Check Six

Turn your aircraft labels on/off with CTRL+SHIFT+L. The information at the top centre of your screen which provides you with such wonderful information as "You have been hit by Jasta 28 Albatros etc" can be removed by looking in your configuration from "Workshop". (I'm at work at the moment, and don't have access to the keystrokes needed to find where to remove this text if you wish to...if you DO, reply and I'll find it for you [or some other helpful soul will beat me to it]) Your aircraft labels will display (in white) BOGEY XXyds, then change to RED with information about the squadron and type of aircraft as well as distance to target. You can check out your TAC (radar-like device)and observe white aircraft in your vicinity (white being too far away to identify), blue for your flight accompanying you, and your wingmen. The white aircraft will change colour as you get closer, either to blue if friendly, or red if enemy. When it appears they are heading towards you, and there will be conflict, you can turn on your labels, identify the squadron, and maybe even the number of enemies, then turn them off if you want more realism/immersion. (PS fairly obvious really, but if there is a name [for instance] "Hans von Olham Jasta 11 Albatros III" as opposed to the others "Airman Jasta 11 Albatros III", this guy is an ace. You will also be able to see the names of your wingmen, which helps when you fill out claims). Speaking of your TAC, you can of course toggle that on or off with SHIFT+T, change the display type (aircraft, vehicles, buildings, all etc) with T, and change the range with CTRL+SHIFT+T. You can mess around with the SIZE of the TAC to make it more visible or less intrusive as well as toggling it on or off. The HUD information supplied on the extreme right of your screen (remaining ammunition and stuff like that) can be toggled on and off with F5, and your gauges can be toggled on and off by using CTRL+SHIFT+1 up to CTRL+SHIFT+5. If you mess around with these, you can find which set of gauges works best for your tastes (personally, I don't use a compass, I look for the light blue waypoint line on my TAC, or if I get lost, I toggle my map "M" and check my location and which direction to turn to get home etc), so you may find that you prefer (for instance) left hand guage altimeter, middle guage compass, right hand guage slip meter. You can also "grab" each gauge in turn (with your mouse) and position these where you want them on screen (I personally find they are least obtrusive on the bottom of the screen). You may wish to remove them altogether and rely on your HUD info toggled on or off using a joystick button to make your screen nice and clear whilst in a dogfight. All of these key commands were put together nicely by our good friend Homeboy on a single sheet here. http://snomhf.exofir...commandkeys.jpg Print it out and keep it handy. Also check out how to program the commands to your joystick so that you can toggle things on/off during combat without having to take your eyes off your enemy. If you need any further help, get back to us here. Very helpful lot here will assist you. Blue Skies

appraiserfl, "Edit this file: C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\default\cfs3.xml Find the line that contains the string "MaxFPS" The default value for this parameter is "0" which means Unlimited. Change it to your desired maximum frame rate value." (courtesy of Homeboy). Please remember to save the original file somewhere in case you mess it up or it doesn't work like you wanted. Play around with OFF for a while keeping your eyes on your FPS and if your beast is still apparently underperforming, get back to us with all your computer details, and someone will be able to help you tweak it to improve performance.

Yup. Time acceleration/deceleration works for me too in BHaH. Perhaps you should recheck the key assignments and make sure you're using the right keys in the right way (ie hold down all the keys, not typed in sequence - CTRL+SHIFT+R not CTRL then Shift then R). Command Key card from Homeboy here (a must have)... http://snomhf.exofire.net/data/OFFcommandkeys.jpg

