RAF_Louvert

. Yuppers, that was some true instrument flying there. Also, I too find the Brisfit to have pretty darned good visibility all round. The wing being that low actually improves it, as you are looking at it the "skinny" way. While forward view may improve somewhat as the top wing is moved higher overall visibility decreases because you start to see the wing's width and it blocks a lot more of your field of vision. And yes, the Tripe is "da bomb". .

. Or, if after trying everything to recover the info, I could go out behind the barn with the 12 gauge over under and ... "PULL!" .

. Olham, I have discovered the same thing with my set-up, that moving the sliders up a bit actually improved OFF performance for me. My system, (before the recent HD failure), looks as follows: CPU: Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0ghz Wolfdale 6mb 1333fsb 45nm with Arctic Cooler Memory: 8gb DDR2 PC2-6400 800mhz Mobo: ASUS P5QL Pro Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 SATA II NCQ 500gb 32mb (soon to be replaced by two Western Digital 640 GB Caviar Black SATA HD's) Opti Drive: LG 22X DVD+/RW Dual Layer SATA Rewrite Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512mb PS: 500w deluxe switching dual fan (soon to be replaced by a Diablotek RPM 900w ATX with additional 130mm case fan) Tower: The largest Cooler Master they make Windows XP Pro 64-bit OS What I ultimately came to find was that, with my CPU overclocked to 3.80 and my memory overclocked to 890 at 2.1 volts, I could push OFF with the sliders at 5-4-4-5-5 and keep a solid 45 to 60 FPS with no white jaggies of any kind, no matter how quickly I looked around or how large the dogfight. As to overclocking your CPU Olham, should be no problem going at least 10% to 15%, perhaps even a bit more, and to do so I recommend using the utilities that came with your mobo, or grabbing them from the product website. I use the ASUS OC utility/monitor and it is super easy and performs flawlessly. Keep in mind you will want a very good CPU cooler if you are going to OC. As mentioned above I run the Arctic Cooler along with three 130mm case fans, (soon to be four), not to mention the fans on the PS and graphics card. .

. VP, from the tech reports I've read that CPU looks to be a lot of bang for the buck; and 8mb of L3 cache...wowzers! However, no Hyper-Threading support would be a rather large shortcoming of the unit, IMHO. Also, I seem to recall reading somewhere in these forums that the quad cores are overkill for the old CFS3 sim engine and that you will get better performance by actually disabling half the cores, but I could be in error on that recollection. I'm still running, (or more correctly will be running again as soon as my new HD's arrive), a Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0ghz Wolfdale 6mb 1333fsb 45nm with Arctic Cooler, and I overclock to 3.8ghz. It cranks OFF beautifully and runs a cool 76-to-84 degrees max doing it. .

. OvS, I was planning to give your idea a go later to day when I get back from running a few errands. I have my second computer that I can plug the HD into and see if it will find it. Thanks for the advice. .

. Thanks VP. No, the BIOS does not recognize the HD. I also loaded default drivers via my ASUS tool kit, still no go. And I ran a DOS scan on the drive and it comes up dead. Afraid she's a goner. Will make a nifty coaster for my coffee mug though. .

. Thanks for the concern Morris and Olham. Yes Olham, I should have backed up recently to an external drive or media, but it's been about six months since I've done so and that's my own dumb fault. I will definitely try to do a recovery on the HD, however if I can't get it to run there is no way to pull the data off of it. They say we learn from our mistakes, but I tend to think we just find new and better ways to make the same mistakes over. .

