Olham

Thank you for sharing, Lou! Found this one of Josef Mai, and wondered, that he had no visible buttons on his jackett. Does anyone know, if the non-officer ranks did not have uniforms with visible buttons? Here is a card I just found at Rosebud's website - said to illustrate the first air combat. Isn't it almost funny, how they are firing their pistols at each other? http://www.earlyaero...om/archive1.htm

Some nations did not accept balloons at all, so we are lucky - when it is the mission target, you will find it in the claim form and can claim it.

Update 02/24/2010 17:05 h Berlin wintertime (= GMT + 1) 2dogflyer, Ontario, added. Redkite, Wales, replaced. (sorry, Redkite - don't know how you got lost). All the maps are in post 1 of this thread

Times are a-changing so fast these days, that no one really knows, what comes next. It may well be, that with a shrinking world economy and all the savings, civil aviation may develop back to less passengers and higher prices again. And then, Airbus may have bet on the wrong horse. May even be, a new Concorde will be seen some day...

Modeller's tip for decals: - paint the model in glossy colour first - apply decals - solve the decal gelatine substance (with a special stuff you get in the model shop) - when it's all dry, and you have only the emblem itself left, airbrush with matt or semi-gloss clear finish Maybe it's common proceedure now - it was brandnew, when I built the last one. Oooops - sorry, Shred - far off topic!

James, that must be a great memory - taxying the Concorde! Wow! My memory of it is rather small, but nevertheless did I see he live. She visited Berlin Tegel airport (only once), and it was said, that the Tegel runway was too short for this aircraft, but they made an exception, and she could come over here. I was just underway on my racing bike, when I saw an unfamiliar long stretched triangle "UFO", approaching and descending in a wide turn. Then it lowered the nose, and I knew it was Concorde. Later I saw it in the news. Here are two "memorial pics". The BW pic shows her landing in Tegel. The colour pic shows her last flight, escorted by the "Red Arrows", a great British air show team.

Catch, "Wappen" means something like "coat of arms; crest". But it's not sure here, that those stripes are from a crest - it could just be a personal design. Conrad, when you manage to do the signs on a 1:32 scale model, I have deep respect for that! I tried it, and it wasn't easy.

Do you mean the picture, Conrad? That was a balloon I just blew up for fun on the way. It couldn't be claimed, as it was no mission target.

Catch: I have far more regard for the Allied pilots and aces who did it very tough in comparison with the pampered (and may I add perhaps a touch too arrogant) German air force that didn't believe the unbelievable could happen. Their loss. Catch, I have great respect for the aviators on both sides, because they both had to fly under often very bad conditions. The German pilots were anything but pampered; they often had to move alot, and they had only tents instead of hangars, etc. Their number was far less than the Entente pilots. Later in the war, they had to make do with limited supplies etc. etc. When you think about the size of Germany in comparison to France plus England plus Canada (which contributed great pilots by the way) plus Australia - then you see, that their loss had to be inescapeable. Regarded in that light, it is an immense achievement, that they could hold most of the worlds airforces at bay for so long. And still, they weren't even beaten in the field, but surrendered due to political decisions in Germany. I don't know, were you see 'arrogance' in their fight. Arrogance can be found in the leader- ship; but then on all sides. I regard it as arrogant and naive to think in terms of "the good side" and "the bad side". In most wars, there are no such sides.

The "mission goal accomplished" writing only comes up, when you hit the last waypoint near your base. If you don't and it doesn't come up, it seems not to be regarded accomplished. I watched, that I get medals sooner with more kills. And I had only one campaign so far, were I accomplished my missions, always. And only then, I got promoted faster. But it's my observation, maybe a feeling. No knowledge of the "script".

I had a problem with an Albatros D II skin once. The created one was for 1916, but I was in 1917. Think that was the reason. When I copied it and changed that one into the ending ...1917, it worked.

Yes, they can be cruel, the Belgians!

Just tried to continue my work, with the British Squadrons and the French Escadrilles. Strange enough: there were hardly any useful numbers given. Only some British showed claims, but not the confirms, nor the losses. Same for the French. If anyone knows a source, please tell me.

All you more or less new faces - when you are not in the OFF Pilots World Maps yet, please send me a PM with your hometown and country, and I'll place your name. The maps are in the "Sticky Threads" above; or click here: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/44370-off-forum-pilots-world/

PS: Although we only "play" WW1 in our "Krauts vs Crumpets", I really suffer a bit with my British fellow pilots, and I am fully aware, that it must be much harder for them to remain in our game. I watch them with great respect.

I hope so, for OFF and for you, Lou. But perhaps it was just Widowmaker, who couldn't get enough of the Brisfit?

Polovski: Each side fighting a totally different war basically. So true, Pol. The German air force fought a defensive fight - perhaps like the British in the Battle of Britain. Less pilots, but over own terrain. RAF_Louvert: Another point to consider is that as the end of the War was looming the tables turned and it was the German Air Service that began to lose pilots at a faster rated than the Allies. Well, the above Jastas all fought until the end of the war, and still they had very few losses. Pol: So basically what we have currently in flight sims is a condensed situation. You have more flying hours, an easier situation without the real stresses etc. and can rack up kills easier. True - and we still only survive a month or two. Shows, that the level of AI lethality in OFF is very good, I'd say. Dej, I think we all want to know the right and full facts, so I will also list the records of the British and French services, and finally make a comparison table.

Update 02/23/2010 09:51 h Berlin wintertime (= GMT + 1) catch, Australia, added. All the maps are in post 1 of this thread

Only attack that worked for me so far was: sent my wingmen to attack first; then in the fighting, attack one craft, that is already under attack, with long range shots (and those must hit, of course!). After a while, the best is off, and you can send it down. But yes: toughest opponent!

Yes, surely, Widowmaker - if I had to fight real life dogfights, I would most likely prefer the D VII for the Albatros. But from the looks, I find the Albatros, and maybe the Halberstadt and the Pfalz the most beautiful German crates. British craft I like best are the Triplane and the S.E.5a (which I prefer to the Camel; seems I'm rather an inline engine pilot).

A bit like a bomber indeed - very crammed! Perhaps she was a bit like that Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbirs" there? On the ground a nightmare, but high up at service ceiling a super aircraft?

You can always check Ebay. Here is a TrackIR 4, still 11 hours to run, for now 25,- Euro. (Not sure, if he'll ship to US). http://cgi.ebay.de/TrackIR-4-Pro-Headtracker-ir4-ir-4_W0QQitemZ260552432546QQcmdZViewItemQQptZde_entertainment_games?hash=item3caa229ba2

Thank you all! She isn't ready yet - many details are yet to be done. In the end I want to add the skin, without my personal emblem, to the skins download section. Just as a basic Jasta 5 skin; so all can add their own signs.

Yes, let it infect - ahh - affect you, Paarma!

There's one thing I don't understand: there was no Albatros D Va model kit in 1:32 scale on the market, And now they give us one, that isn't even famous? They had such a big choice of good looking design (Ritter von Schleich for example), and they come up with this one.