Southside Bucky

Okay, thanks anyway...I'll do it the only way I know how: It's a nice idea, Laton...So I'll go first then shall I? Using your Morane Saulnier Type L, here's my depiction of the events at 2:15am, on 7th June, 1915. It depicts the final moments of the German airship LZ37. Sub-Lt. R.A.J. Warneford, in his MS Type L, serial No.3253, makes his final approach before dropping six bombs on the ill fated Zeppelin, LZ37. The Airship exploded and fell over Ghent, in Belgium. It was the first Zeppelin destroyed during WW1, and for this action, Warneford was awarded the Victoria Cross. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness! http://flickcabin.com/public/view/full/29055 Bucky

Love to participate, but I'm having trouble adding screenshots to my posts. There 'aint no instructions in the FAQ either...Can someone run me through the process please? Thanks in advance. Bucky

I'm running out of superlatives to describe your work, Laton, so I'll just say, yet again; UTTERLY BRILLIANT! Having just taken her for a quick spin, I was very impressed with the cockpit...Loved the Italian worded instrumentation, the gun sight and the nicely detailed Vickers. The upper wing, viewed from the cockpit is excellently detailed too. Very well done, mate. Just as a pointer, and not a criticism in any way; I noticed the "X" rigging of the far left interplane struts are not secured at the bottom...Could be quite dangerous in a steep dive! :yes: Also, regarding the FM, d'you think it might be a tad too manoeuvrable ATM? I realise of course that FM's are not your speciality, but I thought you might like an opinion? Can't wait to hear what your next one's gonna be! (The game seems light on German two seaters, so how about a Hannover CL.III, or an Albatros C.III? ) Thanks again, and all the best. Bucky

Hi Quack. When you say; Phonix, I'm assuming you mean the Phonix built Hansa-Brandenburg D.I? I don't think they would've met in combat. The S.V.A.5 didn't go into service until January '18, and I think the H-B D.I had been withdrawn by then. It probably did see combat against the Phonix D.I/D.II though. This is a Phonix D.I. Kinda similar, but different: http://www.mac.distribution.cz/files/72035a.jpg Bucky

Well, if no one here can help, maybe ask the same questions over at the Thirdwire FE forum. TK should be able to help you out. All the best. Bucky

Don't know what's goin' on there, Quack...I see the occasional collision of AI planes, but never to the point of total anihilation, as you describe. In the 'Options' menu, then 'Gameplay', I have 'Collisions' and 'Enemy Skill Level' set to 'Hard'. Are these your settings too?

A small tribute: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=8773 I hope you like it. :yes: Salute. Bucky

