Fabric Furball!

[+Geezer 3,569]

I can't over emphasize the excellent work that Baffmeister has put into the CR42 and Gladiator FMs.  He has developed proper engine performance charts for different types of supercharging, and even different versions for different fuel octanes!  Plus, he has agonized over gun and ammo performance in an effort to achieve results consistent with the historical record.  Finally, he has then tweaked the end results to simulate AI dogfights that sorta/kinda match what really happened in the war torn skies of 1940.  Outstanding job!

 

Below are shots of realistic dogfight action that were taken when testing skin artwork.  While the Gladiator's quartet of .303 Brownings was superior in most situations, British pilots were advised to avoid head-on attacks because the Bredas would outrange the Brownings and inflict damage before the Glad could even hit the CR42.  Also, the Breda's explosive bullets would often blow wings off Gladiators if they hit a wing attachment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Geezer

[+Geezer 3,569]

Three more shots from that session.

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Geezer

[+ojcar 157]

I told you Baffmeister was your man!

[+Coupi 4,389]

Action!!!

[+Geezer 3,569]

Some mood shots.

 

 

 

 

[Silberpfeil 363]

So impressive! This Gladiator/CR42 stuff just keeps getting better and better!

[+Geezer 3,569]

So impressive! This Gladiator/CR42 stuff just keeps getting better and better!

 

Thanks.  Baffmeister is nearly done tweaking the files, so the Glads should get released fairly soon plus an update for the CR42.  He has done an astonishing amount of research in an effort to get the relationships between the "last biplanes" as accurate as possible.  In 1940 the Brits learned to turn fight with the more maneuverable Gladiator, while the Italians learned to boom and zoom with the faster CR42.

[+Trotski 936]

Two of the prettiest ( In my humble opinion ) Fighter bi-planes ever produced, love 'em both. Pretty evenly matched in a fur ball I imagine.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Two of the prettiest ( In my humble opinion ) Fighter bi-planes ever produced, love 'em both. Pretty evenly matched in a fur ball I imagine.

 

Equal, but different.  The CR42 had a supercharged engine and constant speed propeller which gave it better climb/dive and altitude performance.  In contrast, the Gladiator was more maneuverable and was equipped with radio which enabled the Brit pilots to better coordinate their tactics.  Just heard from Baff, and he wrote the following:

 

"For me, the CR-42 and Gladiator FM's are going to create a baseline starting point for any future biplane FM's I do so they are getting a lot of attention."

 

An example of a future biplane is the Gauntlet - I've completed mapping of the fuselage.  When I get the templates set up right, I'll pass everything to LloydNB - he's agreed to make the skins.

 

EDIT: When the Gladiators are done and the CR42 updated, I will figure out how to make the Hurricane MK1 retractable landing gear work, and then apply lessons learned to making the pivoting landing gear of the CR32 work.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Geezer

[ShrikeHawk 384]

Fantastic. I can't wait to fly these birds.

[+Trotski 936]

There is just something, I dunno, fainly romantic.....is that the right expression ? About Silver wings era Aircraft. They were quaint, but very capable, and deadly. I have a love of all things Italian Aircraft wise any how, and I just love the Gladiator, Seen her flying a lot at both Old Warden, and at Duxford. My dreams were answered when I got a 1 hour flight in a Tiger Moth at Duxford for my 50th . I just wish I could afford more !! So bring 'em on I say, Gauntlets, Chirri's etc etc it would be nice if they were transferable to FE2 as well as SF2 , just because lol I salute your skill at modelling these beauties, I wish I had the knowledge and or skill to do it myself !! So keep 'em coming please.

 

 

[Do335 382]

There is just something, I dunno, fainly romantic.....is that the right expression ?

Porco Rosso

[+Geezer 3,569]

There is just something, I dunno, fainly romantic.....is that the right expression ? About Silver wings era Aircraft. They were quaint, but very capable, and deadly. I have a love of all things Italian Aircraft wise any how, and I just love the Gladiator, Seen her flying a lot at both Old Warden, and at Duxford. My dreams were answered when I got a 1 hour flight in a Tiger Moth at Duxford for my 50th . I just wish I could afford more !! So bring 'em on I say, Gauntlets, Chirri's etc etc it would be nice if they were transferable to FE2 as well as SF2 , just because lol I salute your skill at modelling these beauties, I wish I had the knowledge and or skill to do it myself !! So keep 'em coming please.

 

 

 

Right now, a loose team of three guys - myself, LloydNB, and Baffmeister are working a package of Glads and CR42s.  I only work in FE2, and they mostly (but not entirely) work in SF2 so we are developing versions for both.

 

Because FE2 is the better system for low level terrain, I am also working on bits and pieces of a map for the 1940 desert war, encouraged by Gepard and Gterl.  Gterl and I started work on a Spanish Civil War mod, but it has been put on hold until Gterl can return to modding.

 

http://combatace.com/topic/84865-first-eagles-ww2/

 

http://combatace.com/topic/75535-storm-over-the-sahara/

[+Geezer 3,569]

Some more SCW development shots.

 

 

 

 

 

Porco Rosso

 

Duce!  Duce!  Duce!  

[Guest]

Porco Rosso

I believe this belongs in the early 1930s, right after the Schneider Trophy races or?

