Olham

You must have a 4:3 screen then, and that should be fine. What is your screen's resolution, Creaghorn? For a true 4:3 screen the perfect FOV would be: 20 x 15 (= 4:3) But it also depends on the resolution. I had a 4:3 screen with this resolution before: 1480 x 1024 That is in fact wider than 4:3 - it is rather 4,33 : 3 If I wanted 16 degrees vertically, I calculated: 1024 : 16 = 64 1480 : 64 = 23,125 So, one possible FOV would be 23 x 16 for that res.

So true, Wodin, what a great praise. Only one point isn't correct - this is not a game.

The very most of the time with OFF I have been flying the Albatros variants. In dogfights, I never used any aerobatics or combat maneuvres - I closed up to the best target and shot it up - or down. Now I am flying the "Krauts vs Crumpets" Campaign again, and Jasta 6 has the Fokker Triplane now. My last fight was my first against Sopwith Camel. Now, those RNAS-Camel jockeys can show you, what an evasive maneuvre is! Since I still wanted to shoot the guy down, I had to follow (no way in an Albatros! You'd just pick a new target). The Dreidecker is pretty solid compared to the Albatros - the wings I mean. So I followed that Tommy to see, what he would come up with. He did mainly vertical downward rolls, which he pulled out of unexpectedly to the left, to the rear, just everywhere. Still though, he could not shake me off (and had invested all his altitude after short time). I had never been flying anywhere near that in an Albatros! How do you guys fly in your fights? (Please name the plane type with your report).

Anthony Fokker was born April 1890. So in April 1917 he was 27 years old. Manfred von Richthofen was born Mai 1892 and so he was 25 years old in Mai 1917. Yes, they were young. MvR died with 26. This is a good picture of him - he looks so determined.

This is absolutely incredible to watch - in the second part you see how the ramming Bf 109 pilot as well as the Liberator crew survived an action they all would never forget in their lives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOHRdvxEL3Q&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSq682nh9Q&feature=related

I have witnessed the prop swirlwind of a P-51 D at the ILA 2005 near Berlin. The pilot let the engine warm up at the ground. He seemed to give full throttle, although that may have still only been half. But the roaring sound was impressive, and the whirlwind the prop caused, almost blew me off my feet. Had the guy flown in front of the left wing, he could have caused more lift there and so balanced the plane, perhaps?

As far as I can see, your first setting the screen width at the left in "Workshop" makes it fit 16 : 10 widescreen. So now the relationship of width to height should be adjusted. The FOV now allows you to adjust, how close or remote you are from your environment. You can choose various views, between "wide angle" (more degrees) and "zoom" (less degrees). But I think one should keep the ratio of screen width to height? That's what I tried with my calculations. Of course, you have every right to "compress" either width or height, by using other numbers.

That's why I posted this one. I hate watching bloody tragedies. The outcome of this was so lucky for all, that it is fun to watch it.

...which may not get you too far in a Dr.1 chased by a SPAD XIII or an S.E.5a, Carrick. Sometimes, you can only fight - or try the "flying below grass root level" method.

One can also calculate the relationship of width to height of the resolution. 1920 : 1080 = 1,77 So whatever number you choose for the vertical, must be multiplied by 1,77 for the horizontal number. In my case that's 1680 : 1050 = 1,6 So if I want 17 degrees vertically, I'll have 17 x 1,6 = 27,2; that an FOV of 27 x 17 in my case. Everybody dizzy now?

No, my monitor really is 1680 x 1050. I have calculated for you the FOV for vertical 16, 17 and 18 degrees. 1080 : 16 = 67,5 1920 : 67,5 = 28,44 Result: FOV = 28 x 16 1080 : 17 = 63,53 1920 : 63,53 = 30,22 Result: FOV = 30 x 17 1080 : 18 = 60 1920 : 60 = 32 Resulting FOV = 32 x 18 I hope you get the idea - you can use any of these three variants. The first example would be the most zoomed in (enemy specs are largest), the last one would be more remote from everything, showing more environement. The last one is also the one, where I had not to round up or down any numbers. It would therefor be without any slight distortion, as you might get from the others (but it won't be noticable).

Isn't it? But it's what I would have expected - this guy was sooo extremely lucky! Hope he made something of his life after that.

Jesus Christ - you re-payed it pretty well! Your impact was more devastating, but if I understand it right, your pilot died. No wonder. If you ask me - according to the original event, it is a miracle to me, that the Bf 109 pilot survived such a stunt. I mean - the whole fighter cardwheeled! Imagine the G-forces! In a simple car crash, you already get a whiplash!

