Olham

RABU - I hope you don't mind! I couldn't resist; made another version from the two pics. I wanted you look more the possible age, so I darkened your beard, eyes and eyebrows, put more shadows to the face etc. (Being a graphic designer, that is quickly done with Photoshop.) If you like it - it's your's! Enjoy!

Yes, of course! Yesterday, I followed an R.E.8, I had already damaged. It got separated from the rest, but it was fast underway; could hardly get closer with my Dr.1. We came over a town, and Flak really had a go after the two-seater. It was mad to follow it - I could have been blown to pieces any second (but made it, and downed the poor blighters). And for the machine gun ground fire: they could move those guns much faster than an AA gun. So, when you're really low, and many keep firing art you, you will probably collect some severe hits.

Okay, will check on Sunday (no time today; social duties - cooking for friends!) But try all cockpit views, like "virtual cockpit" (check "controls") - it must be somewere (if I haven't dreamt it - Lol!) Edit/PS: hmmm - thinking deeper about it, it might have been different: I could have used the coolie hat glide view. I think, that's what I did. Sorry... But I'll check anyway.

Hey, great, Rabu! From the lower one, I had always thought of being authentic! Hey, you guys - keep them coming!

Macklroy: WOW! I mean if this stuff actually plays like the advertisement suggests i might have found a new home. Okay then - once again: welcome in your new home, flyboy! I have flown and liked IL2 - 1946 extensively. But only now I know, how much flying a crate requires. Give her more rudder!

Ras: Joseph Duesterhoeft ( what is the origin of that name?) Directly translated, the words mean "Duester = Dark", and Hoeft = seems to be a Danish form of Hof, or Gehoeft = Farm. When family names were introduced, to distinguish the two Davids in the town, one become the "Townsend David", later David Townsend. So I assume, your ancestors were living on a farm, that may have been surrounded and shadowed or hidden by many trees, giving it a sombre, dark look from a distance. In German, the name does exist in a similar form: Duesterhof. Gwar: I must admit, WW2 german uniforms were quite impressive, especially the black gestapo uniforms Wellllll - the look was often good (really jaunty designs); but even in a GeStaPo uniform, Himmler didn't look good (shiver!) And especially those guys, you would rather not have liked to meet in real life. It's like in the Stones' song: Let me introduce myself - I'm a man of wealth and taste... Hasse Wind: I don't usually choose a side simply on the basis of nationality (don't want always to be the German), but rather based on what aircraft are available. I love turn fighters, so I usually fly for the side that has the best of them. Yes, that's what I will do more now. I must get to grips with that excentric witch named Camel.

I have flown it with TrackIR, but now I can't remember, what I did, to get the TrackIR view for the rear gunner? First, I could only look around by moving my machine gun round. But then I have found a way, to look around by TrackIR's head movements. But I can't remember, what I did? Does anyone know?

Okay - was about time for the first SPAD. So, now we have: E III 1 Halberstadt 2 Alb DII 3 Alb DIII 1 SE5a 4 Strutter 1 Sopwith Pup 2 F2b 1 Nupe11 1 Nupe17 5 SPAD XIII 1 Did you ever try the SPAD VII, MK2 ? Although (or because) only single gunner, much more agile!

Anyone else doing things like this, just for fun? Not a big problem, when you have Photoshop, or something similar. If you have some own "cheats", please come up with them here.

cosmos33, I understand your suffering. And when you are in the sim, you will realise, that you should have even suffered harder. So good is it! Remember, how pre-X-mas was, as a child? Try to see it that way; even when you're grown up now (Lol!!)

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/415/59 This is a lovely site with lots of plane types/skins. I had it posted before, but read now, that some of you didn't come to grips with it. Now, you choose your plane from the list on the left; then in the middle appears a choice of nationalities, of which they have paintings. Choose one, and on the right, you'll get a list of planes, ordered in pages. Click on a page, and you'll see all the preview pics of the skins. Click on the skin, you want to see, and it will come large. Enjoy!

You mean, like this one, Paarma? I wonder, how Widow will get to grips with the skies? (Lol!!) Edit: and here's a Finnish D VII with skies on. Both are from the great WINGS PALETTE site: http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/111/78/0

Welcome, Macklroy! Enjoy the waiting-for-delivery time. It will, at hindsight, be the longest lifespan you had as an OFF pilot (Lol!)

Good report, Lou - I see, you're having fun. And when this happens in future: "I had seen Commander Reynolds suddenly jinx off to the south and a split second later I was under attack." you will know, what it means, and react a bit faster.

Here's what Wikipedia have about it: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_C.II It was used 1916, and into first half of 1917. It could not only defend itself, but, like the Strutter for example, operate like a heavy fighter. "Bloody April 1917" was, more than a fighter's fight, an airbattle of mainly two-seaters. ROLAND C II Technische Daten * Charakteristika o Hersteller: Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft m.b.h, Berlin Charlottenburg (Roland) o Typ: Aufklärungsflugzeug (Reconnaisance plane) o Motor: ein 160 PS Mercedes D.III wassergekühlter Sechszylinder Reihenmotor (watercooled 6cylinder inline) o Erstflug: Oktober 1915 o Stückzahl gebaut: circa 300 o Besatzung: zwei Mann * Abmessungen o Spannweite: 10,33 m (Wingspan) o Länge: 7,70 m (length) o Höhe: 2,90 m (height) o Flügelabstand: 1,32 m (dist. between wings) o Leitwerksspannweite: 2,08 m (tail fin span) o Tragflügelfläche: 27,96 m² (wing surfaces) * Gewicht (weight) o Gewicht (leer): 789 Kg, andere Quelle: 764 Kg o Gewicht (beladen): 1309 Kg, andere Quelle: 1284 Kg * Leistung o Höchstgeschwindigkeit: 165 Km/h o Steigrate 1000m: in 7 Minuten (climb rate) o Steigrate 2000m: in 14 Minuten o Steigrate 3000m: in 26 Minuten o Flugdauer: 4-5 Stunden (flight time) And, yes, you can fly all sides. I have had two pilots, on S.E.5a and Sopwith Camel; besides my German pilots. That is so great about this sim: the choice!