File Name: '21/4/18: The Rittmeister Falls' File Submitter: Southside Bucky File Submitted: 21 Apr 2009 File Updated: 21 Apr 2009 File Category: User Made Missions A mission for First Eagles + Expansion Pack 1 + Nov 08 patch. Bucky's Quick Mission No.10: '21/04/18: THE RITTMEISTER FALLS' Released 21/4/09. The 91st anniversary of the action depicted in this mission. ============================================================ INTRODUCTION: I created this mission, a re-enactment of an actual aerial combat that took place at approximately 10:40am (Allied time), on Sunday, 21st April, 1918, to commemorate the 91st anniversary of Manfred von Richthofen's death. Brown, Buie, Evans, Emery or Popkin? These are the names that all have a valid claim for the honour of shooting down the legendary 80 victory German ace, Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. For over eighty years it was generally accepted that von Richthofen fell to the guns of Captain A.R. Brown, DSC, of 209 Sqn RAF. Now though, although far from being conclusive, investigative research made in the 1990's would suggest that the Baron was most likely hit by the ground fire of Sgt. Cedric Basset Popkin, Machine Gunner 1st Class, of the 24th Machine Gun Company, 11th Brigade, 4th Australian Division. For Capt. Roy Brown however, the story related that during a large dogfight with German fighters over Le Hamel, and a subsequent fast dive from 5,000 feet to evade two enemy aircraft on his tail, Brown, flying Sopwith Camel, B7270, spotted a red Fokker Dr.I Triplane chasing another Camel at very low level. He dived down onto the Triplane's tail and after a short chase, fired a long burst into Richthofen's plane... The following is part of the brief combat report submitted by Capt. Brown on the afternoon of 21st April, 1918: "...Dived on large formation of 15-20 Albatross scouts D5 (sic) and Fokker Triplanes, two of which got on my tail and I came out. Went back again and dived on pure red triplane which was firing on Lieut. May. I got a long burst into him and he went down vertical and was observed to crash by Lieut. Mellersh and Lieut. May. I fired on two more but did not get them." As von Richthofen pursued Lt. May, his Dr.I was being targeted by small arms fire from numerous Australian troops situated in various positions in the Vaux-Sur-Somme/Corbie area, Buie, Emery, Evans and Popkin among them. At this point in the chase, things were not looking good for the inexperienced Lt. Wilfred May, in his 209 Sqn Camel, D3326. Von Richthofen, in his all red Fokker Triplane, serial number 425/17 was gaining on him fast and it was only a matter of time until he brought his guns to bear on the British machine. However, as experienced and careful a pilot as von Richthofen was, he made two fatal errors of judgement that April morning: First, he seemingly disregarded his perilous position by flying so low over allied lines. He then also became target fixated in the quest for his 81st victory...It was the undoing of him. An eye witness described what happened next: " ...(I) heard a burst of gunfire and the Fokker stopped in its stride and did the first half of the loop, then straightened out and fluttered down out of our sight as if doing a pancake landing..." Richthofen had been killed by a single .303 bullet. We will never know with absolute certainty who it was that fired the fatal shot, but the controversy has raged on ever since... ============================================================ TO SET THE SCENE: At this time, Jasta 11 were based at Cappy airfield, about 20 miles east of Amiens. The weather on the morning of the 21st had been misty and windy, which delayed the early morning patrol. But by approximately 9:30am (Allied time) the mist had cleared sufficiently to allow von Richthofen and five of his Jasta 11 wingmen to set off and patrol the lines. At almost precisely the same time at Bertangles, north of Amiens, 209 Squadron were taking to the air on a routine High Offensive Patrol. At about 10:25 the two units clashed over Le Hamel and a large dogfight commenced, involving some thirty plus aircraft. As a novice to aerial combat, Lt. May had been instructed to steer clear of any trouble. This he did by heading west and diving earthward. Von Richthofen, ever watchful, and sensing an easy kill, went after him, towards his date with destiny... ============================================================ MISSION GUIDELINES: Immediately the mission begins, you'll be a little over 5000 feet, with the two Fokker Triplanes that Roy Brown mentioned in his combat report, on your tail and firing relentlessly at you. Take quick evasive action by diving to earth, but at the same time, keep a keen lookout for Lt. May's Camel, who meantime is being chased by the Baron...Can you reach May in time to save him from being von Richthofen's 81st victim? Now's your chance, flying as Capt A.R. Brown, to dispell all doubts over who killed the Red Baron! Be aware though, that Brown had spent most of his ammunition during the combat over Le Hamel...So how much ammo do you have left? ============================================================ COMPROMISES AND GAME LIMITATIONS: Unfortunately, the Flanders Terrain doesn't include the requisite towns and villages (Vaux-Sur-Somme, Corbie, etc), so I've had to move the action about thirty miles north to more closely replicate the real life action. I could have used the Cambrai terrain, which does include those places but in my opinion, the Flanders terrain is much more realistic, graphically. There are no machine gun ground units to add to the historical authenticity either. But then, at least there can be no arguments over who fires the fatal shot this time... ============================================================ TOO EASY?...A WORD, PLEASE: Before I decided to upload this mission, I asked myself; is this one challenging enough? After all, if I can succesfully dodge those two chasing Fokkers, find Lt. May, then get on the Baron's six and take him out, all in about two minutes flat, then anybody can! Thinking about it further though, I didn't really put this one together with the "challenge", or difficulty factor in mind... What I really wanted to do was create as accurate an historical re-enactment of the events of 21st April 1918 as it was possible to achieve, as reported by the combatants involved, and by latter day historians and investigators. I have to say, that although it's very "scripted", I'm really quite pleased with the result. For example: While the player (Roy Brown) is diving down from 5000ft, dodging fire from the chasing Dr.I's, Lt. May will actually be pursued by von Richthofen over the village of Vaux- Sur-Somme (well most of the time, anyway), and they'll come very close to hitting the church tower, just as it really happened on that April morning in 1918... What I'm trying to say here, is that in spite of its apparent simplicity, this mission has taken me longer to get right, and caused me more problems and frustration than just about all the others put together! ============================================================ MISSION REQUIREMENTS: To fly this mission as intended, you'll need the following mods and skins: Flanders Terrain. By Edward. To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'Maps/Terrains' section. ============================================================ 209 Sqn, RAF Squadron skin set, which includes Roy Brown's B7270, for the Expansion Pack Sopwith Camel. By Quack74. To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'WWI Aircraft Skins' section. PLEASE NOTE: You'll need to place these skins in the 110 hp Camel folder. ============================================================ MvR's Fokker Dr.I, 425/17 ('MvR Last Plane') skin, for the Expansion Pack Fokker Dr.I. By Quack74. To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'WWI Aircraft Skins' section. ============================================================ 'J11 Lt. von Linsingen' skin, for the Expansion Pack Fokker Dr.I. By Quack74. To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'WWI Aircraft Skins' section. ============================================================ 'J11 Scholtz' skin, for the Expansion Pack Fokker Dr.I. By Quack74. To be found in the Combat Ace, Downloads, 'WWI Aircraft Skins' section. ============================================================ Many thanks to the above artists for their most excellent contributions to this great game. Although not essential, for extra realism and immersion I would also recommend the following mods, available at the Combat Ace, Downloads site: 'Thicker, Fuller Clouds'. By ShrikeHawk. Found in 'Maps/Terrains'. 'Environmental Mods'. Excellent mod that greatly improves the "cotton wool ball" clouds effect. 'FE Sounds V.2'. By yours truly. Found in 'Sound Mods'. 'First Eagles Tracer With Smoke' By Jan Tuma. Found in 'FE Weapons Mods' PLEASE NOTE: In order to replicate the low level chase between von Richthofen and May, I found it necessary to amend two files which govern the altitude of AI planes. Without this change the AI planes will not fly below 100 feet or so. IMHO, this change improves the overall game and not just this mission. Here's how to do it: Using the 'SFP1 CAT file Extract Utility', extract the 'MISSIONCONTROL' ini (found in the 'Mission Data.CAT) to the 'Flight' folder, open, then scroll down to [Altitude] and re-set; 'VeryLow=' to '05'. Then extract the 'AIRCRAFTOBJECT' ini (found in the ObjectData.CAT) to the 'Objects' folder, scroll down to [Dogfight-----] and re-set; 'SafeAltitude=' to '05'. (Make sure to change all four entries: Dogfight; Green, Regular, Veteran & Ace. I would also recommend using Peter01's Fokker Dr.I Flight model DATA.INI, which improves the Triplane's manoeuvrability and aggressiveness. This FM is in the 'FM Update 3rd September' pack, found at the Combat Ace 'WWI, Add-On Aircraft/Flight Models' section. For maximum realism I would also recommend that this mission be played with all gameplay settings set to 'Hard'. ============================================================ INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS Install the mission by unzipping the downloaded file to the following path: C:/Program Files/Thirdwire/WW1/Missions Alternatively, you can drag and drop the unzipped MSN file directly into your 'Missions' folder. ============================================================ I hope you enjoy flying this mission and find it both challenging and enjoyable enough to play it more than once. I've tried to make it as historically accurate and authentic as the game will allow. Feel free to change any of the parameters as you wish. I would welcome any suggestions or general feedback, good, bad or indifferent, via any one of the FE forums. Salute! Bucky. 21/4/09. ============================================================ REFERENCES USED IN CREATING THIS MISSION: 'The Red Baron's Last Flight'...N. Franks & A. Bennett. 'Under the Guns of the Red Baron'...N. Franks & H. Giblin. 'In the Footsteps of the Red Baron'...M. O'Connor & N. Franks. 'Who Downed the Aces in WWI'...N. Franks. 'The Red Baron Combat Wing'...P. Kilduff. 'The Illustrated Red Baron'...P. Kilduff. 'Red Baron. The Life and Death of an Ace'...P. Kilduff. 'The Sky their Battlefield'...T. Henshaw. 'Richthofen'...A.E. Ferko. ============================================================ ============================================================ Click here to download this file

