Olham

Yeah, or you may just as well wait, until you get shot up so bad, that you have no other chance than to put her down right there.

Condor, when they where much higher than you, they would appear centered, but still white, cause the distance was big. Labels only show within closer range - first in white, then in red. When you saw no labels, they where further away, and maybe even above clouds, as Duce said.

Better not try it, RedDog, if you must not!

Thank you very much, Paarma - feels good to hear this from the Albatros skinner. And thanks for the Intro picture - you show the most beautiful craft of the sim. But how did you get this picture of me with my Albatros?

Yes, it's a PITA to aim and fire with a joystick in observer's seat. The new TrackIR 5 set up window showed something about "mouse controll" - perhaps a solution? I'll try that out tomorrow and report.

Some screens from my first fight in a SPAD XIII for Esc.3 "Les Cigognes"

Forget about gun sights, Sir Mike. I never use them, and shoot quite good. Just get used to "feel" the point, where your tracers will go - after a while, you get really good with it. Rickity, I also fly an Eindecker campaign, and a Halberstadt campaign - but you're right, I prefer to have two guns, if any possible. Cause, other than RedDog - I hit twice as much.

Yes, I thought so. Will try the SPAD VII too some time. But as an Albatros pilot, you are just used to twin guns' fire power. The SPAD VII must be more challenging there. But once I can aim and shoot better in SPADs, I'll try the VII. After the change of the flight model, I can see, that the SPAD was a great fighter. A joy to fly!

Second flight was a Balloon defense mission. Near the balloon, we spotted 6 - 8 Albatros DV from Jasta 11 - the red nose boys. I hit several craft hard, but my wings seem to have finished them, as I didn't get a claim report. Short of ammo, and flight 1 vanished chasing some DVs, I saw two more DV from Jasta 11, trying to destroy the balloon. I ordered my two wings to attack, and fired my last rounds into one Albatros. My wings fought the other. When ammo was out, I pulled out high. Only one wingman, Alain Leblanc, returned from the other fight, and I ordered him to attack "my" Albatros. It was great to watch his superb fighting and "dancing" with the Alb. The German with a far less powerful craft performed elegant evasive and attack manoeuvers, and Alain answered them most graceful. But then the shock: I saw two wings coming off of Alain's SPAD, and he crashed into an acre. Our balloon defense AA had hit him! Now the German tried to climb up to me, guessing my ammo was out. But in a SPAD, it's when you want to go home, you just go home. I climbed away from him and headed for our field - he finally gave up. Landing: I approached field full speed and came in flat. At touch down, I pulled throttle fully back, and then cut the engine. She'll roll on right to the cantine with you, so make sure to touch down at the beginning of the field. Yes, Fliegenhund, from the German point of view, the SPAD is depressing - until you get the D VII.

Today I created a French pilot to fly the SPAD. First name had to begin with a "D", last name close to my family name Mahlo. So, Didier de St. Malo was born; he flies with "Les Cigognes" (the "Storks") from Bergues/Bierne in late September 1917. Short after takeoff, two groups from Jasta 4 appeared over our field: Albatros DIII and Pfalz DIIIa. Some flown by aces. My first measure was to climb steep up into the sun - no problem with 200 PS (HP). I saw them coming down on flight 1, and they went lower all together. My flight was now far higher, and I began my attack. I had sworn, not to turn much, and I didn't. I attacked the silver Pfalz of Kurt-Bertram von Doring and hit him quite badly, although the aiming didn't work too well - the SPAD XIII reacts so well to elevator; must get used to that. Right after passing the Pfalz, I pulled up steep - a real joyride in this crate! Looking back, you see the opponents shrinking, helpless. At the desired top of such climbs, I gave full rudder right, to reverse my direction. And "zoom" I came down on them again. My second measure was, only to attack craft in good position, and never to chase ONE SPECIFIC pilot, to kill him. So, next zooming down, an Albatros was in best reach, and I came for it's tail. But ace Kurt Wusthoff knew to turn left. I had allowed myself to follow a turn, as long as it didn't bleed off my speed, and I could easily zoom out again. So I turned a bit into his left curve and plastered him. The craft began to pull atrail of smoke. Rocketing up again, I looked back over my tail fin. I was not at all in any danger. Great; high turn, and down again! Now the Pfalz crossed my gunsights again - so he got it this time! He was already very handicapped - tried to climb, but couldn't really. He only got hit a little, the SPAD (or me?) was so nervous, but it was enough. He drifted sideways. Zooming up again, I watched him fall into some trees from my "eagle position". Coming down again, it was now Menckhoff who got the next burst, and this time I really hit him full hard; he turned almost on his back and crashed. I zoomed up again and got an overview. My three wings where all there; I had never sent them into the fight. All enemy craft destroyed, or had escaped. I flew over to the other flight. Jean Seraphin Benjamin Emmanuel Bozon-Verduraz had lost his two wingmen. (With such a name, first year in school is over, before you have spelled it to the teacher). I am THE Albatros fan, but wouldn't have said to be a Boom'n Zoom pilot. The Albatros can also turn very well. But the SPAD could develop a second B&Z branch, and I guess, it can even turn a bit, when you know her better. In steep banks, I only pulled elevator - rudder seems to rather disturb her then; I used it in banks up to 30°, and with nose down a little below horizon, then she'll turn well! Result: The SPAD is a fighter to keep you safe, as long as you boom and zoom - and with 200 PS power, B&Z is great fun! I will continue this campaign! PS: You'd like to fly an American campaign? Take the SPAD - and have fun!

