RAF_Louvert

. stumpjumper wrote: Outstanding Sir! I was wondering how work was going on the flaming onions. And that new burning fuel slick and debris on the water looks very good. Can't wait to try it out. Olham, we've always had such races. You just pick out a few bridges, set the course, and see how fast you can fly under each of them without killing yourself. Do it the Bruno Stachel way. Cheers! Lou .

. Good Day All, Thought I would give you an update on my project. The USMC tunic arrived and it is a beauty, plus the lower pockets already have the expansion pleats which saves me a lot of extra work. I also have a full set of original "Legion Etrangere" buttons on the way, and they will look like this: As I have dug deeper into researching this outfit I've discovered that my job is going to be considerably easier than I first thought. The sheer diversity of the French Air Service uniforms that were worn allows for a whole lot of leeway when it comes to the little style features. Here are a few pictures to illustrate that point. Many of these uniforms had been custom made by local tailors so there was very little regularity to them. Add to that the fact that many French aviators started out in other branches of the service before transferring over, and in so doing brought items of those uniforms with them, having them "converted" for wear in the escadrilles. I will post a few pictures soon once I have made some headway on the tunic. Cheers! Lou .

. Siggi, the way those CdG's were introduced is in absolute keeping with the immersion factors of this campaign. Historically, French High Command would send any number of Croix de Guerre to the commander of a squadron, (one that had an impressive record over a period of time, or had performed outstandingly during a major offensive, etc), with instructions that they be presented to "deserving pilots". The practice in the RFC and RNAS was to then let the pilots vote among themselves to determine who should be given the honours. Seems a strange way to present awards but this is one of the common ways it was done during the Great War. Also, the French would on occasion present the CdG and/or Legion d'Honneur to an entire squadron, regiment, unit, etc, and this is how some soilders ended up with that loop of braid you see draped over their left shoulders. Hope this is informative for you Sir, and that you will consider allowing this historically accurate practice to continue throughout your DID campaign. Cheers! Lou .

. SWEET! Great idea Siggi. BTW, as noted by Commander Elder in his post yesterday there are two Croix de Guerre with Palm medals that were sent over by French High Command for our boys in the RNAS, and once our flyers have cast their votes as to who they should go to is there a way you can add them to your DID board? Thanks again Siggi for a great "real time" campaign. Cheers! Lou .

. Enlightening stuff there uncleal, thanks for sharing Sir. WM, while the "balls" portion of the phrase is a recent addition the "brass monkey" likey is of naval origin going back several hundred years. Read the following article for a very indepth and historically supported explanation: Brass Monkeys Examined Cheers! Lou .

. Oh, OK, I get it. For a minute there I thought you were referring to that new WWI combat flight sim, "Skies of Plight". I hear it's scheduled for release this Christmas...unless it's not. And it will have a full complement of aircraft available...unless it doesn't. And it will be fully supported...unless it isn't. I...I'm sorry...that was uncalled for. No bashing of other flight sims, imaginary or otherwise. I'll retreat to my underground bunker now and try to get online so I can fly for an hour or so before the server gets so hinky I end with stop-frame animation of some of my favorite WWI aircraft. .

. Yes Creaghorn, I'd like to know how you managed that as well. I would like to not see bits and pieces flying off the plane I am shooting at. I'll keep the tracers though as they were used in the war. Cheers! Lou .

. OH MA MA! Looking very nice Pol. .

. hee, hee...there ya' go Olham. That's probably why you are a BHaH ace many times over. Cheers! Lou .

. Thank you Dej, that is the point I was making here too when we posted at the same time. The original WWI Immelman Turn is not the same as the one called the Immelman seen in airshows now. As to actual WWI planes being able to do a snap roll, I will agree that a few of the twitchy birds and those with the larger late-war engines probably could do the maneuver, but I am betting they still were not all that precise in the execution of it, which has been my main contention all along here. The problem as I see it is we are using a more modern aerobatic term and applying it to early aircraft. "Snap" implies a very quick, sharp, exact action, which is possible with high powered, high speed modern aircraft. It was not so back in 1918, and the term "snap roll" was not in the vocabulary of the day as it would not have accurately described any such maneuver these old kites were capable of. Of course, we are likely only arguing semantics here and I apologize if such is the case. But language is precise and I like to try and use it in a precise fashion. So shoot me. .

. GASP! What sorcery is this, that a plane flies with no air screw?! And what is one to make of those nubbins for wings? But seriously WM, nicely done video Sir. Very good first attempt I'd say. Cheers! Lou .

. Olham, it is almost a barrel roll due to the speed and handling characteristics of the plane. That's why I have stated that I don't believe a true, precisely controlled snap roll, (which is really just a horizontal stall), can be done with most of the OFF planes. Cheers! Lou .

