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Don't know how often it happens that members from different countries meet up, but visited Krakow Polish Aviation Museum with 2 of my daugters and dear old friend Stary.... Fantastic collection of old and newer Polish and Soviet planes, missiles, radars and Western planes..... Great afternoon ........

…will have to send in this fire support vehicle! Always wanted to do a proper USAF Fire Dept Support Jeep as I'm especially not aware something like this has been done before, and finally got around to nearly completing it. And don’t worry, she’s a fully optimized low poly creation leveraging just a main 1024x1024 texture map so should be nice and easy on frame rates. As many know I’m a total sucker for details, so even decided to toss in the Fire Helmet and dash details. I still have a few tweaks I need to finish up but think it’s looking good, more to come later...

Just for clarification, Stary is the younger looking guy We had awesome time with Derk and his family, thank you!

con una buena tarjeta de vídeo y una buena configuración en el ini de las texturas se logran buenos reflejos como los simuladores mas modernos del mercado

I liked Marcs Flanker...thought it deserved a make over...Redone all new canopy system...new seat,total new cockpit,hud ,etc etc... new lights,working on new pylons,better detail gears(next) been totally remapped except tails,wings were askew on old mapping.. then redo all panels etc...hmmmmm lol getting there.. im particularly pleased with the new burners...

Glad to see you're still kicking Derk! Planning a Krakow visit myself for this year, luckily!

Here you can have virtual tour ;-) http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/pano_zwiedzanie/zwiedzanie.php?w=a

I just add this museum to my visiting list after retirement

you lucky guys!!!

More than 10 years ago i started a Poland terrain for WOE, but i never made more than the first steps. It covers some parts of the needed area.

I tought we had one campaign/pack with that war "February 1919 to October 1920" between newly stablished Soviet Union and the Polish Republic, but it seems I was wrong. Regarding planes we have almost all If not all of the ones involved, Albatros (Oeffag ones too), Spads, Nieuports, Breguet XIV, Bristol Fighters, even a Gotha G.IV!! But I'm not usre that the terrain we have cover the proper area. What the experts think? Is doable in First Eagles?

Today, I installed BoB II (Wings of Victory) into my Win 10 computer, along with a specific patch which is intended to allow running the game on win 10. It seems (with some little investigation) to have allowed the game to run properly. Why am I posting this here, in an EAW forum? Because the fundamental lessons learned are valuable ones, and pertain to EAW users. When I investigated the Graphics settings within the game on the win 10 computer, the game had set almost all the Gfx settings on the maximum level possible. When I compared these same game-set settings to my very inferior Win 7 computer, I found that quite a few Gfx settings could not be set to max, and some not near max. Comparing the same game, win 7 versus win 10, revealed that the game looked MUCH better and played at least as well in Win 10. This is the second experience I have had in playing old games suitably modified for playing on Win 10. See my posts here about Crimson Skies game. This is the second--of two--old games that I have successfully installed into Win 10, and which games looked and played a LOT better than in Win 7. Now, the fundamental point to all this IS NOT that the games be able to be played on Win 10. That is another, important issue; Another topic. What IS pertinent is that my win 10 machine has a fairly modern CPU, a fairly modern Graphics card, and is running on SSDs. Since my Win 7 machine also runs on SSDs, and has a decent, but ancient, Core 2 Duo CPU, and a vintage Nvidia GT 730 Gfx card, and since the Gfx features on this computer are relatively limited vice the Win 10 computer, I have come to some tentative conclusions. On the Win 10 computer, either the vastly better CPU (8th Gen I7), and/or the equally, and vastly better Nvidia 2060 OC PRO Gfx card allow the inherent Gfx features to become available to the user. Even on these vintage games. Obviously the Win 7 computer, as configured, disallows many Gfx features, and the Win 10 computer allows such. I don't know the point in-between these two end points wherein lies the "sweet spot", but I reckon that "spot" is moving upwards, all the time. in order to accommodate modern games. That said, Win 7 computer users might want to investigate whether or not their CPU can be upgraded to a more modern one, and whether their Gfx card can be upgraded. Gfx card major upgrade will probably involve a Power Supply Unit (PSU) upgrade. Your old Win 7 computer might, or might not, be able to be upgraded to a point where the Gfx features of these old games will be accessible. The physical dimensions/configuration of your existing win 7 computer is a factor. My Win 7 computer is a Small Form Factor, and thus quite limited in the allowable upgrades to its components. Those having much larger computers, such as tower computers, might find upgrading of various components much easier. In sum, the fairly decent Win 7 computer I have is upgraded to its' max. It's old, and if the CPU fails, it is not replaceable, since it is permanently attached to the MoBo. My win 10 computer runs all vintage games that I can find/install at full-on Gfx settings, and that difference is VERY apparent while looking at the monitor. The win 10 computer has never stuttered even with IL-2 with fill-on Gfx settings. With some games, the enabling of ALL inherent Gfx features has been visually stunning. Other games a detectable improvement. .So, even if staying within the win 7 universe, consider upgrading your existing computer to handle FAR better CPUs and FAR better Gfx cards. I suggest some investigating at the following, as they are quite objective, and pull no punches: https://www.tomshardware.com/ Based on my personal experiences with games formerly played on Win 7 system, and the same games being played on Win 10 system, the difference in the visual results can be dramatic. It goes without saying that with the modern Gfx card 'stuttering" is a thing of the past. I attribute most of this to the modern Gfx card, which the new Power Supply allows, Your Win 7 system, intelligently upgraded, can give you visual results, and frame rates, heretofore unobtainable. Submitted for your consideration.

