Olham

Staffelfuehrer: "Where the heck have you been 'round, Leutnant Mahlo?! Did you get lost underway? Can't you pilot with compass and map?" Leutnant Mahlo: "Excuse me, Herr Major, but a German pilot cannot get lost, of course, after all the good training! I only did some reconnaissance after our normal patrol, in order not to waste our Kaiser's valuable fuel!" Man law rules!

Now, clouds DO have a silver lining!

And some more from Dan_San_Abbott: Gentlemen: I took another look at the Jasta 50 photographs in the "Fokker D.VII Aces" Part 2, page 69. The stripes on the tailplane do not match the black cross on the rudder. It is subdued light, overcast? Using the grey scale in Methuen Book the stripes are 1D1 and the cross is 1F1. using the page 10 in grey scale instead of the color page. The stripe are 10A8 in grey and the cross is 10F2 in grey value. 10A8 and 11A8 in grey value are the same. Greg and Ed. I am inclined to believe Jasta 50 used red and white. In any event, the grey value for stripes do not match the darker grey value for the cross. Whatever. Blue skies, Dan

Here's what I found at The Aerodrome, when searching for Jasta 50. Greg Wyngarden seems to relate to this or a similar picture there, as the number 2362 is the first craft indeed. Greetings Felipe ! Your Jasta 50 profiles are very nice. According to Arntzen's notes, the first D.III in line, D.2362/17 with the black/white chevron, was flown by Unteroffizier Fritz Liese, who was killed in a collision on 9 March 1918. The second one, D. 2377/17 with the black/white zig-zag marking, was flown by Vizefeldwebel Wittenfeld. Yes, Jasta 6 had black and white stripes on their tailplanes. but those were chordwise, not chevron or "vee" shaped like Jasta 50. There were many Prussian Jastas who featured some form of black and white striping on their tails. I don't have any solid proof that Jasta 50 had black and white tail markings, but the late Peter Gray (God bless him) certainly didn't have any proof for his off-handed comment in the Profile that "colours are not known but possibly blue and red." That little comment has been innocently seized upon by many and taken as gospel. More later. Greg VanWyngarden Hope, you skinners like it! PS: here is a link to another post about the colours: http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/camoufla...html#post268678

Hey, it's open in the web -so why should it be illegal to look at it? Just saw, that there are complete book about "Vintage Warbirds" for example, in PDF format! Great find, Snoopy!

Just got a first reaction at "The Aerodrome" - Shredward seems to be right with Jasta 50: Hello Olham, it´s a line up of Albatros D III (OAW) of Jasta 50 at Autremencourt in early (January-March) 1918. They had chevron-style stripes on their tailplanes as a jasta identification. The colours are unfortunately unknown. It is suggested that it is sky blue and red or black (or red) and white. Rainer Now, my personal oppinion as a designer, who did a little B/W photography, is, that either black or red on the tailplanes would appear darker. Sky blue and white rather. But I wasn't there... Edit: well, on second looks, the crosses, which where definitely black, don't look dark either.

Geeze - I'm glad we only have to take off from grass fields! Carrier landings and take-offs from treadmills came only later...

They seem to have bright diagonal stripes on a mid-temperature grounded tail.

Sounds to me, as if Dej has hit it.

Okay, I will do my best!

UncleAl: Thats sure to cause havoc for the DiD boys Absolutely right. That's why I should say, archie, where archie belongs. I found it always dense enough over cities, airfields and army camps. And inbetween - well, there was no archie really, or am I wrong?

Yes, I see, what the pilot would have seen. Looking over my Spandaus, I know where to fire. And with TrackIR, I can look around, up and down, and bend left and right, or lean a little bit over the sides of the fuselage. I never did it any other way, so it's only "natural" to me.

I really don't know, as I don't use those views. Did you try these: Ctrl.+F4 Scroll Lock Shift+F4 One of them might be it? (I hope).

Check the "Command keys" card of HomeBoy (sticky above) - that's the only advice I know.

Thank you, Creaghorn! Bandy, that may be one reason; plus: your actual location. It seems to me, that you find most archie over cities and airfields, whereas there ain't so much in between - which would be right.

Just been at a website of the EADS - European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. For all who didn't know it yet: http://www.eads.com/1024/de/eads/history/a...tros_D_III.html I found that photograph of the Albatros staffel interesting. Do you know, which Jasta they are, OvS, Paarma?

Hmm - I see archie/Flak, when enemies are near. Maybe you want it denser? But there is activity - at least, where I fly.

I have just returned from my first campaign flight with "full DiD standard" - it was very different to any flights with aids before! If you like, read about it in the "Reports from the front"-sticky. It did feel much "larger" - very "real"! And confusing too. Bandy - the Flak/Archie DOES let you know, when enemy craft are near. When you see dark puffs, you must scan the skies intensively - you will find them! The circling can be ignored, if you fly with 60 - 70 percent, and hit "R" for "return" several times. They should come and stay with you then

If nothing helps, go to www.overflandersfields.com to check the FAQs or infos.

Hahaha!! You seem to have enough pleasure without enemies. And if you should want some different flying, you could always enter more pilots in other areas or time. I have five now, flying in different regions; 4 in 1917, and 1 in 1918. I pick the region I'd like to fly most each time.

Thank you for that info, Hasse Wind. I may get that book later, too. Right now, I have started to read the "Tagebuch der Jagdstaffel 12", with great pictures and facts.

Haha! Mighty, enjoy it as you like all the way, of course. I don't like freezing, or castor oil, too! Lol! I'd be interested to know how WWI pilots of the time handled these situations - I'll bet they handled it exactly this way. Well, they didn't go up for scouts, when they didn't have the time to climb to a good altitude. Speedski, in my 1918 campaign, I didn't get shot down. I ended in a fatal crash with a SPAD XIII (my best pilot so far - sigh!) But if you flew a SPAD, it might well be, that I shot YOU down. I had 58 claims, most of them SPADs (14 confirmed). Lou and Creaghorn - you two must be the "Top Reality Cracks" here. That dice roll thing is not a bad idea. One day, when I can do all else in my sleep, I'll bring up more "reality" with that methode. But so far, I find it hard enough in an Albatros, to make it a while.

The only almost vertical take-off with a pison engine propellor craft I ever saw, was on the ILA Internationale Luftfahrtausstellung Berlin 2006. They announced, that the wind conditions where right now such, that the pilot of a Fieseler Storch would try to perform a vertical take-off. And he almost did - the craft did not move more than 2 meters forward, then it was hanging in the wind like a kite, only 2 meters above the ground, and remaining over the same point more or less, like a helicopter. But it had airflow through the wind. If the craft in a giant treadmill would take off, then it would be from the airflow of the propellor.

A graphics setting question: Every now and then, the solution I had chosen (1280 x 1024) in the graphic settings, is getting changed. I don't know why, and find it only changed, when I want to go from the briefing to the field. Very annoying. Now my question: when I coose the resolution, should I click "use default setting" after that, or leave it on "select resolution" ?

If Bletchley is right, and promotion comes from doing successful missions - why not leave them as they are? The "pilot", who is shooting down lots of craft, will get more medals (I assume), whilst the one, who cares for fullfilling the mission to the best, will get promoted. And with an average of 17 hours, you need to get promoted a little faster, I'd say.