Olham

Wow, Bullet, that's a posh cockpit - rather like a mediterranian millionaire's racing boat, eyh? Man, these French - lifestyle always first. Instead of thinking a little the German engineer way, and put that damn (cooling water / petrol ?) pipe a bit to the left, for better shooting...

You may also check the Skinner's section - you can, with a little practising, make your own skin. (But, as OvS said, the whole flight, except the aces, will use it then).

No, you don't need to wait for them. But if you like to do that once: fly to last waypoint (near your drome), and then flollow them. The do a wide turn away, and just as you think, they won't go home, they turn round and approach the field. And when you're lucky, they perform a good landing! When this guy was missing, he might have been badly damaged, and didn't make it to the field.

The D VII F should be doing even better in climbing.

Welcome back, WomenFly2 Posted another of his videos in the old forum, but this one showed even more flying. Hope your concert tour was good and well received?

Thank you, Rickity and Crossbone! Today's midday flight could have been the end of Oberleutnant Mahlo and his "White Eagle". Jasta 9, Vauxcere, July 29th, 1918 Oberleutnant Mahlo This midday could have well been my last. We were requested to protect an important ballon NE of Soissons. On our way there, I spotted three SPAD XIII and climbed, to intercept them, but they got hunted already - four Fokker D VII F came out of the clouds and the tango began. Before I got even near, they had shot all SPADs down. When our flight reached the ballon, Walter Blume and his two wingmen were dogfighting with four SPAD XIII, near the spotter. I arrived just in time, to shoot one off Blume's tail - it crashed immediately. But somehow, my 3, Kurt Strauf had also crashed. Blume gave me signs, that they had used up their ammo, and would return to base. I began to climb to some altitude, when I saw three SPADs approaching the spotter, at tree top level. We attacked fast and hard; and I shot one at 11h32 and a second at 11h34; both were from Esc.81. As we were told to remain in the area for at least 20 minutes, I began to climb again, only to find four more SPADs coming the same way. They seemed absolutely determined to get this ballon down! Now we were three Albatros D Va with half the ammo fired off, against four determined SPADs. I sent Leber and Koch down for attack, and approached the highest SPAD. They were not THAT determined, that they'd head on. They curved and turned really tight - much better than any of my previous opponents. Not knowing, how much I had left, I gave the first one a good close burst, and then let him go, and picked the second. He also got a good shower. One SPAD had got downed by my wingmen. But were where they now? My neck hair raised - I was alone! They had shot down both my remaining wings within a moment! Desperately I wondered: should I shoot one up totally and try to escape the other two? Or continue the "pepper tactics"? Now, we almost turned on a plate, and I got hit lightly. Nose down, full rudder right, and pulling up again got me behind one. He was so large in front of me - I fired one, two bad burst into him. He dived and came up again - and got a third burst! And then: click! Ammo out! But the SPAD rolled on it's back, began a fatal spin and crashed. I tried to escape the other two, but out of ammo, at tree top level, you can't escape two SPADs firing, in an Albatros. Hit severely; engine caught fire! Now I could only put her down as quick as possible. Still collecting hits, I crashlanded in between trees. It's a miracle, that I survived. That was close! When the soldiers on the lorrie, that took me to Soissons, saw my shaking knees (I couldn't get up there), they produce a bottle of brandy, and twelve smiles for me - both did me good!

Well, if I should survive long enough in my 1918 campaign, I will have to hand out my beloved Albatros (now: D Va 200) for a Soap box D VII. And of course will she help me a lot then with further survival. But I wouldn't know how to skin that bulky crate. I think I'll fly an overall Lozenge in greyish understatement tones.

Better not do that anymore, Rickity - I flew through the outer veils of haze. I would not recommend to enter clouds. And certainly not in a Nupe!!.

Yessss - vee like mincemeat! Vee call zatt "Gehacktes!" - "chopped-up!" Mmmuahahahahaaaa!!!!!!

Yes - for the D VII, Widowmaker should get his Snipe if that helped (I'm afraid, it won't - Lol!!!) I don't fly the D VII, cause I don't like it easy ways - and cause she looks like a soap box racer.

Thank you, Steve! It must be hard for the jury to decide, which one to take - I couldn't say anymore, who should be the winner. All have become so much better. And I think, we will all continue doing skins; and I won't mind putting them in for downloads still.

My god, Test Pilot, simply killing those Camels would do - you need not send their engines to the moon! Just back from a scenic flight through towering clouds (did you notice, they are not killing you so easy no more?) It was a scenery or feel of the kind, when you watch a sundown by the sea in your holidays - you can't stop making another picture. Again my wingies were all over the battle and doing fine - and all returned. Not so the FE2b's...

