits of burning phosphorus trailed out and down from it. Planes nearby ran the risk of having these burning chunks drop onto their wings as they passed under. The gun that fired these was a smooth bore, 37mm, revolving barrel type. I wish I could loacte an actual photo for you Sir, but I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

I look forward to your finished efforts stumpjumper. Thanks!

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Maeran 20]

A quick look around the net suggests that there won't be any pictures of flaming onions in action, unless the Germans took the pictures from the ground. They were only effective at low altitude and close to the battery. You'd be mad to fly there and point a camera at it.

 

Based on the descriptions I've read, the weapon is a series of flares fired in succession, so you would see something looking like the WWII anti aircraft fire seen in films and games, but slowed down a fair bit.

 

Possibly a modified ground machine gun effect could do the job. But I don't know if you can have a third type of ground fire. You probably can't with the game engine.

[JohnGresham 0]

Nice work Stump, just don't make them loud or accurate, or there'll be hell to pay!

[stumpjumper 3]

wellheading to work but im close to what i want

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Here is a very educational thread from a while back over at The Aerodrome, (even has a pic of what would seem to be the weapon that fired these rounds):

 

Flaming Onions

 

Rammjaeger appears to be a very well-informed individual when it comes to the German guns of WW1.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[stumpjumper 3]

thx lou i had seen that thread and yes he is deifntly very informative

[stumpjumper 3]

BTW, in the thread I cited there is mention that the bursts were green in color rather than yellow-white. Not a lot of concensus on this weapon.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

 

thank we can tinker that out eventully thxs a million lou

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Great, glad you found it stumpjumper. BTW, in the thread I cited there is mention that the bursts were green in color rather than yellow-white. Not a lot of concensus on this weapon.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

Coolio!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

You are more than welcome Sir. Glad to help in any way I can.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[RAF_Louvert 101]

stumpjumper, I came across another thread as well with a few more pics of the various 37mm AA guns used by the Germans. Here is the link:

 

37mm Flak Types Explained

 

Also, here are two of those photos showing the difference between the early-war revolving cannon likely used to fire the flaming onions, and the late-war ten-shot weapon. This would help to explain one of the discrepancies as concerns the number of firey balls in a single group, where the early reports noted 5 to 7 while the later reports talked about 10 to 20.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[stumpjumper 3]

getting closer to the effect i want or at leastmy undersatdning on what may have been

jsut got off work and the idea was in myhead most fo thenite sohad to sit down and try it out,

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Looking very good stumpjumper! One thought, (and just say if it can't be done). Can the balls appear in more of a line or "chain" as is described in many reports?

 

Thanks for your hard work and efforts Sir.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[RAF_Louvert 101]

stumpjumper, here is a touched-up photo of what I rather imagined the flaming onion rounds must have looked like to the Great War pilots. Is it even possible to make a single archie burst "appear" as five or so separate balls of phosphorous? Just wondering Sir.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Check Six 2]

That's the effect as I imagined it. Beautiful and deadly. Yes Sir.

 

I understand that it might be difficult/damn near impossible to achieve that kind of effect. I think that it would put the icing on the cake. Literally.

[stumpjumper 3]

let me see what i can do, as it is rightnow its currently set up as 2 in a horizontal so i dotnthank it shouldnt be to difficult, will toy withit late tongiht tommrow and perhaps ill getup a test video to show itoff better

[Duce Lewis 3]

Flaming Onions would be a neat addition to OFF

I could see how they would be dazzling and frightful at the same time

Thanks for your efforts stumpjumper!

[Rickitycrate 10]

Ohhh babay...more immersion.

[stumpjumper 3]

ok no luck in gettign more than 2 rounds fo the phospours to show but i dohave a nice flmaing explosion at the burst quickly followed by the balls of hospurs falling from them, willtinker some more in a bit and get a tiny fraps toghter to showw them