Since it looks like damage is really getting a nice treatment I was wondering if some random failure might be introduced to the mechanicals? I feel a bit too trusting of my aircraft in most WWI games. Would be fun to have an occasional mishap during an occasional flight. Gun jams of course, but occasional engine problems might be nice.

Would be nice to have realistic controls also. For example, if the rotary engine had blip and no throttle thats what we have to use too.

I started a second thread because I got this error posting in the first thread:

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......or modeling rotary engines with limited throttle capability via adjustment of their air/fuel mixture lever(s). In fact, as altitude was gained the fuel mixture ratio had to be adjusted periodically to prevent rough running of the engine or a rich cutout could occur (of course preventing lean cutout was necessary when descending). These rotary engine controls would be nice to model for the sim's "realistic" flying mode.

I'd also like to see the pilot's flight input realistically modeled to reflect the fact that most WWI aircraft suffered poor control balance between the 3-axis of input. Modeling flight control stiffness would also dove-tail nicely with an effort to design in realistic control balance, or a lack thereof.

Having the pilot "simulated" (as per the "Wish List" thread on the Frugal's Sim World KOE board) would be nice:

Basically, I'd like to see the "work load" of flying a WWI aircraft simulated, so that we would have to master our planes both for flight as well as for combat.

Goo points. Given that WWI planes didn't have trim or superchargers to fiddle with anyway, managing mixture wouldn't be that overwhelming. Did WWI planes have adjustable prop pitch?

Good idea about control stiffness as well.

Very few WWI aircraft had angle of incidence adjustment from the cockpit (some did for tailplane AOE via a stick or cockpit wheel adjustment), while some could be preset on the ground only. Still, trimming as you mentioned, and as we understand it today was unavailable.

There was no variable pitch control for WWI aircraft, although props with different fixed pitch angles were often available for the same particular aircraft/engine combination. Some pilots and squadrons choose combinations that favored climb, or top speed.

Thanks for the info FlyXwire. One question:

Let me see if I got this: you are saying that some WWI planes had elevator/pitch trim in some form, right?

It would be kewl to be able to have this in the game, but it may be asking for too much. It would let you tailor your plane to the opposition or to your flying style!

The angle of incidence for the horizontal stabilizer and/or vertical stabilizer could be adjusted on the ground on some aircraft, while some aircraft had a cockpit wheel that allowed trimming of the horizontal tailplane.

Additionally, on some aircraft cable tension adjustments could be made at the stick to apply preload.

Of course small rigging changes could also be made to the wings to vary AOI, or the dihedral angle of the wings (again these were set by the rigging mechanics on the ground).

I'm curious about a few things:

1. How will damage be calculated? Will there be hit bubbles or will you actually have to hit the plane? Can you hit a strut and cause a wing to collapse?

2. How will weather be modelled? Will we have to deal with low viz conditions and strong winds at times?

3. Will it be possible (and I know this is a long shot) to have the AI unable to see through clouds? It seems like in WWI air combat, clouds would have played a HUGE part in maneuvering - more so than WWII (I dunno if that's true or not, just seems so to me ).

4. I've gotta agree that skins will play a big factor in the appeal of this game. I know it sounds superficial, but it's true

The loss of orientation and sight while in the clouds for both real and ai pilots would be a big plus. In all the games I've flown, it is truly disconcerting to lose a shot at an ai as he goes into a cloud, but if the tables are turned and the real pilot plummets into the cloud, the ai seems to have x-ray vision and often laser guided shooting.

The primary weapon, killing machine of the First World War was field artillery. Artillery pummelled the lines, dugouts, rear trenches, rail lines, and, quite often, other side's artillery.

The most important functions of the aircraft were reconnaissance and artillery spotting. The first was needed for identifying changes in the enemy lines, equipment, supplies,etc. and targets for the artillery. The second was a direct teamwoork with the artillery.

It would be really neat to have field artillery that functioned not only as a backdrop to the game, but a function of the game. If a recon plane brings back target photos, an artillery barrage will try to take out the target.

Artillery Spotting would open up a whole new area in gaming. Imagine standing in the back of an Albatros C.VII(or the front seat of a BE2e, that's scary!) and direct artillery with signals from your telegraph key. You can even see your army's artillery shells whizz by. Hope one does not hit your plane or it will smash it up there only to fall to earth.....

That would be a most interesting mission type, Moritz. I sincerely hope they include it.