They do come from high above first, and I teel yer, it can make your blood freeze to see them bulky planes grow very fast. They attack, and then zoom further down (what I wouldn't do), to tangle with my wingmen, who follow slower (fragile wings). The average pilots don't use the SPAD to it's best. But in some previous campaign, I had a flight of 3 or 4 aces, and they forced me to do an emergency landing. I'm very keen on meeting such aces again, as I know, I have become better. Those aces remained high up, or climbed back up to me, and I aleays had more than just one to fight. If you want to get the most fro your wingies, call them to stay near you, and then "attack" again. If you call them back or assign higher targets for them, you may be able to do a great fight. Also, try to help THEM - they can't help you too much (except your direct wing1 - press "H" help, and he'll be with you - and shoot at your targets as well! Lol!!!)

Today's afternoon patrol along the front line was done very much like Siggi's DiD standards, except that I used target cone some moments. But mostly I had TAC, cone and labels off. That was thrilling, the sun was burning brightly, and I constantly scanned the sky and ground. I used a tactic from Interlocutor - I pressed "attack" every now and then. Cause, as he said, your wingmen would normally also see enemy craft, and react to that. We were almost home, when I did that again, and they dropped away to our rear right. I must confess, it took me a while to make out, what was going on, and which enemies were there, and where. They were of course SPAD XIII again, from Esc.151, with a red and yellow band on their wings. Although we got assistence by D VIIs, Leutnant Gottschling didn't make it. My other two men returned home with me, after me shooting down two of the SPADs. Here's my pilot's log - I haven't got that far since a long time; due to collisions, Flak and other problems. I hope, he will last some longer - I'd like to see some confirmations. You may notice, that a lot of my claims were rejected due to lack of witnesses. Next time, I'll saw a second hole into the fuselage and take my solicitor with me.

Yeah, smells like bragging, Cosmos. So you're running OFF BHaH now, I understand? I had made a QC fight with a Dr.1 against 5 S.E.5a, and made a video of that (I made it!), and showed it here. There was hardly any reaction - it looks like bragging, and maybe is (Lol!!) The real tough thing is surviving a campaign for longer, with full reality settings, and no use of any instruments or TAC or target cone or labels. Just as they had it. No one gets very far there, otherwise there would surely be some bragging about that here. What did you fight in your Tripe? Eindeckers (Lol!) How many rounds does she have? Was it QC?

I am so caught up by the immersion and the challenge, "Between Heaven and Hell" offers, that anything else is just games. I have no time for that now (and that maybe for years). Also, I am about to upgrade my rig to best standard for this sim. That is expensive. And I know, it will be fully worth it. Every single penny. As I'll play this for years, it will reward me.

Try to open as 24 bit bitmap. If that doesn't work, google for "DXTBmp", a program to browse through the skins, open one, and save it as 24 bit bitmap. After working on it, open that bitmap with the above program, and save it as .dds again. The prog is freeware.

Interesting info, thanks Winder. So, until I can update my rig, I could try a Seefrosta campaign; and my Marne region is also okay. If I understand right, I could leave my waypoints path in 1917 or 1918, and would sooner or later meet other enemy squadrons, as they are all historically underway? I realised before, that in the after flight report, you can see other incidents near your fight happened. This is incredible!

Can you show that, too, MK2?

Yes, good look and angle of your potrait with the other pic, Macklroy. Can you retouche that dark bit in the neck? Then it's perfect. What program do you work with?

A question to all the British flyers: I would like to get some info about - which Squadrons were the best three - what planes did they fly when - where were they based when - which aces were there when Myself, I have already met some good ones. I think, RNAS 3 and RFC 65 (or was it 56 ?) were pretty good or even elite? Thank you in advance!

Oh yes, it was tricky to get them - one almost got behind me, after me doing only half a turn!

Good thoughts, Bullethead ! The only bit I wondered, was: do you find the Camel in any way superiour to the Fokker? Cause, I made the opposit experience - Camels are no problem for the Dr1. Hasse, when you made it in a Pfalz, the SPAD would be a good plane to change to. Hit and run tactics, but with a very fast, very good climbing and diving plane. You'd be a killer on her! The Dr.1 is the absolute opposite plane to that. That plane is an acrobat, a monkey with wings. Crossbones and Lou - don't bank your SPAD much, when flying slower, or don't fly slow at all. Make your attack from above (with full speed you may follow your opponent a 45° turn, but not much more), and climb away at a climb angle of 20° or even more, checking six all the time. When you're out and free, dive on the opponent again, when he offers the right chance (turns away from you, flying a wider turn). Very important: best shooting and rudder skills. Hit him fast and real hard - then one attack might do the job. And back out and up again!

Pol and Bullet - you just convinced me, that I'm a good pilot then, as I can handle the Camel nicely. And I like her flying very much. Only the rather poor overall view, with the use of an "attic window", is a little setback. But anyway - I'll do more campaigns with her.

No problem to be a British pilot; I like the British ways to handle things - a refreshing diffence to being German sometimes. I had a Camel pilot, David Oldham, in 65 RFC Squadron, but he didn't last long. But I'll definitely start one again. Here's my Albatros DIII in Jasta 11, Feb. 1917. Yesterday, I downed two Pups from RNAS-9 with it yesterday. See more in sticky thread "Reports from the front". But until summer, it's a long time. Perhaps I'll see you near Arras...