. zoomzoom wrote: Could be ZZ. As has been noted, there is just so much about the human brain, how it works, and what it is capable of, that we don't have a clue about. As to me having some particular sensitivity to other's past memories I will say this. Throughout my life so far I've had many experiences, (and I do mean many), where I've known things I should not have been able to know. For instance, when I was about 9 I was over at our old bachelor neighbor's house next door, watching him try to fix his old Chevy pick-up truck. It was around a 1948 vintage or so and he was fiddling with the mixture adjustment screw on the carburetor trying to get it to run better. I stood for a bit, seeing he was getting nowhere, and then from out of the blue said, "It's probably the float or the needle and seat." He gave me a completely annoyed look and shot back, "How the hell would you know? Did you watch your dad fix one of these or sumthin?" I said no, and then added that I just "knew". So, he bet me that if I was right he'd give me fifty cents, and if I was wrong I had to rake his yard and get rid of all the leaves. We proceeded to take the top of the carb off and I found that the float tab had worn down enough over time that the float was coming up too high. We bent the tab slightly to compensate for the wear, put it all back together, and after resetting the mixture screw properly, (which I also knew how to do somehow), the engine ran fine. Mr. Sorenson then handed me a fifty-cent piece and said it was the damdest thing he'd seen in a long while, and that he'd come and get me the next time he needed help with his truck. I as said, this is only one of countless such instances I've experienced over the years. It used to creep me out, and I looked for a lot of different ways to explain it away. But now I've just come to accept it. Yeah, I know...I'm weird. .

. But John, how do you really feel about it? .

. WM wrote: hee, hee...sounds as if you've already gotten started WM. Olham wrote: Even then sometimes it's nearly impossible to understand if conditions are wrong. I listened through the noise for 3 1/2 years trying to find the code amongst the static, (and still have the loss of hearing in my left ear to prove it). Heard some pretty weird stuff back then on the lesser-traveled frequencies, but that's another story entirely. uncleal wrote: uncleal, that is an excellent movie and I have seen it at least a dozen times over the years. Still gives me chills too. Also, an interesting sidebar to my story. When I was in 2nd grade I traded my brand new winter coat to a kid in my class who was wearing his uncle's old WW2 leather bomber jacket, (you know the one: dark leather, longer cut, with the shearling lining, collar and cuffs). It was old and beat up with scars and oil stains and loose stitching and was of course way too big for me; and when I put it on it made me feel absolutely safe. I can still remember that wave of calm and protectedness that washed over me when I was wearing it. The kid I traded with was thrilled because he now had a brand new, in-fashion coat for the winter. When I got home my folks were furious and drove me over to the kid's house and we had to trade back. I've never worn a jacket since that felt as right as that one did. Go figure. .

. Olham, I vividly remember watching "Catch 22" back in 1970, and it was very disturbing but for a whole different reason. The thing is, pictures and photos of the B25 have never affected me in the least in this regard. It was only when I was in the physical presence of the aircraft that I was hit with the feelings. Morris, you are very lucky to have those items from your grandfather, and I hope you've been able to talk with him over time to hear his stories and recollections firsthand. Did he keep a diary? appraiserfl, déjà vu is such an odd and unnerving experience sometimes, isn't it? appraiserfl, déjà vu is such an odd and unnerving experience sometimes, isn't it? .

. Good Morning All, I nabbed another book bargain this weekend and can't wait for it to arrive in the mail. It is a beautiful example of the 1918 version of the "Manual Of Rigging Notes", originally issued by the U.S. Air Service in the final year of WWI. Here are a few pics of the item, (I apologize for the graininess of the images, I copied them at a lower quality to keep the file size smaller): This may be a reprint, but if it is it appears to be an exceptional one and is assembled just like the original using a pair of large brass rivets to bind the book together. It is about 180 pages with 25 or so pull-out diagrams plus many other tech drawings, and of course full rigging and maintenance notes for the three aircraft listed in the index. The last one of these I came across in the marketplace was a rather beat-up original that sold for $190. I purchased this one from a gentleman in Wisconsin for $48, which is a great deal, even for a reprint. Me so happy! Lou .

