RAF_Louvert

. No ... I am. .

. I saw it too Olham, but only for an instant. Must be more of the Middle Earth magic. .

. Already taken care of Olham when I sent Jarhead his official "Welcome" letter this AM. .

. Looks like I may have to unleash "The Dragon" : .

. Not on the treadmill Olham, I'm actually out in Spearfish, South Dakota. But I had a couple of minutes to check in, and just in time it appears. I say a definite "Yes" to bringing NS13Jarhead into the BOC fold, and Dej's new badge for him is not only apropos but downright spiffing! :yes: .

. HH, you are more than welcome Sir. Also, I'd say that anyone who gads about above the front lines in a kite such as that is up for admission into the BOC. Apply here: The Barmy OFFers Club As President, (and one of the founding members), of this fine organization I can about guarantee your acceptance. Wouldn't you agree brother founding members Olham and Dej ? .

. Brought a lump to my throat too. Thank you for sharing this, Sir. .

. You have mail HH. Lou .

. ... hee hee ... You know what else is funny? If you simply change the colors a bit, the design actually starts to look kind of neat. A sort of spotted shark skin affect. .

. You know, if you dial back the color intensity, add outlines to the polka dots, and put the crosses back on the top wing surfaces, it almost becomes believable: ... almost ... .

. Yes, I just think of the tactical advantage that will give you in a dogfight when your opponent is busy trying to clean off the inside of his windscreen. .

. Have fun WM ... you lucky sod! .

. I don't know guys, polka dots on DR1 could work. And Olham, I seem to recall we painted a pink Alb for you quite some time ago, complete with a cup of tea emblazoned on the side of it. .

. Outstanding work Olham. Well done, Sir. .

. I don't know about a double negative RadPig, but it's definitely a misnomer in my book. One restores an original, and rebuilds a replica. .

. Thanks for sharing, Olham. I just love old maps, in particular WWI era maps. But then folks here probably knew that already. .

. Olham,the depth of the crown wells varied on the originals as did the back design and 'dish'. Without even comparing this badge to an original there are several things that should raise the red flag. 1. Aeroplane fuselage is bent rather than straight. 2. Extra berry in the wreath at the edge of the hilltop. 3. All three hallmarks on the same badge; crescent moon, crown, and silver content mark, (in this case '800' though hard to see in the picture because the pin is in the way). 4. And worst of all, the casting 'tick' at the edge of the crown well. A tick that has been seen repeatedly on hundreds of replica badges from supposedly different makers, representing different air services. There are other issues that can be seen when compared side-by-side to an authentic WWI badge, but the ones pointed out in the photo cast doubt enough all on their own. This particular badge is not bad as a display piece but it's not worth the price, unless perhaps it is in fact 800 silver, (given the current market value of silver). But there was no indication that it had been tested to prove such. .

. Olham, lots of folks have fallen for them over the decades, as these pieces were originally made to deceive. There are likely more WWI Central Powers pilot badges that are supposedly 'originals' than there were pilots in the war. .

. Today on eBay a nice looking engraved Prussian pilot badge was sold for $350, whcih would be the deal of the century if it were an original WWI item Any among you know the tells on this item that indicate it is a replica and not an original? .

. Very sad news indeed, to lose a pilot not to mention such a plane. I read thorugh the article as well as the posts on François Guinand's own website and, as much as I hate to say it, it sounds as if the pilot's own inexperience with the triplane is likely what did him in. His comments about his first flight and the remarks made by another pilot who flew wing with him would indicate Guinand was rather unsure in air with his new plane. I have to wonder why he would not have spent more time behind the stick in it before going right to the air shows and participating in exhibition flying. Thrill of the moment I suppose. Rest in peace Aviateur Guinand. .

. Don't you ever wonder if kings and queens, when in the privacy of their own castles and palaces, occasionally turn to a servant and say, "Go on, pull my finger." .

. "You have evil plans for moose and squirrel, Boris?" Great pic BTW Hauksbee, thanks for sharing Sir. .

. Thanks again everyone for your encouragement and kudos, I'm getting close now. Very close. Tranquiilo, I hope your health and strength are still continuing to improve daily Sir. Let us know how you're doing. Hellshade, good on you Sir for achieving your weight loss goals. And 44 years old, you say? I remember 44 as if it were only 13 years ago. Olham, I had the same concerns about slipping off the bottom of the graph and out of this plane of existence, which is why I amended it before my weigh-in this AM just to be on the safe side: .

. Interesting thread Gents, and interesting wanderings as usual. To the original topic I can add that in the writings of American pilots who served with the French the term éclatement appears fairly often, (e.g. "The éclatements suddenly appeared directly in front of me!"). It translates to 'explosion' or 'starburst' or 'crump', all of which have been used to describe AA over the years. Other terms used in the contemporary writings of American pilots of WWI were 'shell' and 'anti-aircraft fire'. .