Olham

To fire the spirits for our "Little Italy" project, here are two good pics of nose-down aircraft from the Italian front: an Italian Hanriot (Macchi) HD.1 and an Austrian Lohner L seaplane. (source: Rosebud's WW1 and Early Aviation Image Archive - http://www.earlyaero...om/archive1.htm )

And the flare would have to be fired early enough. In the books I read, pilots stated that they often missed things, like the leader suddenly diving for some E/A or such things. They were also responsible for scanning the skies for enemy planes. How easy could you miss a signal! Gosh, the more I think about all that, the more do I come to assume, that they spent the majority of their time and awareness on their formation flying, and only the rest on spotting E/A?

One guy is holding a (flare) pistol - I still believe it was a kind of contest.

Now that is another KuK beauty you painted there, Bullet - or should I say: you did NOT paint...

Now he's got what I mean... Yeah, I remember that too - a Messerschmidt Bf109 G of balsa wood: - wingspan: 32 cm - machineguns: tooth picks

Yeah, you may be right there. The photos of so many offizers and mechanics, with only 2 planes, suggest that maybe they were about to perform a comparison test between the spinner- and non-spinner Albatros.

Sierwitz is good! Sounds like a realistic name for a German field, but I guess you came home to Sierentz, the most southern field of the Western Front. It's only pathetic, when your wingmates see it. Otherwise - don't give a damn, I say. Congrats on a fine hunting result! This may not comfort you, but I believe your report. It happens very rarely; I had similar - rare - non-events like this. I wonder if the mission tracking thing (for later replay) might be responsible, when a flight is just too long or too much happening? Can it be switched off in "Workshop"? Your new DFW is really a beautiful lady, Bullet, and I wish you good luck with the next mission.

No, I didn't mean computer-modelling - I meant the good old model building (plastic models, wooden models etc. - do you remember?)

They are good for modelling too.

Now this is interesting! I have never before seen any other pic of a German Albatros with the spinner-less design. The whole hood looks different to me, as if the engine was higher? Or is that a trick of the eye?

Hauksbee, that is a very fine catch you made there - congrats! As for the type size - there are quite huge square-shaped reading magnifiers. The book might be worth to order one of those (6pt is indeed very small). http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Magnifier-Clamp-Desktop-Base/dp/B000186ZGY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1347343690&sr=8-4&keywords=reading+magnifier .

I have found several copies of the original 1916 print for cheap prices. Since I want to read it in German, I have ordered one of them now. Hauksbee, not necessary anymore, but thanks a lot for the generous offer.

Yeah, I know - I have been flying the Brisfit a bit, and it's a great fighter. But I prefer single-seaters.

Bullet, I only like flying fighters. I have flown the DFW for a while in the DiD Campaign, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I like the DH-2 and even much better the Sopwith Pup occasionally, and the S.E.5a and the SPAD XIII too. But I am never long away from my lady - the Albatros. It must be love...

Bullethead, that sounds good - I will only make fighters. But I may add some Italian ones. I'd like to make a Pup for a Hanriot. Edit:oh, we have a Hanriot?

For the Aviatik, only the Fokker D.VII looks close enough; I'd start from there, but give her a different "Aviatik" FM. For the Hanriot we could use the Sopwith Pup - with a special FM again?

How long would the OeFFAG Albatros 153 take to make an FM and DM for? I would love to see these done like they should be (more stabile and stronger).

Bullethead, I wonder if it will be possible to have Entente craft flying against Entente craft in OFF mission builder? Not sure about this.

Bullethead and everyone, feel free to post your skins in here. That's why I chose this title - it was meant for everyone (no use in having 5 skin threads). Good to have another skin ready for "Little Italy" - I wonder how far the mission builders are? I never flew the Hannover, so I didn't know about this distorting skin.

To give you an idea of what I'm fighting with - here is a screenshot of what I got done so far. I decided to lay a grid of colours over the sides and top part, plus some letters. This way I can now work towards eliminating all distortions (more or less). Still quite a bit of work...

According to "The Jasta Pilots", Oberleutnant Josef Loeser was the CO of Jasta 39 from 4 December 1917 - 4 February 1918, when he got wounded in action. After his recovery he flew with Jasta 46 from 18 April - 3 June 1918. He became the CO of this Staffel on 23 April. His two victories were both Sopwith Camel in Italy; the first flown by 2nd Lt. Ross from No. 45 Sqdn RFC (KIA). He was shot down in flames north of Hamel during combat with R.E.8 of No. 3 Sqdn, AFC.

Well, even if not perfect, she looks very good already, Quack! Yeah, I just worked on mine, and it is nervewrecking to eliminate all the distortions. It looks good on the 2-dimensional skin file, but when you wrap it around the 3D model - boy! Thanks a lot for the photos - never saw any other than model kits. And so it's Jasta 39 - got that wrong somehow; thank you!

Thank you both for your recommendations, Lou and Hasse Wind - I will look for both (for reasonable prices).

Wow, another nice design, Lou - I guess I will also fly an Italian side pilot.

Yes, black-white, but just vertically striped. The "barber pole" one is so much trickier...