von Baur

I heard this phrase, and I think I even stumbled upon it at one point, but I can't seem to find it now. I have CPU Control, so I can take everything off CPU 1 prior to starting up WOFF. The problem is tha my computer still assigns WOFF to all four processors. I'd like to be able to program Windos to assign it (and CFS3, for that matter) to run only on CPU1. Can anyone help me?

And sometimes there is genius in simplicity. I hope Mr. Roe never flew too low over trees or fences with those chains. Tough to explain that to your insurance agent.

Exactly. As I said, with a moving aircraft you've got a relative wind that you can use to control yourself. With a static jump platform you would have to be more precise with your push-off and body position, otherwise you'll be flailing about trying not to end up upside down and inside out. Of course your father's students were most likely on static lines and the parachute pulled out too quickly to get too out of control, plus the line itself will provide some small mount of stability. I've jumped helicopters and their lower airspeeds (60-80 knots rather than 90-100 for fixed wing) and rotor downwash gives some people trouble, although I never had a problem with it.

I would love it!!! When I was skydiving I always wanted to jump from a balloon. Jumping from a plane you're already moving nearly at terminal velocity, just horizontally and slowly transitioning to the vertical. The idea of dropping "into the void" from a basically motionless platform and having that first few seconds of absolutely no control...it seemed like the coolest thing I could do. Second place was running across the top of a Zeppelin to take the plunge. Those guys were among probably fewer than 100 people who ever lived to have experienced what they did. Pretty exclusive club.

Pretty easy to figure out where he passed it onto, though. "Take that, Fritz!!"

Proving again that it's a fine line between genius and idiocy.

No idea. But after the war it was ordered destroyed as part of the Versailles Treaty. Baron van Nuys instead dismantled it and shipped disguised parts to various locations around the world. One portion ended up in Los Angeles. Goering wanted it brought back to Germany in 1936 but Hitler decided against the idea, afraid that Fat Hermann would eat it. Decades later it would get its big break in "Iron Man 2". It's agent is trying to push through a remake of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" in which it would get a (ahem) bigger role. So far, no luck.

Sign me up!!! signed: 60 and still crazy.

I think the best way to show an exact position would be a straight-on shot, a la the famous picture of Eddie Rickenbacker in his SPAD, or a shot or diagram from overhead. This third one still makes it look like the rear flexible gun's vertical post is touching, or practically, the fixed gun about midway down the barrel. The second photo clearly shows that the entire drum was forward of the post, which means the fixed gun had to be a foot or so to the right of it and much closer to the edge of the gunner's cockpit. Did anyone else think the third picture looked like the gunner was getting sick?

Yes, that second picture does show the gun's position better. With the muzzle extending to or past the gunner's position it would be nearly impossible to get in front of it and still stay in the aircraft. And comparing the two, it's clear that the gun was considerably more offset than it appeared in the first picture. Thanx.

Now that looks scary. At first glance it seems destined to turn the observer/gunner into a soprano, but then you can see the gun is offset to starboard. Still, I wonder how many front-seaters got knee-capped (or worse ) with that arrangement. I seem to remember seeing somewhere a picture of one mounted on the side of the nacelle. That would be a much safer option.

I stand corrected. A bit of research shows that they were used in operational trials not only on the Albatros DV, as in the video, but on the Fokker DrI as well. I wonder if the devs would consider adding this to WOFF.

Very nice video. But, seriously? A WWII-style gunsight on an Albatros? What's next from RoF...guided lePrieur rockets? Maybe they can be canvas-seeking? Or guided by termites to home in on the wooden frames. Wouldn't be too useful against later Fokkers, what with their steel tubing, but it should make any Alb-jockey shudder.

Same here. Only I was wondering how he was going to get a mirror to pop up on my monitor.

Relatively simple solution to that, Hauksbee: get a controller that will put all commands at you fingertips. Yeah, yeah, "Real WWI flying aces didn't have handy little buttons for this and that and the other thing." Real WWI flying aces: couldn't hit pause when they had to pee or grab a sandwich; didn't have their wife or kids need them to look for something when they were on a mission; didn't have UPS ring their doorbell during a hot furball or when stalking a flight of enemy aircraft; never had a cat land in their laps when they were lining up for a bombing run or recce pic. And they didn't have to wear silly headgear for anything other than keeping their ears warm. ;)