The Galicia2 (Eastern Front) map would work for the southern part of the conflict. The city of Lemberg was renamed Lwow (today it is named Lviv). The Galicia2 map uses Austro-Hungarian names for the most part, most cities in the region also have Polish and/or Ukrainian names. The interesting thing about the Polish-Bolshevik war is that we would be able to have dogfights with the same planes - Fokker D.VII vs Fokker D.VII - Nieuport 17 vs Nieuport 17 - etc. I found some profiles here: http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n2/whitpole.html and here: http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n1/redfighter.html

Looks like you both had fun ... but who bought the beers?

On way home you could have visited the Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus or Luftwaffenmuseum Berlin Gatow. Both have nice plane collections.

Here is the very early phase terrain which i had called Ostpreussen (East Prussia). It has no airfields, no populated target areas, no rivers, no roads. The tiling is rudimentary. Only 104 towns are placed as simple squares on the map. It need a lot of work to finish it. But if someone want to do the job, feel free to do it. Only one thing: Give me proper credit for the basic files and Jan Tuma for the tileset, which is included in the package. Ostpreussen.7z

me likes. will this be drivable too?

I have tried to move the terrain from WOE to FE, but it allways crash to desktop. Surely it is only a minor mistake in one of the lines, which i still have to find. Basicly said. The terrain covers the area of the modern Poland, or the old german east areas Pommern, Schlesien, Ost- and Westpreussen and in the middle the old polish republic and the two southern baltic states. The big river in the mid of the terrain is the Weichsel (Wisla if you use the polish name). In the "knee" of this river Warsaw, the polish capital is situated. The outer north east bay is the Bay of Riga, Riga is the latvian capital. So the battle on the Weichsel could be part in a polish soviet scenario. The soviet attacks reached a line approx between Warsaw and Königsberg and Warsaw to Krakow. But all fights east of Brest to Kiev or Minsk are not part of the map. The status of the terrain is very early. auto placement of cities is only done for the german territory and the so called "korridor". All other things still have to done. No rivers layed, no streets, no runways, no populated target areas and so on. The red dot is the town of Memel (Kleipeda), the blue whote dot is Königsberg. Which are airfield for test reasons.

In 5th photo you look like Gunther Rall ...some nice birds there

Someday...

