Olham

Yes, Rall was a lucky one like Udet - he only lost a thumb after shooting 275 opponents down. Don't know about Goering's respect towards Galland. Maybe it was respect. But also, that he couldn't really do much more - Galland was a national heroe; they had made propaganda with aces like him. Maybe Goering thought, he would be shot down sooner or later anyway, when he tried to stop the bombers to show the real value of the Me 262. What also touches me, is that Galland was often invited by British pilots, who had been his opponents in the Battle of Britain. Opponents - not enemies.

The side with the fast twin Spandaus held the whole of the high tech world at bay, for no less than 4 years. When you find the time, you may copy the outlines of Germany with a pencil on a piece of tracing paper. And then hold it over a map of America, a map of Canada, a map of Australia - you get the idea? Do you think, they built those fighters with only one slow firing gun to show, how manly and heroic they where - or could it be, that they couldn't do it any better? I must see the "Dirty Harry" films again - it's so long ago. My dad loved them. And about the Fee - you NEVER give it up to get me into one of those crates, do you? You must have missed it. Before I had to reset CFS3 (and thereby lost all my promising pilots, OBD!!!), I had one flying the FEE. He made three sorties in her; but no kills. And yes, you have to be the whole man to dare to fly over the lines in that crate!

A difference I see every day for sure is, that the AI Nupe 17 or Albatros D III / D V don't shed their wings in a steep dive - very unfair, if you ask me. But I compensate that by shooting one wing off them - then they also have problems (Lol!)

I think, Red Dog is right there about the wind. All you can do is to set mixture control to "auto mixture" in workshop, and fly always lead. Although - with a SPAD XXIII you shouldn't have problems? (Lol!)

No problem, these threads often florish in a most creative and surprising way, and I like that. I have read Galland's book and think he was a great pilot. What impressed me most, was how he frankly admitted, that he couldn't stand on his legs after a bail-out: he had first got stuck in the rear fixed canopy part with his parachute, and when he came free, he almost opened the lock, that holds all the parachute belts together on your chest, instead of pulling the rope. He just realised the mistake he was about to make, and when he was down, he sat down under a tree. When a truck with soldiers came to look after him, they asked "Are you alright, Herr Hauptmann (or was it Herr Leutnant?)? Can we do anything for you?" And he replied "Yes, if you could bring me a large brandy, please." He wrote, that his knees were too weak to stand on his feet.

If you want models in a scale of 1:32, not too expensive, but very good, I recommend the RODEN Models. Here's their website: www.rodenplant.com And two models:

BH: It's about time you habitual Huns took up that challenge Why should I? I LOVE to see big pieces coming off! With the rate of fire of a Spandau, I can literally saw the wings off my opponent's craft. And flying with 1.000 rounds, I rarely ever use it all up, and can shoot down 4 - 5 craft. So - why should I change a winning team? Nah, okay, the SPAD VII was always on my list - haven't tried her yet, but will (OFF can really give you the feeling, there's still SO MUCH to do).

The Albatros D III is a lovely fighter, carrying no less but 1.000 rounds. She performs nicely, when you got to know her well, she is neither a perfect energy fighter (cause her lower wings break easily at dives - so be careful when you hear stress noise), nor a turn fighter, but she can do both good enough to gain some time to fire a devastating burst into a more agile craft - and then it's not so agile anymore (Lol!). I think, the Albatros D III OAW is even a little better, although I still don't know the differences apart from the larger rudder. Can anyone tell us?

Not necessary to explain, how a U.S. mailbox looks - I was a big fan of all the Carl Barks "Donald Duck" stories (he drew them best, and had the greatest stories), and so I know America and even it's mail boxes! (Lol!!) If you made such an S.E.5a, you'd have to stick that little flag to one side, that would show "There's post in here". I wouldn't kill so many, if they left after some fighting. Creaghorn said recently in a PM, that he would love to see, that the units reform after short fighting, and drove home, without so heavy losses on both sides. But here, they don't leave a choice to me - as long as they chase my wingman, I will fire the very last bullet at them.

Great model, Stickshaker! Looks big, too. Hope you have the space? Iti, I believe, they will do a Morane Saulnier in a future version of OFF. The Eindecker is fun - until you meet the N 11. Wikipedia said about "Hals- und Beinbruch", it might be a German malapropism of the Jiddish „hatslokhe u brokhe“, which means "luck and blessing" for business actions. But it's not sure. It could also result in an old belief, that the powers of fortune love it, to transform a wish into the opposite - which you can counter by wishing something really bad. It is not said, how old the saying is, but they write, that the English "break a leg" may come from the German version. There are also "Mast- und Schotbruch" for mariners (break your mast and sheet), and "Holm- und Rippenbruch" for aviators (break your spar and fin).