Bad enough being a rear seater at any time, as you would have no notice of when you were about to turn unless the pilot gave you the heads-up over the intercom, but if you didn't have an intercom...and if you were evading the enemy...nauseating! But the gunner here would be, for the most part, a passenger in straight and level flight. Imagine being in the rear seat of a stuka! One minute flying straight and level, the next, your heart and stomach contents are in your mouth, diving at 90 degrees vertical. From the fly leaf of the biography of Hans Ulrich Rudel, highest decorated combatant of the Axis side in WW2, who was THE Stuka virtuoso. Astounding figures. Imagine being HIS rear-seater! As far as Rudel goes...the most highly decorated soldier of German Forces in WW2 had, at war's end... "519 Soviet tanks (17 of them in a single day) and among others, one battleship, one cruiser, one destroyer, 70 landing craft, 9 attested aircraft, hundreds of motor vehicles, numerous artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft positions, as well as armoured convoys and bridges. Twelve comrades - six Stuka crews - were saved by him from capture or death. When he tried to rescue another crash-landed crew in 1944, he was taken prisoner, fled with a bullet in his shoulder, covering 50 km through Soviet hinterlands, and reached his lines. Shot more than thirty times by ground fire - never once by a fighter plane - wounded 5 times, the fervent sportsman took a direct anti-aircraft hit and lost his right leg. Just six weeks later, despite being forbidden to, the stump of his leg still bleeding (he flew with a four x two taped to his stump so he could operate the rudder) he was back in combat." "Rudel takes the place of an entire division" Field Marshal Ferdinand Schorner. "What a shame he wasn't wearing our uniform" Pierre Clostermann. After the war, and with an artificial leg, Rudel became the first man to scale the peak of the 6920 meter Llulay-Yacu in the Andes, the world's higest volcano. (That's just from the fly leaf of his biography by Gunther Just). A truly remarkable man.

appraiserfl, The easiest way to check your frame rate is to hit "Z" and amongst all the heaps of info there is the frame rate. umm..nice screenshot. Try running the sim at the highest graphics settings your monitor will tolerate (native resolution), and if the framerate drops too much, you can lower the slider settings. You can also set a maximum for the frame rate (40 is oft quoted), which apparently kinda evens things out, and improves the overall performance. But I'm not computer savvy enough to be able to help you out much more than that. I can only relate what I've read here. Try using the search function and see if your graphics card scores a mention. That usually means someone is attempting to optimize or tweak their sim to improve performance, and they might have displayed their settings for you (or if the graphics card is mentioned in their signature, you might private message them and ask if they could send you their settings).

appraiserfl, PLEASE calm down. I understand your frustrations here. I have had immense problems with games before and yanked them out of my DVD drive and tossed them (yes, literally) on the shelf. Some I threw in the bin. You say you are a huge Red Baron fan...do yourself a favour and try to be patient. You won't regret it. You are correct in saying it is probably just a simple solution to a simple problem. Unfortunately, I don't have the answer, as my install and running of this game and trackIR has been flawless, and someone who has experienced this problem will be able to help you. What I CAN help you with is encouragement. You are in the right place. SOMEONE here can and will help you, and you WILL get TrackIR running on OFF. OFF has, without the slightest bit of doubt in my mind, THE best after-market support of any game or sim I have ever seen or heard of anywhere. Post any question here and it will be answered successfully (usually within 24 hours...got to give the guys on the other side of the planet time to log on). The game developers visit here daily, and actually respond to users' questions/queries/critiques etc. If more than a few are experiencing the same problem, they will discover the faulty line of programming, alter it, and solve the problem. OK. So OFF works (you mentioned it performs "crappily" on your machine), and TrackIR works on other games on your machine. So there is some MINOR problem, which should be easily resolved...maybe a setting, an unselected box here, a slected box there. Be patient, and you will be rewarded. If you are a big fan of Red Baron, you will have been salivating at the thought of a better version some time in the future. It is on your shelf now. The problem with OFF runnily "crappily" on your machine can also be fixed by the gurus here. Did you read the "Requirements" for the game on OBD's official website? Is your computer marginal/optimal for this sim? Do you have some memory-hungry program running in the background taxing your CPU's RAM or video memory? Try downloading the free program "Alacrity", and run that. It will halt all unneccessary background programs and your frame rate will increase dramatically. Once you get TrackIR up and running, check your frame rate in OFF, then post your problem (running crappily) here with your computer specs and especially your graphics card, and some of our more computer savvy members here will assist you (very patiently I might add) and tweak your machine and the graphics settings until you are satisfied. And you WILL be satisfied. Like I said at the beginning of this long post...please be patient mate. If you have a reasonable computer, the gurus here will help you to get OFF running satisfactorily (and with TrackIR running too). As a Red Baron fan, you OWE it to yourself to wait patiently. Soon you will have sweaty palms and dreading the hun in the sun. LOL! It took me an hour to post this as I had to complete counting and checking all 1043 keys and 40 swipe cards where I work. Upon getting back to it, I posted, and then scrolled up. I'm pleased you solved your problem. If you are still having frame rate problems get back to us. Welcome to OFF my friend!

