Olham

I should think, it's alright. We Germans receive 4 or 5 Iron Crosses, before we get the Blue Max. So, your Victoria Cross should soon be with you.

Bullet, I think, the D Va has more horse power, and 1.100 rounds instead of 1.000 I must admit, that I don't know better at this moment - I must check. Rickity - at least you try! And it's not that wrong - it's understood. German is one of the very difficult languages. Even German kids in school have problems. It starts, were you say "the". The sun, the moon, the child. We say: Die Sonne, der Mond, das Kind. Don't ask me why...

You were right, Bullet! Those "Kommisköppe" (army blockheads) were upset! As they couldn't really do very much - I shot those SPADs down, that attacked one of our fields - they decided to give me only 3 from 7 claims confirmed! Man, am I upset! Next time I'll make sure it's a bomber with full load, that I'll shoot right into the CO's office building!

Cosmos - my advice: sign in a second pilot; in 1918; in the area Cambrai or Reims. If you still don't see any enemies, you will know, something is wrong. Were are you stationed now? There are areas, that aren't covered by enemies, in early 1916. You could then only try it elsewere.

Yes, Hasse Wind, she is a beautiful lady! Today I did this: I patched the game to 1.30, then to 1.30c, and then to Hardcore 1.30c. (Before: 1.28a and Hardcore) Then I did some intensive testing in QC. I noticed, that I'm flying more careful than necessary. The warning didn't even appear yet, when I reacted careful on screaking noise in the structure. So, I'm flying her really well. But: nothing broke up. It just didn't happen. Not once. Even when I got a bit rougher with her; even at a 30° dive, nothing broke up! After that, I dared to continue my campaign in Jasta 9. All was fine - not a single problem! Now I'm wondering, if it might be possible, that all those breaking up planes could have been mid air collisions? Does one get an obvious writing, saying: midair collision? Or does it look like a breaking up plane? In that case I beg your pardon, devs, and especially you, Pol, for all your testing. Sorry. But now I'm happy! She is my Lady, definitely. And together, we killed 4 SPAD XIII in one sortie. It must be love...

The gunsight isn't really worse than on the early Nupes, and the overall view is wonderful. You must let go any idea of aiming over a gunsight, a crosshair or such. Learn to know, were your bullets go, and then get the enemy plane into that spot. When you got that understood, you will be able to do an incredible deflection shooting.

Yes, MacLroy, I had that happening too. And I tell you what - it's so hard to make the 17 hours, or 12 confirmed kills, that I didn't bother. I didn't want the team to jump on that and eliminate it. Imagine it being lucky streaks. As Hellshade said: they'll be over sooner than you think.

Cosmos, sign somewere near Arras or Albert, pick the date in September or later in 1916. You will encounter German Halberstadts and Albatros DI and DII. You may even meet the early Manfred von Richthofen with Jasta 2. If you want real action, you shouldn't sign before "Bloody April" 1917; and really crowded does it get in 1918. You must not start at the earliest date possible. You won't survive the whole war anyway. Believe me.

I-LIKE-THEM! Hadn't tried them much, as they only have one gun. But then I thought, well, the Allied have only one, so why not? I like the plane's stability and it's good climb. When you do the right tactics and are not too outnumbered, you'll manage to kill Nupe 11s with this plane! One of my five campaign pilots flies Halberstadt now.

Well, Duce, the part after touchdown is problematic; they seem to loose the ability to "know" were the others are. But in my case (see thread "Halberstadts happily landing"), it almost all worked well. They rolled in various angles, so they couldn't collide.

Julian: In RB3d I killed Albert Ball, Billy Bishop, Raoul Lufberry, René Fonck, Georges Guynemer and Robert Little in one career. My total tally: 153 Now I would really like to do this again in OFF... Aherrmm! I'm afraid, Sir, that this is a simulation - not a fun fair caroussel (Lol!)

Great designs, RABU, but wouldn't pics of the sim planes and air combat be attracting the right people more? (And, on the German card, it should be: Unbestätigte Abschüsse verboten!)

What I meant, was rather have T-Shirts for us OFF pilots to wear outdoors, and maybe make people curious. I didn't mean to sell them to others. We could do several designs (everyone who feels fit to do one, should), and then everyone can down- load/copy a design of their likes, and go to the next big copyshop. There, you can get a kind of decal paper copied onto, which you can iron onto a white T-shirt then. It doesn't last too long though, after several washings, it wears off. Of course, printed would be better.

Are you really such a butcher, Julian? Does it not satisfy the fighter pilot in you, that you shot him down? If I fly the Allied side, and get the chance to send Hermann Goering into the mud more than once, I will happily do so! And into the mud again, Herr Meier (or was it Mueller, he wanted to be called, once the British bombers appeared over Berlin? Herr Großmaul [bigmouth] would also fit nicely!)

Hey, Hauksbee! I have just visited your website briefly (will have a closer look later). The dinosaur looks great! When you make T-Shirts - that could be something to do for OFF! I will try to make some designs - perhaps you can get them printed? PS: those Panzers, are they made for games?

Especially with the Albatros, I often seem to put her to a lot of "airframe stress", which may be "counted and summarized" by the program. So, even if I made it to the field in one piece, my lady may have to be "restructured", and the mechanics may curse me.