I'm about done with investigating this topic. I believe I've established that even modern Gfx card upgrades, starting with the Nvidia 1030 point reveal formerly "inaccessible'" GFX content, even on very old games, like Crimson Skies. No telling what such upgrades will do with more modern games: no doubt for the better.. As for myself, I've maxxed out all the old computers--nowhere else to go. RAM upgrades to max, Gfx cards to the limit of non-replaceable PSUs, and Gfx cards at the limit of what the PSU will allow.. They have their bottlenecks, as in non-replaceable wimpy OEM power 240W Power supplies, limited RAM, and SFF Gfx card limits. OTOH, my Dell 790 OptiPlex SFF computer has an upgraded 2nd gen I7 CPU, 16 GB RAM, SSD drive, and an Nvidia 1650 Gfxcard. It plays most modern games at max, or very nearly max settings surprisingly well. Before I began my experiments, I would not have thought this practical--or even possible. Submitted for consideration

On further investigation, replacing the Nvidia GT 730 card in my Dell 760 SFF computer with an Nvidia GT 1030 card allowed the formerly unavailable graphics features on Crimson Skies (seen on other computers) to become available. Some of the relevant selections were initially de-selected/turned-off by the game/computer, but when I selected them, and played the game, the selected items remained activated. For those interested, I have tried to insert a Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti card into this computer. It is perhaps a 20-25% upgrade over the 1030 card. While nowhere the top of the heap, it is a reasonably decent card, and the retail price shows it. Such a card might be of use to some players--YMMV. Unfortunately, the card did not physically fit. However, a solution might be at hand, namely a "PCEI extender cable" which cable links the existing PCIE slot to a flexible cable which connects to one's graphics card. Such an arrangement will, I hope, allow installation of the Nvidia 1050 Ti card into the Dell 760, although some jiggering might be necessary. The point to all this is to submit that, given an elderly computer with (Maxxed-out) 8GB RAM, an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (not replaceable), and a modern SSD feeding the system, one can definitely access formerly unobtainable graphics features on some games.. I suggest that one take a close look at the gfx settings available in all one's games. Tinker with them to see how much one can elevate the settings before one runs into problems. With older games, the settings will likely be higher than with newer games. IOW, a modern computer will probably run a modern game, like IL-2, on reasonable settings. One's older computer will likely run out of capacity, in any number of areas, running modern games at anywhere near max. Unless you upgrade your older computer, intelligently. Older games need less capabilities, but can still benefit from intelligent upgrading. Modern games need the same upgrades. So why not upgrade your older computer, to get the most out of what you have, and play some modern games, perhaps at less diminished levels that you might formerly have thought?

Thank you! Mutually!

Ojcar's FMs are my favorite to tweak/tune since he has done most of the hard work in the data inis anyway - I usually look at climb rates, top speeds near SL, max. control movement, control sensitivity, and a few other details on them. I'll see if I have time to comb over the data ini for the Halb. CL.II for my mini ver. 9.9 FM update pack, but will most likely leave that for a ver. 10.0 pack. In terms of FM "tweakability," a brief hierarchy follows below: 1. Ojcar FMs - best out of the box so to speak and very "moddable" since logically implemented 2. Laton/Texmurphy FMs - some of the older monoplanes and Nieups. featured these FMs - not bad overall for moddability, although some oddities required more time to deal with (particularly the vertical stabilizer and/or rudder sections, and drag values); many of these were then further tweaked for Geezer's latest aircraft under the relevant thread, although already tweaked for my previous-version FM packs 3. Charles and company FMs (for A-Team stuff) - a mixed bag, the WWI data inis required major overhauls to work well in FE2 (the WW2 stuff for SF2 is much easier to work with, although it still requires some fixes for SF2) 4. Bortdafarm FMs - I've only dipped my toes into doing the FM for the single-bay Austrian version of the Fokk. D.II (the B.II), and that required a couple of weeks of tweaking approximately (not worth so much time on a per data ini basis ) - I always wanted to look into his Avro. and the later model of the Fokk. D.III with real ailerons - but I decided not to touch any more of his stuff, and the models are quite dated by now anyway The FMs for Geezer's Pfalz D.III/IIIa are, by the way, overhauls of the stock data ini for the Albatros D.V (not the Va). On a less technical note, happy holidays and the very best in the new year to all fellow flyers of FE2/SF2! Von S

Thanks gents... Must be getting closer if I've started sea trials....

Improving the skin, and putting the proper pilot. Next step, the decals.