Olham, Software Development Kit = SDK Good luck. Your work on skins is marvellous, I'm sure that given time you'll excel at modelling too.

Dirk98, I can't see how you perceive this as a "problem". You state that what you want is to NOT have the miniature aircraft sprite moving along the waypoint line, as it would be better (or more realistic) to try to pick exactly where you were without the sprite indicating your present position. You'd also like the map to be stationary, and not centred on your aircraft's position at any time. If you take a screenshot of the map at mission briefing time, that screenshot is a static picture, and will not move. The miniature aircraft sprite is located at your airfield. and not too much in the way. It will only be in the way as you near your airfield (if your map is zoomed right out). But as you pride yourself in being able to look over the side and recognize landmarks, rivers, towns, rail lines etc, I'm sure you will be able to navigate your way home from anywhere in a 10 mile radius of your airfield, as you would be very familiar with all the local landmarks. The screenshot that you take, zoomed in or out to depict your entire route will be static and unmoving, and therefore, might as well be paper hard copy. You just won't be fumbling with it in your lap as you fly and try to navigate, it is depicted on the screen next to you. As your example shows, you have zoomed in to maximum to allow a larger presentation on your second PC screen. If you depart from your flightpath by a mile or so at the extremities of your map (say for instance if you are involved in combat, or evading enemies or simply lost in a heavy cloud bank), you will be completely lost as your position will not be on that map at all. In that case, you will be forced to revert to your "In Flight Map" ("M"). For the total immersion that you desire, you might need to print out rabu's maps and laminate them (so you can write on them again and again with a chinagraph pencil, and then rub it off to use the next mission). Carefully plot the in-game airfields with a pen (don't need to be computer savvy to do that), laminate them, the write in the waypoints in chinagraph and take off. As stated earlier, you can also record encounters on there for your claims reports etc.

Welcome to OFF Herr Baron, Glad you enjoyed it. The installation is indeed easy, and I'm glad you solved your teething problems instead of getting all frustrated. Enjoy! If you have any questions, just come to CombatAce Forum and ask away.

