Well, despite a mild setback (disclosure: I had to restore him after I was in a mission and my head tracking started to go, my flight stick was off {I think I bumped the adjustment knob when going for the throttle} and my wife was yelling at me about something that just couldn't wait. Before I could resolve those things, I was dead. I pretty much play DiD but will restore if it is an "out of sim" issue that causes my demise. I know Siggi wouldn't approve {I swear, if a meteor fell on your house while flying a mission and destroyed your computer, he would have just gone, "Well, that's the way things go, old sport"}, but for my sanity I decided to bring him back after I had carefully nurtured him along for three weeks), I was able to get Rick Rawlings up to Nieuports. I love the 17 but avoided the 16 as it is a death trap. I don't know if even Hellshade could make much out of that bird. Anyway, with Shadowplay not working for me, I have to resort to screenshots, which I hate to do since you have to pause while close to the enemy and when you come back in, your control inputs are off and things are moving and it is a recipe for disaster. Anyway, this would have been a great fight to film as we were attacked by several Walfisch which are far and away the most aggressive and fun opponents of the early war. They seem to be the German equivalent of the Brisfit. Here's one that didn't go home today though, also showing off my new charcoal N17 paint scheme...

Nice paint job and screenies Rick!

Thanks, Hellshade, I just watched your video, it was great! Fortunately, your prop stopped in a position where the synchronizer didn't prevent your guns from firing. Also, good job getting out of the city before landing!

Rick Rawlings getting his a$$ handed to him...

Here's a short little fight... What makes it video worthy I guess is that I am so nervous about shedding a wing that I manage to blip my engine off on the way down! Also, it's Hans Rohr I am up against:



Daytime shot of the Nupe:

I was reminded of the Eagles Rick. "Take it, to the limit.........one more time!"

Yeah, I grit my teeth with every creak, just waiting for the sesqui wing to snap, sending me on a short trip into the sod

I don't think I've ever landed more than a handful of times in those Nieuports. It's usually the quick wingless way down.

I could probably pop a wing off one just sitting on the ground with the engine off.

Sometimes I feel like that!

Nice vids Rick! I love to watch them! It is so much more emersive than just screenies. Thanks for posting

July 1916

I led a flight of three Airco DH.2s to escort some BE 2.cs. Unfortunately my wingmates collided leaving me all alone.

My charges flew straight into THREE E.III patrols. I dove in to get their attention then ran for the front lines.

Here I am receiving a lovely escort by 5 E.IIIs.

Lovely!

So I'm flying a British Campaign in 1916 - RFC 54 squadron. Sopwith Pups. We're on a long patrol when suddenly everyone just scatters. I turn and look down to see our Flight Leader far below me heading somewhere in a big hurry. At first I think he's spotted something and he's going down to engage. Then I look up and see 5 shiney new Albatros diving down upon us from high above like angels of death. It was a beautiful sight, in a horrifying sort of way. My Flight Leader wasn't chasing someone, he was bugging out and heading for home!

I stayed, along with at least some of the rest of our flight and engaged. Tough fight. They got several hits on me and as out numbered as we were, I didn't think we would make it. I was mostly defensive the entire fight except for the occasional shots of opportunity. At one point I had two in tow behind me and we had gotten separated from what other members of my flight I could find, so I did my best to try to drag them back towards some help figuring I could use whatever help I could get! Only when the skies were almost completely clear did I get the chance to swoop down behind an Alb and deliver an extended burst of fire from my single gun that did him in.

Over 7 hours flying time in a DiD style campaign and that was just my second kill. Much, much harder to get kills if you refuse to follow opponents down to the deck. They often tend to escape before you can get a killing blow in.

Fantastic video Hellshade. You were in a bit of a pickle I would say. 2 in particular seemed to have it in for you for a while. I have learned, from you and others, never to follow them down. You live longer that way. Great flying as always Hoss!

Patrolling behind Allied lines, my wingmen suddenly begin to fly aggressively. Sure enough, a Roland CII two seater quickly passes into view and I give chase, peppering his 6 o'clock with gun fire. I must have hit the rear gunner in my first few rounds because he never fired a shot at me. A second Roland showed up and paired off into another dogfight with my wingman. I followed my target down quite a ways but then looked back up to be certain my wingman was still okay. He seemed to be, so I dove down upon my initial target as he tried to escape at tree top level. A Boom & Zoom strafe attack scored hits and soon after his landing gear caught the top of a row of trees, cartwheeling him straight into the ground.

Beautiful lighting effects and can only imagine how much better this fight would have looked with the bump mapping, wind buffeting and ground shadows of V2.0.

Did you know, you can actually gain Air-Victories by ramming Enemy Aircraft?

I was in Jasta11 with Alb3's, 7 Planes on B and 4 on A. I thought, nothing serious could happen with THAT amount of Fighters in the Air, when suddenly the whole French Airforce spawned out of nowhere. N23, N24, Spad7, you name it.
That was no Air Combat, that was simply a Traffic Jam.

While I was trying to quietly sneak out and add some Mileage to my Plane, a Spad7 jumped on me for a Chicken Race. Sadly, the Pilot wasn't one of the greatest: You could see even from quite far away, that he was on a straight Collision Course. I thought: Okay, if you want it that way, come get some... and I deliberately ripped his complete Top away with my Landing Gear (I had no Chance to check via Outside View, if it can actually come off - I was a little busy LOL)
A big Explosion, my Engine-Sound gone (but the Engine was still running fine) and behind me a burning Wreck, heading straight to the Floor.

After checking the Controls and being a little puzzled over my Plane still handling normal, another Spad7 was practicing Bomm 'n' Zoom on me by nearly falling vertically from the Sky, hoping to hit me somehow... well, he did.
My Propeller twisted his Way through the whole Length of the Spad ,and another Fireball went to the ground. I really tried to evade, but this Maniac was constantly reajusting...

Okay, I'm sitting in a Sailplane, now, but I've still got 100% Health, Controls fully functional and I've got an Airfield just some Circles below me - and I thought that this really was more than enough action for one Mission...

Then a 3rd Kamikadze-Spad-Pilot shouted "Banzai!" and tried his "Luck"
This time from Behind - so I made a few hectic Maneuvers. Didn't help very much. All I had, was the Opportunity to select WHERE he was going to hit me. I chose the Bottom of my Plane, sideways.
3rd Fireball rushing down.

The odd Thing:
I didn't fire a single shot - but was credited for downing 2 of the 3 Spads.

Sadly, the Landing wasn't very sophisticated... but I still had some Health left LOL

I wanted to share that with you, because this was by far the strangest Air Combat I was ever involved in WOFF...

I decided to try something a little different and start a Campaign as a two seater pilot. My first go out as a Bristol Fighter pilot came up empty, but on my second mission we came nearly head to head with a flight of German Albatri. We mixed it up pretty good and I must say I'm very impressed with how well the Brisfit handles itself in dogfights, despite the fact that my rear gunner only fire 2 rounds the entire fight. I'm still a newbie at flying her but I'm hoping to live long enough to become proficient in it.

Guys do you stick to your missions plans? Or do you fly somewhere else?

Also are there solo flights in campaign or that you go on a free hunt?

When I am the flight leader, I often fly a bit different from the given course.
When flying after real maps, I use landmarks for navigation, which is fun!

Early in the air war there were "lone wolf" missions, and they were in OFF;
not sure right now, if WOFF kept them in.

Well THAT was a short career! LOL Swarmed by Albatri during third mission behind enemy lines. Flight scattered. Tried to escape back to my lines. A valiant but ultimately futile effort. RIP