Just did some testing today with the 790 Dell OptiPlex SFF computer. It has an (upgraded) I7 2600 3.4 Ghz CPU, 16 Gb RAM, and is running Win 10 Prox64 Operating System. First series of tests were done with the Nvidia GT 1030 GPU. Idle: 32W Wings of Prey (a variant of IL-2): 93 W This was merely to establish a baseline, and so far, so good. I then installed the Nvidia 1050 Ti GPU, which has considerably more power draw. The question was: Will it work in this computer with the non-upgradeable 240 W PSU? Idle: 50 W. Using the downloadable "MSI Kombustor" stress-test program, I tested the GPU at the "Medium++" level, which is to say, about 95% GPU usage. Wattage use was 182 W,, which is well below the desired Upper wattage limit of 192W (240W-10%=192W (IOW, 90% of PSU capacity). This is nominally a 75W GPU, so even running it at 100%, the wattage required will still be within desired limits. This program deliberately stress-tests the entire computer, GPU being a particular focus. I have yet to test a Flight Sim that comes close to making demands on the computer that a "stress test" requires. I also installed and upgraded the old MS Crimson Skies game, so that it will run properly on Win 10. I regret that my notes are incomplete as to its Wattage use, but IIRC the wattage used was approx in the low 90s. I'll revise this figure tomorrow, if need be. To my delight, the GTX 1050 Ti card made available the "Shadows" and "Ground Clutter" features, heretofore unobtainable with an Nvidia GT 730 GPU. Along with having all the other Gfx features set at Max, these additional gfx features really transform the visual aspect of this old sim. The result is a pleasure to view, and some of the vids on YouTube show the "Shadows" features. So, this is the entire point of my upgrading exercise so far. Some intelligent upgrading can be done even to SFF computers. Such upgrading will likely allow the use of Gfx features that were formerly not accessible, and not over-stress the components of the computer. Submitted for consideration.

NOTE: I am neither an electrician nor a computer whiz. The remarks below are for comparison and informational purposes only, and they reflect what happened on my equipment. Use at your own risk. After performing some limited, preliminary, tests on a couple of different computers, it would seem that the two games I tested, the BAT version of !L-2 1946, and Crimson Skies (Widescreen) do not move the power requirement "needle" much above simple idle. The games were allowed to set their own Gfx "preferences". For example, a Dell 760 SFF OptiPlex with Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, Nvidia 730 Gfx card (49W max draw), and 240 W Power supply, idled at about 66W. Playing BAT raised wattage requirements to 102W, Crimson skies to 99W. On the Dell XPS computer, with I7 8700 CPU, Nvidia 2060 OC Pro Gfx card, and 600W Power supply, idle was 72W, BAT was 75 W, and CS was 78W, which, incidentally seems to confirm that the new 2060 Gfx card allows some gfx features formerly unavailable with lesser Gfx cards. I attribute the variance of wattage draw between the two computers as being due to the GT 730 Gfx card having to work "harder", and so drawing more power than the 2060 card, which easily played both games without breaking a sweat. There are certainly games which demand more of one's power supply than the ones I tested. However, I was surprised at how little of the available power supply was used. by these particular combinations of games/Gfx cards. YMMV. The real test will be when I install an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti Gfx card (75W max draw) into a Dell OptiPlex 790 SFF computer with the same 240W Power supply as the Dell 760 mentioned above. Since the 1050 Ti card only requires an additional 26W vice the 760, given the "headroom" available, this should not be a significant issue, IMHO I should add my testing seems to indicate that there is sufficient wattage "headroom" to do so. The Nvidia 1030 card which currently resides there goes into the 760 OptiPlex because it is a definite upgrade, AND, it actually has a smaller Wattage draw then the 730 GFX card (30W Vs. 49W. Submitted for your consideration.

Further addition, posted elsewhere: To continue, the following is a link that is concerned with stress-testing computers: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2028882/keep-it-stable-stupid-how-to-stress-test-your-pc-hardware.html Performing such tests will reveal weak points in one's computer, and if such are present, will also suggest possible improvements. Such might be as elementary as simple wire-re-routing to provide better cooling air flow, perhaps the installation of additional fans are required, or even liquid cooling. A very basic evaluation of one's Power Supply Unit is to connect an in-line $20 "Kill-A-Watt" meter to your computer's power cord, and then run your most demanding game, with everything set to the max. If your wattage draw is no more than 90% of the max wattage output of your PSU, you should be OK. The max output wattage of your PSU will be written somewhere on it. Rely on no other figure other than what is printed on your PSU. The "Kill-A-Watt" meter is an essential tool for those who wish to know which devices use how much power, and when such power is consumed. Sometimes surprising sources of energy wastage can be discovered. The "Kill-A-Watt meter is a very useful tool.

