Olham

My dad was a "spark" - he was a wireless operator at Norddeich-Radio, when it still existed. They were the contact for all German but also other ships, to their homes, to their shipping companies, to the sailors' wifes (especially over Christmas they made telephone contacts - could be heard in every radio, and was often very touching); to medical helicopter service and the sea rescue service; and more. My dad died in 1991. In our days, all this is done via satelite - the old radio station lies deserted; most of the metal masts have been destructed; the buildings are now home for a call center. It was another time, so far away it seems - almost in black-and-white; you know what I mean? And all I ever learned about morse code is . . . _ _ _ . . .

Here's a rare shot of "Olham's 5-Pack" - mostly I have to make do with 2 or 3 wingmen. And my everyday prey - SPAD XIII. Must be able to kill them in my sleep by now...

Thank you for your profund knowledge contribution, Shredward. So the Germans were at least with this weapon technology not ahead of their time then. (It just made me giggle to imagine how that Albatros' wings began to burn - yes, who plays with fire...) Unfortunately for the English people, that became different in the next World War. A friend of mine from London showed me pictures from impacts of V2 rockets in south-west London. It must have been a terrible threat, as it couldn't be heard at it's supersonic approach. A ring of white smoke at re-entry was all you might notice - but who could look at the sky all day? A shame of a warfare...

This is Jasta 9, Vauxcere, July, 27th, 1918. The eagle clutches and breaks a SPAD XIII - and I am the Kaiser's SPAD killer. I am so specialised on the SPAD XIII now, that I would even take on 4 of them alone (not without sweating, though). I would really appreciate to be served some Nupe 17, S.E.5a or Camels, but they treat me like a predator, giving me the same prey every day.

Well, one shouldn't give too much about what people say - I am killing two SPAD XIII per mission with my Albatros D Va and now the D Va 200. As for Nupe 17s, do as ZoomZoom says, Hauksbee. It would perhaps look from above like you flying triangles, the angles of them going outside the circle of the Nupe. Climbing, it is impossible for you to get into their turn. Also, it is very useful to be good at deflection shooting. I mostly damage them from further away, before I shoot them finally down. And try to be the highest flyer, when the fighting begins; work your way down through them

This afternoon's flight showed me, how well "Olham's Pack" work together. First we fought 4 SPADs, with no problems - all my men survived, undamaged. Then we appeared over the front line, were we had to protect one of our fields. My flight did the high cover, while Leutnant Walter Blume in his black and white Albatros, together with two wingmen, attacked ground troops. All went very well. My wings were a joy to watch - they rejoined, when I called them, and when my engine ran dry (no hit leakage - I must have put in too little!) at an altitude of 5.000 feet, they circled around me as if they tried to help somehow. I sailplaned over the protected field first, but was afraid, it might be run over by those ground troops any moment. So I turned my nose towards our territory - but there were many trees. I had to sail quite some distance, before there came an artillery-devastated area, were I could land. The Albatros D Va 200, that we got yesterday, is gliding as if she was made for it! A picture shows, how my wings came down to check, what the matter was with me. I was really touched at the heart by their care!

That brings a memory from the holiday trips back, my girlfriend and I made in the eighties. We found an open field way in the Normandy, were the fishermen drove down to the beach. So we did that too, and our car stood on the beach, with it's German number plates. I saw several smaller bunkers in the dunes, some of them had already fallen half over. When I studied one closer, a French fisherman came towards me. He sais: "When will you come back here, to clear our dunes, and remove your concrete stuff, hm?" Although I hadn't even been born, when they were built there - I felt ashamed somehow...

As far as I know, the Halberstadt D II and D III are the same plane in OFF. Also are the Abatros D I and D II the same model - a D II in fact (the D I had much worse forward view). Rockets - on German planes? I hadn't heard of that.

Be prepared, that you will still face horror, when you uncover the veil of time...

Well, now I got pretty far off my own topic - but it was worth it. Anyone anything to add about Halberstadts? Perhaps?

Wels, my remark about the Propagandaminister was meant to be a (bitter) joke - I hope that was understood. I will never understand how this kind of barbary could have been possible in Germany. It can be possible everywere, were fear reigns over all.

Yes, our public relations were only top notch under Goebbels - but were did that again get us? (Lol!!) I often wondered, that British people sometimes behave, as if the Germans had declared war to them. On a flight from London to Berlin, a British lady talked about the German attacks on England in WW2, until we got the facts right (I got help from her husband there; very fair of him), that England had declared war to Germany. But, to come back to air combat sim: I am very glad, that we can in our days PLAY war, instead of fighting it, and enjoy this all together. Cheers to that!

Great show, CATCH - with music, that reminded me of the good old first "Command and Conquer" (sigh!) With wingmen like these, you don't need enemies really. Must be fun to have rockets. Although many people say, we Germans are masters of mass destruction - we don't have them. Winder?

I want to make it a little more quirky, but not ueber it up so that it has an unfair advantage against the Camel, for example. Well, from all my fighting experience with the Dr.1, it is already superior to the Camel, except for it's speed, were the Camel is a little faster. Gremlin did explain somewere before, that the flat turn cannot be reproduced by this sort of sim engine. But if you should be able to improve it, I'd happily use it. WF2 once said, that flown with flight model on "easy", it is more like the real plane. Perhaps you try that out then first?

