Dej

It's the commoditisation that would upset me, it I were going to be upset by it at all. I've no criticism of Lou's actions... as Steve points out, medals are saved from that fate when someone like Lou buys them. And I can have no criticism of a veteran or his widow or his family selling his/her medals because they need the money. The thought of those medals becoming mere currency though, trading hands again and again for profit is uncomfortable. Even where their documented history goes with them, it seems sullied when Mammon gets his grimy hands on them. Lou, thank you for your kind words. I too wish I could have them back, but it cannot be. None of them was so rare as to stand out, except his North Atlantic Star... and that only because he was in the Royal Artillery... making the story a little more interesting, especially as he was the World's worst sailor!

When my father died, following a long illness, he left very little money. My mother was faced with the prospect of bringing me up (I was eleven) and sending me to college and further if I wanted, in straitened circumstances. One of the things she did was to sell his medals. I have always understood why she did so, but I'd give anything to have them back. For that reason, were I to start a collection of my own, I'd personally choose replicas only. But, as has been said above, Lou obviously has great respect for the story each medal carries with it, albeit unknown. That, and the fact that I judge him to be an honourable man anyway means I in no way criticise his approach. I just wouldn't do it that way myself, is all - a little too poignant.

Had that from the beginning... assumed it was designed that way. Can't vouch for German, American or French pilots, never played 'em long enough to get a medal, but English medals ALWAYS disappear when you're killed. Running Vista Home Premium.

Steve, See attached from Osprey Aircraft of the Aces [045] British and Empire Aces of WW1. I've mailed you a .pdf document too.

Reading is my first love, so a lot of that, normally between two and five books on the go at once; Air combat history; Flight sims, although it's flight sim (singular) these days ; Other PC games, subject to the above once again; Music, mostly classical by chance rather than design though I go through periods of other stuff and find something to like in almost every genre; Film (Movies), close to 200 DVDs and still loads more on my wishlist; The countryside, I love walking and driving around it and love the 'I wonder where this goes' surprises the are often revealed; Computer art; DIY, interior design and gardening. Just finished this house, looking to move next year. Good thread, what an interesting bunch of people we are.

There are two things for me that appeal about Canvas Knights: 1) the number of different aircraft models that will be available from the outset 2) IL2's replay facility. The first I know the OFF Devs will match in time, the second I'm not sure thay ever can. I look forward to some great WW1 machinema when CK comes out, if what has come from IL2 is aught to go by. But it will not replace OFF, which it seems more and more people are coming to realise is the top dog of WW1 flight sims at present.

Hmmm, there's a Biggles story that has a very similar theme. I wonder if it was based on this. If I can dig it out of the loft I'll post a transcript and ye can judge for yeselves. I'd never heard of von Eschwege before I read this post... that whole area of conflict is one I've kinda noticed but put on the 'for later' agenda. I've still so much to learn... Joy!

'Twas new to me too, m8. Two days and no Olham posts... didn't fell like the CombatAce OFF forum at all somehow. Welcome back... and what the Hell are you doing using a modem still... unless you mean your ADSL modem.

That's really very good, WM! Not sure how you'll do it without giving the game away but DO encourage him to keep on writing... and not let Life get in the way.

I do not use warp or air start. What I can report by way of illustration to this question is this: I was flying an aerodrome defence patrol and, as Olham indicates, about halfway through the journey to the target A Flight 'disappeared'. I can't recall whether they instantly did so or just drifted 'out of range'. However, a bit further on, some enemy two-seaters passed my flight at a distance I decided wasn't 'worth it'. We flew on. Then, a couple of minutes later, A Flight came blasting through our flight, going after the two-seaters, So, they were there, but not visible somehow.

Hey Steve, Tough day by the sound of it... I've had a run of those too. Now, your referenced Aerodrome Project, is it the one that Hugh Wynne did? Shredward sent me the maps associated with that, and AFAIK the OFF aerodrome locations are based on it, constrained by the limitations of the CFS3 engine. What I'm doing is overlaying 1918 trench maps on the modern landscape in Google Earth (modern, but surprisingly many features still extant) and pinpointing aerodrome locations thereby. What I can say, if you're referring to Hugh Wynne's work, is that some of the locations seem inaccurate. I've offered revised locations to the Dev Team if they wish to use them. I don't feel constrained by copyright where Olham's McMasters link is concerned as I consider it in the public domain, so the work goes on, albeit slowly. I think though, that better resolution, navigable maps incorporated into OFF is a worthwhile trade-off for accuracy and if the Dev Team's efforts are directed at that rather than the aerodromes being bang on the co-ordinates that would get my vote. As OvS implies... or rather, I infer. 'Course some die-hard immersionites wouldn't use 'em anyway and would follow Lou's method or similar. All the same, the premise of the whole statement above is bollocks if you're not referring to Hugh Wynne's work so I'm very much looking forward to your scans. And I post this to position what I'm doing rather than make any critical comment on what you've said... although my post does perforce have some viewpoints of mine own therein.

