British Campaign

[Creaghorn 10]

my pilot had 40+ hours and no kills. very cool. 90% i was always flying for the german side before.

he is flying for RFC60 with Nieport 17_lewis version and now it's february 1917.

main reason for not having any kills yet is invisible bullets, and i hit s**t+c for changing drums. so if i wasted about 97+- bullets i level out, change the drums and chase them again. mostly the try to get behind me or just flee to the deck so my vicitim is gone. since i'm often over enemy lines, i don't chase them to the deck. when attacking two seaters i'm very very cautios because if they hit my engine, then i'm over enemy lines and will fall into captivity.

that's great and makes fun. it's easier to survive in the nieuport because no german plane can keep me in his sights for too long, but the harder thing on british campaign is often beeing over enemy lines, so that's about equal.

unfortunately my nieuport lost a wing due stress and i lost him. but it is indeed fun and a different world than german campaigns.

[DukeIronHand 8]

my pilot had 40+ hours and no kills. very cool. 90% i was always flying for the german side before.

he is flying for RFC60 with Nieport 17_lewis version and now it's february 1917.

main reason for not having any kills yet is invisible bullets, and i hit s**t+c for changing drums. so if i wasted about 97+- bullets i level out, change the drums and chase them again. mostly the try to get behind me or just flee to the deck so my vicitim is gone. since i'm often over enemy lines, i don't chase them to the deck. when attacking two seaters i'm very very cautios because if they hit my engine, then i'm over enemy lines and will fall into captivity.

that's great and makes fun. it's easier to survive in the nieuport because no german plane can keep me in his sights for too long, but the harder thing on british campaign is often beeing over enemy lines, so that's about equal.

unfortunately my nieuport lost a wing due stress and i lost him. but it is indeed fun and a different world than german campaigns.

 

I, like most, have multiple pilots going.

 

I always have a N17 pilot whom I start with 60 Squadron though usually in March 1917.

 

It is a sweet little bird with much history. In any sim I have ever played it always compares favorably with the Alb series though historically, depending on the author it seems, books often give it a mixed review.

 

Perhaps I will have to do a little editing and add a "Sgt. Creaghorn" to my squadron roster.

[Hasse Wind 46]

The Nupe 17 was a superb fighter and the Germans had nothing comparable until the Albatros D series came into service in late 1916. I've flown it quite often. However, I prefer the French version with a Vickers gun. It's much better than the Lewis version.

 

Good to see you flying for the other side occasionally, Creaghorn. Do you have any active Entente two-seater guys? I'm currently flying a Fee in early 1916. Definitely a different kind of beast from the Nupe!

[Shiloh 12]

my pilot had 40+ hours and no kills. very cool. 90% i was always flying for the german side before.

he is flying for RFC60 with Nieport 17_lewis version and now it's february 1917.

main reason for not having any kills yet is invisible bullets, and i hit s**t+c for changing drums. so if i wasted about 97+- bullets i level out, change the drums and chase them again. mostly the try to get behind me or just flee to the deck so my vicitim is gone. since i'm often over enemy lines, i don't chase them to the deck. when attacking two seaters i'm very very cautios because if they hit my engine, then i'm over enemy lines and will fall into captivity.

that's great and makes fun. it's easier to survive in the nieuport because no german plane can keep me in his sights for too long, but the harder thing on british campaign is often beeing over enemy lines, so that's about equal.

unfortunately my nieuport lost a wing due stress and i lost him. but it is indeed fun and a different world than german campaigns.

 

Is this the only bird you can change drums on? How do you do that?

[Creaghorn 10]

started a new campaign with RFC19 in 01.01.1917.flying SpadVII's.

i think that in a spad i don't have to worry too much getting shot down. i can simply fly away anytime. definitely a big advantage compared to german campaigns.

cool thing happened. started on my first mission on the airfield as usual. weather was terribly snowy and everything was almost completely white out. i thought something with my card is broken. i started and just looked at the windnoise and altimeter what i was doing, until i got out of the fog. when returning i made 3 tries to land, but impossible in the fog, so i always flew through again and finally landed on a nearby airfield. never experienced to have fog directly on the airfield. very thrilling .