. appraiserfl, I've wondered that one myself from time to time. I did serve in military, in the USAF from '74 to '78, and for the most part it was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Perhaps because of that there is a very small, tiny part of me that says to your question, "Yes, I would". However, (and this next bit is going to sound completely off the wall), there is another much larger part of me that say's: "No way on God's Good Earth!", and here it is: I've had this eerie feeling, ever since I was a very young boy, that I served in the air at least once before. One of the earliest recurring dreams I can remember involved me sitting in the glass nose of an airplane as it was plummeting towards earth. I had a machine gun in front of me and various instruments clustered around where I was sitting. The entire dream was simply me sitting in that glass nose watching the earth come up at an incredible speed, seeing the 360 degree horizion that wrapped around me disappear as this large grassy field filled my forward view. The last split second went into slow motion as I watched the muzzle of the gun dig into the dirt, and the tall waving grass push aside as the glass nose entered it. I could see the grass flattening as the glass came within a millimeter from the ground...and then I would wake up, every time. Never any sound in the dream...just dead silence all the way through. And it was in color because I remember how green that grass looked, more vivid than any green I've ever seen. As I grew up I explained the dream away as being some memory from when I was a baby and my parents had me plopped down in front of the TV while they were watching some old war movie that this scene was from, and it had embedded itself into my subconscious. Now for the spooky part. When I was in the USAF I got to go through a restored B25 Liberator. As soon as I approached that plane my childhood nightmare came back as vivid and strong as it had ever been in my youth. I was overcome by a feeling of absolute dread, I wanted to leave but I was compelled to go forward. As I did so the feeling got more intense by the second. By the time I'd crawled up into the "greenhouse" I could hardly breath and I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest. Still, something kept pulling me in and I sat down in the seat, and it was as if I'd gone into a trance. I felt like I was someone else, I knew where everything was. My hands went as if they were on auto pilot, checking the gun, and then the bombsight. There was a moment where I was sure I'd passed out. And then, I snapped back and jumped up and got the hell out of there, completely terrified. I am not someone who scares easily, but I can honestly say I've never been so afraid of something in all my life as I was of that, and I have never gone back near a B25. Make of it what you will. I still can't decide, if it is nothing more than a movie memory imprinted on me as a baby, or if it came from "another life". I've never been a big believer in past lives, but this experience does make me wonder about it from time to time. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." .

. Dej, I applaud your outstanding efforts with this project. Winning the lottery certainly would speed it along. Olham, great source on those photos, and a good point about the location of the dromes. Of course, one of the primary reasons for locating near the stations is the fact that gents in uniform always look better when waving from a train as they depart to their next post. .

. hee, hee, hee...after 22 years of marriage this all sounds so familiar. I am lucky enough to have a woman that does her own painting of the walls. That being said, every room in our house has lost at least an inch in length and width due to the many times she has changed the colors. And how about when you're getting ready to go to a party or an event of some sort and you get the "Is that what you're wearing?" To which I reply, "Oh no darling, I just threw this on while I wait for you to tell me what I'll be wearing." I've learned to bob and weave immediately after saying that. .

. I'm going with "Triplane Turmoil II". .

. Nice screenies, as always folks. Red-Dog, great "mood" in those two shots in the Alsace. I started a campaign down there myself yesterday with a French escadrille in the spring of 1916 flying N11's. I love the mountains. .

. Very cool Wels. I am quite sure they were tinted by hand from black-and-white photos, but they are still a great resource. Thanks for sharing. .

. Thanks for the heads-up Herr Prop-Wasche. I'm running 196.21 so I'm good, and I just recently went to those after putting off my card driver updates for a year. I'm with Hasse Wind, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I will say however that I'm very pleased with the 196.21 version, coupled with the nHancer software. Between the two I now have zero jaggies and ultra-smooth Track IR performance, (not that it was bad before mind you). . And I was wondering the same thing myself Siggi. .

. Yuppers, wives just don't quite understand it. Just as long as they tolerate it we're good to go. VP, I run the Saiteks and they are a super product at a very good price. I paid about $120 for my Pro Flight and they have worked flawlessly. Here is the website page for that product: Saitek Rudder Pedals Cheers! Lou .