I wonder how they would get out of the spin, that might occur, when they fire off those guns. And what about the poisonous gunsmoke. Those crates look much like: "Hah! I have the biggest!" So I'm glad, they are not German designs this time.

Hasse Wind, the Albatros versions are ALL good in their time; the DII was quite a shock for the DH2s and all that flying furniture. She can through her weapon power easily destroy Nieuports; it is only a matter of doing the RIGHT things. Then the DIII was wonderful - good view, and very agile. Until the Camel came, there was no Allied plane to be afraid of. Okay, the Pup turns and climbs like hell, but again: do the RIGHT manoeuvers, and shoot them down. MvR said once, it does not depend on the plane, but who flies it. The D V is also a good scout, and with the cables through the upper wing, even better at wing failures, than the D Va. But I am flying D Va now since a while, and I like her! At least against SPADs, she is doing great! So, enjoy your D V, and perhaps start another carrer on a D III. And even the D II (I have a pilot on one in Jasta 2, who's only waiting for more action) is great for combat in it's time. DIMUS - I think, "das Fräulein" is an old fashioned word, trying to make a young, unmarried woman less female indeed; like "das Kind" - as if there's no gender yet noticable. About the "kinky stuff" - see what I wrote in that thread.

Ziss iss purely ant only enemy propaganda material! We deny, zatt any such planez or secret weaponz do exist. Especially not our secret Albatros timeshift fighter, zatt is zere ant not zere, and can fly through each other; top secret project - it does not exist, nor do we have any plans to develop such planez. Our existink weaponz ant planez are already strong enough to eliminate ze crumpetz! Baron von Grosskotz, Head of Geheimwaffenabteilung*, Berlin (* secret weapons department)

Well, one gun plus good deflection shooting is definitely something for calming down Nupes. I feel like the typical Bosch Barbarian there: these Nupes look and fly beautiful like a butterfly, they do their dancing and turning around me like little Degas-drawn ballet dancers - until I shoot them up. Or down, better. Kaputt!

Bullethead, here are some data to show the difference between D V and D Va. Empty weight: 717 kg 730 kg Inline engine: DIII 170 PS DIIIa 185 PS Max. speed: 180 km/h 187 km/h Climb to 3000 m: 14 min 30 sec 17 min 8 sec Climb to 5000 m: 32 min 35 min Another difference was, that the cables for the ailerons in the D V went from the fuselage up into the upper wing, and there to the ailerons. In the D Va, they go through the lower wing, and then up through the wing struts. That means, a breaking up lower wing could be survived in a D V - but hardly in a D Va.

Yes, CJ, they are much more aside now.

My godness, Jammer - how did you get that damage done? And did the craft still fly, now that both lower wings were equally off? Sorry again, Pol.

Yes, Uncle, the poor devels - now they must change the whole sim again. Peeppu, they must know those pics and surely have seen them. When the bombs are attached were they are now, it may have CFS3 specific or other reasons. Edit: It's great, that you look at the details so carefully. But don't only look - have a f(l)ight, Peeppu.

No need for excuses, Jammer! I regard your video like making movies - they also throw miles of film away during cutting. And it's okay to use optical tricks, or to cut together different parts from two or three flights, cause you want to show both sides. As long as it makes sense in the end, that's a better way to make a video, than just to "film" one single flight, from just cockpit perspective. Great job!

That was quite some shock! Just had we taken off from our field near Vauxcere, just had I scanned the sky, checked my six and my wingmen - they approached from my 7 o'clock and were some 1500 feet away. I had taken throttle back to let them catch up, and had a look at the map. When I looked back again - only seconds later - I saw von Heisenberg climbing, pulling a trail of smoke; and Knapp performing a spastic kind of dance, a dark plane right behind him. SPAD XIII ! We were under attack! I pulled round hard left. Knapp did very well, diving in between trees, and zigzagging round to seek my shelter. The SPAD pilot was so target fixated, he didn't let off, although he must have seen me zooming towards him. He lay on his right side in front of me now, big as a barn, and he got a terrible burst. As he dived away, I realised his wingman coming in on me from the left. Pulling hard left, not a second too early, I saw his tracers passing me only inches away! But he made that mistake - tried to turn with me. After two or three rounds, I could cut into his turn and let him have two, three good bursts. Pulling up steep now, was his second mistake. I literally shot his SPAD to pieces! We reassembled, but von Heisenberg wasn't there. Having fired some 500 - 600 rounds, and not knowing, how much damage Knapp had received, I broke off the patrol and we went home. We saw von Heisenberg's wreckage, burning, and I feel terrible. I hadn't seen them. Those "Schweinehunde" must have come in really low; against the typicall tactics of SPADs...

Well, anyway - who needs enemies, when flying the Eindecker? I tried a campaign with it once, but when I came across a British fighter (Bristol Scout?), I had no chance really. I did anything to get behind him - even Immelmann turns - but he was just flying his loops around me. And then he shot me down. I think, Wels won several dogfights in an Eindecker. Impressive!