Right here: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=4199 Regards. Bucky

Hi, Laton. This is not meant as any kind of criticism...I was just thinking that maybe the grain of the wood fuselage panels should run horizontally rather than vertically, as they appear now? Just a thought? Bucky

Excellent work, Laton...Thanks for supplying yet another important a/c. Beautiful plane, the SVA.5, but it must've been a nightmare taking off and landing, what with the cockpit set so far back behind that massive front end, and the guns blocking the view to the sides... Noy very manoeuvrable either, but fast (around 140mph!). Which is why the Italians found it more suited to reconnaissance and bombing. I wonder who'll be the first to have a go at this particular skin? http://www.schusterdiorama-35.cz/fotografi...lke/p36-019.jpg

I could be wrong, but I can't find any evidence that the H-B D.I was ever used against the russians. I suppose the Austro-Hungarians might've sent a few to the much quieter eastern front, but they definitely reserved their VERY limited resources and best machines for the fight against the Italians. It should also be remembered that the air war on the eastern front was all but over by the middle of 1917. Also, far as I know, the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I and Nieuport 11 were not contempories. By the time the H-B D.I came into service, the Italians and Russians were both using the Nieuport 17, and a little later the SPAD VII. One thing though: The French did send over a few escadrilles to help the hard pressed Italians, so you could use French Nieuport 17's and SPAD VII's too, although I haven't found any French planes in the victory lists of any pilots that flew the H-B D.I. Very confusing, the Austro-Hungarian theatre of war! Bucky

Hi guys. I've got a bit of time over the Easter to create an historical quick mission which I'll hopefully upload in a few days. Trouble is, for this one I need the AI planes to fly real low. Using the KMD Mission Builder, I've tried setting low altitudes but the planes won't start any lower than around 100 feet or so. Does anyone know if it's possible to make 'em fly any lower, and if so, what file(s) do I need to edit? Thanks in advance for any help given. Have a nice Easter. Bucky

Hi, Firecage. We were posting at exactly the same time there...Typical, eh? Really sorry to have wasted your time, but I didn't think I was going to get a quick answer, and I needed to press on with creating this mission before the historical anniversary date of the action. Thanks though. I appreciate your help. Bucky

Sorted! :yes: Found the answer by doing a forum search...If anyone's interested, here's how to change the default AI altitudes: Extract the 'MISSIONCONTROL' ini to the 'Flight' folder, scroll down to [Altitude] and re-set; 'VeryLow=' to '05'. Then extract the 'AIRCRAFTOBJECT' ini to the 'Objects' folder, scroll down to [Dogfight-----] and re-set; 'SafeAltitude=' to 05. Works well! Bucky

Beautiful!...Those Austro-Hungarians certainly knew how to design and paint a personal marking, didn't they? Great work, yet again, Quack! Just as a side note, and in case you didn't know: I think The HB D.I with the black & white quarter check is meant to be Frank Linke-Crawford's plane, in which he scored five of his 27 victories. According to Dr Martin O'Connor's 'Air Aces of the A-H Empire '14-'18' (and any other colour profiles I've seen of this plane), the quarter checks were red. Like this: http://membres.lycos.fr/asduciel/linke4.jpg Personally, I think the black gives a better contrast against the dark wood than red, and therefore might have been the more likely colour. Thing is; O'Connor went to such great lengths researching the correct colours of all the A-H aces for his book, I wouldn't argue against him. Apparently, it had the Phonix type vertical stabilizer retro-fitted at a later date. Oh, and where exactly are those mountains, as seen in the last screenie? In the Cambrai terrain? Or is that the Vogesen? Cheers. Bucky

