Olham

Yeah, the Creator in his great wisdom made the elephants of the heavy drinking people pink, so that they can see them better, when they suddenly jump around in horror from the mice, which the delirius people also tend to see a lot. The mice are white, to ensure the alcoholic doesn't get them confused with the elephants. Llamas are en vogue, Hasse Wind - we even have them in Ostfriesland.

That may be the reason why the heads are removed on some two-seaters? I think in the DFW I saw a headless gunner or pilot, like the Hessen rider in "Sleepy Hollow".

For all who did not check the big variety of WW1 air combat paintings at The Aerodrome website - go there and have a look. This painting is by Jerry Boucher. http://www.theaerodrome.com/gallery/browseimages.php?c=500&userid=5700 Yes, I am back in there, after having been banned for misbehaving (in fact, a trojan in my system had done something there, that I hadn't even noticed, and I got banned automatically). I want to thank all, who wrote to The Aerodrome for my case; especially DavyTASB.

Yes, I see - please vote like you really feel. I know I have made up my own mind in the first post, but mostly to explain, why I have come to a different opinion. And now you guys shake it with your arguments again.

Good point, 77Scout - that was my earlier opinion too. Damn, this is tricky...

That was why the people in Cairo went out on the streets and Tahrir square.

Damn, TaillyHo - it always hurts to see the Albatros falling. But I've done the same on my side of the line today. A Good Morning's Work In a nasty weather we took off with 5 Albatros D.II at 09:12 h from Lagnicourt for a balloon busting mission. We were heading SW to the lines east of Albert. Soon we noticed Flak ahead, right on our flight path. After ten minutes, we caught up with 4 British B.E.2c without any escorting scouts. We made a quick job of them; they all went down. Over our lines east of Albert, we headed south, towards the enemy airfield at Chipilly. The spotter stood right south of it. We arrived there hidden by veils of mist, from which I began my dive on the balloon. My approach went perfectly well; the balloon burst into flames and fell to earth. On our way home, I spotted bright specs low above the mud, moving west. 3 Nieuport 11! We went closer and jumped them with great advantage. All three of them went down, with- out any losses.

Yo, 24 RFC is good. I have a pilot there in May 1916, flying the DH-2. When you've got used to her, she is actually quite nice to fight in, with clear forward view, and a gun right ahead of you.

You could open up a WW1 Library with all that stuff, Lou, but I bet, Lester Prairie wouldn't have as many readers as you have books! Congrats to Ludendorff - I guess it is rather rare to find? Funny - I just came across that passage in Kilduff's "The Red Baron", where MvR is invited to Bad Kreuznach by the Kaiser. He is first received by Ludendorff - after waiting for a very long time - but he finds the General very busy, and totally occupied with his maps and strategies.

...and I bet you always let her climb up the ladder to the cockpit first, gentleman as you are. Gives you that extra rush of adrenalin you need for crossing the lines, I guess.

The first one is absolutely brilliant British humour at it's best! This humour is getting copied everywhere in the world - but never equaled. Hilarious, indeed!

Well, I don't think that is true, Lou, cause your contributions are always some of the finest here. Maybe they know your modesty, and didn't make as much noise as for me - I'm not so modest, it seems.

Aaahhmm - the six is rearwards, right? And the Strutter pilot(esse) is sitting in front of the gunner? So, why should... oh, I think you had even naughtier thoughts!

Isn't it funny? I bet, most of us wouldn't be able to tell, which crates have bodies. Like me - I always had been thinking, the Albatros had them. Fascinating, how big the part of our phantasy is. PS: Oooouuuhhhh!!!! Wow, I must have missed a lot, Lou! Never been flying the Strutter. We must definitely change that! (Although: with her as a pilot - how could I check the six?)

Yeah, I thought so - thank you anyway.

Well, it's some time ago now, that I used it. I now use the setting "historical", which is said to use the "less aggressive" more early, and then changes more and more towards aggressive. As far as I remember, the SPAD AI did their defensive flying rather well, but without enough attacks. The other craft were easier to kill, once you had reached them.

Yes, and if the "west" will now do the right things to help them with their democratic developments, they may be lost for the radical muslim leaders, once and for all. Which would be a great relief!

