Olham

Dej, I must admit, that I know little about the Sopwith Triplane or Little's fight until today - I will have to read the book Pips recommended. As a graphic designer with some PR knowledge I can only say: MvR had the better overall public relations. You can't beat the alarming effects of red, orange and yellow - the red Triplane became THE aircraft people remember to have seen, when it's about World War One aviation. But no doubt, Sopwith built one first. As far as I know, both the British as well as the German Triplane were hard to maintain in the field, and had often to be shipped back to a maintenance/Armee-Flugpark. The Sopwith Triplane always looks to me like a high class/best material fighter. The wooden struts alone cause that impression. Widow, you could ask our Pfalz specialist for advice - Hasse Wind. I also need to fly her again in campaign, and I remember, she didn't turn as well as the Albatros with her nose above horizon. Keep her horizon-level in tight turns, or below. Avoid long turn fighting. But you can safely get out of bad situations in steep dives - she is sturdy - and in safe distance you turn the energy into height again. .

Well, I guess the footage I posted was filmed by some RAF personnel or a film crew they ordered to. After all they had to get at the airfield, which - I think - would be a closed military area. Might also be, that one of the Czech pilots just filmed it without asking for allowance - and without getting caught.

Sorry for making the mouths of some of you water - this book seems to be released only in September. I've just found it announced for pre-order at AMAZON. Not knowing much about the man who's grave I had only recently visited, I will definitely buy it. Berthold was one of the few aces, who served from the first days of the Great War until August 1918, when he was wounded again. He had several injuries through accidents and war wounds before - which may be the reason why Kilduff called the book "Iron Man". Berthold had 44 confirmed victories. He served with KEK Vaux; FFA 23; Jasta 4, 14, 18; and took over the command for JG II. Born 24 March 1891, he survived the Great War, only to get killed by German rioters in March 1920.

No problem, Shredder - seems nobody had missed those skins yet; not even I did - Jasta 8 is one of those Staffeln I have never flown with yet. If they will be in OFF II that'll be fine for me. As for the 2 weeks - I'm glad you didn't postpone the release!

It isn't, Dej. It is only held as the exemplar for the Fokker Dr.1's manoeuverability.

Okay, thanks, Ted. I have sent a PM to forum friends and asked, what they have. If they have them, I may have to reinstall.

... but it was ugly as a soap box!

Had the Fokker Dr.1 entered full service as she should have, late summer 1917, she would have been very dangerous; but the wing failures forced Fokker to withdraw all craft, and so they were only really serviceable in spring 1918. What made the craft so special was the overall "instability", it seems. The craft didn't do anything you did not do with the stick; it wouldn't settle in the air and fly straight; you had to hold it - but it would do almost everything you performed on the stick. The ability to perform a "flat turn" must have been such, that the craft could almost fully turn round without even banking; still flying horizontally! (It had no tail fin to make her fly straight - only a moving rudder). Werner Voss made great use of that in his famous fight, and hit all 5 S.E.5a, as far as I know. The Dr.1 sure was an extraordinary turn fighter - with great turnability in both directions; not only to the right like the Sopwith Camel. The Germans used it with good effect in combination with energy fighters; like the Entente did with Nupes and SPADs for example. But like with all fighters - it always depended on the abilities of the pilots, to make real good use of a craft. .

For all bomber pilots operating below 500 feet: Bomb the sheds - do NOT bomb the toilets!

Pips, I guess you could be right, the Pfalz D.IIIa might have been the better fighter. The sturdy dive alone would have let me prefer it to "my beloved Albatros" in real life. The vision is at least equal, if not better in the Pfalz. What she may lack in turn-ability, she could balance with safer energy/vertical fighting. Her better climb is a big plus! As far as I know the German ace Erich Löwenhardt from Jasta 10 flew the Pfalz, like many other aces (Carl Degelow, Josef Jacobs). Maybe the Pfalz was only more difficult to build and couldn't be made in such numbers as the Albatros? Now you may ask yourself, why I still fly the Albatros mostly. Well, I know the Fokker Dr.1 or the D.VII even more, would get me better successes. But it's the beauty of the Albatros, which I fell in love with. No other plane makes me fall for it like she does. Love isn't rational... .

Thank you, Shredward. Here is what I see - could it be, that the number of skins in the skins folder is limited? In other words - if I add many personal skins, other skins get dropped out? Just an idea?

Fw Mahlow is still part of the action of the Battle of the Somme, and the fighting is fierce on both sides. He can hold his own in the Halberstadt, but there's rumour that they will receive a much better fighter very soon - the Albatros D.I will come to service. He must survive until then...

