griphos

I've flown both Naval 8 and 9. I love those Sopwiths! Both were based out of the Vert-Galant area for much of the early war at least (haven't gotten further than that!) and I've seen lots of action in them. Good middle of country location, with every kind of mission imaginable. I've just flown the Pups and Strutters so far.

Now that's just darned handy! Thanks for sharing. Looks like I'm finally going to have to take down that poster of Farah Fawcett from behind my computer desk....

Nope. I've gone on ground attack missions where I was just a wingman. I think it depends on your rank (I was a lowly sgt.). The AI do indeed fail to perform these missions correctly, as H-PW says. Mostly, my flight just flew rather aimlessly around, sometimes in the general direction of the ground target. BUT, fly as leader and pick a target and send your wingmen after it and they'll give it hell or die trying (mostly die trying!).

What a treasure trove you've got there!

Have you flown any QC with that pilot active? It may count QC missions as well.

I hope those weren't your best pilots! GREAT video, Catch! What a clever idea, superbly executed.

Hey "Nels." You should post this in the Reports from the front sticky thread for posterity. Very good job of putting us in the situation.

Yes, they must put the real burn-outs on truck duty. I've had several close calls with those guys. My favorite is the guy that seems to patrol the edge of the landing strip waiting for you to turn on final so he can run out underneath you! I've gone in the hanger a few times for fun. Of course, you don't have to get out. The next mission starts you on the field lined up ready to go as usual.

Hey Ax, I flew a little with Duck in MP this evening and the mission put us in Camels. Look what I found on the side of mine:

A New Year: 1917...and still the war drags on! Heading home from the front after attacking enemy ground forces... There is light, but little warmth! Those darned trees!!! Happy to be home!

Well, I'm hoping that it gets easier as the war goes along, when those, ummmm....what were they called?......oh, yeah, I believe they've been poetically referred to as "tart's handbags"... er...colorful aces show up. But right now, early in the war, those drab greenish/yellow fuselages of the DII's are no picnic to pick up against the field and forests.

What is that? Plywood?! On the fuselage?!?!?! Where's the fabric on that airplane?! I mean, I know it's hard times and all.... I don't think you're close enough! I can't count the individual hairs on his knuckles!

That's my understanding. Last one installed is operative. You know you only have so many of those little buggers, right?

I don't use labels in campaign (or QC for that matter, but I do in MP so I can see which friend I'm shooting at), because I hate those big red and blue lines all over the sky; and I've only recently started turning the TAC (which is always set at 2 miles range and left there) off during combat. I've never flown without it at all, because I always lead. But it is very tempting to drop back to wingman and try it that way. Anyway, as to flying combat without TAC or Labels, when you give it a try, stick with it. I remember my first times without the TAC I was SO disoriented, and felt as if there was an enemy plane everywhere and I just wasn't seeing them. Head on a swivel, but I still felt naked and alone, and blind! And, the first time, I turned the TAC right back on. But after a bit, I turned it off again, and kept it off for the next few dogfights. Now I really don't like to have it on. I very much like the immersion that Red-Dog speaks of when I see those white dots turn red and then turn off TAC and try to acquire them visually. It is very intense. And I haven't found that it puts me at a disadvantage (I have TrackIR). With the new AI models of the recent patches, EA don't open fire on me until they are close enough to be easy to spot, even against the landscape (and if I can spot them against the landscape, that means I have the advantage!!). If I can do it, it can't be that hard! And it is a different, and fun, way to play it. It does mean I lose track of other planes sometimes, both friendly and enemy, especially when I'm involved in a furball that takes us away from the main action (a not infrequent occurrence). But I suspect that's what happened a fair bit back in the day. It means, often, as UncleAl said, that I lose track of my wingmen, but I frequently meet up with them (or at least some of them) again at the main target. Again, probably realistic. Anyway, I'm just saying that I don't think it's some huge challenge that you have to work up to. I think it can be scary (I was scared!) to let go of the aids, but if you stick with it (set your pilot on never dies or create a never-die pilot and fly some QC to get used to it), I think you'll like it!

I've seen this guy's work over the years. He's done some amazing dioramas. This looks like one of his best. Quite an inspiration to modelers like me.

How odd. I'm pretty sure I exist. Can't be positive, of course. I'll get your email from Ax. Central Time zone.

I don't know how this one slipped by you. Pay attention, Widowmaker! It seems that the problem is caused by having auto-trim turned on before entering warp.

Maybe this one was posted and I missed it, but it's a good one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3-idVjBKr4...feature=related (Just trying to take up what little slack there is from our resident researcher: Womenfly2)

Ahhh....that makes sense, MK2. I'll try that next balloon mission.

Hmmmm.....I've had Balloon Busting missions where I got the right balloon (it was right at the waypoint and no others were nearby) but I've NEVER gotten to fill out a claim form for a balloon. I'm fine with this, since, as I said, I don't really think of them as aerial combat, but that's been my experience.

Nope. Balloons don't count as air combat victories. Balloons are more like ground targets than EA. They can't really shoot back, after all. Your compensation is the satisfying explosion when you shoot them down. But I think that successful balloon missions will lead to promotion eventually. I don't know. None of my pilots have ever lived long enough to get promoted.

I reincarnated Stan. Here he is doing escort duty in some typical French weather.

I can't do either of those Duck. I'd hate to fly without all that pretty scenery, and there's no way I'm moving back to civilization!

Jammer, that was excellent! Beautiful screenshots, and nice music and very nice integration of fraps in the slide show. Very much enjoyed it!

The answer to the last question is yes. You can hide in clouds and get the jump on enemy without them noticing. I jumped a flight of Alb.DIIs the other day from out of the sun and thousands of feet higher and we got within 800-900 ft behind them before they even noticed (or at least before they changed direction) and I shot down two just like that because they hadn't noticed yet and kept flying straight.