Olham

Are your maps part of OFFbase, Lothar?

kaa, the original ingame terrain as made by Winder would be an incredibly large Bitmap I guess; and if you made part-views of that, they would not look like maps really, but more like high-altitude aerial photography. As far as I could see in the preview film, there will be new inflight maps in WOFF. And if you want to fly after printed maps, there is a huge collection of various areas, compiled by OFFers like RAF_Louvert. Among those are the original OFF maps made by OBD Team-member RABU, which I composed new for easy print-out and glueing together - I have added the airfields on both sides, if I remember rightly. Here are two excerpts. The first is the RABU map with the airfields added by myself. If you want to fly after original historical maps, you will also find several by RAF_Louvert (second picture is an excerpt, lowered in quality as a Jpeg here), by myself and others. You will find all the maps here: http://combatace.com/files/category/353-maps-missions-and-campaigns/

Mmuahahahahahaaaaa!!!! Hood, I will have a bit more time soon, and then I'll install OFFbase. I guess what frightens many pilots here is the immense amount of written guidelines and info that come with it? At least that's what frightens me most - to read through all that. Maybe I can condense it to a rather short "How I installed OFFbase (and it works!)" essence. And I'm sure Lothar would answer any questions, which may remain for some of you, or guide you to the text passage, that might help you.

Wow, this is a huge package, and it sounds great! Just one question about the JSGME download link: there are two downloadable files there, one of them with "OFF" in the name - do I need both, or just one of the two? And if the second - which one is better to use?

Gaw, I guess that there might be some gems still hidden for some of us. There are so many settings in "Workshops" that allow us to adjust OFF as we like it best. There is a second "QuickCombat" in "Workshops", which allows you to select the place, the pilot qualities and even a very special weather (from two dozens or more!). There is the "Replay" button, that allows you to check, whatelse did happen during your sortie. And, and, and... There are even two or three Belgian skins with Belgian emblems. I know how you feel - this particular "Fly last mission" alone is worth the money. Enjoy it!

Funny coincidence - I just found this website with a great diorama of Jasta 5 at Boistrancourt. They have built a really good model of the airfield here! I personally don't believe the mauve on the wings is correct (Arrgh!), and the wall behind the hangars was much higher, but apart from that I think they have done a great job! http://www.pmcl.de/ausstellung2010_cs1.html

Robert, the building complex is also in the WW1 map - with "Factory" written under it. I think it was a sugar factory, which were very common in those days. Jasta 5 hangars were just below/south of the wall that enclosed the factory grounds.

Robert, my source was one of the many WW1 field maps from the archives of the McMaster University, Canada. They have scanned all these maps and made them available for everyone - you can zoom in until 100 %, and there is a lot to find! Here is the link - click on maps: http://library.mcmas...ps/ww1/home.htm

Indeed! If there was an Oscar for game/sim scores, you would definitely deserve one, Matt! After four years and countless OFF-Sessions (and believe me, I have been flying a lot!), your music has never worn off on me. It has a classic dignity, and no false emotionality - I will still remember and hum it, when I'm 90, I'm sure (if I get that old!).

Great find, Kaa, thanks a lot for sharing! This example of Boistrancourt / Estourmel makes clear, why the maps were not usable in WW1. The (sugar?) factory at Boistrancourt, where Jasta 5 resided, was not yet there in the first map. But the old map may be of some good use for finding some of the yet unclear airfields at farms. So I found for example the "La Folie Fme" north of Arras, near La Targette.

Drawing and painting seem to be more cultivated in France - still today, with comic books.

Just found some nice close-ups over at The Aerodrome, taken by Rainer Anton at the Musée de l'Air, France. Enjoy! http://www.theaerodr...lle-spa-94.html

Well, it definitely is moving - a broken-off lifeline, broken off in the cruelest way for those surviving, as "missing in action" is as if someone disappears in the battle haze like a ghost, not even leaving you some ashes to bury. On the other hand maybe less cruel than to face the remains of the fallen pilot - a body shattered after a long steep and desperate fall. The poem is very descriptive indeed - almost could be used as an instruction how to do it. Thanks for sharing, Lou!

A lot of very good points, and a lot to think about and to remember for the new year. Most important essence I read: the most valuable things don't cost a fortune. Like spring days in the sunshine, or a good hug and a kiss... Look above the clouds - there's always the sun. I wish you and everyone here a good start into a better 2013.

You will find it all at www.overflandersfields.com , Witzer! Welcome back, pilot! Here are many former Red Baron 3D flyers, and some of the dev team had been involved in that great sim as far as I know.

Argh, everywhere shortages nowadays! But thanks for explaining it, Shredder! Now I must google, who Rumpole of the Bailey is or was... .

Great calendar, Lou - just the one the devs needed. I bet every day has 28 hours, and weekends are cancelled? The perfect soundtrack to this: CURVE - Till the Cows come home

Update 29 December 2012 - 13:58 h Berlin time (= GMT + 1) John43P, New Zealand added. The maps are in post 1 of this thread

I know what you mean, Sid - I have started some of my carreers in Entente squadrons, and it is damn hard to keep formation. I usually did a bit better, when I just followed the others with my wingman (I always seemed to have 1 wingman), or flew outside left ot right. But I guess this is very well simulated. I remember from reading books, that formation flying was quite straining often. Good F.K. Jentsch even had to flollow his Jasta some 400 - 500 Meter lower, being the only pilot who had to fly the last Albatros D.II - all others had D.V ! I bet they had a lot to do with the flying already - not to speak of combat situations. So it is no wonder, that combat often didn't last very long, before they separated and flew home. In sims, it still seems to last too long. But I read, that WOFF will bring some change here - that is a point I am really very curious about: a much improved AI.

After all the dining and cake I was so comatised that I found myself hanging in my sofa, too weak to switch off a Harry Potter film; flying was impossible - I was beyond the 'Gesamtgewicht' as noted below my cockpit...

Yep, I have seen a long report and testing of a rebuilt HORTEN center section (by Grumman, I think). They came to the result, that the use of wood instead of metal might have been a kind of stealth bomber idea. Maybe that's right. But I'm glad they didn't really build and send them in masses to bomb England, which is a beautiful country as it is. The American design is smaller, but they had the same idea. Had the engines been more reliable and no test pilot been killed, they would have built larger ones.

The craft made it's first flight in1942. That's quite interesting, cause it shows, that ideas like the "flying wing", or the jet plane must have been in several peoples' minds at the same time. There are actually several good videos at YouTube - here are 3 of them: Northrop Flying Wing - Wing Camera Northrop N-9M at Chino

Damn, Tony, seems faith delivered a sixpack of bad luck to you and yours this year indeed! Good you got away with just a fractured bone. I guess at our age we're not too vain anymore, and the swellings will go away soon. I think, you had so much bad luck, that it should be all used up now - the next years should be much nicer to you. I wish you a good recovery - same for your Lady!

I have uploaded an Albatros D.V, a Johannisthal D.Va with salmon ribtapes and an OAW Albatros D.Va with light blue ribtapes (both with Lozenge camouflage). So, if you like flying them, you could start from there. See: Downloads.

A merry and comfy Christmas to all of you; and a good recovery for all our wounded comrades!