You've done better than he in those few months, so it'd be great if you pushed on past November. I'm sure he'd be proud of you. I'm not a spiritualist nor have any religion of any sort, but I have to say the Devs have delivered the shock of war to us, even if we are, thankfully, spared the horror. It's so hard to survive simply flying the beasts, the longer one lasts or the more one plays the greater the exposure... it's a shock when you collide with your wingman or see him wiped from the sky by archie, or suddenly find oneself spinning down with no notion of what happened. I say the above to illustrate that I, personally, feel a greater affinity with those brave men of the Great Air War in playing OFF than I'd experienced before, even though my experience of it is dwarfed by the true reality of theirs. Huge thanks to the dev team for bringing me just that little bit closer. Apologies for the slight hijack there.

Alas Lou, you've a little under four months left at best... judging by the pilot photo. It may be in part why you're doing so well, of course... his spirit watching over you. Just keep your eyes extremely well peeled come 23rd November over Bapaume... or best of all stay on the ground. He didn't have to fly that day... maybe you shouldn't either. If you last that long of course. Almost tempts me to try the DH2 again, myself.

Realising how tiresome it'll be to scroll down through twenty image posts and counting, I've recreated Tepes Journal as a .PDF which I'll extend as his career progresses. You can either open it in your browser or download it to view with your PDF viewer of choice. The reason for the facsimile envelope at the start is so that if you want to view it two up (two pages at a time) it will display correctly, and at its best IMHO. The Journal of James Oscar Norman Tepes Incidentally, you don't need to scroll down for the latest post unless you want to. The link above will always take you to the latest version.

I tried one several patches ago. Very pleasant machine to fly I found and the shooting's not too bad once you get the hang of it. If, as I believe is correct, Olham, you're a 'see where the bullets go' sort of pilot rather than an 'aim with 6DOF' type... you'd find the Bristol Scout very satisfying. As long as you could cope with the boredom starting so early. IIRC my Bristol Scout pilot was blown out of the air by Herr Archibald after 12 missions and 2 victories. Which was bizarre because that's exactly what happened to my Einie pilot... except with MR. Archibald, of course.

Well, he's back. I'd retired him until September intending to adopt Siggi's extreme real-time mode of play, i.e. play 25th Septembe on 25th September. However, work overtook me and now I've to play catchup Nevertheless, he's had a few more victories and a few more adventures, including a fortnight's leave half of which was spent visiting certain salacious bookshops in Paris as the content will illustrate. For those of you that remember this... just click on the link at the top of the thread. It will always be the latest version, as it says.

I think I shall have to read "Green Balls: The Adventures Of a Night-Bomber" first, simply for the title I know Rudyard Kipling invented Snow Golf by painting his balls red, didn't know there was a pioneer aerial bombing version

Yay! Thanks awfully for putting that ZIP together. Aviation literature Heaven is only 40 minutes away.

Lou, I don't know if it's a US/UK/Europe copyright thing but I've never been successful with the Google Books links you've posted. Constraining the Advanced Search to Full View only for a title and author generally brings back only a Library of Congress Copyright Catalogue link... which may be a clue. I can view other full text works in Google Books - so the functionality is there - just none of those you've posted. Damn frustrating it is, anyone got any answers?

Anyone know whether, if you DO follow an ace on the day of his death you get to see him shot down? I had a feeling Olham was going to try it.

Can't promise tracers but I can offer some dusk mayhem.

Here's some Olham. The first one found favour with a few people... I DO LOVE dusk shots

You cracked it! Bloody marvellous!

As it happens Uncle, the RFC's leading balloon ace, Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor (a South African) of No. 84 Sqn. flew an SE5.

Hehay, it's finished. Almost missed the end. I'm afraid 14 hour working days these past few left me no time for the necessary research and I had to drop out. Well played everybody and especial congratulations to Olham for the top spot. I expect, nay, demand his graphic designer skills be put to use mocking up an Olham Sanke, proudly sporting his first (but I expect not his last) Blue Max. Bet you're looking forward to the next facy dress party too. Can't wait to see those links, Lou, and as everyone else has said, thanks tremendously for hosting a throughly enjoyable and enlightening contest.