Nice idea, Dej. Being back for 9 days (before I have to leave for another 10 or so), I wonder if I should be allowed to help to fill the hole I left by leaving, when I'm back now? Time machine stuff can be complicated... Well, I haven't been reading that much about all the units and famous pilots, but I have two choices. First is Jasta 2, September 1916, when Boelcke is still alive, and they just get thenew Albatros D.I, and shortly after, the Albatros D.II. I would have liked to learn from this great fighter pilot, and would learn to know MvR, before he follows his own ways as the ace of aces with Jasta 11. My second choice is Jasta 5. That unit has been flying my favourite kite, the Albatros, for most of the time. Jasta 5 appears to me like a "modest" Staffel - successful, but not among the first 3 one would recall. I would have liked to fly with Fritz Rumey, Otto Könnecke and especially with Josef Mai. As a Vizefeldwebel, he was one of three non-commissioned pilots (along with Fritz Rumey and Otto Koennecke) who flew together so successfully they ended up with 40% of the Jasta's victories among them, and Jasta 5 the third highest scoring unit of the war. The trio was nicknamed "The Golden Triumvirate". Now, a Triumvirat is consisting of only three people, but perhaps I could have been the 4. Musketeer with them. I would have preferred the time from April to the end of October 1917.

We may be in for big changes, world wide. Which is probably necessary - we can't pretend any longer, that everything was alright. The way finances and the value of our money are manipulated at the stock exchanges, causes this desaster, that the common man has always more to pay, than he earns. A way of "secret inflation" that is. I hope very much, that we will find new and better ways - instead of running into greater chaos.

The AI behaviour has been discussed a lot before, and we all know, that it would be nice, if the AI could make a "sheltered withdrawal" form fights; like some of them guard the others from higher positions, until the whole flight is assembled and can fly home. But as Hellshade says - there is still the human player, who had to act similarly to make it work. The great MvR has mostly attacked only one craft, brought it down and made sure to know, where it crashed. We seem to be much more bloodthirsty often - because we cannot die through enemy fire. Did you ever try and fly the "less aggressive" AI setting? I think that was a promising attempt by the devs, to change this very problem. You should really try it out - the enemy craft will remain much more out of your reach, if they can. SPADs will retreat in an almost frustrating (but realistic) way from you after an attack. The major problem with that AI was, that it was far to little aggressive. It flies perfectly defensive, but it hardly ever attacks. Winder's comment makes me hope and believe, that they will continue to improve the AI behaviour. I am sure, they are on the right way.

Could also be Dutch and Flamish Belgian - and will be understood everywhere anyway.

rjw, I'll try to make it clearer: - the whole "Over Flanders Fields" is built on CFS3 as the basic engine (but looks lightyears beyond CFS3) - Phase3 was called "Between Heaven and Hell" (BHaH) - "Hat in the Ring" is an extension for BHaH - new planes and other stuff, improved AI etc. - Phase4 will not need any older updates, patches or extensions - you would get it all in the new P4 package. I don't know, how much you would like to fly the best WW1 air combat sim. I have the feeling, that it might well be a year, until P4 will be completed (don't blame me, if it should be ready earlier). With that feeling, and knowing my own LOVE for OFF, I would not find it better to wait. I mean: it's only the cost of a few junk food meals plus Coke - and how much more and better would you get? I say honestly: even if it was only for half a year - I could not wait for flying it. CFS3: 10,- $ BHaH: 29.99 $ HitR: 19.99 $ (Service & Help; and the OFF forum: priceless!) Total: 60,00 $ The definitely best 60,- Dollars I ever spent (followed closely by the money spent for TrackIR) Oh, and in other sims you may have to spend 19,- $ for each new plane. So what are you waiting for?

Wow - that was the Ostfriesen-word for toasting, von Paulus. The other Germans spell it "Prost!" Proust, old boy!

Good points, Pol. I have chosen "normal" for forward guns, and "less accurate" for rear guns, for these reasons: - forward guns are fixated to the whole craft, and aimed quite well by the pilot looking over a gunsight - rear guns are being moved and swung around under stress; not only left and right, but also up and down - the gunner had to change his whole position for the up/down movements, which makes it less likely, that he could always aim perfectly well. The rear twin guns must have been a deadly weapon though, in the hands of an experienced gunner, who knew his effective range; who could wait for the right moment. What I am researching right now in Kilduff's book "The Red Baron", is the time for a burst. We have always more or less agreed here, that short bursts are safer, cause they do not lead to gun jams so easily. But I have read two or three combat descriptions about MvR now, where he fired a very long, single burst, which in one case really sawed the tail end off a two-seater.

MilitaryCannel listed the HP 0/400 at rank 9 of the Top Ten bombers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZ__nyRCbw Rank 4 is a bit off-topic, but a must-see: the De Havilland "Mosquito" You may also want to search for "The de Havilland Mosquito" (Parts 1 - 5).