Good Evening All, I took some time tonight and put together a short, simple navigation flight for you folks to have a go at and hopefully build confidence in your ability to fly using map, compass, and landmarks. For those who are interested in this primer here is what you will do. Begin by saving the following map to your computer: Once you have it, print it out and keep it handy for the flight, (or if you have a second computer bring it up on the screen). Next, go into OFF and start a campaign as a fighter pilot with RFC 1 on 18 August of 1915. You will be assigned the Bristol Scout and fly from Bailleul Asylum in the Flanders region, (but don't worry about the Bristol as you won't be using it for this exercise). Now, rather than launching the campaign, go into Quick Combat instead and pick "Free Flight", then choose the Sopwith Strutter as your aircraft, (not the B1). Also check "Field" as your start location. Do not click on your in-sim map at any time during this exercise and do not use your TAC screen or info display. However, do hit F5 to bring up your compass, altimeter, and air speed indicator. You are now ready to roll from your home aerodrome at Bailleul Asylum, and your first task is to take about 8 to 10 minutes and alt up to 6,000', circling over your aerodrome as you do so. While you are climbing take note of the look of your field and how it is situated in relationship to the town and to "Bailleul Woods" to the east. Also take a good look at those woods as you climb and snap a mental picture as it will be your navigation key upon your return. And, refer to your map and familiarize yourself with your route, (the purple line), and your waypoints. Once you have reached 6,000' turn due west and start the first leg of your trip, (you should still be directly above your aerodrome at this point). If you have your fuel mixture properly set, (or if you are using auto-mixture), and if you hold a steady course and altitude you should reach Boisdingham aerodrome in about 25 minutes. When you are about 12 to 13 minutes along you will want to start watching for the diamond-shaped lake just northwest of St. Omer, it is visible from at least 10 miles out. If you have been flying a steady westerly course you will pass to the south of this lake and should be lined up on Boisdingham aerodrome which is about six miles beyond the lake. Don't confuse it with Quelmes which is just to the southeast of your target aerodrome. Boisdingham runs more or less east-to-west and the hangers lay in a line along the south edge of the field, Quelmes has its hangers in an 'L' pattern. Once you have reached Boisdingham you will turn directly above the field and fly northeast-bearing-east, (NEbE), which is about 56 degrees on the compass. Again, if you hold a steady course and altitude you will reach your next waypoint in about 23 minutes. You are aiming for the front lines 5 miles north-northwest, (NNW), of Dixmude, and the feature that will guide you there is what I refer to as "The Parrot's Eye". It is a small, roundish lake bordered by a river and canals that create what looks like a parrot gazing up towards Tirpitz Battery. Once you have seen it you can spot it from miles away every time. Upon reaching a point just west of "The Parrot's Eye" you will turn and head south-bearing-west, (SbW), or about 191 degress, and aim for home. It should take you no more than 12 minutes to be over "Bailleul Woods" and from there you should have no trouble finding your field and setting down. And once you're back on the ground you and your observer can saunter over to the local pub and drink a toast or two to your navigational prowess. Give yourself a pat on the back as well because you have now successfully completed a 90-mile cross-country flight without the use of your in-sim map or TAC! Lou

. VP, I went to pedals some time back after flying with the twist stick for years. I can not recommend the change highly enough. It has made this sim a whole new experience. The only other item that has a bigger impact is Track IR, IMHO. .

. Jammer, that Sir is absolutely beautiful. An outstanding work, one of the best in this venue that I've ever had the pleasure to watch. It should be posted on the BHaH page for all to see. My hat's off to you. Well done! Lou .

. Winston, most of your questions are answered in the following thread: Flying By Map And Compass, Part Deux Also, "Yes" to real success in a combat situation. I have been using this method now for about six months in my OFF DiD campaigns. As to resuming your assigned course after a protracted dogfight, you may not be able to as you might find yourself either miles off course or entirely lost. In that situation you will have to do exactly what our RL examples did back in the day, pick a direction you hope will get you to the friendly side of the mud and try and sort out your way home, and barring that, at least finding a friendly base to land at. This happened a lot to WWI flyers and is written about in many personal accounts from the period. I follow this plan when I've gotten into the situation, (and believe me I have gotten into it more than once), and have made my way home by running across landmarks I recognize. I have also landed at unfamiliar aerodromes due to low fuel and still being lost, and once on the ground I go to the in-sim map to see where I ended up, (I treat that as if I'd gone and asked someone my location). I then allow anywhere from one to three days to get back to camp depending on how far away I've landed, and advance time in the campaign accordingly. .

. Bullethead, that Gnome you're building should pop right into that BAD boy. BAD arse planes for BAD arse flyers. .