 

@hassewind. i had a twoseater pilot with be's and then i switched to bristol scouts in 1915, but i got bored because the german side didn't have anything besides eindeckers later so i retired him again. maybe i'll start a new twoseater campaign in mid 1916 when at least rolands are also there, but IMHO the period is lacking too much different enemy german AC, so i retired him.

[Olham 164]

I had a British pilot with No. 46 Sqdn, RFC - the same unit Arthur Gould Lee (author of "No Parachute!") - was flying with.

I started the same time as him in May 1917, and we flew Sopwith Pups from La Gorgue, SW of Ypres.

The Pup is a jolly difference to the Albatros; it is a light-weight, carefree butterfly to enjoy.

Unfortunately I had to write back a partition-backup from before he existed, so he is lost now.

But I'll "start him again" - accompanied by reading the book every night, I get a very good feel with that unit.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Olham

[DukeIronHand 8]

"No Parachute!" is an excellent book. I have owned, one copy or another, for probably about 25 years and have read it several times.

 

Highly recommended!

[Javito1986 14]

I read parts of it in High School some years back, it was really great. They had it in the school library.

 

Been meaning to get into it since, I'm thinking it'll be my next book buy after I finish High in the Empty Blue.

[Olham 164]

Javito, I haven't even finished it yet, but I would say already, that it must be among the top five reads about WW1.

[Bullethead 12]

unfortunately my nieuport lost a wing due stress and i lost him. but it is indeed fun and a different world than german campaigns.

 

Sorry for your loss. I drink to his shade

 

So this was your 1st RFC pilot after all this time? Damn, you've been missing so much fun! I hope your next RFC pilot will be with me in 20 Squadron starting at the time this guy bought it. Then you'll really have a VERY interesting time . Of if you've got a real death wish, try 24 Squadron instead. When 20 Squadron switches Fees for Brisfits, 24 switches DH2s for DH5s.

[Bullethead 12]

The Pup is a jolly difference to the Albatros; it is a light-weight, carefree butterfly to enjoy.

 

Once you get used to it, you should feel invincible in the Pup. Damn, that's a fine machine for its day, even with only 1 gun. If you take any air-to-air gun hits, you're just not paying attention. But you'll probably suffer a lot of collisions because you have to be in very close to do major damage.

[Shiloh 12]

"No Parachute!" is an excellent book. I have owned, one copy or another, for probably about 25 years and have read it several times.

 

Highly recommended!

 

Javito, I haven't even finished it yet, but I would say already, that it must be among the top five reads about WW1.

 

I just picked this up today and it's a great read, very insightful.

 

Once you get used to it, you should feel invincible in the Pup. Damn, that's a fine machine for its day, even with only 1 gun. If you take any air-to-air gun hits, you're just not paying attention. But you'll probably suffer a lot of collisions because you have to be in very close to do major damage.

 

The Pup is most certainly a fine crate. I'm new to this and have survived 16 missions with tons of action in the Pup with RFC-54.

Edited May 10, 2011 by Shiloh

[Creaghorn 10]

Sorry for your loss. I drink to his shade

 

So this was your 1st RFC pilot after all this time? Damn, you've been missing so much fun! I hope your next RFC pilot will be with me in 20 Squadron starting at the time this guy bought it. Then you'll really have a VERY interesting time . Of if you've got a real death wish, try 24 Squadron instead. When 20 Squadron switches Fees for Brisfits, 24 switches DH2s for DH5s.

 

he wasn't my first one, but one of the very few and the first since very long time (since my last campaign took many months in real time). there are others who have many pilots at once. i can only concentrate on one real pilot. i also have dummie pilots for each country, but only for sound-testing purposes.

i would like to start again early 1916 a brit campaign, a bit like in bbc's wings. but the downside is the lacking enemies in this period. you only have eindeckers and rolands.