Don't know, how many variants of AI we have here. Aces seem to be better than average pilots, but it would be nice to have some unexperienced ones too, to shoot down. But Fonck certainly was a rare genius in air combats - the majority of SPAD VII pilots would have rather suffered your experiences, too, IMHO. You would get better, if you flew the SPAD for some time. I can now even take on Camel aces in an Albatros D V - not the craft to start with really.

It only sounds easy - the computer needed many years to find out, if I remember that right. But always remember the first rule: Don't panic! Congratulations, Red Dog and Rickitycrate! "I am lost a bit for detail, but..." was a superb intro! Poor Dej - now you have a really tough one. I wish you luck for that.

In the web I found a picture of a Halberstadt wing, that's getting restored in Brussels. The photograph was very professional; when I tried to adjust the colours by Photoshop presets "auto tone" or "auto contrast", nothing changed. So the lighting was set very well. Now I zoomed in very close into the picture, searching for colour spots, where the colour was most intensive, but not darkened by shadows. I sampled several of such pixels which showed a well saturised colour, and realised, that the CMYK values where similar in their relationship of percentage. That way, I came to the 5 colours you see in the upper right corner. I believe, that these where the colours more or less, seen from close-on of course- in their most intensity. As they where printed on fabric, you would have a lot of reflecting light from the laquer-sealed cloth's surface. So the colours would appear brighter, the further you walked away from the wing. Also, in field service, the fabric might have worn of, the colours bleached out a bit after time. In the 80s I had made tests with German RLM colours. I had them painted on 3 cardboard pieces. The first I had near me, the second I put 10 meters away, the third was 20 meters away. The colour RLM 65 is a greyish-blue sky blue. From 20 meters away, it appeared like a very bright sky blue only; the intensity was less than 50 % of the close colour. So, if anyone wants to use these colours for skinning, I would suggest to brighten them up by at least 15 - 20 %, if not more.

What touched me most, is his view on the soldiers around him. He doesn't hate his opponents (whom he doesn't know at all). He doesn't love the men on his side either (cause he doesn't know them, as well). He understands, that there is no enemy - only other men from similarly poor roots, being also sent and ordered to battle him. And reading, that a lonely moment of delight in the air might have been more to him than anything before and after, makes a knot in my throat.

Wow! Goose skin now!

I have only flown two campaigns in the SPAD XIII, and that is a great powerful craft to fly. When the VII is similarly powerful (in it's time), I understand that you like it. For the shooting with one gun and limited ammo, I can only compare with flying the Tripe: you must get REAL close, before shooting - all rounds should hit. Then you will have success. But there is always the danger of collision.

Thank you all - it was one of these "I should have known better" days. But we are lucky blighters - we can learn of this and use, what we learnt in the next carreer. Until we are as cool as Creaghorn, who really doesn't care about success and medals, but wants mainly to survive first of all - like we would in real life. Duce, as far as I saw, when entering Jasta 4, you and Bullet must be flying the D VII? Cause, I entered them in an earlier time, with a D.V or D.Va (haven't flown him yet). I think I should also enter one in your time, to really join you there. Please give me your current war time date.

Pic 41: Bleriot XI Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier (of Morane-Saulnier), the Blériot XI was a light and sleek monoplane constructed of oak and poplar. The flying surfaces were covered with cloth. The original XI was designed and built in 1908 and made its public debut at a Paris airshow in December of that year. The aircraft's original configuration included a R.E.P. engine spinning a four blade metal paddle type propeller which proved to be unsatisfactory. In the Spring of 1909 Blériot decided to use a basically simple 25 horsepower (19 kW) Anzani 3 cylinder W-configuration engine (a central vertical cylinder with the other two at 60o on either side and in the same plane) and a two blade Chauviere wooden propeller with much better results. Blériot could be assured of the Anzani 3W engine running continuously for an hour. The Blériot XI also had some ground-breaking technologies such as castering landing gear, allowing for crosswind landings. Wing warping (instead of ailerons) controlled the plane's roll. The tail section of the Blériot XI included a horizontal stabilizer with an elevator, and a rudder, but no vertical stabilizer. Unintentionally, Blériot added lateral stability to the plane by leaving the aft section of the fuselage uncovered. This created enough drag to add stability to the aircraft's flight characteristics. The Channel Crossing The original Blériot XI on which Louis Blériot crossed the Channel in 1909. Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris. The plane gained immortality on July 25, 1909 when Louis Blériot successfully crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover in 36.5 minutes and using an Anzani engine designed by the Italian engineer Alessandro Anzani. For several days bad weather grounded Blériot and his opponents Hubert Latham who flew an Antoinette monoplane and Count de Lambert who brought two Wright Biplanes. That morning, Blériot awoke, albeit in a bad mood, reportedly due to previously scorching his foot on an engine exhaust, to conditions fair enough to fly in. When Blériot took off, Latham's camp was still quiet; Latham had overslept. Fighting fog and bad weather, Blériot did not even have a compass to guide his crossing. It is said that the Anzani engine made the flight only with the aid of a brief rain shower to cool it off. Letting the aircraft guide itself, Blériot eventually saw the grey line of the English coast. Approaching closer and closer he spotted a French reporter waving the French flag marking the landing spot. Blériot made a very rough "pancake" landing during which the landing gear collapsed, but he walked away, winning the £1000 prize awarded by the Daily Mail.

