RAF_Louvert

BEER! Great to see you here Sir, and glad to read that you have the TIR sorted out. I had the same backlighting issues myself when I first started using it, but some new shades on the windows next to my computer did the trick. I think you are going to fully enjoy BHaH Beer. Give the two-seaters a try, they will warm the cockles of your old bomber heart Sir. Cheers! Lou

uncleal wrote: Which is why I choke the fuel, (i.e. shut it off), BEFORE switching off the mags. I am uncomfortably familiar with the end results of dropping off the mags whilst leaving the fuel petcock open. Flamerinoe Boys! Also, I do have a hot switch programmed on my JS to kill the engine via fuel shut-off, ("hot switch" meant to be a pun). BTW, glad you folks like the film. Cheers! Lou

I've been using my own pilot photo since starting in BHaH, (and before that, RB3D). It just adds that much more to the immersion level. Cheers! Lou

Waldemar Kurtz, you mention the Voisins outfitted with the 37mm, and those were far more successful than the Spad attempt. Escadrille VC-110, (the 'C' designating "cannon"), was using them in the fall of 1915 for ground attacks with some fairly good results. The recoil was not an issue in that application and the gas discharged by the shell was dissipated much more quickly in the open front office of the Voisin. And I agree with both you and Duce Lewis, the 37mm WOULD be a nice addition to BHaH. Maybe in the next phase, eh what? (Nudge, nudge, know-what-I-mean, know-what-I-mean, say-no-more, say-no-more, wink's as good as a nod). Cheers! Lou

I discovered this AM that I can actually roll my plane right into an open hanger! I know, I know... "What, you didn't know that before?" Yes, I'm still just an OFF nube, but this kind of detail is one of the many things that makes this sim so darned engrossing. Cheers! Lou

LOL! I've seen a few rail lines that take the same bend. Apparently, if it's not a right angle it's a wrong angle. Cheers! Lou

Holy Schnikee! Hauksbee, you must be using that 37mm cannon that Guynemer was testing out. Cheers! Lou

Don't ya' just hate it when work gets in the way of the important things you have to do. Cheers! Lou

An outstanding read Dej, very well written. I kept a period flight jouranl myself for one of my first pilots in RB3D that spanned a fairly long run before I was disabled and "no longer fit for duty". I love this sort of writing and wish I had more time to devote to it. Keep up the "Letters Home" Dej, they are great Sir. Cheers! Lou

Cool article, Womenfly2. The cannon was an impressive idea but as mentioned there were engine problems with the design. That, and the fact that when Guynemer actually got to try out the weapon on an Albatros scout the recoil nearly tore the engine off it mounts and the fumes from the shell were poisonous and wafted right back into the Georges' face. He did blow the Alb to bits though. Cheers! Lou

Jammer28, Nungesser is one of my fav WW1 aces. I have flown with the French escadrilles many times in RB3D and now in BHaH. I love flying the Nieups and even lasted about 12 hours in N.65 with Charles before I was knocked down by a brace of Hun scouts. Cheers! Lou

WOW! Thank you so much Olham for posting those links. And thank you as well to Womenfly2 and Snoopy for your contributions. I love studying the projects and efforts of those folks who build and restore the old WW1 aircraft. Whether the "real deal" or a replica, it's all great. I have flown ultralights myself a bit over the years and have a long-standing project of my own. When and if finished it will be a pusher parasol wing UL that generously borrows its overall look from the DH2, (sans lower wings). This is as far as I have gotten with it: It has been in a holding pattern for well over a year now due to a variety of reasons, (much to the relief of my wife who not-so-secretly hopes it will never leave the ground). Ah well, still fun to sit in it and make "brooom-brooom" sounds as I fiddle with the flight controls. Cheers! Lou

Olham, it's not battle flirting, just mutual respect for an adversary, although I do cut quite a swatch in my flying togs. Now, to answer your question Sir, I have one DiD/W campaign currently active flying as Nels Albertson for No. 5 Wing, RNAS. Current date is May 16, 1916 and I have just over 18 hours flying with 3 confirmed kills to my name, and I have been promoted to Flight Commander. My group is stationed up near the channel at the Couderkerque aerodrome and the Huns have been quite busy as of late in their own two-seaters. In fact, that is what I and my gunner/observer, Sgt. Kenny Shewtum, have primarily been engaging since we started flying. Our one run-in with Einies did not end well and we had to crash land near one of our own AA positions. That was a white-knuckle ride to be sure. Cheers! Lou

