RAF_Louvert

Good Morning All, The subject of flying by map and compass in OFF has been discussed numerous times in these forums. Some folks get the hang of it and enjoy the added immersion factor, others find it nearly impossible and don't wish to suffer the exercise. This of course is one of OFF's best features: the versatility and adjustability provided the virtual WWI pilot, allowing each to tailor the experience to his or her own liking. I am one of those who enjoys taking on the challenge of navigating as much as possible with the compass and a separate map, using the in-sim pop-up map as little as possible. Sometime back I outlined the method I use, and have continued to refine it, and I would like to touch on it again here for those who might want to give this a go. The most recent improvement has been adding the aerodrome names to the map I use when flying and this has been a real boon, (and with Olham thoughtfully providing the map section he just did I was able to speed this job up considerably). For those who aren't aware, beautiful and accurate maps are available in the OFF Downloads, courtesy of rabu, chrispdm1, and Waldemar Kurtz. Now then, I have a second computer set up portside of my flying computer that I use for my maps, so my procedure will differ slightly from those folks using a paper map, but the basic idea is exactly the same, and it goes like this. Begin with a new pilot in a new campaign and once you know your area of operation create a copy of the appropriate map, or maps, needed. If you are using paper maps clip them onto a board of some sort and place a clear plastic overlay on top that you can mark with dry erase pens, (or flip out of the way when you want to mark directly on the map itself). If you have a second computer set up, open the map in an image editor program such as Paint.NET and work on the map in layers. OK, you are now ready to fly a few "Cook's Tours" of your AO to get familiar with the map and local features seen in the landscape you fly above, using your in-sim map initially to help ID the positions of certain features. For instance, just west of St. Omer there is a small diamond-shaped lake that is very distinctive and easy to see, even from 10 to 15 miles away. It is not on your "paper" map but should be, so mark it in right on the map itself, (refer to the image I have posted below). Continuing with this particular example, as you head towards Bailleul you will see another landmark that is very handy for navigation and that is the "Woods" east of Bailleul Asylum and Bailleul aerodromes. This is a long slender forest running roughly north-to-south and looks quite a lot like a stretched monkey's foot. Again, you can recognize this feature from many miles out, and again it is not on the "paper" map, so add it in as well. Continue with this process, and be sure to pay attention to other items such as: rivers, (blue lines); roads, (red lines): and railroad tracks, (black lines). Railroad tracks BTW are the most reliable of the man-made features in terms of the paper maps matching what you actually see in the sim. Rivers are quite accurate as well, but can be tricky to follow as there are many smaller tributaries and canals you will see in the sim that are not shown on the paper maps. Another item to pay particular attention to is the location and "look" of your home aerodrome and how it is situated in relationship to the landscape around it, (I always highlight my home drome on my map to make it quicker to find when I am drawing in my mission routes). In my current assignment with RFC 4 in January of 1915 I am flying out of St. Omer field, which lies about 2 1/2 miles southwest of St. Omer, and easily found by looking SSW of the blue "Ace of Diamonds". As to the mission route itself, (shown as a purple line in the example below), I draw that in by using as a guide the in-sim map given at the pre-flight mission briefing. You may find you need to bring up the in-sim map once when you are far enough along to see the assigned patrol points or target, but try to do this only once and make the needed notes to your paper map then. After that do your best to navigate the mission with your compass and paper map. One final item, you will also want to use your dry erase marker to draw in the current location of the front lines in your area, keeping in mind that this can change a bit from time to time during the War. That's about it. If you have comments or questions about this, or your own improvements to the method, please feel free to post them. Also, if you have run across distinctive landscape features when flying in the sim, such as large woods and lakes and what-not, let me know where they are and I can add them to the map I am compiling and make it available in the downloads when it is relatively complete. Cheers! Lou .

. How true Olham. Throughout history men have been taking risks where women are concerned, the biggest of which being when we first say, "Hello". .

. Macklroy, you are a very fortunate individual indeed to have come across such a wonderful and personal connection to the past. I am happy for you Sir, and for the insight that reading your great grandfather's journal is going to give you into a bygone era and a man you never knew but share such a bond with. Please do post excerpts. .

. Luther, from my readings over the years it would seem that while the aircraft compasses were relatively accurate they could be rendered nearly useless after sudden or severe aerial maneuvers, requiring up to 20 minutes to "settle in" after such instances, (and sometimes they didn't settle in until after the pilot had landed). That being said, they were used as a basic course guide by many pilots, keeping in mind that the majority of navigation was done by landmarks and position of the sun, moon, and stars. From the mission briefings I've read precise compass headings were not usually given but rather a simple N-S-E-W down to the "finer" NNW, SSE type directions. For instance: "You will take off and climb to 12,000 as you head NNE towards Dixmude. Turn south upon reaching the city and patrol the lines to Ypres and back for 60 minutes and return to base via Ypres. Keep enemy planes from crossing the lines and drive them down whenever possible. Preventing B/R's from doing their work is of primary concern." .