I have been very successful bombing in a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter fpr the RNAS (mostly so far on rail stations). Generally, you are told you will lead the mission. As you approach the target, Mess around in your TAC (if you use it) and select "Vehicles". You'll find out there's usually heaps of them, so you might want to pause the sim. Keep pressing "TAB" (next target) until you find the particular "blip" that sits right at the end of your light blue waypoint line. (Have a good look around or call up "Aircraft" first to see if you're going to be disturbed in your work by enemy fighters). I take some time lining up on the rail line (or along a line of huts, hangars , or aircraft out on the aerodrome), and begin to drop down to altitude. I bomb at about 100 feet or less. This might be a bit daunting for some, but so far I haven't been shot down during this phase of the bombing run (only after bombing is finished, and I'm heading for home have I been shot down). I hit "R" (rejoin) several times as I approach to make your flight stick with you, but sometimes they stay up high and ignore your commands. As I begin my run, I make sure I'm lined up along the line of attack, and begin just a short strafe with my forward guns to make sure I'm lined up. Once I'm satisfied with that, I'll watch carefully to see where the train I've picked as my target is. Once I am mere feet away from the rearmost carriage, I drop my bombs. Usually you've got several bombs so I hit "Enter" (drop ordnance) repeatedly until all your bombs are gone. Depending on your reflexes, you'll either have hit all the cars full of troops or equipment, or if you're a tad slower, you'll get the engine as well. At that point, I concentrate on staying LOW (I mean picking up tree branches in your undercarriage low). At this point, repeatedly hit "A" (wingmen attack), and look behind you. You'll probably see their bombs hitting all over the place, but they'll be up higher than you. A quick wingover and make a fast pass on the target, strafing in short bursts. That's usually enough (though I have been guilty of making three or four passes). Remember too that you're probably going to NEED a lot of ammunition for the trip home. Wait until you're far enough away from the target, then beging a climb, once again repeatedly hit "R" (rejoin) and watch to see if your wingmen join you. Time to run for home. Most people just hit warp at this point (if there's no enemy aircraft around) to get themselves home. Bad mistake. Change your TAC back to "Aircraft". If you're being pursued or bounced, deal with it as best you can. If you are still alone, no enemy fighters, make your way home. Hit CTRL+W (Next waypoint) and check the range and direction to ENSURE that it is directing you to home (those that warp immediately after climbing out get shot down a LOT because your mission brief usually tells you to hang around in the area for 17 minutes (or something silly like that) and when they hit warp, they are sent right over the target they just bombed. Understandably, those there are somewhat angry and they'll shoot at you. MAKE SURE by looking at your map and the range to next waypoint that you are being directed to home, and then warp. There you have it. I have a 100% hits rating on bombing runs due to my very low altitude, and as yet, I haven't been shot down by target defenders (I have been shot down some miles away but that's not due to this being a bad tactic). Of course, you can choose your own methods. The reason Stukas and other dive bombers were so successful in their bombing attacks is that it is a straight forward ballistic "lob" and will travel in a straight line, and once you've practised it, it's hard to miss. You can do that in these WW1 aircraft. Just remember, you're in a fragile canvas and wood beast, not a metal monoplane, so don't dive as steeply as you would in a metal monoplane, and leave a LOT more altitude to pull up (and pull up gently, not yank it up). You must choose a method that works for you. I prefer to bomb very low, it's very accurate, but just beware of the consequences.

They say that the "Gallant Knights of the Air" died after the "Fokker Scourge" and "Bloody April" periods, but that isn't so. If you've read Galland's book, and seen interviews with him, he is the most pleasant, personable man it would be your privilege to meet. (Hmm...maybe the SECOND most pleasant. Saburo Sakai tops him I think. Impossible to see or hear him and not smile - his autobiography is also a GREAT read). Both of them true gentlemen, and whilst they were enemies, you were FORCED to respect them for their very nature. When the news passed around the mess that the Rittmeister was dead, they charged their glasses to drink a toast to him, but Mick Mannock (who had been interned by the Turks when the war broke out) refused, and said "Sizzle Sizzle WONK! I hope he burned ALL THE WAY DOWN!". But I really think Mick's hatred was not the norm. Whilst many listen to the propaganda of their war ministeries, they don't believe many of the lies they spread maliciously to instill hatred of your enemy, and perceive the "other chaps" as merely soldiers doing their job, just like them. "Opponents - not enemies" Yes, well said Olham mate. The Poor Bloody Infantry saw it up close and personal...body parts that used to be their best mate strewn all about the place. Seeing thier comrades shot through the head. Shooting their enemies through the head. Whilst fighter pilots KNOW there is a man burning to death in that machine you just shot down, some choose to think of it as just a machine. They don't have to see the face of their enemy, nor to see the grimaces of their comrades in the throes of death or hear their screams. Yes, there are still "Knights of the Air", though they are few and far between sadly.

All that would be going through your mind when you were in a stricken crate would be "GETOUT! GETOUT! GETOUT!". (Not even "Am I over enemy territory?" would pass through your mind...Prisoner of War or not, your first and only thought is survival). To be fumbling about with your seatbelt harness and finally get free, and the RUSH that must hit you to think "Mein GOTT! I almost undid my parachute harness before I jumped!". What impressed me most about Adolf Galland was him standing up to Goering (and living to tell the tale). It cost him a demotion only (from General of the Fighters to commanding his own squadron of hand-picked pilots flying the Me-262. Did I say demotion???), which shows you how much respect Goering had for his capabilites as a pilot and leader of men. I can fondly recall an interview with another great Luftwaffe pilot, General Gunther Rall (with 275 victories, the third highest scoring fighter pilot in history), where he was describing weaving and breaking left and right attempting to shake the fighters on his tail, tracers whizzing past him, holing his wings, then the searing pain as he had his thumb shot off. He calmly and matter-of-factly stated "I thought this would be a good time to get out of my aircraft", adding later that "I couldn't fire my guns anyway. I had no thumb".