Siggi wrote: Well that's easy to fix Siggi, just fly lone wolf missions. Then you'll be the only one in the air with your colors. Cheers! Lou

Zoomzoom, that's actually the third eye we tea-and-crumpet types need in the back of our heads in order to see the likes of you sneaking up on our six. Videmus omnia and all that, although come to think of it that means "we see all", so maybe it is just a bull's eye. I know in my case I certainly don't see all, or even most, which is likely why my old bus serves so well as Fokker fodder for you nasty Boche swine, (and I mean that only in the kindest and most appreciative way possible). Cheers! Lou

Fell for the old "Bull's eye over the non-critical parts of the airplane" ruse, eh boys? Just keep aiming at those targets then. I'll stick to banging away at your engine and cockpit areas. Cheers! Lou

Well, I'll throw my two cents into this thread if you all don't mind. I recently built a new computer specifically to run OFF BHaH, (and any other new WW1 sims that get sorted out), and it was one of the best investments I've made in recent history. I also still have the box I built to run RB3D with a Voodoo 5500 card, and believe me I can push Red Baron and all its add-ons to the limit with that system. The difference between the two sims is really just a decade of advancements. They are both great, but RB3D is simply outdated, especially when compared to something like BHaH. As to the painting issue, I don't see it as an issue at all since we already have the tools available to paint the OFF skins. I have been playing about with the free Paint.Net program I downloaded a while back and it works great for creating new skins. You just need to grab an existing skin file with the DXTBmp program and convert it so you can build new layers, and the sky's the limit from that point on. I am completely enjoying OFF ! :yes: Cheers! Lou

Outstanding read Widowmaker, thanks for sharing Sir. As others have said here, your father was indeed a brave man. Salute! Lou

Hauksbee, I gotta ask the same question as Camel Jock: How the heck far CAN you throw a rock? If you can pitch it that far with force and accuracy there are a few baseball scouts that want to talk to you. Siggi, I have bumped a couple of planes with my wheels as well and watched them crash because of it, but my landing gear folded up when I tried to land afterwards. You must have the luck of the Irish with you. Olham, you are correct about us Brit flyers liking our tea. Why, we even enjoy it with your national meat product, the bratwurst. Now then, who scarpered with the milk for my cuppa?! Cheers! Lou

Olham, Hugh Laurie was also in another excellent series I enjoyed about 15 years ago called "Jeeves & Wooster". I was wondering how many of you watched that one? Cheers! Lou

I LOVED the Blackadder series, and still watch any episode I can when I get the chance. Here is one of my personal favorite clips from the BGF episodes: How The War Started Cheers! Lou

Andy Devine...scary memories for me with that one, Royce! Cheers! Lou

Hauksbee, that is a model of the Hansa-Brandenburg W.20 which was supposedly built in such a way that it could be broken down and stowed on submarines. Only a very small number of prototypes were ever built and I don't think any saw service. Cheers! Lou

Pips, I have both the books you mention on my "must read" list and hope to get to them soon. I do take slight exception however when you say that most of the other books listed do not give an accurate account of a flyer's life in the Great War. While some do indeed romaticize it, many others were written directly from the pilots' own daily journals and/or letters home so they most certainly capture the personal details of what transpired on any given day at the front, but more importantly it shows how they felt about it. Biddle's "Way of the Eagle", as MK2 notes, is outstanding, (BTW MK2, his first name is Charles, his middle name is John, just to split a hair). Also, McCudden's "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps" is amazing in the fact that it takes you on his entire journey from air mechanic to ace, in his own words. And Gibbons' "Red Knight of Germany" is well worth the read because of the author's entries of Richthofen's personal letters home to his mother. Here is still another, (not mentioned so far): If you want an over-the-top collection of a whole variety of pilots letters and journal notes from the war, get your hands on the two-volume set "The Lafayette Flying Corps", by James Hall and Charles Nordhoff. The second volume is a 360-page collection of personal narratives from Esc 124 flyers, most of which were written during the war. I have the 1964 Kennikat Press edition and have read through it numerous times. And if you want more of the German perspective try "Double-Decker C.666" by Haupt Heydemarck. While this one does get a tad reminiscent, it still provides great insight. Ooooh....there are just too many books, and not enought time. Cheers! Lou

LOL Polovski! Nice write-up MK2. Cheers! Lou