RAF_Louvert

. Ummm...Carrick...Paint.NET is free as well, and I believe I mentioned that in the third post in this thread when I provided you the link to it. .

. Here's a drink to the dead already. Hurrah for the next man to die! Creaghorn, the RFC campaigns are considerably harder to survive than the German campaigns, and in particular during such times as the Fokker Scourge and Bloody April. I have a fellow right now flying with 24 Squadron in February 1916, and he's made 30 hours so far with several claims put in. He's also been forced down in dogfights twice at this point, and nearly ended it when he crashed-landed at his home drome. But the fates were kind and he walked away...from that one at least. .

. I am back in town for the day and near my computer, so I think it's time for a... WILD CARD! For one point, what is the technical name for the British plane colour that was a greenish brown when first applied, but which darkened with age and sun exposure to a chocolate brown, and what were the two pigments used to create it back in the day? Cheers! Lou .

. Carrick, I use Paint.NET which is a beautiful program and it's free. I've been using it for the last couple of years for skinning and it is ideal for the job. Download link here: Paint.NET Cheers! Lou .

. Yikes! You were ready to pounch on that one Olham. Spot on with all your answers too Sir. The lastest standings after round 4 show a new leader: Olham................ 6 points Dej..................... 5 1/2 points Lewie................. 2 1/2 points Hasse Wind....... 1 point Stay watchful my friends. .

. Thinking caps on tight everyone? Computers all warmed up and DXTBmp queued to your OFF 'skins' folder? Hot cuppa' coffee for sipping? Right then, here we go! . 1. Who was the RFC pilot that flew this paint scheme, and what is the plane type and model? 2. While sporting this paint scheme which squadron did this pilot fly for, (and later become CO of), and during what year of the Great War? 3. What were this pilot's nicknames, (he had two), and what did he eventually go on to become? Good Luck! Lou .

. Duke, a black-n-tan, or Black and Tan, is created by taking a tall pint glass and pouring in a nice pale ale until it is slightly more than half full, (a little foam is good for this so pour it a bit fast). Then, with a spoon held inverted over the glass, you slowly pour Guinness Extra Stout over the spoon until the glass is full. The black stout will sit on top of the tan ale, thus giving the concoction it's name. Quite delicious when you're in the mood for something a little different. Word of caution though: Despite the drink's name having nothing to do with the for-hire British troops who fought the Irish rebels in the 1920's, I still don't recommend you order this when travelling about Ireland. And I am NOT joking. .

. Welcome to the OFF skies JohnnyG! Find an empty bunk and stow your gear, then toodle on over to the officers' mess. New lads do indeed buy the drinks, and I'll have a black-n-tan and a bag of crisps, my good man. Cheers! Lou .

. Javito, do you feel like being an historian first and a writer second? If so, go with the former. If however, you'd prefer it the other way round, go with the latter. I personally prefer the former for my own works, but to each his own. .

. There you go Hasse Wind, 26 it is! :yes: Though I would have also accepted 27 as I have seen that amount noted once or twice as well, (however, 26 seems to be the general concensus). Lewie...hee, hee. So then, here are the standings after round 3: Dej..................... 5 1/2 points Olham............... 3 points Lewie................. 2 1/2 points Hasse Wind..... 1 point The next picture will be posted at 12:30 p.m. GMT, May 7, (8:30 a.m. May 7, on the east coast of the US). Have a nice cuppa' all set to go so you can dive right in at that time. .

. Lewie, that's a very nice little RC model you built there Sir. Also, this will be the only tough question concerning French medals in the contest, I promise. Sorry Olham, I can not say if your answer is either right or wrong as you need to wait 36 hours before you can try to answer the same question again, (as per the rules in the first post). So this one is still open for someone to claim. .

. Glad to have you back Olham, I hope all is well with you. And you are even closer Sir, but still not correct. The point is still waiting for someone. .

. Dej, je suis désolé, ce n'est pas exact. However, you are very close, if it's any consolation. This point is still waiting to be claimed. . .