I would add one thing, since editing of the above post is no longer allowed. It is completely understandable why many modders construct their mods to be compatible with older computers. I get that. However, such construction of mods/depictions perhaps limits users of more modern computers and Gfx cards, particularly those using greatly upgraded Win 7 computers and modern Gfx cards. Is it possible to construct mods/features to be useful to both users of legacy computers, and also be fully available to users of more modern computers? I understand that I, as a mere User, am asking the Mdders to undertake an additional burden. I also understand that there are certain, inherent limitations within the platform/coding. Still, a question un-asked is a question that will never be answered. Submitted for consideration

refining the reflections

From the same town, Austin, a nice "coincidence"

She looks japanese to me TK is Japanese \American descent too..TW based in Texas ...coincidence ?....

Curious new member, she's from Austin, Texas...

And if I can throw in my wish list - VR in Strike Fighters would be INCREDIBLE. Playing in Green Hell and rolling in in my A-6 with flak popping all around me. Heaven. And if I could do that with four or six other people at the same time (MP)..that would be nirvana. I know VR and MP aren't really scheduled for this fund raiser, but I can always dream.

Of course: Monday, December 25, 2006 Tsuyoshi Kawahito's bookshelf in his small West Lake Hills office tells his story. Books on game design and computer programming sit next to books on aviation history. Military strategy books rest near white binders filled with pilot manuals. And near the bottom sits the telltale yellow of "Small Business for Dummies." Kawahito, 38, runs Third Wire Productions, a one-man game development studio in Austin that makes flight simulator combat games. His latest game, released this month and available online, is called "First Eagles: The Great Air War 1918." Tsuyoshi Kawahito spends months at libraries, in museums and on the Internet researching the planes he uses in his flight simulator games, such as these from his newest creation, 'First Eagles: The Great Air War 1918,' a World War I game. "That is a niche market within a niche market," said Chris Sherman, who used to run the annual Austin Game Conference. "It's very tough." Third Wire typifies the under-the-radar game development businesses that flourish in gaming cities. Kawahito is unusual for surviving this long on his own in an industry that is tough for newcomes to crack. In Austin, there are about 50 computer and video game development companies. It is a shaky industry; game studios frequently shut down because of lack of funding. Given the odds, Third Wire stands out for being able to establish a solid revenue stream. Kawahito's games may sound obscure, but they have a devoted audience. Played by aviation enthusiasts and history buffs, his main clients are 25- to 40-year-old males, older than most computer gamers. He once got an e-mail from a 62-year-old asking to be a beta tester for his game. But he has never had a true hit. His most popular games sold about 100,000 copies worldwide. He's a gamer more than a businessman, and he is shy about promoting himself. He doesn't disclose revenue, but his games sell for about $30. Flight simulation games bring in about $22.3 million each year, according to consumer market researcher NPD Group. Microsoft Corp.'s "Flight Simulator" is by far the most popular, consistently ranking in the top 20 of best-selling computer games. The overall PC games market is a $1 billion market. About $11 billion are spent each year on video and portable games. A FOLLOWING OF FLIGHT FANATICS Kawahito's games are available through online stores and retail outlets such as Gamestop and Best Buy. His latest game is using a new online distribution model, which allows Kawahito to tap into a much larger worldwide market. He is more concerned about making fun games than ones that make him a lot of money. The company recently became profitable after years of being in the red. "If I make a game that is fun to play, then I am happy," Kawahito said. Called TK by his friends, Kawahito has a cadre of devoted fans, including one influential computer gaming guru: Alex Aguila. Aguila is one of the founders of Miami-based Alienware Corp., which manufactures high-end gaming computers that cost $800 to $6,000. Alienware was recently bought by Round Rock-based Dell Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Aguila helped fund "First Eagles" because he wanted to play a flight simulation game based on World War I. It is designed to emulate the air battles over France. He gushes about Kawahito, saying he has revolutionized the flight simulation market. He said Kawahito builds games that allow players to add on to them. Players can create their own planes, maps and missions. "TK