(A 1:20 scale model of a Junkers D.1 would have a wingspan of 45 cm and a fuselage of 36 cm) I think the first time I saw the phrase mentioned was in the biography of one of my all-time-favourite pilots...Adolf Galland (The First and the Last). Hell, maybe he's one of my all time favourite people...a great man. If I recall correctly (it's been more than a decade, and I am at work, not at home, so no access to my copy), the "yellow-nosed bastards" (or the Abbeville boys if you were German) pilots of JG26 routinely wished each other good luck by saying that to each other before each sortie, more along the lines of "I hope you make it back" type of good luck wish as opposed to "I hope you get a victory". And the call as they began to dive on their hapless enemies was "Horrido!!"...Kind of a German equivalent of the British "Tally-Ho!". OOPS! Sorry to have hijacked your thread. I'll shut up now.

"Good choice Olham, Hals und Beinbruch! itifonhom" I haven't seen this quote for many years. I understand it to be the German pilot equivalent of the actor's good luck call of "break a leg" and roughly translates to "break your neck and leg" if I recall correctly. Why I haven't heard it for a long time (I thought) was that it was peculiar to Luftwaffe pilots (ie WW2) only. I have never heard it mentioned at all in relation to WW1. So I Googled it and apparently it's just a "German thing"...a way Germans wish each other good luck, and it appears to be in general (not just mainly used by pilots (either private aviators or combat pilots). Perhaps it was not popular at the turn of the century or during WW1. Any of our German friends know any more about this custom?

Paarma, Pm'd you. I have examples of RNAS Officer's Service Record forms from ADM273 (National Archives in London). Might be something you'd want to look at. Happy to email to you if you wish. PM me your email address please.

You're looking for a guide to setup TrackIR? One word my friend... HOMEBOY http://snomhf.exofire.net/trackIR.html Homeboy's guide is a great place to start. Whilst it's geared for (I think) TIR4, it works well enough to allow you to understand TIR5. Personally, I read this guide before even ordering TIR5 and when it arrived, I just installed it and away it went. The default set up was suitable for me, so not too much messing about. Bullethead is spot on with his remarks that you should spend the extra bucks to get the cap clip. I use that exclusively, as the active IR requires having a cable dangling down alongside your headphone cable. I don't fly using a headset, as I'm yet to venture into the multiplayer world, and so I find the cap clip is perfect for my needs. Limit your flying time at first, as you might get motion sick, and your eyes will get tired having to look out of your peripheral vision at times, and you won't want to lose a valued pilot due to the strains you may suffer whilst getting used to TIR. Once you have tried it, you will be amazed how you ever got a victory in any flight sim without it. An invaluable tool.

I'm sure he did. I'm quite certain all pilots and their observer/gunners had a remarkable bond, both knowing the skill of the gunner saved both their skins on numerous occasions, and the deft manoeuvring of the pilot either enabled them to escape or gave his gunner a better field of fire to keep the enemy at bay.