. Very good Lewie, you have two of the three correct. It is indeed Georges' N17, and as it is #1531 it is his second one which places it in the time period you noted, (this is also the one that had the Alb spinner you mentioned, but that feature is not modelled in OFF). However, you missed on the number of palms Capitaine Guynemer ended up with on his Croix de Guerre, so that one is still up for grabs for another contestant. Two more points for you Lewie! Javito, I just did a Google image search for 'Guynemer N17' and several photos of his planes pop up, one showing the above craft with the spinner fitted. Dej, good info on the camo top wing, and quite correct according to what I checked as well. Still a point to claim on this one folks, so go for it! .

. Time for the next round folks, so let's dive right in, allons-nous? 1. Who was the ace that flew this paint scheme, and what is the plane type and model? 2. Which escadrille did this pilot fly for in this paint scheme, and during what time period? 3. What was the final number of palms attached to this pilot’s French Croix de Guerre? Bonne chance! Lou .

. Javito, you are going to thoroughly enjoy HITEB. And glad the dryer sheets did the trick. .

. Greetings All, I just ran across the following listing on eBay: "The Imperial Russian Air Service", by Alan Durkota I recently acquired a copy of this volume myself and I can not recommend it highly enough. If you have any interest in this Great War aviation topic, this book is a must have, and at a 'Buy Now' price of $34.95 it is a fantastic bargain. It normally sells in the online book stores for $100 plus. Hope one of you will be able to nab this one for your own. Lou .

. Duke, there were official maps issued by all sides, and they changed fairly often as the fronts changed. The pilots tended to carry a map of large scale but small geographical area, (barely going beyond their mission range). But interestingly, there are numerous accounts from Great War pilots stating that they simply bought an off-the-rack tour map of a region and used that to get familiar with their AO's. If you Google 'WWI pilot maps' you will likely find numerous examples of what was being used. .

. Patience, Grasshopper Lewie, patience. When you can fly the length of the OFF front without a trail of AA bursts following you, then your plane will not be seen or heard...and you will be ready. .

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. Duke, the large Nat Geo map I made available in the OFF downloads is a good choice, as are the ones from Rabu, Chris, Waldemar Kurtz, and Olham. Your best luck is to navigate by rail lines, rivers, and lakes, (roads will work as well, but they can be a bit trickier to follow). And, as you fly in a specific AO, it helps a lot to make notes on your map of things such as large woods, odd intersections, lake shapes, etc. After only a few flights you will have a pretty good sense of the area you fly over, and will start to recognize a lot without looking at the map at all. .

. This subject always sparks some lively discussion. Gotta love it. I will say again that, for me, and given the monitor I have, and the fact that I use TrackIR, I find the whole adventure much more "realistic" when I fly without any of the in-sim aids. I have learned to scan the skies quite well and can usually pick out the tell-tale speck of an aircraft from a good way out, (several in-sim miles at least). I also use the AA bursts as a sort of TAC screen as well, much as our RL counterparts did back in the day. With clouds set at '5' the AI cannot see through them any better than I can. And, I bounce AI flights on a fairly regular basis, using the tricks of altitude and clouds to my advantage. I believe the devs have already modelled the living bejeebers out of the old CFS3 engine in their attempts to make this sim more "like it was". So, if you don't want to be able to "see" through the clouds or your own plane parts, simply shut off the aids and fly with TrackIR. If you cannot afford that little goodie, than use the aids as you see fit to help correct for the shortcomings you personally perceive. Again, that is the great thing about this sim; total adjustability to suit your own tastes. .

. "We honour a life that was lived to the full, we honour a spirit, now free. You'll long be remembered, whenever we say: “Fair winds and a following sea!" Rest in peace, Chief Petty Officer Claude Choules. .

. DING DING DING! Lewie is on the board. Well done Sir. Here are the current standings folks: Dej.............5 1/2 points Olham........3 points Lewie.........1/2 point And remember, the next picture will be posted at 2:30 a.m. GMT, May 6, (which is 10:30 p.m. May 5 on the east coast of the US). Have your computers warmed up and at the ready. .

. Just to be clear Lewie, what year are you referring to for the months you noted of the DR1's use in Jasta 26? (I am quite sure I know full well what year you mean, but just for general edification). .