I'm flying as a Lieutenant in the Lafayette Escadrille. Date; 11-18-16. My wingman and myself are flying the N17, rest of the squadron, 10 other pilots are in the SPAD VII. Now the aircraft deployment on the manual squadron deployment page looks like this:

11-20-16
N17
N17
N17

4-7-17
SPAD VII
N23
N17

7-7-17
SPAD VII
SPAD VII
SPAD VII

Since the SPADs don't start showing up until April 1917, why does the campaign deployment that is in use have them coming in so much earlier?

The top aces and high-ranking historical pilots receive the most advanced aircraft
always earlier than the "player" pilot. The dates you listed are those, where you
can have access to these new aircraft.

I understand that, but on 11-20-16 there are no SPADs available to any pilot regardless of rank, as noted on "deployment" page, and I'm a couple of days before that. SPADs don't come in for anyone until 4-7-17.

I guess in looking at your dates, the aircraft, and what I think you are saying I am confused.
I never flew for Ecs Lafayette but in other squadrons I have looked at deployment of aircraft types the dates has always been spot on. Game-wise though it sometimes looks funny as WOFF has no "flight integrity" and the squadron is treated as one big pool.

EDIT: Ok. On my second reading I see what you are saying. One for the Dev's I guess.

Ah - then the devs should answer this; I don't know what is going on there.

I may have missed it at the time, but I flew Laf Esc in the old OFF from its beginning to when it was dissolved/incorporated into the USAS and don't remember noting the SPADs coming in so early. I would have noted it probably since I don't care for the SPAD and its crappy visibility.

Very crappy!
However Leadsled's gunsight mod has given me a kick in the arse to start a 19 Squadron career which I have always wanted to try.
Now if I was only retired to fly all the careers I would like!

This is the way it is

Me too, but in WOFF I've shot down historical aces in Spad VIIs and Sopwith Triplanes in late summer 1916. That was in Jasta 2, they are in pilot claims section.

I thought it odd as you did. I think Olham has the earliest Sopwith triplane victory, at least the earliest I know about.

FWIW...from the 'net:

"In the face of such performance, an initial production contract was made on 10 May 1916, calling for 268 machines, to be designated SPAD VII C.1 (C.1, from avion de chasse in French, indicating the aircraft was a fighter, while the 1 indicated it was a single seater).

Early production aircraft suffered from a number of defects which took some time to solve and limited the delivery rate to units. While a few SPADs arrived to frontline units as early as August 1916, large numbers would only begin to appear in the first months of 1917."

And for the Triplane:

"No. 1 Naval Squadron became fully operational with the Triplane by December 1916, but the squadron did not see any significant action until February 1917, when it relocated from Furnes to Chipilly. No. 8 Naval Squadron received its Triplanes in February 1917. Nos. 9 and 10 Naval Squadrons equipped with the type between April and May 1917. The only other major operator of the Triplane was a French naval squadron based at Dunkirk, which received 17 aircraft."

And a interesting fact as to why its use apparently wasn't more widespread - which I have always wondered:

"For a variety of reasons, the Triplane's combat career was comparatively brief. In service, the Triplane proved difficult to repair. The fuel and oil tanks were inaccessible without substantial disassembly of the wings and fuselage. Even relatively minor repairs had to be made at rear echelon repair depots. Moreover, spare parts became difficult to obtain during the summer of 1917, and No. 1 Naval Squadron's complement was reduced from 18 to 15 aircraft.

The Triplane also gained a reputation for structural weakness because the wings sometimes collapsed in steep dives. This defect was attributed to the use of light gauge bracing wires in the 46 aircraft built by subcontractor Clayton & Shuttleworth. Several pilots of No. 10 Naval Squadron used cables or additional wires to strengthen their Triplanes. In 1918, the RAF issued a technical order for the installation of a spanwise compression strut between the inboard cabane struts of surviving Triplanes. One aircraft, serial N5912, was fitted with additional mid-bay flying wires on the upper wing while used as a trainer."

December 1916 doesn't fit with WOFF victories recorded prior against Tripes..
The Spad VII does. That is just from my plot claims in WOFF.

The Spad part makes it more real with kette eins bugging out when Spads were encountered.
Only two of them as it turned out. Both aces that met an all too early demise for the day, and their respective dates of death in WOFF.

The keyword here may be "fully operational."
Not saying mistakes can't be made in a massive endeavour such as WOFF but Shredward's dates of deployment are usually spot on. Perhaps it is also/maybe a Campaign Engine issue - if in fact there is an issue. I have not looked at the databases closely nor flown anything in 1916.
70 Squadron is a good example. It apparently begins to recieve Camels in the beginning of July 1917 but does not become "fully operational" with them till mid August when it is fully equipped with them?
And again this is information off the internet. I know Shredward's work was/is quite meticulous, especially with the sources he used, so I will take his word for a lot on face value.

Not a huge deal to me, but I'm sure Olham wasn't expecting Tripes when they hit on him.

I'm in DiD now in Jasta 15, an ace with highest rank, but can't fly the Alb DIII early that the historical aces fly.

That is just the way it is, and it is great that way.

Keeps me worried about the next sortie and what I may encounter.
Spad XIIIs next...... how would I deal with that in my Alb DII?

Oh I feel your pain sir. In my 1917 J11 career all the HA's are jetting about in the Alb DIII's while I have the early model hoping to live long enough to get the new plane. HA's have preference apparently.

Back to 70 Squadron I wanted a Camel career but when I looked at it in the "Create Pilot" screen they begin to get the Camel in the first part of July replacing their Strutters till becoming fully equipped with them in mid August which is when I started my career. The thought of mixed Camel/Strutter patrols just didn't feel right.
In real life ( though I can't find any information) I am going to guess that real patrolling didn't start until one flight was fully equipped and they went out as a entire flight. This is just my guess as I said.
The problem with WOFF is there is no "flight integrity" and the "flights" in game are random and drawn from the entire squadron changing every mission. Plus the RFC squadrons only having two "flights" instead of three.

...and even with a Roland C.II that was! Mmuahahahahaaa!!!
It was Roderick Dallas.
The devs had answered my wondering post and said, that Dallas was really test-flying
the first Sopwith Triplane prototype. This craft came to France in July 1916.
Good Roderick, who was stationed near the North Sea at that time, must have had a hell
of a shedule, as I met him as far south as Bapaume -
or was he probably lost?

Yeah, Dallas sure travels far in WOFF