. Yes chrispdm1, that is a good point. Those two towns are about 5 miles out of position. I don't tend to use towns very much as navigation aids as they are not that individually distinctive in the sim and can be very hard to see at all when you are 10,000' up. There are exceptions, such as Armentieres with its large spread and "quad" feature. Hasse Wind, you should give it a try, you might surprise yourself. Or, you might land at a less-than-friendly drome and become their guest for the duration. Either way it could prove to be an adventure. .

. Redkite, I came across that site myself sometime back and read through all of Packe's diary and letters. Wonderful first-hand stuff, thanks for sharing it here for all, (and thanks for the correction VP). Also, nice to know he has now been recognized in OFF. Well done shredward. .

. I've just snorkled my coffee all over my monitor. .

. Yowzer! If I get to meet nurses like those posted above, I'm going out and get shot! .

. More great screenies folks! Crossbones, you are rather hard on your kite I must say. That's gonna take a fair amount of chewing gum and spit to repair. Bullethead...sweet job! There's no place like Gnome, eh? .

. tranquillo, you are going to love this sim. Also, depending on which version of CFS3 you have purchased, you may not need to install the entire program at all. If you purchased the disc set that has the updates already included all you will need to do is drop the CFS3 disc into your drive when prompted for it by the OFF installer, at which point only about three files from CFS3 will be loaded, (that's all OFF needs from CFS3 to run). After that you only need to leave the CFS3 disc in your drive when opening and running OFF. BTW, welcome aboard tranquillo! New lads buy the drinks. Cheers! Lou .

. Welcome to the OFF virtual skies Dutchie. New lads buy the drinks. Cheers! Lou .

. I've seen these videos before and they are stellar! Yet another reason to visit New Zealand. Visiting the home of the "Conchords" is of course the other, (formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo). .

. Very moving indeed, and a must see series. Thanks for posting Olham. Such bravery and sacrifice should never be forgotten. .

. There are many references in new and old books on the subject that elude to the problem of muzzle flash blinding pilots at night. The following excerpt from Anthony Williams' paper, "The Development of RAF Guns and Ammunition from World War 1 to the Present Day" is typical, and also touches on a point you have noted many times uncleal, that of heat: "The home-defence fighters retained the top-wing Lewis guns rather than the synchronised Vickers, for several reasons. First, the gun was lighter which was an advantage given the high rate of climb needed to reach airship altitudes; secondly, it could be tilted to fire upwards; thirdly, its location meant that the pilot was shielded from the muzzle flash by the wing, so didn't lose his night vision; and, last but far from least, it was unsafe to fire the early explosive/incendiary ammunition from a Vickers because the bullet left in the hot chamber after firing a burst could "cook off" from the heat. In this instance, the Lewis Gun's open-bolt firing was an advantage." .

. Yuppers, and keep in mind the decision not to use this aircraft was made by the same leaders who thought parachutes were a bad idea because pilots would "abandon" their planes; and also the same leaders who kept designs for synchronized firing of the guns through the prop arc on the shelf for nearly two years of the War before finally making use of them. Go figure. .

. BTW Olham, here was my finished "working" map after taking what you did and adding it to my project: .

. Yes Olham, I know you did Sir, and it is very neat. But niether of us did it for the whole of Flanders, so it would be great to have the rest of the area with the dromes on the map. .

. Mike, muzzle flash was THE reason why the guns were moved to the top wing on the Camel night fighters. .

. Oh, I would like, very much! Thanks chrispdm1, it will be a real boon to have the drome names right on the maps. .

. ME TOO! I sat in the cockpit of a Camel many years ago in Biggleswade. It was so very, very cool, despite the gawd-aweful layout of the instruments, which OFF has followed with extreme accuracy BTW. .

. Thank you very much Olham, I shall do just that Sir! .

. Aaah, I just now noticed that Mike Dixon guessed the "Comic", which is indeed the nickname for the modified F.1/3 night fighter variant. Well done Sir. .

. It's a modified F.1 night fighter belonging to No. 44 Home Defense Squadron. .

Good Evening All, Yesterday I finished re-reading "Go, Get 'Em!", William A. Wellman's memoirs of his time with Escadrille 87. Afterwards I went looking for his kite in the OFF N24 files and discovered it was not there. So, I have taken care of that and it is now available for download over in our Aircraft Skins section. If you have never read Wild Bill's book you really should. He was quite the character, and went on to become one of Hollywood's leading directors during the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. And here is the link to his book, available for reading online: "Go, Get 'Em!" Enjoy! Lou .

. I am still working on my map Olham. I started on it yesterday morning when I began a new DID career flying BE2's in January of 1915 up by St. Omer and decided it was time to have the aerodrome names right on the map I was using. I can post it when I have it finished. .