TaillyHo

No offence taken, my friend.

I haven't checked the dates, but couldn't you transfer your Pup pilot from 46 to 54? As to the Tripes - enjoy it while it lasts!!

Ah, I understand now, Olham. You have set the bar very high - I am not worthy. But it is something to strive for . . .

Absolutely, Creaghorn - that was much like my logic in chosing the Bristol Scout as my first OFF plane: In the fullness of time (and the War), I might come to see this plane with it's cock-eyed gun as a real oddity, but if it's the first plane I fly in OFF (and I can hold my own against the only available enemy kite of that era) I won't know any better, and ignorance will be bliss!

1 Naval, Feb 17 - I think that might be a Tripe. How could you resist, Olham!?!

Hhhmmm, I wonder what criteria you have in mind to define a "taken seriously Campaign", Olham? I have had 3 pilots campaign in the Bristol Scout. I would submit 2 of those as being 'serious campaigns' as they lasted > 10 hours flying time (although perhaps the magic 17 hours referred to in OFF should be the benchmark?) If so, I would submit 1 'serious' Bristol Scout pilot who managed to survive 2 months from mid May 1915, amassing 33.35 hours and 3 confirmed victories. He was my first ever campaign pilot, I didn't have TrackIR then and his 'accuracy' was a lowly 13% average that largely explains his modest tally of victories. It would be great to read of Creaghorn's exploits in this bird.

Great to hear you are back on active duty, Slarti. I've been endeavouring to carry on your legacy in the mighty Strutter but don't believe there are too many others so equipped. I'm sure if you shake the dust off the ol girl, she'll still be able to show you a good time!

. . . and now for something completely different! (at least, for me - associated 'report' to come) .

Hello Wayfarer, good to see you're still going strong with your B.E2 campaigns. Did you have a wry chuckle over my pilot's short but sweet contribution to the genre, I wonder (?) The Eindeckers really are over-rated. Unless they are above you in greater number, the ol Bee is not too badly off in terms of avoiding them (coz it 'runs' faster!) or even fighting back (just remember: "avoid if at all possible and only fight when there's no other way out" - have I got it right now, Si?!) The Rolands are an entirely different prospect - and if you haven't done so already, might I suggest you look closely at switching at least rear guns (affects player and AI) to 'less accurate'; and 'AI gun range' to easy. These are both SIA-RSS recommended settings, so it's in the interests of historical accuracy (ie not seen as 'cheating'). Unlike the Einie, they are faster than a Bee, so running from a fight will only work if you have a good head start! From April 1916 you should start seeing a few new planes up and about - on both sides. You might already have come across N.11s, and you should see the first run of Sopwith Strutters soon too. Good luck!

No, you can adjust that on the fly, Shiloh. Ctrl+Shift+T will toggle you through the distances (8m, 4m, 2m, 1m), just watch the little number at the bottom of the TAC.

Duke, I believe Craeghorn's tracer mod(s) are supposed to have diminished the visible impact damage - might be worth a look.

Ah, a star-studded cast indeed, Olham. No wonder you accounted well for yourselves.

Well done, Olham - you and your Jasta 2 colleagues did well to dispense with the Tripes so efficiently, more so when they had the element of surprise. I think you are selling us a little short with your montage this time tho - looks like 3 of those pics are all the same slice of the action (impressive tho your 'surgery' on that wing is)

Thank you Olham. I think the 'reports from the front' are where we can write a bit more of a 'story'.

I've just been doing exactly that, TSmoke - you can use Notepad to do the actual file editing. Just right-click on the ViewUI file (and make sure you're editing the one in your docs & settings folder and not the OFF game folder! + usual caution re saving a backup of the original version first), and then chose to open the file with Notepad. It's not an easy read but you can find the line you want to change - especially if you open it with a browser first before then opening it with Notepad. Change the values; save and you're done! Changing them to 6 or 7 (as per Von Baur's how-to on the RSS settings thread) should be a good first up tweak. Alternately, you can save time and effort by going here: http://combatace.com...-label-colours/ and just drop Olham's file in and see if you like it. Good luck!