 

i thought about trying a new thing. when flying twoseaters on reconmissions, i might fly over the target, hit f3 and make a screenshot. and as the missions go i can then add the pics together of the operational area as they did in real.

also i thought doing a french campaign. thing is that i'm still a bit exhausted from my last german campaign, and i can't get into the flow quite right now with a new pilot.

maybe i'll start in a rather unknown RFC squad with none or just few historical pilots where i have an overview over the mates. downside of the suqadrons with many historical pilots is that you have then up to 20 pilots in a squad and it's harder to develop a campaign with the feel of having a band of brothers.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Here's a drink to the dead already.

Hurrah for the next man to die!

 

 

Creaghorn, the RFC campaigns are considerably harder to survive than the German campaigns, and in particular during such times as the Fokker Scourge and Bloody April. I have a fellow right now flying with 24 Squadron in February 1916, and he's made 30 hours so far with several claims put in. He's also been forced down in dogfights twice at this point, and nearly ended it when he crashed-landed at his home drome. But the fates were kind and he walked away...from that one at least.

 

.

[Creaghorn 10]

.

 

Here's a drink to the dead already.

Hurrah for the next man to die!

 

 

Creaghorn, the RFC campaigns are considerably harder to survive than the German campaigns...

 

strange that i feel the extreme opposite .

with eindeckers or rolands against any nieuport version? no chance. even with halberstadts and albatrosses it's very tough to survive 1916 and early 1917. only easy victims (besides be's) are the DH2's. but from then on, when there are nieuports, spads etc. everywhere, and later the camels and se5's, the albatros series is permanently inferior until the fokker DVII arrives. maybe the fokker dr1 gives a bit of relieve but mostly the germans have inferior AC.

usually with the albatrosses it's very easy to lose energy when turning too much, so i always planned the next move while i was finishing the manouver i was doing. trying all tricks to get rid of any attacker.

i experienced then with the nieuport, nobody ever came near my six. i simply outturned them without planning anything. with the spad and se5 series i just flew away and attacked again. the albatrosses were almost like standing still because they are so slow compared to them. so at least for me surviving in german crates is tougher. maybe it's just the lack of stick and rudder ability

Edited May 10, 2011 by Creaghorn

[themightysrc 5]

"i would like to start again early 1916 a brit campaign, a bit like in bbc's wings. but the downside is the lacking enemies in this period. you only have eindeckers and rolands"

 

Oh, trust me, you'll have plenty on your hands with them. I've been there, done that, and got the bullet holes...

[Olham 164]

strange that i feel the extreme opposite

with eindeckers or rolands against any nieuport version? no chance. even with halberstadts and albatrosses it's very tough to survive 1916 and early 1917.

only easy victims (besides be's) are the DH2's.

Hmmm - I feel different there again. The Halberstadt can hold it's own against any enemy, and would be even greater,

if it could make use of it's superb dive ability, without the fragile Nupes performing the same.

The Albatros is a monster fighter for me. When I get that craft in September 1916, I feel really superiour.

I only die from collisions in late 1916 and early 1917 (which must have been a really big danger in any fights; and I must learn

to control my eagerness even much better; so not to fly and fight as if I was invincible).

[Hasse Wind 46]

As I mentioned, I'm currently flying a Fee career in early 1916. The Eindeckers are certainly no Albs, but they can still be dangerous to a Fee. So if you worry about the early campaigns being too easy and boring for the British, I can assure you there's no need to worry. There are still many ways you can lose a pilot in those months!

 

I agree with Olham about the Albatros in 1916 and early 1917. It really feels like a monster fighter, and is more than a match for any Entente fighter of the period. Only when the more dangerous late war Entente fighters, the SPAD's, the Brisfits, the SE.5's and the Camels come into service in large numbers does life become very challenging for a German pilot. Even though the Pup and the N.17 are both great fighters, I don't fear them much when I'm piloting a D.II.

