Updated Gotha's

[+quack74 329]

First I need to say most of this skin work was created by SH71 in '07. I just made a couple of new ones.

 

I've reworked all the available Gotha skins and made a couple more of my own with bits and pieces of others. I've removed all the painted on markings so they all now use the game generated markings. I also created new tailnumbers for the Night version (white outlines).

There are a few skins from Kagohl 3 plus one generic and a night camouflage version to go along with the MOROTAS skin. I'll post these all soon.

 

For anyone who doesnt know, the Gotha can be found at http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/ in the WWI section. A password is needed.

 

I just got tired of not having the Late markings for the Gothas

 

 

Edited March 6, 2010 by quack74

[+whiteknight06604 934]

excellent.

[Wilches 1,169]

Super!!! Waiting on!!

[+quack74 329]

I just want to finish up a Gotha G.IV in Aurstrian Camo. I'm doing this one so I have an Austrian bomber for my Austria-Hungary "like" install. But I still have to texture all the ribs. Take note of the detail on the fuse sides and rudder. I want to do that same "bevel" effect on all the wings too. Also take not of all the interior details, cockpit and underside rear tunnel. The plain green was bugging me too much. I'll get these up by the weekend I hope.

 

 

[+whiteknight06604 934]

that Austrian skin looks great.Thanks,I will be looking forward to your releaseing these.

[OlPaint01 0]

Quack@

 

I really am looking forward to the renewed interest in Heavys. The skins are beautiful!!!

 

Months ago, I believe that I recall Sinbad was working on a Heavy Bomber Campaign for First Eagles with scenarios that included Gotha Raids on London. He was attempting to arrange a bombing squadron stream with a common target for all to hit. As opposed to the way it works now with you targeting the primary and the rest of the AI hitting targets of opportunity. He also mentioned that he was cooperating with several others to perfect a workable high altitude bombsight. Have you heard how that project is progressing?

 

Sanbad@

 

I noticed that you might have come off sabbadical and are posting again. Could you share a status for your Heavy Bomber Campaign? Inquiring Minds Want to Know.

 

OlPaint01

Edited March 27, 2010 by OlPaint01

[+quack74 329]

In my latest skin download of the Day Time Gotha G.IV's of Kagohl 3, there are two with green fuselage sides and some green on the nose. I will be adding one more like these as another flight leader. I just found some more pics on the net of these three G.IV's. I love finding new photos .

 

But I have a question for anyone who might know. It is said that these three Gotha G.IV's might be painted in red rather than the popular version in green. I seem to be leaning more to the red as well. If Brandenburgs G.IV had a red tail than why not the other flight leaders? I believe from what I've read that even the historians on the matter believe them to be red as well. So, I will change them all to red and add them as a seperate download. Some of you might like the green. But it might be more accurate if I make the red versions too. So I'll let you all decide for yourselves. But If anyone has anything to say on the matter then please do. I love to learn new things and hear others opinions.

 

BTW OlPaint, Peter01, Sinbad, what's the statis of that bombsight mod? Has a step by step been slaped together? I've been going back and forth with the few threads about the bombsight mod, but it's getting too confusing. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Edited April 11, 2010 by quack74

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Quack

 

I have followed Peter01's instructions to use P10ppy's Gunsight mod to add a working Bomb Drop Pickle (not really a full fledged bombsight with a graphic such as Dfang made several years ago for SFP1) for the HP400, GothaGIV, and AEG_G4 heavy bombers. Making it work for the SP3 and Staaken aircraft still eludes my efforts. So I patiently await Peter01's efforts that may fix something in those _Data.INI files I am overlooking. Sinbad has offered to me a look at his Bomber Campaign Mod beta but our efforts to exchange files has failed so far.

 

High altitude level bombing is a challenge. The FE1 game apparently adds a random cross wind that has to be corrected by rudder pedal inputs to make the bomb run track over the target. Its fun to make like a bombardier and to watch the primary disappear in a huge cloud of fire and smoke.

 

I have put together a ReadMe of all Peter01's instructions from the various threads that I used to make the 'Bombing Pickle' work. I have not gotten permission to publish this from Peter01 yet. I understand he is working up a completed instruction set too. The results of my calibration adjustments are in the "HP400 Bombing Run" thread.

 

OlPaint01

Edited April 13, 2010 by OlPaint01

[+quack74 329]

Thanks OlPaint01, I'll just wait patiently then

 

 

Here are what the lead aircraft would look like in red. I'll post them so you all can use them if you like:

 

 

[Southside Bucky 1]

Red or green,...who knows for sure? Probably no one. Green seems more logical in a military sense, but the red would seem quite likely for daylight air to air recognition. So your optional upload is a good idea, I reckon.

 

Whatever, here's a few photos of Kagohl III Gothas. Speaking as a Londoner, I particularly like the first one:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incidentally, if you only read one book on the WWI bombing of England, make it this one:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Blitz-Neil-Hanson/dp/0552155489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271096331&sr=1-1

 

A riveting read!

Edited April 12, 2010 by Southside Bucky

[+sinbad 27]

Here are screenshots of an updated Gotha cockpit and bombsight.

 

It is a reworked version of the DVII cockpit, which is the best now available.

 

The Gotha bombardier was really not the pilot, but rather the forward observer.

 

The bombsight should work at night as well as by day.

 

This cockpit should work with the impressive set of skins by Quack.