You're welcome. :yes: TBH, I'm not sure the Camel, RE8 or Bristol Fighter ever met the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I in combat. The British never arrived in Northern Italy till November '17, and the Austro-Hungarians were using better planes like the Aviatik, Oef Albatros and Phonix fighters by then. If they did meet though, it would've been this late (Phonix built) version that they came up against. Actually, Laton's release of this plane has rekindled my interest in the Italian, Austro-Hungarian theatre. I dug out my old copy of Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the late Dr Martin O'Connor for the first time in years this afternoon. What a magnificent book it is. Out of print and expensive though: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Air-Aces-Austro-Hu...1737&sr=1-2 This is still available though: http://www.amazon.com/Austro-Hungarian-Wor...2034&sr=8-1 HEAVILY based on O'Connor's book, it's well worth getting.

Incidentally, those clouds look nice. They're not stock are they? Also, I just noticed I got a bit 'full stop'/'period' happy in my last post...SPAD V.II and X.III should obviously read: SPAD VII and SPAD XIII. D'oh!

Ooh, decisions, decisions... Well, I think they look real sporty with the bars and overall PC10, but you've done some white ones already, haven't you? Either version would be OK really. Regarding the DH4: Yeah, it does need a decent FM, but we could always use another two seater's DATA.INI as a stop gap. The Bristol F2b or the Salmson's for example? The main thing though, is that you enjoy doing it...If it's gonna be a pain in the jacksy, then give it a miss. Thanks for asking. Bucky

You're gonna do the DH4? Brilliant! As for the 1 Naval Tripe's. As a general rule: The later war markings had the 'two short bars' squadron marking, in which case forget the white wheels 'n fins. The earlier markings had white wheels/fins but no short bars. Hope that helps.

Absolutely superb, Laton! Your best yet I'd say, and a great addition to the game. Thanks, Man! If it's any help, and for those who might be wondering; here's a list of historically suitable A/C to fly against the Hansa Brandenberg D.I: Sopwith Camel (28, 45 & 66 Sqn's) RE8 (34 & 42 Sqn's) Bristol F2b (34 & 42 Sqn's) SPAD V.II (Italian or Russian markings only, although I don't think there are any Russian SPAD V.II skins available) SPAD X.III (Italian markings only) Hanriot HD1 (Italian markings only) Nieuport 17 (Italian or Russian markings only) Savoia Pomilio SP3 All we need now is a suitably mountainous terrain to go with it... Thanks again. Bucky

Want you to stop?...Not at all, Man. You're doing great work, so please keep 'em coming! I've been looking out for those 1 Naval Tripe's...Are they still on the factory line? Oh, and how about having a go at the Ateam's DH4 and Bristol Scout? The DH4 especially needs a decent PC10 overspray.

Hi Dagaith. Excellent work...It's looking superb! :yes: Regarding your question about the engines: There was no absolute cut-off or change-over period from, say, the 110hp to the 130hp clerget. The RNAS tended to obtain the more powerful engines before the RFC, who generally, but not invariably struggled on with the 110hp well into the 2nd quarter of 1917. As you already stated though, it wouldn't be practical to produce every variant. So in order to keep it manageable, I'd suggest a 110hp to 130hp change-over date of January or February 1917. It's up to you of course, but I think this would keep your Strutter roughly competitive with the contemporary A/C in the game. As you probably know, the difference in performance between those two engines was quite minimal: Maximum speed at 10,000 ft: 110 hp Clerget = 94 mph 130 hp Clerget = 98.5 mph Climb to 10,000 ft: 110 hp = 26 minutes & 55 seconds 130 hp = 24 minutes & 25 seconds Service ceiling: 110 hp = 12,500 ft 130 hp = 13,000 ft The source for those performance figures is Windsock Datafile No.80, by J.M. Bruce, and pertain to fully loaded A/C. Really looking forward to flying this...It's a major contribution to the game. Well done! Bucky.

Hi guys. Just a quick heads up... It was brought to my attention by Dagaith that some of the files in my new FE Sounds pack may have been corrupted. Link: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showt...mp;#entry252728 I thought the news of the update might be read by more members if I posted down here in the main forum. Cheers. Bucky