There are several aces flying Albatros with an all-black fuselage. Hermann Goering was one, Franz Ray (I think) also, he had a yellow/black tail. You need to collect more details to find out; from his plane, but also those of his wingmen. With "multicoloured", do you mean the Lozenge (polygon) camouflage? Which time in war was it? The easiest way though would be to switch labels on shortly, to read, and off again. But if you want to go the hard way: google for the program "DXTBmb", it's free for download. With that, you can browse through and open the skins. Maybe you'll find him. That way, you will realise, how incredibly many skins the team has made on Albatros alone. The skins are in the game folder > campaign > campaign data > skins The outcome of your downing of an ace will not influence history. The ace can be shot down, but he always survives it and comes back, until the bell tolls for him. But nevertheless can you be proud on shooting him down, and add that to the report.

Here's some excerpt from the book "The Red Baron", that may show, how close the shave sometimes is. Had he burnt that day, he would have been an ace with 28 victories - most people wouldn't know his name now, and 52 planes wouldn't have been shot down by him.. March 19th, 1917, Manfred von Richthofen received a brand new aircraft, the Albatros DIII; which he wanted to try out immediately. His flight encountered 9 F.E.8s of No.40 Squadron, patrolling over Oppy, west of Douai. "Now I am 50 metres away, a few good shots and then success is inevitable. So I thought. But all of a sudden, there is a big bang; I have barely got off ten shots when again there is a smack on my machine. It is clear I have been hit. At least my machine has been, [although] I personally have not. At the same moment it stinks something terrible of gasoline, also the engine slows down. The Englishman notices it, for now he shoots even more. I must break off immediately. I go straight down. Instinctively, I have switched off the engine. Just in time. If the fuel tank is punctured and the stuff squirts around the legs, the danger of fire is indeed great. Up front there is an internal combustion engine over 150 "horses" strong; glowing hot. One drop of fuel (on it), and the whole machine will burn. I am leaving behind me a trail of white mist. I know it very well from opponents. It happens just before an explosion." Richthofen was lucky. His engine quit altogether, minimizing the risk of fire, and his opponent withdrew. But he was still vulnerable, and checked constantly to be sure he was not followed. [...] Richthofen set down in a small meadow along the road to Hénin-Liétard. On this day, April 21st, 1918; 11h50, the was hit by the bullet with his name on.

Well, Prophead, now you know the easy bit of air combat - dying. Next time, try to last a little longer. It may take all the brothers of Cecil and Cyril, too, to find one 17 hour pilot among them.

Hi, Macklroy! For the claims, the facts seem to be most important. Type of craft, markings or Squadron/Esc./Jasta, when and were shot down; ace name known? You don't get all claims confirmed, when during the fighting your wingmen got carried away or die. If you had 3 kills, but after the first, no one's there anymore to witness, you will get only 1 confirmed. Ground crew doesn't count, it seems. And be careful with your wingman. A guy, who is on leave so often, may be a relative of the general? PS: please report, which claims worked better.

Sergeant Wildfowler! If you think, you only have to pretend to be an idiot, and we will let you on the ground to peel the spuds, you must think, we're idiots. A man who doesn't want to climb into a crate of wood and canvas, only to be shot at from twin Spandaus, can't be stupid! What you're lacking, is simply overview! Situational awareness! A pilot's life insurance up there. So, now you signed in, you better learn to keep your eyes open, and recognize, what they see! And believe me - once you're up there, you will never understand no more, how you could dream of peeling the spuds in the canteen kitchen. Dismissed!

A Dsherrmann hangar??! Me - destroyed???!!!! How could I do such terrible ssings to my Kaiser's equipment? I am an officer and gentleman pilot, mein Herr! Vee shoot down SPADs!!! But, vell, if you vant to split hairs - if you meant a shot SPAD, crashink into zatt hangar - because it's dyink pilot cramped - now, zatt is not in my hands, but his. French are famous for zeir cookink, right? For zeir wines! For l'amour ! (blush!) But not for pilotink, right?

Yezz, zere are! But you can djoin us! Come to der Kaiser's side of ze trenches! Fly der beautiful German planez, vizz der polished twin gunz! Ant 1.000 roundz of Dshermann quality ammunishion!!! Help us vipe der 'crumpetz" off ze skies!!! Mmmuahahahahaaaaaa!!!

Hi, Pol, and thanks for all that testing. Nice, you cared! I'm flying the D Va with Jasta 9. When Hasse Wind will not experience it, something may be wrong my end. But what? No new stick, nothing changed, except patching. But I couldn't bear it to have "aircraft stress" switched off, and put it on again. And then I flew almost carefully against some SPADs and killed them still. So, I can handle it. Oh, and yes, the yellow warnings are and alway were on. Can they possibly be put into the low center of screen? If not - I'll manage somehow to get used to it.

Hhmm - did we read about the same event? Cause, in my book, it says he was driven to Arras by an officer, who saw him; from Arras he phonecalled his Jasta and got brought back to his field, were he entered another plane, and chased after the British planes again... And I didn't mean to say: he got almost killed; I wanted to say: he could have got killed. Excuse my English - I'm German.