. Olham, here is a video of a Cessna 152 doing a snap roll as best it can, and it's about as good as any of these OFF kites are likely to do the same maneuver, IMHO: C152 Snap Roll As you can see, with a slower, underpowered aircraft it does not exactly "snap", (i.e. roll quickly and precisely), and it does not end up quite where it started in terms of wings being level and such. HTH Olham. Cheers! Lou .

. Well Stiffy, since you mention using the stall as an intentional maneuver and noting that the trick is getting back out of it, and since I posted my very first OFF video in this thread yesterday, I think it apropos to again post my most recent OFF video that demonstrates the very point you were making. About 3 minutes and 45 seconds in you will see one of the best bits of video I've ever captured: A Duel In The Sun Enjoy! . Olham, a snap roll is a precise "snap" of the plane around its longitudinal axis, normally terminating exactly back where you started in terms of that axis. I don't think it can be done with OFF planes, (or actual WWI aircraft), with any kind of predictability. Cheers! Lou .

. Yes indeed. IWM is one of the premier spots in the world to visit for WWI items and info, (not to mention the odd bits they have from other eras as well). Wish I could get back to London and spend a week just hanging out there. .

. Morris, I am hoping the add-on pack will perhaps address this very minor issue. The Brits should see the MC awarded as the first one or two honours, followed by the DSC, (for RNAS pilots), DSO, and finally the VC. You could throw an OBE into the mix too, but that would just be extra icing. And as Stiffy has so rightly pointed out, the DFC really does not come along until mid-1918. Cheers! Lou .

. rwmarth, here's a video I did some time back while I was flying my Fee. A little over 4 minutes into the video I do something with that kite you wouldn't think it could do that quick. Enjoy. Flying the OFF FE2b Cheers! Lou .

. Speaking of nabbing a bargain on eBay, I just purchased this beautiful reproduction 1916-style French pilot's badge for my tunic project. It even has the correct lugs and split pin mounting. Cost: $25, which is less than half of the next closest price I have seen for these. Originals are going for about $600 to $800 when you can find them, and there is one now on eBay for the "Buy Now" price of $895. OUCH! I believe these will serve me just fine. Cheers! Lou .

. BH, maybe we are talking about two different ideas here. I agree that you can "snap" most of these birds into a roll, but you will not have the precise control coming out of that maneuver that I would associate with the true snap roll, unless you have sorted out how to do that, in which case I tip my hat to you Sir and humbly ask for a lesson or two. .

. Reminds me of me own dear Grams it does. Course she wasn't Greek, and was more a fan of the double-barreled 12 gauge, but still... .

. I agree Olham. Learning to fly with an external historic map in OFF takes a bit of practice and a lot of patience. I do it now with a fair to good success rate and really enjoy the added immersion it offers, but it was a tough row to hoe for a while. Oh and Ness, I like the new moniker there lassie. Cheers! Lou .

. Thanks for the links Stiffy. I have not decided on the breeches yet, but red is one of the choices, as is blue, and also a bleached tan/off white with either a red or blue stripe up the side. What is interesting about the French uniforms is the variety worn by members of the same service. Lots of custom tailored outfits as well as mixing of articles from different branches of the French military. BTW, there are several Sam Browne belts listed on eBay right now starting at less than 10 quid. Good luck nabbing one of them Stiffy. Cheers! Lou .

. rwmarth, the WWI kites weren't really capable of such a maneuver anymore than they can do a modern day "Immelman". If you are use to the newer, faster aircraft you will have to rethink some tactics with the OFF planes. But it's fun learning what they can do. Cheers! Lou .

. WM, yes, we are a bit loopy, but in a good way. Siggi, outstanding repro uniform Sir! Kudos to you, and you are definitely in the ranks of "we the loopy". NS13Jarhead, thanks for the encouragement and the advice Sir. I did look at the officer tunics for that very lack of piping you pointed out but every example I found had the smoother fabric. I choose this particular one because it has not only very large lower pockets but the Kersey wool, which looks nearly identical to the old WWI tunics I have studied on. Here is a close-up of the fabric texture: Stiffy, thanks Sir, right back at you on your top-notch project, and we do need the Germans and Yanks represented next in this. You are correct about changing the pocket flaps, it will be pretty straightforward to go to a square cut. As to adding the expansion pleats to the lower pockets, that will be a bit more tedious but I've done similar work in the past on other uniforms, and matching the fabric won't be an issue. Because these are patch pockets there is a very large swatch of the exact cloth I'll need under each one which I can get to by taking back the lining, carefully cutting out the needed fabric, and replacing it with another to keep the shape of the garment intact. Once the lining is sewn back down the swap will never show. BTW, you may already be aware of this source Stiffy, but here is a link to an outfitter who makes a very nice, reasonably priced Sam Browne belt in that beautiful British russet brown color: International Military Antiques OK, I'm off on the road for the day to run business calls. Later all. Cheers! Lou

. Oh come now Olham, obviously rd1 is a "Fraulein Flieger". .