Nothing especially 'fine' about it, but an example nonetheless of how I fill out the claim form: .

Thanks for the advice, Olham (as always). McCudden's book is unpretentious, almost chatty in style. Personal - almost like a diary in places - but easy to read with some great detail on life in the RFC.

No link, Carrick old chap!?!

Thanks Olham, I'm sure you are right. I didn't appreciate how much difference there is in the way you have to fly energy fighters compared to rotary/turn-fighters. I'm beginning to realise how much I underestimated the skills necessary to execute effective 'boom n zoom' tactics - and more so, how essential those skiills are for surviving in an energy fighter! Back to 'school' for me - don't you just love that about OFF! BTW, which other OFF craft would you say fall into the 'Energy' camp alongside the Halbs and Albs (SPADs? S.E5s? . . .) I've just been reading McCudden's 'Flying Fury' where he encounters a Halb for the first time and is amazed that it could dive "vertically" from 10,000 to 3,000 feet and then pull out and fly away. It would seem after the Eindecker, the Germans committed to the energy-fighter concept - at least, up until the DR1 - whereas the Brits didn't really have an energy fighter until the S.E5 (not sure about the SPAD tho ?).

. . . in the meantime, here's my new DFW (FA(A)250) pilot on Day 1, cruising up behind an unsuspecting B1on a wet and rainy October afternoon and . . . er, brightening up his outlook. .

Ok, Olham - that confirms a lot of my suspicions. I expect the other element essential for effective 'boom and zoom' is accuracy in positioning your craft and lining up your opponent from a distance; and accuracy in hitting your opponent in a relatively short burst. Neither if these things come easily to a realtive newcomer . . . and I think both can be compensated for more readily in turn fighting. I've previously thought - when watching Hellshades videos - that he has an uncanny knack of knowing when to create space to stalk an opponent, and when to be perfectly 'there' to take the kill-shot. It may come down to experience, but that knowledge of anticipating - or judging - exactly where your opponent is going to be at precisely the right moment you (arriving at full speed) will be at the optimal range to fire (and fire accuractely!). There is a lot of skill involved in all this, to be sure.

Yes, I really like the DFW. Aside from the engine blocking half your forward view (and dictating the offset gun position), it's all good. I did try the D.II (briefly) and was chalking up a few victories against Bees and Fees - but when it came to matching it with single-seater opponents, it got too hard. I was surprised by how quickly I was out of position against a humble Bristol Scout, and then I got shot down by a Pup a couple of days later. So I think there is a lesson on 'Energy Fighters' I definately still have to learn because flying the D.II in the manner I'd been flying most everything else before that, clearly didn't work.

My apologies for getting the wrong read on your Pup claim. I thought you said you fired but narrowly missed - but if you did all that damage shown in your pic, you surely deserve this 'victory'. I could only see one 'patch' for HiTR, so that is also installed and now I am at version 1.47 Well I did notice some more (presumably wind) buffeting flying HiTR over the original BH&H, so I wanted a good sturdy plane to get a few more hours experience of this . . .and with 2 established British pilots, I wanted to have another start flying for Germany.

Step right up, Sopwith - happy to pour you one while you pour out some. Now I hope that's "a taste for Jamesons" - full stop - and (a taste for) rum and coke - full stop. You surely wouldn't put Jamesons into a rum and coke (?) - if you have, then man, you really are in a bad way! PhD scholarships are a beautiful thing - and right now that might be a healthy way for you to look at it too. To be funded to study the thing you are most interested in (and hopefully even passionate about) at the highest level is a rare opportunity - so congratulations and best wishes on that. Sorry to hear life has been rocky elsewhere - I hope you are through the roughest time and things start falling into place for you now.