What's this? I just see a white square???

Looking incredibly true, Stumpjumper. Now, what would happen, if a craft got hit? Would it be like normal Flak, or would it rather catch fire?

Nice website, BadBud - but I couldn't get to "screenshots" (page not found).

This would scare the s**t out of some people. I see the future screams "Arghh!!! Too hard, too frightening!" Will probably need a click box to un-click it (Lol!)

Update 08/17/09 14:30 Berlin time Pigeon-Hawk, Nevada, added. The maps are in post 1 of this thread Thank you, Jim and OvS!

Yes, I think it's random decisions so far. Even with our own crashes.

Update 08/17/09 03:15 Berlin time Private., Maryland, added. The maps are in post 1 of this thread

Yeah, looking good - may be uncomfy on hot days, but Marines can stand almost anything, I heard. John Glen - Mercury capsule, I think? Is he still alive?

So it's the Finest Dress, so to say, for special ceremonies? I have seen that uniform, when they fold up the flag to a triangle at burials. May I add you to our map of OFF pilots?

Well, Sauternes is quite nice. You would like some German "Eisbeerenauslese". Those are from wine, that remained on the stock until the first frost. The berries look almost like raisins then and are very sweet. And due to the high fruit sugar, that wine isn't even heavy at all - rather low in alcohol amount.

Bullet, not only the American tourists. I once found a horde of Japanese tourists in a big German beer cellar. I was only there for a couple of Andechser beers to finish me off for that eve. Now they came asking me things which meant to be German, but sounded Japanese to me. So they finally showed me the questions in their German language booklets. Those where comic stories with halfbaked German phrases like "Entschuldigung - Ich möchte bitte Haxen mit Sauerkraut" Knowing the Japanese kitchen, I told them, they wouldn't like that sort of food. But they had to have it German style. With bravery, they chewed their way through it and smiled and said, they liked it very much. When they showed some effect from the beer (I had ordered the strongest stuff for them to make it easier), they all wanted a photograph with me. So there must be some 32 photographs of me, somewhere in Japan.

Now, what is "dress blues"? Is it a necktie? Or a shirt?

Working in a wine shop? Haha! Some round here will call you a "lucky blighter" now!

Update 08/17/09 01:28 Berlin time Hemorad, Iowa, added. The maps are in post 1 of this thread

Wow, Paarma, we could have had a few together, when I was still drinking wine. Thanks for the honour, Herr Prop-Wasche, but I'm not a gourmet, I don't know anything about the 'finesse' with wines. And I don't know the German wines, sorry. I don't even drink any alcohol anymore, but when I did, more than five years ago, I prefered the white wine Hunter's Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and the red wine Meerendal Pinotage from South Africa. Also Australian blends of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. All these rather rich and not fine enough for the "connaisseurs" - but very tasty for me. Don't ask me, if I miss them...