I was just reading an article by Dennis Newton on 3 Sqn AFC in Flypast magazine, and in it it mentions a brief list of the acheivements of 3 Sqn AFC. "During its period of operations, it occupied ten different airfields and carried out nearly 10,000 hours of active flying. In the course of this, it directed artillery fire on 735 occasions, dropped some 6,000 bombs and fired approximately half a million rounds of ammunition. During reconnaissance sorties, over 6,000 plates were exposed photographing enemy territory. Eleven pilots and 13 observers were killed in action, 12 pilots and 12 observers were wounded. Over the enemy lines, the squadron lost eleven aircraft. Many others were damaged but managed to return to base. Its pilots claimed 16 enemy machines destroyed, eight down out-of-control and 27 damaged. When it is remembered that its principal duty was that of reconnaissance and not combat, this alone is an achievement of some magnitude. The unit was also a pioneer of air-army operations. After the Australian Corps was withdrawn from the line, the squadron gave air support to the 2nd US Corps, which had no such asset of its own, and continued this role until the Armistice. It was the first Australian-US combined operation in World War One." The squadron flew RE8's from September 10, 1917 until the Armistice. On December 17, 1917, one of their RE8's was interrupted doing its work by six Albatros D.Va's, and fought valiantly, driving one of them down on the allied side of the lines. (This aircraft was subsequently presented to the Australain Government, and was restored in the late 60's by our Society, and later on in the early 2000's by the AWM, and is now on display at the Australian War Memorial as part of their "Over the Front" exhibit). The other Albatri continually attacked the RE8 until another RE8 arrived to help, when they broke off and returned home. An approaching RE8 flew alongside this RE8, noticing that it was the machine of Lt Sandy, and that it wasn't badly damaged, and was flying normally. The pilot of the second RE8 was not aware that Lt Sandy and his observer were both dead, killed instantly by an armour piercing shell fired from directly behind, passing through the observer's left lung and travelled on to the base of the pilot's skull. The aircraft continued flying until it ran out of petrol, and crashed about 50 miles from where it was last seen. It had flown in wide left-hand circles until its tank ran dry. Interestingly enough, it was the pilot who did the majority of the artillery spotting and reporting back to the guns, with observers scanning the skies for enemy aircraft. It shows that out of 515 artillery shoots, carried out by the squadron in 1917-18, observers conducted only 6.

No problems Flynn. Anything half-decent that comes out of New Zealand gets "adopted" by Australia and identified as one of our own. (umm...Phar Lap comes to mind instantly, as does a few questionable adoptions like Russell Crowe, Crowded House and Split Enz. We adopt several Rugby and Rugby League players and call them Aussies. The Kiwis do likewise, and call Australia the "West Island" of New Zealand). I've got Jerry Pentland's biography (an interesting read). I'll have to check it for references of your grandfather. http://www.amazon.co.../theaerodromeA/ (in case you're interested)

Sir, I beg to differ. A A N D Pentland was born in Maitland, Australia. http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/pentland.php Great pix.

Keep dancing mate, and leave your Postie alone, because it will be there WAY before then (oh, and because it was courier delievered UPS). My copy of OFF arrived here in Australia 5 or 6 days after I ordered it. It takes longer inside the Continental USA but overseas is QUICK. If you have a copy of CFS3 that is already at version 3.1, you don't need to install CFS3 at all. Merely insert OFF DVD, follow the prompts, it will ask you how you will be providing the necessary OFF files. Instead of telling it to look on your hard drive, inform the wizard you will put the disc in now. It removes a few files, then asks you to re-insert OFF DVD.

Sigh. Sorry bout that. At work now, but I'll fix it up when I get home.

I was just passing St Jude's Cemetery this morning, and once again felt the irresitable urge to visit Toby's grave. "A great man and a great soldier" it says on his tomb. Tragically drowned at Bilgola Beach in a few feet of water. Slipped on the rocks, knocked himself out, fell into the shallow water and drowned. http://www.diggerhis...oswald_watt.htm At the outbreak of war, Oswald Watt enlisted in the Aviation Militaire of the French Foreign Legion, bringing with him his own personal machine (a Bleriot) as a donation. Later he joined the Australian Flying Corps, rising to Squadron Commander of 2 Sqn AFC, and eventually, Lt. Col OIC Australian Training Wing. Rest In Peace

stumpjumper, Hope you got that and it helps.

KanoneFodder, I don't own this system, so I'm only guessing. but it might be accessible through the in-game menu. Make sure your controller is plugged in and accepted/recognized by windows. Launch OFF, go to quick combat, any setting, just so you got an aircraft on the grass. Hit "Escape" and a drop-down menu appears on the top right of your screen. Click on "Controls". I'm sorry to cut off right there, but that's the extent of my knowledge. Look for game controllers in the drop down menu in there. With any luck you'll see your controller there. Hope that helps. Maybe others who own that system can help you more. In the meantime, I suggest you mess about in there. IF you do find your controller, and then you "Add Assignment", then click on "Save as", remember...you MUST save this file as "Mine" (without the quotation marks) or it won't work.