is a genius," Aguila said. "He is one of the most important developers in flight sim history." Other gamers say they appreciate the simplicity of Kawahito's games. "There aren't many bells and whistles and everything," said 47-year-old Rusty Casteele, a truck driver from Virginia, "just really good graphics that cater to the Average Joe." Casteele is a huge fan of Kawahito's games. For years he has tracked every game Kawahito has made, buying each one. "I loved 'Wings Over Vietnam.' I grew up in that era," Casteele said. "So when I put in that game, I can fly the F-4 Phantom that I watched on TV growing up. I can fly the F-15 Eagle that I watched on the news shows when Desert Storm was going on. I can fly those missions you saw on TV or heard about." INTERESTS TO INDUSTRY GURU Kawahito was born in Japan and moved to Los Angeles when he was 12. For a long time, he wanted to become a pilot, but his bad vision got in the way of that. "I knew I liked things that moved," Kawahito said. "Trains, cars, spaceships." In college, he planned on being an aircraft designer, so he majored in aerospace engineering and got his master's degree in the same subject from the University of Texas in 1996. Like many college students, he wanted to stay in Austin. His first job out of college was at Origin Systems, a groundbreaking Austin gaming company. "I sent them my résumé and told them I thought I would be good at this," Kawahito said. "I know games; I played them all throughout college. And I know aircraft." At the time, Austin-based Origin was working on several different flight simulator games. After working there a year, he moved to another studio in Baltimore to work on a different flight simulation game. That was when the genre started losing its popularity and many game publishers pulled their projects. "Everyone was getting out of the business, but I saw an opportunity," Kawahito said. "It was a niche market I thought I could capture and cater to." He moved back to Austin and started his own business in 1999. HIGH PRODUCTIVITY, LOW BUDGET It wasn't easy at first. He dug into his savings to start Third Wire, funding his own game, "Strike Fighters," which took him three years to release. After two years, Kawahito's savings dwindled, and he subsisted on ramen noodles and McDonald's 99-cent hamburgers and by skipping oil changes for his 1998 Toyota Celica. "I think that is why my car broke down," Kawahito said. "I didn't have enough money for an oil change, and then it stopped working. I started riding the bus." But that phase didn't last long after his first games found a following. Publishers started funding his next projects, and Kawahito got a cut of the sales of each game. He's not rolling in dough, however. He rents an apartment in town. He replaced his Toyota Celica with a Toyota 4Runner. His office is bare-bones, with three small rooms and a reception area with no receptionist, only a twinkling Christmas tree to greet visitors. This month, his office is empty as he plans his next project. He let all of his temporary workers go because he didn't need them anymore. Kawahito is able to survive by churning out games faster than most developers do. He puts out a new game about every six months. "What he was able to do with such little funding is unbelievable," Aguila said. "Most developers would charge millions of dollars. He did it on a very small budget." Kawahito said his secret is creating a main engine that he uses to program his games. That way, he doesn't have to re-create an engine every time. He does months of research in libraries, museums and online, digging for history books and photos of old aircraft, and tries to re-create them as accurately as possible. Thanks to his degrees in aerospace engineering, he understands how to build an aircraft. He occasionally asks for outside help from pilots but gets most of his data for his games from his research. When he's ready to start creating a game, Kawahito hires a temporary team of three game developers. Six months later, they have a game. He doesn't think much about his business beyond his next project. But he has dreams of expanding beyond flight simulation games, maybe developing a war strategy game. Or perhaps even space combat. "Or if I continue to just do this, that would be great," he said. Source: statesman.com https://www.wingsofhonour.com/firsteagles/articles/html_woh_firsteagles_articles_flying-under-the-radar_statesman.en.html

They make deadly look so good.....

Mirage IIIC climbing !

ooooo Yes ...!!! Love those 2seat plane's...!!!! They look Real....some times

..old but from some where you must to start....Learning to fly....

Suffren is now working in-game. Still need to finish textures and the later variants. I'm using Terriers as a stand-in until I finish the Masurca model. On the subject of submarines, a Type 209 would be great to have. It's used by over a dozen different countries.