Edited January 15, 2016 by Guest

[+Geezer 3,569]

While checking Gladiator skins, I stumbled across some really interesting stuff elsewhere in the session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+Coupi 4,389]

Ohhhh plenty beautiful biplanes!!!

 

About the Porco Rosso seaplane... it looks like the Macchi M33!

[Wrench 9,851]

Ripons??

 

haven't seen THAT one in while!!

[+Geezer 3,569]

Ohhhh plenty beautiful biplanes!!!

[+VonS 1,424]

Superb modifications! These are very beautiful skins and mods, and the inter-war biplanes are very classy. I look forward to trying out some of these late 1930s/early 40s mods once I go through another several tweaks of aircraft FMs for the '14-'18 period.

 

Von S

[+Geezer 3,569]

Superb modifications! These are very beautiful skins and mods, and the inter-war biplanes are very classy. I look forward to trying out some of these late 1930s/early 40s mods once I go through another several tweaks of aircraft FMs for the '14-'18 period.

 

I use Gterl's WW1 Italian Front mod as a stage setting because it looks so good.  Someone who likes to tinker with map files might try converting it to the Greco-Italian war of late 1940.  Fought on the frontier between Albania and Greece, the terrain was mostly mountainous, and employed large numbers of semi-obsolete Italian, Greek, and British aircraft - precisely the types I intend to release.     Strategically, it was a repeat of the 1940 desert war.  Italy invaded Greece, was soundly defeated, and a Greek counter offensive was invading Albania when Nazi Germany had to intervene to save the Italians - just like North Africa.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Below is a good map showing how the front lines of the Greco-Italian war moved back and forth in 1940-41.

 

 

Greek_Offensive_1940_41_in_Northern_Epirus_svg.rar

[+Geezer 3,569]

Some shots showing how some new (or modified) skins help create a new dogfight arena using existing aircraft and the WW1 Italian Front game world.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Geezer

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

A Greek terrain for FE would be a wonderful idea, for the Macedonian Front 1917-18, and also now for these very interesting campaigns, in Epirus 1940-41, and in April 1941 involving the RAF and large strengths of the Luftwaffe. The brilliant and last blaze of glory of ace pilot St.John Pattle... Well, easy to ask, long and hard to make: lots of alongshore islands, tortuous montainous coasts, passes, orthodox churches and typical farms, mills and buildings to be added... Few roads anyway.

 

The Gladiators could prove able to gain the upper hand even against modern fighters. In June 1941 over Syria, the 'X' Flight could claim four Dewoitine D.520 from GC III/6 shot down or forced to the ground with total loss, to one single casualty. The Vichy French pilots, blinded with the superiority of their planes, had made the mistake to engage the nimble biplanes in dogfight at low altitude.

 - 15 June: 2 D.520 forced to crash-land, pilots unharmed (S-Lt Le Gloan by Sgt Appleby, plane written off - Sgt Mertsizen by F/O Jeffrey, landed behind enemy lines, back safe) to 1 Gladiator shot down (K7947 by S-Lt Le Gloan, F/O Craigie KIA) and 1 badly damaged (K7914 by Cne de Rivals-Mazères, P/O Watson unharmed). The French claimed 3 plus 2 probable... Exactly one year before, Le Gloan had shot down 4 Fiat CR.42 in one combat with the same D.520 N°277, which could explain his superiority complex over biplane fighters (he had then dubbed the Italians as "tourists").

 - 18 june: 2 D.520 lost (Lt Boiries KIA, shot down by F/O Young - Sgt Pimont crash-landed, POW), no RAF damage or losses

 

Don't mess with the biplanes...

[+Geezer 3,569]

A Greek terrain for FE would be a wonderful idea, for the Macedonian Front 1917-18, and also now for these very interesting campaigns, in Epirus 1940-41, and in April 1941 involving the RAF and large strengths of the Luftwaffe. The brilliant and last blaze of glory of ace pilot St.John Pattle... Well, easy to ask, long and hard to make: lots of alongshore islands, tortuous montainous coasts, passes, orthodox churches and typical farms, mills and buildings to be added... Few roads anyway.

 

Yes!  But, as you have already figured out, it would be a prohibitive amount of work.  Gterl and I worked together on developing a Spanish Civil War map, and learned lots of useful stuff before we had to set it aside.  Gterl proved that 1024 tile art runs on a modern computer with no performance penalty - his excellent Italian Front map uses 512 tile art.  It was also possible to use 2048 art in a few special locations, such as airfields, with no impact on frame rates.

 

We also determined that most TW game maps are too large when compared to the amount of time/labor available to make the map.  Gterl's Italian map is the maximum size for one guy to construct by himself - anything larger requires a team effort, or a reduction in detail.  I've considered making a 1940-41 map for Greece, but it would have to be very small.  As you pointed out: "long and hard to make."  Too big a map would guarantee it would never get finished. 

 

OTOH, a couple of small maps, using the same art and models but different terrain, is feasible.  Perhaps one small map for 1917-18 and a second small map for 1940-41?  Any ideas?

 

Shots below give a feel for what was a very interesting time and place.  Biplanes and tri-motors!

Edited January 19, 2016 by Geezer