Olham

No, sorry, Sir, but with the Tatzenkreuz it is still German. (How did you get that Russian "D"???) Here is one I had also never seen before. If you look close, you can see what it is. I had thought, "Schräge Musik" ("angular music") was a WW2 invention; now I see the Germans had already done that in WW1 (see belly MGs).

Just found one more photo of the Friedrichshafen D.I on a Russian website.

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Since I have started an early campaign with Jasta 2 in 1916, I was interested in the town, which gave one of the first Jasta airfields it's name - Bertincourt. First I found this old postcard of the junction and the monument. Then I went into Google StreetView, to search for this junction - how would it look today? I was quite surprised - the buildings are still the same; not much has changed. There are less chimneys now, due to modern heating; but you recognise the original houses from the postcard.

Seems you're getting into the skinning, Shiloh - looks great!

Damn, I had been searching through "Rosebud's", but never thought of clicking on any "Friedrichshafen". But when you look close enough, it is there. Never heard of this plane. It looks sharkish sharp - as if it could be better than Albatros. But you said it was rather similar?

As it's a prototype, I have no idea. It looks like a Halberstadt/Pfalz/Roland chimera.

Could it be a Roland C.V or C.VIII ?

At first look it had something of a Pfalz Doppeldecker, but then it isn't. The nose and fuselage back remind me of Sablatnig's sea-triplane. Is it a Sablatnig design?

Damn, "Lemmings"... There was one level I couldn't get anyone saved in time - almost brought me "round the bend"! Still remember one level password: HUGYO SUBS Crazy, how we sometimes kill our time...

Cripes, who wrote or said those words you use for your signature, Capitaine? A heart of metal - very sinister...!

Yeah that's what I thought about the "aiming" too. I have fired a German machine gun once, and it is quite impossible to aim at anything else but a certain area. Against aircraft, the trick is to use good deflection shooting. Good means, to know how much in front of the aircraft you have to fire, and how much the rounds may drop on their way. But I guess they just fired after him like mad.

That is a very believeable ace skin, Shiloh, and the text is correct and means, what you thought. By the way, you shot down the Canadian ace C M "Black Mike" McEwen (27 victories). See here: http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/mcewen.php

Are you saying this is a very rare Original even? In this case, congratulations, Lou - they are in the right hands with you, and they seem to know that, and find you. I guess, it is about time to go shoe-shopping with your good wife by now?

Yes, they all are somewhere wrong - research, physics, whatever - never quite right.

FlyBy, the location of MvR's last fight, and the spot where he came down, are known. Also a lot of theories have been developed, and some of them have even been re-enacted. Here is Part 3 of a "History Channel" re-inactment. I don't always like their "historical" researches, but this one looks quite smart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcE1A6hoagE

Ah, that explains the Hispano-Suiza-Messerschmidts!

These are Feldwebel Mahlow's adventures of today. Altough presented like a comic, they are nevertheless true. Damn, that was another of those great OFF Moments, when I flew along the Canal, and sudenly heard a distant "Tac!Tac!Tac!Tac!Tac!" - those blighters had almost got me!

Before his death he had on several occasions found holes, or even whole enemy rounds (!) in his flying suit or boots. So I repeat - nine lives were definitely all used up.

You mean, your promotion to Captain might not have been meant seriously? But then, after the drinks, they all forgot it was an April foolsday joke, and so you went up the ladder higher and higher from there ? But seriously - I have often wondered what happened with all the rounds fired in the air, especially by Arabian partisans - somewhere they must come down. The chance must be quite small that they kill somebody (like in "The Mexican"), but still - maybe somewhere in the Arabian world, somebody died from a head shot with a vertical entrance wound?

The Messerschmidt Bf 109 was a rather light fighter, and as such she was probably best, when she was not armed too much. Werner Mölders loved his Bf109-F, which carried two machine guns above the engine, and two 2 cm cannons (with only 60 rounds each) in the wings. That craft must have been a joy to fly. But later they made her heavier by putting different weapons in, and that took some off of her performance. Still though the Bf109-G6 was a dangerous fighter with a pilot like Hartmann at the stick! The different look of the Hispano-Suiza version comes simply from the fact, that the Spanish engine was a V-motor. You can see two bulges on the nose cowling left and right at the SPAD already. Different engine - different nose shape.

Was searching for something completely different, when I found this little advert. Seems like if you want to make money, you need to advertise even for minorities. I wonder how many of those were ever sold? And does this advert mean, that you didn't get them from the RFC or RNAS ??? .

Mongolian cuisine? Hey, I try anything once! Damn, makes me realise: I'm hungry! (rushes off to kitchen...)

Whoever fired the lethal round - and there must have been many men firing after the "Little Red One" - after all it was von Richthofen himself, who was responsible for his own death. He had broken his own rules, went down low with an enemy plane, followed it into enemy terrain low, was totally target-fixated, and so exposed himself to maybe a hundred men shooting at him. Even nine lives end one day.

Thanks, Adger. Shiloh, working my way through the videos slowly, I have now seen the scramble against Vipers. Nice skin! Your shooting got a lot better I find. With time, you will do it as relaxed as Hellshade. May I ask what ground and scenery detail settings you use? Your ground looks quite "juicy". Maybe I should try that too.