Olham

According to the German Wikipedia page about the Albatros D.III OeFFAG, she must have been much superiour over her German sister. Here is the essence of the article: The OeFFAG Albatros D.III had a stronger engine (Austro-Daimler with 185 PS), and most important, a totally new designed, resistant to twisting lower wing. There were the series 53.2 and 153, and in 1918 the series 253 - each with a stronger engine than it's predecessor. The last series had no spinner, because the nose had to be elongated to fit with the larger engine. With this, the OeFFAG D.III outperformed by far her German model. The OeFFAG Albatros could even compete with the Sopwith Camel; she was (only!) slightly slower than the SPAD VII. About the 1918 version 253 the pilots from Flik 61J and 63J said things like: Outstanding - the best aircraft we have ever flown; and superior to any other fighter aircraft; solidly built, reliable, agile and well-climbing. They even prefered the OeFFAG D.III 253 from the more modern Aviatik Berg or the Phoenix D.I and D.II. Only drawback of the OeFFAG D.III was the low firing cadence of the Austrian Schwarzlose machine guns. Source: http://de.wikipedia....ki/Oeffag_D.III What a great aircraft could the Albatros D.III have been with the Austrian lower wing, and their stronger engines; and the German 08/15 "Spandau" MGs. Note: see the performance chart in the WKIPEDIA website! .

You know, Beanie, that the Hobbits beat the Orks in the end? ...

I know what you mean, HD - I have been in Norway three times. Norway has hardly any industries, and if, they are down near Oslo. I was higher up, and I was amazed to see the whole Milky Way so clear, that I realised, what the name came from. Never knew before, that there are so many stars!

He wasn't joking - I found "Spearfish, South Dakota" in GoogleMaps. A pity, that these early StreetView pics are not of the good quality they made later. Lou, your area looks like wide freedom to me, Sir - even the skies seem higher in America. As if the landscapes were all done in CinemaScope and Technicolour.

Isn't it spiffing indeed? (What - a Spearfish in Dakota???)

Dej, that is a fine variation of the Club Badge for NS13Jarhead, Sir - now that you have already made it, we must only distract our President from his slimming program for a sec, so that he can make up his mind about Jarhead's membership. Lou!?!? Are you on the treadmill?!?!?

Jasta 19 is very well in OFF - including their the Albatros D.II, no problem.

Hey, you can write and describe things very well, Bullet. I never saw these landings on TV, but you made me "see" them. Didn't they also have a landing spot in the west somewhere? Utah?

Yes, that's what I had thought, until I read a passage about Arthur Gould Lee getting chased down by an Albatros. Lee dived down almost vertical, and he heard the structure of his Pup make aching noises. Still though "yellow-nose" was after him, following his dive firing. When you look at the reinforcements, they are very solidly built metal works. We will never know for sure, who of us assumes the right version of course - we can only make assumptions.

OMG

I was surprised to read in the VanWyngarden book, that the majority of all ever built Albatros D.III had been produced at Ostdeutsche Albatros-Werke (OAW) Schneidemühl. While Albatros Johannisthal had produced 508 Albatros D.III, the Ostdeutsche Albatroswerke had produced 838 - that 330 aircraft more. But what really surprised me most was, what he wrote about wing reinforcements on the OAW- built D.III. That sounds like there weren't any wing failures recorded on Albatros D.III (OAW). Interesting read - here is the excerpt from the book:

A person who would say "stinking badge" about our "Barmy OFFers Club Badge", should be punished! By getting awarded the "Barmy OFFers Club Badge"!!! Yeah!!! And since this person is a highly decorated Marine, he is one of those barmy few, who would defend their country even still with nothing but a stick, and one arm tied to his back. I think that's barmy enough? So, dear Mr. President Lou, dear Vice President Dej - I hereby request the award of the "Barmy OFFers Club Badge" to our long time forum member NS13Jarhead (I know what he said about the badge, but that's sheer barmyness - secretly he loves to wear all those orders, medals and badges on his chest - trust me!)