Glad you like it, gaw! And if you prefer it one notch zoomed in, you would just need to make a new calculation according to my above, with one degree less in the height (as 16 instead of 17), and the resultung width from that. This FOV offers us a lot - like the whole sim actually does. Just in case you missed this post - it's about better graphic settings: http://combatace.com/topic/60374-an-easy-pictorial-guide-graphics-setup/page__view__findpost__p__452080

Found this booklet as a PDF file in the website "German Luftwaffe". It expains all the German words used by aviators, like "Emil" for the pilot, and "Franz" for the observer. (In German we say about someone who lost track "er hat sich verfranzt" - this is from the name for the observer, who also mostly did the navigation). http://german-luftwa...lte%20Worte.pdf http://german-luftwaffe.com/ http://german-luftwaffe.com/index-englisch.htm There was also this wonderful altimeter. It is a Höhenmesser, ca. 1914 by Otto Bohne Nachf., Berlin (0 - 3500 Meter) Here are two observer cameras from this lovely website: Type: GOERZ AG Fliegerlichtbildgerät (ca. 1916) To see more, click on "Equipment Catalogue WW I", there on "Equipment Catalogue" again, and in the frame on the left, click on "Equipment type". You'll get a list to click on.

PS: I have added observer cameras - have a look there, if you are interested in cockpit instruments and stuff.

Well, now you almost made me blush - what a nice "thank you" - that made it worth it!

A fine part written again there, Lou! That beginning is great - about how they have to re-adjust the mixture due to the cold weather - very "being there, doing it". A compass with an engraving "You give my heart wings" is a cute idea of Paul's lady. And to force down an opponent instead of killing him, is very chivalrous. If only it could always be like that...

That was only changed after the war. 77Scout: Nothing beats labels and the TAC for turning the experience of flying a first class WW1 simulator into the experience of playing Nintendo. Well, I wouldn't totally condemn the use of aids. You could use them during the early learning phase; because of less good eyesight, or lower resolution. Flying OFF (and staying with it) is a development, a learning process, in which you may sooner or later come to switching all aids off and try to fly like in RL. But it's great the choice is offered.

Haha, you beat me by days, Hellshade! I also "recorded a flight with the Dr.1 yesterday, but the cutting and editing may well take some more time. The video shows well, how incredibly agile the Dr. 1 was. It often feels, as if it didn't have to follow the rules of gravitiy as much as other aircraft, or the rules of inertia of masses in motion. The advantage of instability. The video also shows, how much sense an olive drab or other camo makes on upper surfaces. Whilst the blue undersides don't disguise a craft much, due to the silhouette effect against the brighter sky, the upper surface camo may well make you lose a craft out of your sight. TaillyHo: I wonder whether 'aerobatics' are used more for evading or attacking? The video also answers that IMHO - if you want to get a pilot, who uses them for evasive maneuvres, you'll have to use them for your attacks, too. But the starter is mostly the evading one. And you're right - throttle or blip-switch control make a big difference. I confess, that since getting TrackIR it took me almost a year, to become a halfways decent combat pilot on the Albatros, and now on the Dr.1, I saw that I had really learned a bit - I can handle it much better. Still far from being a Werner Voss though!

My Jasta 2 pilot just got the Albatros D.I (September 1916), and we had a great fight among thick clouds over the lines northwest of Douai. First we sighted only one flight of 6 French Nieuport 17, and as A-flight took them on, we joined in. When I had just shot down one silver bird, I suddenly recognised a Sopwith Pup! At least five British pilots had joined in, and now they Entente fighters outnumbered ours! One Albatros after the other fell. I hit one Pup so lucky, that it went down and landed in no man's land. Then I killed a French pilot in midair - the craft went down out of control. After that, I ran for home. They let me go, and I had only just landed, when a flight of BE2c passed our field at very low altitude, and only 3000 feet away! I went up again and fired the rest of my ammo into the last flyer. It went down burning. But after landing again, I got no claims sheet. The sign for: nobody saw the kills, or even worse - no one survived to witness my deeds. Damn - I always thought, 1916 was quieter. But not for Jasta 2 it seems.

Hellshade: You'll be the terror of the skies, Olham. Oh yeah, I am already! And I wanted to travel round England before the war began - I think I can forget about that! Your learning method is a very good idea - I think MvR would have liked it.

Well, actually rather not so hard - we have reincarnation here in OFF - MvR didn't .

When HitR was new, I was not a good pilot at all, and found TrackIR still quite straining. Now that I have become better, the Fokker Dr.1 is a joyride, I must say! I feel almost invincible in it! (Did perhaps MvR feel the same on his last flight?)

Well - that's how it often was. I must have passed hundreds of enemy planes nearby, without us noticing each other. You could keep "Labels" on, until you are near to enemies - and then switch them off. I know, it IS tough to find anyone.