[Dej 17]

Hey Creaghorn,

 

Why don't you try No. 1 Squadron RFC? I think it's the earliest British fighter role you can get (happy to be corrected), flying Bristol Scouts out of Bailleul Asylum in 1915. It's quite a different experience that early on but you later move on to Nieuports and things get challenging after an 'easing in'. At least, that's how it was a few moons back when I tried an early war campaign, IIRC.

[Olham 164]

Another idea for you, Creaghorn, would be to begin as a two-seat Strutter pilot, and then change over to No. 24 Sqdn, RFC, to fly the Airco DH-2?

Challenging carreer!

[Creaghorn 10]

just started a campaign with RFC11 in april 1916 flying bristol scouts and then FE2b's. if i survive long enough, i'll transfer to RFC29 in january 1917.

[Olham 164]

I know you don't like to report about your pilots, Creaghorn, but would you make some exceptions here?

I think it would be the first "taken seriously Campaign" in a Bristol Scout.

[Lewie 7]

Hey Creaghorn,

 

Why don't you try No. 1 Squadron RFC? I think it's the earliest British fighter role you can get (happy to be corrected), flying Bristol Scouts out of Bailleul Asylum in 1915. It's quite a different experience that early on but you later move on to Nieuports and things get challenging after an 'easing in'. At least, that's how it was a few moons back when I tried an early war campaign, IIRC.

 

I really dislike the Bristol Scouts, is the angled gun an actual common setup on them? I ask because when you have Eindekkers and Bristols in an AI situation the Bristol Scouts get the short end of it, and they shouldn't. They're lighter, more maneuverable and faster. The angled gun is just wrong, there were versions with the over-wing mounted Lewis.

 

What I'm finding with the AI Albatros's is that they are a real danger to slower Entente aircraft only when they are higher and can draw a bead on you while diving. Get them on your level, in a turning fight and you can certainly give them a hiding, in equal numbers situations. The problem with the Arras frontline in Spring and summer of '17 is that the Albatros's are numerously attacking the front lines and front airfields. I've made 5 of my 'arry Tate pilot's confirmed kills from cleaning up the numerous Albies wandering around at about 1500' near the front.

[TaillyHo 2]

I know you don't like to report about your pilots, Creaghorn, but would you make some exceptions here?

I think it would be the first "taken seriously Campaign" in a Bristol Scout.

 

Hhhmmm, I wonder what criteria you have in mind to define a "taken seriously Campaign", Olham?

 

I have had 3 pilots campaign in the Bristol Scout. I would submit 2 of those as being 'serious campaigns' as they lasted > 10 hours flying time (although perhaps the magic 17 hours referred to in OFF should be the benchmark?)

 

If so, I would submit 1 'serious' Bristol Scout pilot who managed to survive 2 months from mid May 1915, amassing 33.35 hours and 3 confirmed victories. He was my first ever campaign pilot, I didn't have TrackIR then and his 'accuracy' was a lowly 13% average that largely explains his modest tally of victories.

 

It would be great to read of Creaghorn's exploits in this bird.

[Creaghorn 10]

I really dislike the Bristol Scouts, is the angled gun an actual common setup on them? I ask because when you have Eindekkers and Bristols in an AI situation the Bristol Scouts get the short end of it, and they shouldn't. They're lighter, more maneuverable and faster. The angled gun is just wrong, there were versions with the over-wing mounted Lewis.

 

 

i see it differently. when i'm in early 1916 i don't know the future (so i don't know what AC are going to come etc. so what i have now is the newest and most modern weapon) and i also don't know what gimmicks maybe other squadrons might have. i just know that an aeroplane for hunting other aeroplanes requires two men. one who flies, one who shoots. but this guy lanoe hawker managed to add a gun to a single seater which is shooting kind of forward without the danger of breaking the propeller. and many are copying this concept (in real there were even bristols with lewis guns on both sides as long as i know). i'm just wondering how the germans can shoot through the propeller. must be a kind of wunderwaffe...