Yes, it's nicely said, and more: it may make the army of Red Baron 3D enthusiasts wake up and have a look at a product, that should be perfect to suit them.

Yes, Jasta 2 in that time is great, but be careful, Iti, when you begin to feel comfortable, you should sharpen your sixth sense, and go through the Dicta Boelcke again. Even the grand master himself collided with an own Jasta mate and crashed fatally. M. Pechvogel in Jasta 13 - that's so cheeky, he MUST be lucky. Must check that Jasta myself some day.

Thanks for the details, Bullet. Some day I must fly that cardboard box, but now, I joined Jasta 4 earlier, when they used the Dr.1. But before I use that pilot, I may see, how far my Jasta 10 pilots may get. BH: ...generally you only survive by killing them all. Well, that's my usual procedure anyway, cause I hate to loose my wingmen. Right now, I'm fighting Nupe 17 Lewis and Camels from Heule aerodrome with an Albatros D.V (early - the hunchback). It is so much worse than the other side's craft, that I realise, I must have become a pretty good pilot - I am not afraid of them at all. Bring 'em on!

Oh yes, I will carry on! My new chap at Jasta 10 has shot 5 down already. I also have one in Jasta 2 in your same month; I'll see you in the mess. This weekend, I'll do some intensive flying. You can fly in a not so good mood, but never with a good pilot with many kills - use a new one, then it's not so hard to loose him. I always have 7 - 8 pilots enlisted, and fly, where I just like to be. Feel like hills - fly Marne region or Alsace. Some fresh salty breeze perhaps? Pick MFJ-1 at Aertrycke near the north sea. That way, I have fun.

Ha, Ryan, I AM in Jasta 2 with a yet unused pilot, Juergen Harms. He will fly the Albatros D.I in September 1916. By the time you are there, you may find him on the board of killed pilots though. But I'll try to survive - see you! Thanks for the heads-up, Widowmaker. I have overcome the first rage, and made a new skin for an Albatros D.V, the one with the hunchback - haven't flown that type much. But it's very tough there at Jasta 10 in Heule. My first mission was a scramble, where no less than 16 Nieuport 17 Lewis came falling down on the four of us. I shot ace Arthur Gordon off the tail of my wingman (a heroic deed I REALLY like to do!) and down; but after that the chaps from the tea-side where a bit upset and chased and peppered me, until I had to land in a forrest way. But I survived that one. Second mission was an airfield defense at Wasquehal, where I shot down 4 Nieuport Lewis from RFC-60 ! You see, at the beginning I am quite good, but the further I get, the more nervous I become about not to loose my pilot - I'm sure you know that feeling. Will be more careful with him now. I wish you a nice weekend - let's forget the customers for two fine days. And although I know you'll pepper some of my side, I wish you all the success you want.

This evening I broke my own rules: 1. not to use a good pilot, when in a bad mood. 2. not to post about the great successes of a pilot, cause next day he usually dies I had travelled through half Berlin for two hours to visit a customer, who had asked for an offer. When I arrived, he had changed his mind and decided to do come back to it later sometime. I was really angry and thought I'd get into a better mood, if I had some success with my best pilot. Lt. Werner Mahlo, Jasta 15, July 1917, had 12 confirms out of 13 claims, and two Iron Crosses - he was on the best way to get the Blue Max. We had a scramble, and like usual I checked who was knocking, cause I break off impossible scrambles. There where 6 Nieuport 17 against our 5 Albatros D V. I thought, okay, let's take them on. Only one came down on us, and I chased him around, until - he crashed into me!!! Now I made it even worse and started my second best pilot, Lt. Karl Alfred Mahlo, Jasta 40, May 1918. He had 9 claims, no confirms yet, but promising. Over the frontline, he and his flight took on 4 Camels, which turned out to be six really, and all aces from RNAS-1. He managed to shoot down Charles Dawson Booker, but then he got hunted. He went back over the line with a badly damaged craft, and landed - according to his map - on German terrain. But what happened? "You will spend the rest of the war in captivity!" Some days are really totally unfair! PS: my chance now to join Bullethead and Duce Lewis in Jasta 4 - coming, chaps, coming!

Great introduction into the D VII, which I haven't flown yet - only know the SPAD so far.