An OFF 1 Diversion Whilst We Wait For OFF 2:

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Greetings All,

 

In between my many travels these last few weeks I've been plunking away at a little project that I will be sharing with you all once I have it to such a point, (possibly this Sunday). It involves a relatively obscure CFS3 plane add-on that fits perfectly with our beloved sim, and a locale that is ideally suited to us as would-be WWI pilots. Here are a few visual clues to help you cypher it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who amongst you learned lot knows where I am working, on what, and which aircraft this project is taking advantage of? Also, I will add that after numerous hours of flitting about in this kite around this area, it is not only enlightening but also a pure hoot!

 

 

 

Lou

 

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[+Olham]

"The Magnificent Men and their flying Machines" ?

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Well ... in a way ... though not quite like that movie. But definitely early aviation / early war period.

 

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[+Olham]

Perhaps the "Exposition Internationale de la Locomotion Aérienne" in Paris,

which was run by the "Chambre Syndicate des Industries Aéronautiques" ?

[+RAF_Louvert]

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No, not the Exposition or Paris, Olham. Quite some distance southwest of there actually, and somewhere often mentioned in the writings of WWI French, British, and US pilots, (and even a few Italian and German WWI pilots as well).

 

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[+Olham]

Help! Dej?!

[33LIMA]

Rheims?

 

sorry, spelling, meant Reims, as in this:

 

http://www.centennia...s/Reims/EX2.htm

 

(north-east of Paris not south west but I doubt you mean le Mans where the Wright Flyer was demo'ed in 1908)

 

..and is this the plane, or is that too obvious?

 

http://bleriot11.pagesperso-orange.fr/CFS3.htm

Edited March 14, 2012 by 33LIMA

[+RAF_Louvert]

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That is precisely the plane I mean LIMA, and yes it is too obvious.

 

However, the locale to which I allude is neither Le Mans nor Reims. Try looking about 450 km due south of Le Mans.

 

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[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Not sure of the location, but perhaps a training school for prospective pilots?

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Yes indeed, Herr Prop-Wasche! It is a school for prospective pilots. Now then, which facility might it be? Hmmmm.

 

Hint: The manufacturer of the plane ID above had its school there, as did the Wright Brothers, and others.

 

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[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Perhaps Lou is referring to this?

 

The Blériot XI, of English Channel fame, made its first flight at Issy on January 23, 1909. This plane established the classic formula of the tractor monoplane that remained unchanged until the start of World War I. It incorporated many features taken for granted in later planes: monoplane wings, a tractor propeller directly attached to the crankshaft, a hinged tilting stick and rudder pedal controls, and a covered fuselage.

 

http://www.centennia...riot/Aero47.htm

[+Olham]

Hmmm - 450 km south of Le Mans - could it be Toulouse?

The nowadays Airbus Industries are located there.

So it may be an old center of French aviation?

[Herr Prop-Wasche]

I think Olham has it right.

[33LIMA]

Oh, you mean Pau, then?

 

edit - as in this place:

 

Edited March 14, 2012 by 33LIMA

[+RAF_Louvert]

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DING DING DING! It is Pau! l'école d'aviation de Pau, to use the vernacular.

 

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By the end of WWI it was a massive pilot training complex.

 

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[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Congrats, Lima! Virtual drinks on me!

 

 

Mmmmm, beer!

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Oh yes, free beers all around, to be sure. And for those who would like a bit of reading on the subject whilst enjoying said beers, here you go:

 

Ecoles de Pau

 

Hope you've brushed up on your French, elsewise you shall have to resort to Google Translate.

 

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[33LIMA]

Prosit! (hic)

 

So, will this CFS3 or OFF mod enable French or US pilots to do their primary training at Pau, using Bleriot Penguins or full-span jobs? Fine by me, then they will have at least half a chance before they meet me in my Albatros (or Pfalz, after HPW's latest mod has made it less skittish).

[+RAF_Louvert]

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That is what I had in mind when I began this little project, though it will be sans Penguins. Using one of the OFF airfield facilities as a template I have a good portion of the area put together, (circa early 1915), and have built a "scenario" so that you folks can start in Quick Missions with your early-War pilot candidate. I plan to have a map for you that you can use for your training flights, and once you've successfully completed all those you could then "move on".

 

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[+Olham]

Congrats, LIMA - I must admit I never heard of that school before.

 

Albatros or Pfalz are always good choices! So are HPW's FMs now finally all ready?

A more balanced Pfalz could attract me too.

[33LIMA]

I think we're still waiting for HPW's final P3 FM mod; I hope i haven't missed it, because I have been holding back from flying a Pfalz again, until the mod is ready!

 

While it is probably quite a lot of work to integrate a new plane into OFF's campaign, I'm guessing it is not too hard to add single missions, for Lou's purpose.

 

I wonder if it would be possible, as well as 'takeoffs and bumps', to have an air combat training single mission with, say, an N.24 you could take up against a similar plane, but with doctored MGs (or DMs) so hits would be harmless and you could practice dogfighting and air-to-air gunnery?

 

I remember one of the Flying Corps Gold training missions had you briefed to take off with your squadron commander, under instructions to stick with him, and after a bit he'd twist and turn all over the sky, and you had to stay with him, getting a 'mission fail' and a b*llocking if you failed to keep up. Was quite fun. An 'empty guns' dogfighting practice mission, followed by a 'harmless bullets' air gunnery mission, would be neat follow-ons to the ab initio stuff.

Edited March 14, 2012 by 33LIMA

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Just as a teaser to show how nicely this Bleriot XI fits into OFF, here is a shot showing the kite above the main airfield I am currently working on. It is spring of 1915. To the left you can see the shed that was built several years earlier for the Astra airship "City of Pau", (which is no longer in the area). Straight back from the tail of the plane about 12km is Pau itself.

 

 

 

 

Still a fair amount of little items to place about the landscape, but it is coming along.

 

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[+Olham]

...and I had been afraid that he was now on the road even over the weekend...

[33LIMA]

Sweet! I can see the line of sheds where the photos were taken, and the landing ground is very well blended into the landscape. Good place to start a Lafayette Escadrille or USAS Nieuport 28 campaign!

 

And on my weekend off, I can nip over the mountains and down to Barcelona if I fancy seeing what the place looked like about a hundred years before I was last there!

[Hauksbee]

Just as a teaser to show how nicely this Bleriot XI fits into OFF, here is a shot showing the kite above the main airfield I am currently working on. It is spring of 1915.

Good on you, RAF_Lou! I have yearned to fly a Bleriot Just as I have yearned to know what it was like to fly a Farman, a Curtis Pusher, a Taube and an Antoinette. Of course, if all these turned up in OFF I'd (probably) only fly them once or twice since they were more squirrely and under-powered than the E.III. But...thanks for the hard work!