Well, I didn't mean to demonstrate so much the assistance of foreign pilots for the RAF, Jonathan; first of all I thought, this footage might be interesting for all who are interested in fighter squadrons, and how they prepare for their sorties. I had never seen so much material about the RAF flight preparations.

Here is some great colour footage filmed with RAF squadrons, which had Czech pilots as well as pilots from other nations in them. This is not only interesting for the reason that there were Czech and other nation's pilots in these squads; you can also see how the fighter planes were made ready for their sorties in good detail here. Here is the note from the uploader: Rare, original coloured movie from GB 1942/43, but this movie have not original sound. So, If you are boring repetitive sound, please change music off. Movie from 310(cz). squadron, 312(cz). squadron and 313(cz). sq. In cz. squadrons (1940/45) were also pilots from another nations: 46 british (Best: J.J. Jefferies-Latimer 6 victories), 18 jews (Best: O.Smik 10 victories), 3 canadians, 1 american, 1 irish, 1 polish pilot and 5-10% of Slovakians (best J.K.Ambruš 2 victories). The best of Czech, who fighted in Czechoslovak squadrons was A.Vašátko 15 victories. Czech Pilots in RAF Service - Part 1 Czech Pilots in RAF Service - Part 2

Browsing through the Albatros skins, I found no ace skin for Jasta 8 - not one? Were there no aces in that Jasta, or are their skins just not known?

Never seen a dog making such noises - but women can make you do the strangest things...

Seems Robin is still touring with his own band (though not the original trio anymore). At least he had been in German TV program "Rockpalast" in 2005 - see here:

Davy, I have Robin's albums too, and like "Twice removed from yesterday" and "Bridge of Sighs" most. I also love Robin's contributions to the Procol Harum albums; especially to "Broken Barricades" a lot. Great guitarist!

JFM, I like your "nitpicking" details, cause they are well researched. Especially that bit about the wind direction and speed was mostly overlooked in the documentaries, it seems. As for the word "far" - 3 miles is not far into enemy terrain, when you fly at an altitude, from which you could even glide a damaged kite back over the lines. But as you said, low as he was flying (almost hitting a church tower!) - I find it far.

Mmuahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!

Sure that number could send me thrills down the spine, Lou, and it was the song I made my first slow dance to, ever. It was in a German-French holiday camp, and her name was Marie-Therése... Memoires de la jeunesse... Sid, "A Salty Dog" would probably be the one album I would pick out of all, if I could only take one of each band to the island - although it would be a tough choice; I also love the first one a lot, and the "Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra...", and, and... Von Paulus, you are a man with taste - The "Edmonton..." live album is such a great album, and IMHO the best album any rock band ever made with an orchestra and choir. Just in case you don't know the also very great "King Biscuit Radio Show" recordings of Procol Harum live with Orchestra & Choir 1973 at the "Hollywood Bowl" - have a listen in Procol Harum's website. Although it was a bootleg for a long time, they have now made it available here. The 'Encore' song "TV Cesar" ends brilliantly with a blending into "Rule Britannia" - phantastic! Just scroll down and click the line at the bottom: "Listen to the concert live here" http://www.procolharum.com/hollywood.htm

Yuppers, correct - it was even written on the Lozenge fabric. I wonder, how different OFF II will be regarding the co-ops in ground offensives, and the battle flyers/Schlachtflieger.

I guess hardly anyone knows this man - Shredward may be? But I post mostly totally Topic, so now I take the freedom to do something as "off-topic" as could be. Searching through YouTube, I was amazed, how many Procol Harum live videos I found there. Amazed, and then a bit - well, not sad, but moist eyes, you know, about the old days, and to realise how long ago all that is. I then searched Google for Dave Ball, who was the guitarist of Procol Harum after Robin Trower had left. Ball didn't stay very long and is not to be heard on any studio album. But he played a wonderful electric guitar on the Super-Album "Procol Harum live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra & the Da Camera Singers". Later he became a programmer for IBM, went to Australia, and 2011, just for fun, he made some videos about his retirement; he even plays guitar in one or two. Of course I don't mean to say, he was the best musician. Gary's vocals are hauntingly special, his piano classic; B.J. Wilson was a great special drummer, perfect for the band; Matthew Fisher's organ 'celestial'; Robin Trower's guitar so well infected by Jimi Hendrix, and and and.. A very special gang... If you now ask yourself, what all this is about, since you don't even know "Procol Harum" - then forget about it; it was just one of the sentimental moments - or you could go and get some of their records; or have a look into YouTube. Here's one of their rockers - beware - dirty language: .