Hauksbee

Congratulations on taking the plunge. And 'yes', I would love to collaborate on a project. When I have no one to work with, I go into long non-motivated slumps where it's almost impossible to get to work. I still have Boistrancourt to finish for Lou, and this could help me get back to work. First: go to Sim Out-House and open an account. This is the place to go when you have questions (and you will), and when you have questions I can't answer (which there certainly will be). Here is the Forum URL for the CFS3 modelers: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/forumdisplay.php?22-Aircraft-Design-amp-Animation Second: Go here (which is a tutorial page) but what you'll want first is to download the CFS3 SDK (Software Dev. Kit) Initially, G-max will only export a model as a Plasma 3d file. CFS3 only reads .m3d format. The SDK modifies G-max so it can offer the .m3d format. http://www.sim-outhouse.net/tut/fs9/c162/ Now: Getting G-max. It's available from both TurboSquid and Sim Out-House, but I just tried both and can't find it. And then while I was writing this I had a second idea, did a different kind of search. Go here: http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax This is the download page. 'Don't know why it didn't show up when I did the first Turbosquid search. Go to amazon.com and look under 'Books' and get a used copy of "The G-Max Bible". It will be cheap; probably only a few pfennigs. Mine certainly was. When you get G-max running, let me know and we can get to work. You will recall the drawing you sent me on chateau proportions? I have several photos of the chateau at Boistrancourt. I took one into Photoshop and corrected it so all the verticals and horizontals are in true 90 deg. Then I superimposed the photo over your drawing. It was a nearly perfect match. That drawing ( I suspect) will be a great help on your model.

Nice film clip, Olham. Thanks.

It would appear to me that they were near a lake, but not over it. Even if the pilot was over water, that's a long fall and most likely would be fatal.

Never doubted it.

What do we know about beer? All out great beers started out being brewed by Europeans. Same with wines. Europeans came over and brought cuttings from their native vines. When root rot destroyed French vineyards, they came over here and took new cuttings. Now French vineyards grow American vines.

Sounds like winter in San Francisco.

A strong case, eloquently stated. Definitely not the turnip-shaped tractor drivers of WW2.

Aha! I see the difference. Thanks, Olham.

Let us not be too hasty, here. I would submit the two finest things are (1) a hot summer afternoon, and (2) a frosted mug of ice-cold beer. (...but, that's Americans for you.)

Is this still a "Fw-190" and not a Ta-152?

This would be unthinkable in the American Army.

Sweet Jaysus, Olham! If these are Before-and-After pictures, I'm very happy I was not there to see it happen.

Thanks Olham! Great article. I copied it out and it's now in my 'Archive' file.

A pity we can't draft them into the BOC.

http://www.ozy.com/flashback/the-first-black-fighter-pilot/67003

True. And I have read that as time went on, more and more American blacks, encouraged by reports of this acceptance, started pouring in to France whereupon the attitude toward them hardened.

http://www.theweek.com/articles/603635/american-bombs-are-still-buried-under-german-towns-theyre-blowing

There seems to have been a lot of that going 'round after the war. Russian soldiers who had spent most of the war in German prison camps were considered 'security risks' and 'tainted' by contact with non-communist ideology. They went to the Gulags. Czech pilots who fled the Nazis, made it to England and flew for the RAF were arrested when they came home.

I take your point.

I always thought those bunkers and gun emplacements had a sculptural beauty.

I agree. The success of the Russian revolution shocked a lot of the western capitalists into cleaning up their act.

Well, that's good to know. I recall reading about the French teams who clear WWI ordnance losing about one guy a month. In their case, it's the gas shells which are most dangerous. Rust and corrosian eat the shell casing away until it's nearly paper thin and easy to rupture.

Ah yes. You can be skillful. You can be careful. But there's no protection from the utterly random, stray shot.

Good photo essay. Spooky, too. Those guys must have nerves of steel. 'Wonder what the job pays?