From Louisiana well into Texas - damn, I still remember both Shuttle accidents - they were like stings into the heart, when I saw the pictures. Especially the first one's explosion soon after their start really hit me.

Okay, okay - when you guys run can run amok by prose here, then I can do it too! "Where is my double Scotch? Waiter - a Scotch is a bottle of whisky, right? A double Scotch are two bottles of whisky then - right? I'm not so drunk yet, that I see two bottle of whisky, when you bring me a half empty glass! Now - where is my other hand?! (Hups!) What?! I'm sittin on it??! Ah - haha - yes, I'm trying to breed me another left hand! You must know I'm left-handed, and I could well use a third hand for the lady who goes with me, understand? Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge! Now let's all sing together: Come lollard, raise your lute and sing, and to my ears her beauty bring Like Maddox in the days of old we'll feast and drink until we fold And folding still we'll spare a thought for what's been lost and what's been caught And maybe then begin again for love is life, not poison (Excerpt from "All This And More" by Keith Reid / Procol Harum)

Another touching story, Capitaine - thanks for sharing! Bullet, what part did you guys find?

Lou - aerh - Mr. President! A Hobbit.. - aerhm - arh - pilot! Yes - a pilot who is barmy enough to fly around in that kite over the front lines - I mean, not only the enemy will shoot after him! - aerh - where was I? Ah, yes - who is barmy enough... - a, gawd, this takes too long - just give that man the badge, so that he will have allowance to buy the drinks at our fine Club Bar, I say! Dej? Come on, we need your acceptance, Sir! I'm thirsty!

Pink Polka dots are for the crazy pilots - but ponies are for Sissies!

Okay - what can you do against such a strong desire of a House Hobbit, to join the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte - let him, meine Herren, let him... But no one tell the Kaiser!

That sure is a touching report, Widow. Isn't it amazing, that they always seem to know where they are? Have we humans only lost this ability? Maybe only us "most civilised" humans? Here's a nice video for you - the Border Collie's beauty in slow motion:

Great stuff, Flyby! The Germans have invented their Lozenge fabric for the same reasons - to "shatter" the shape of the aircraft. May seem weird for the human eye - but in B/W photographs, it makes a lot more sense. Some of the colours will always blend into the greys of the backgrounds - and the thing's shape is getting more complicated to identify. (Lozenge fabric had of course another valuable advantage. It saved weight. At repairs or restorations, the mechanics would have painted more green and mauve on the wings, until you had two or more layers of paint. The Lozenge fabric was just replaced with a new piece. It only needed one clear sealing coating.

I believe THAT part! Pink Polka dots (gasp!)... There are other users here who can tell you in detail about this, like RAF_Louvert, who built missions. (see his "Olham Gotha Escort" mission which he built for me - good one by the way, and of course not only for Olhams). But I know the chaps used Gothas and Zeppelins, which are not in OFF. Not sure about facilities, but I guess once you know the file format you need, you could add them.

Pink seemed to work great in the desert - for the Navy, it's a different thing, since water appears rather blue-grey or blue-green-grey. Maybe a sort of pale mint would have suited them.

Not the "Hole in the Hobbit" - Gang ? Mmuahahahahahahaaaa!!!! (Sorry, but I couldn't resist after you painted pink Polka dots on German aircraft. ) HouseHobbit, you can upload your missions here into the download section of the forum. There is a special department for OFF user-built missions. Then you mustn't send them to everyone again.

The British "Desert Rats" in WW2 actually used pink Landrovers and vehicles - no joke! I believe that even the name "Pink Panther" originated from them. They had found out, that sand--colour like the Germans used for their tanks, was turning into a different shade than the desert sand, when the light began to fail. Pink may look odd from close on, but after only a little distance, it merges perfectly with the desert - at full bright sunlight as well as at dusk or dawn. Edit/PS: Yes, indeed - here is such a Landrover "Pink Panther"!

Thank you, Dej - now it worked. Well, the map refence - I would have to search it again. I'll do, if anyone asks for it.