[+quack74 329]

Exellent stuff Sinbad . Bombing has never been more fun

 

And Southside Bucky, I actually have those pics and more. There is a picture of the 2 "Green" Gothas that is at full view and shows one more. But the lettering is obscured. Ofcourse

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2010 by quack74

[+sinbad 27]

Here are screenshots of an updated Gotha cockpit and bombsight.

 

It is a reworked version of the DVII cockpit, which is the best now available.

 

The Gotha bombardier was really not the pilot, but rather the forward observer.

 

The bombsight should work at night as well as by day.

 

This cockpit should work with the impressive set of skins by Quack.

 

Beta testing is winding down. We expect be able to release the bombsight and cockpit sometime over the weekend.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

thats great news Sinbad,many thanks.

[+Tailspin 3]

Nice skins! Too bad we don't have decent looking gunners for the Gotha.

[+quack74 329]

Nice skins! Too bad we don't have decent looking gunners for the Gotha.

 

 

I agree. The gunners from your 11/2 Strutter or Latons' two seaters would be awsome. I also sent Capun1950 a request to fix the forward fuselage glass. So there should be a patched LOD file soon for it at Skunkworks. I hope BTW thanks for the skin compliments . I'm not sure what the inside really looked like so I left the interior in a wood finish. I believe the fuselage was a plywood skin, so I didnt think it would look like fabric on the inside. I could be wrong.

[+sinbad 27]

There already is a fix for the glass. It was done in August of 2008 in the Gotha4-R2c.LOD.

 

I thought it was also part of the new R2d.LOD. I don't have it on my models with that LOD.

 

As for the gunnners, Capun would have to do the gunner mod. They are part of the 3dMax file.

 

Meanwhile I have reworked the gunner skins a bit. I think that is OK to post here.

 

The bmp doesn't look good, but IMHO it is better when loaded on the model.

 

There already is a fix for the glass. It was done in August of 2008 in the Gotha4-R2c.LOD.

 

I thought it wad part of the new R2d.LOD. I don't have it on my models with that LOD.

 

 

As for the gunnners, Capun would have to do the gunner mod.

 

Meanwhile I have reworked the gunner skins a bit. I think that is OK to post here.

The bmp doesn't look good, but it is better when loaded on the model.

WW1BmrGunner.rar

Edited April 24, 2010 by sinbad

[OlPaint01 0]

Hello Sinbad

 

The Gotha Bombsight pak is installed and working in both FE1 and FE2. Outstanding effort. I noticed that you set the bombing altitude in the MISSIONCONTROL.INI file in the FLIGHT directory. Peter01 demonstrated that the bombing altitude could be set in each individual aircraft_DATA.INI. I wonder if this might be the better place to set the altitude for the bombing missions. We could then set a Gotha for a London Mission at angels 3 meters or a Gotha for a battle field bridge or airfield attack at angels 1000 meters for the aircraft drop down menu. It would save having to reload MISSIONCONTROL.INI for a change in campaign type.

 

Here is how Peter01 setup for HP400...

 

"It is very accurate with some practise, almost pinpoint accuracy. But those bridges are very tough!! This is in the Gotha with two 300 kg bombs and the accuracy is pretty consistent - this time one bomb a few metres in front the bridge, one a few metres after (I pressed the release twice almost immediately). The previous mission I scored a direct hit, but no pics ....

 

A few pics to describe how I do bombing stikes with the large bombers, pretty successfully. Have also changed AI parameters and that makes a difference I think.

 

For bombing I have set the HP400 AI parameters so that they "prefer" level bombing at 1000 metres, both the first and second passes, and release all there bombs in about 1.6 secs.

 

These are in the FM, the // are TKs standard numbers.

 

 

[LevelBombAI]

PullOutRange=100.0

PullOutAlt=1000.0

ReleaseAlt=1000.0

//<---- 1000 metres "preference". About 3000-4000ft is normal flight altitude in FE so fits Well.

SecondPassRange=500.0

SecondPassAlt=1000.0

//<---- 1000 metres if they need to do a second pass. Same as initial, so they don't start going all over the place.

ReleaseCount=8

//<---- as the HP400 has 8 bombs. If a plane has 20 bombs, then 20.

ReleaseInterval=0.2

//<---- release quickly, 8 bombs in 1.6 secs. If a plane has 20 bombs, then 0.1 or so.

 

// TKs Standard Values

//[LevelBombAI]

//PullOutRange=100.0

//PullOutAlt=100.0

//ReleaseAlt=1000.0

//SecondPassRange=500.0

//SecondPassAlt=800.0

//ReleaseCount=4

//ReleaseInterval=0.5

 

Its AI data, so anywhere between the [FlightControl] and [Aircraftdata] sections in data.ini, eg HP400_data.ini. I don't know whether it works or not placing it anywhere else."

 

OlPaint01

[+sinbad 27]

This looks like a workable alternative to the mission control approach.

 

Either way involves reloading a file and with the Jones Soft Generic Mod Enabler it is pretty easy to do.

 

I'm not sure, but I think there may be a difference in the way would be interceptors are treated though.

 

If the mission control approach also apples to the interceptor (i.e. if the intercepting aircraft start at 3000 meters)

the method you describe would be more realistic. Time to climb was a real problem for the defenders,

given the usually late notice of impending attacks. Later in the war when the observer and reporting system got better this diminished somewhat.