Louvert: So, who is Wolf Mahlo's replacement going to be Olham? We repeat history, right? So I'm lucky - I can repeat Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlow (this time with a "W", as a difference). Hasse Wind: Maybe Wolfram can write a complaint to their CO through the Red Cross? Wellllll - the Red Cross, you say? I don't think, it was against the Geneve Convention, that enemy ground crew fired at me. Lol!!! Hellshade: ...chasing after a Spad XIII (---) and as he flys low over the ground, tracer fire hits him near head on and his plane just explodes, stealing my kill! Well, this is NOT a reason to complain, really. I mean, they took an enemy plane out. That's their goddamned job! (Lol!!!)

So far, we have this result: E III 1 Halberstadt 2 Alb D II 3 Alb D III 1 SE5a 4 Strutter 1 Sopwith Pup 2 F2b 1 Nupe11 1 Nupe17 5 Some more to take part here?

I can't see, that everyone is flying for the German side - I rather think the opposite. We can check that in my thread "Which plane do you fly mostly?" though... My reasons: - I am German, so I identify with this side of the lines, like Widowmaker does with his, flying Camel (that's for the actual combat flying - not any politics behind that for me. But had I been a pilot, I would have been a German one). - The colourful painted planes look so much greater (yes, they do, Widow - not all Camel s**t green - Lol!!). - Almost all German fighters carry a more powerful armament (two machine guns) and more ammo. But you'll find lots of S.E.5 pilots, Nieuport pilots, SPAD pilots and Camel pilots around here.

Here's a German site, I just found. Must check the download though, not sure, if there's more detail. http://web2.altmuehlnet.de/luklam/Modellbau/Props.htm

Actually, I have flown the Eindecker. And I even managed to do an Immelmann in it. If you want to try, you should have some altitude, lower the nose to gain good speed, and there you go! Try it - it's fun! Flying like MvR isn't my cup of tea. All on safety - I don't know. For me, it's a game still. (Not for him though, so I can understand him well). I'll carry on, having or building up two pilots, that should last longer; and one for the mad gunzablazing craze.

My best pilot Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlo just got captured. We spotted a flight of 4 SPAD XIII deep below, attacking an army camp. Easy prey, I thought, and led my flight downwards. When we levelled with them, one SPAD was badly shot up by ground fire, she fell like a stone. That should have been my warning! Cause they were now heading home; the lines were already close. Fast as they are, we found it hard to catch up with them. When I saw in the map, that we were above the line, I turned round, to remain over our territory - only to get heavily shot at. I checked the map, but was right - we had returned over our territory! The shooting went on though, and I was so terribly hit (splinters flew around me), that I had to introduce an emergency landing. But they kept firing from all guns like mad. "This is an Albatros, you mad b*****s, you stupid m***********s; bunch of idiots!!!" They really made it into a crash landing! Could I have walked, I would have run right over there, to clobber them...! Jesus!!! But now came the strange part. On exit, I was told, I was now captured and a POW for the rest of the war! After that, I have switched AA gunnery back to "normal" (better than "not normal!") and have sworn myself: never shall I cross the front lines again below 2.500 feet. Dammit! Mollusks!! Brainless like bread!!! PS: Wish I could say: Look, another kill. But this SPAD was also killed by FLAK, short before I could shoot it up. These AA men really are a pain in the a** today!

Well, I received a PM of her. She is really doing a tour with the orchestra or band, to France and Italy, soon. They may be rehearsing a lot now. And if the RoF people asked her to help, that's okay. She isn't only a pilot - this girl has flown the Fokker Dr.1 - and even performed Voss' flat turn manoeuver in it. She'll be back soon.

This could be my solution for my impatience at making kills, resulting in short carreers. I felt different with my pilots, and the same way each time I "used" them. Two of them, I value meanwhile, and wouldn't want to loose them through bloodthirst and crazyness. The thirs is still so new, and flying the Dr.1, that I like to go crazy with him. When I start BHaH now, I choose the right pilot for the momentary mood. If I'm into gunzablazebloodthirstcraze, I use the Dr.1 pilot (he never made it to more than three sorties yet). But if I'm quieter, and into some lasting success, I use the other two. The Dr.1 pilot had the max. kills so far - 8 kills in only 3 sorties. But he's dead again...

Jammer; I assure you, ignorants, blockheads and crass people florish here, too. And some of the nicest people here in the forum are Americans. What I like about (the few) Americans I actually met in life, was the forward looking optimism. So, I like "old Europe" for it's large basement of history, and very developed lifestyles; and America for looking optimistic towards the future, and the Americans for their uncomplicated way of meeting new people. Very open and friendly. And I won't excuse either. I mean, the poll is growing - even when we came off topic a bit.

Jammer - it may well be, that Americans often do not know much about Europe, and us Europeans. But we know a lot about America. Good school education, thirst for knowledge, and admiration are some good reasons.