I'm trying to make it through another campaign with no restarts again. I guess that last topic got me into giving it a try again. Well, I'm making progress, I'm into June 1917, but I've had some close calls. A couple of times I've been "maimed" but after debrief it says I just was wounded. Whew!

Anyway, on one such ocassion where I got maimed, I was heading back across the lines because I didn't want to run out of fuel. When suddenly 2 Nieuport 17's come up behind me. I'm flying my Alb DIII which per the game stats has at least a 10 mph speed advantage over the Nieuport. I'm at 2,000M and don't want to mess with them, so I make a shallow dive and make for the lines.

To my astonishment, the Nieuports are gaining and gaining on me! How can this be? Not only am I faster, but I'm diving too! And they were the same altitude as I was. Eventually I got right down to the dirt and had to maneuver. I took some rounds and got a fuel leak and had to make a break for it. Just as my engine sputters, I cross the German lines, and land just behind "no mans land". And then I got hit and maimed. But how in the hell did they catch me?

S! Lucky

I believe this is due to the AI having a different flight model to the player. This can be most clearly seen when taking off with some of your squad mates. They always seem to be faster and climb better. You never seem to be able to keep up with them. Another minor flaw within the game and one we can't do much about.

B.O.

It is true what B.O. says about AI, at least sometimes, being faster than the player. It is why I always take off on autopilot, though if I am flight leader they stay with me.

The other thought I had is that some joystick throttles can't get full speed from your aircraft maxed out in RB. Tapping the "zero" key will often get that last bit of speed.

A last point, and one that has been discussed at length on the SWWISA forum, is that testing and reporting on the performance of WWI aircraft was far from uniform and scientific. Air Services testing captured aircraft were often concerned that their own aircraft exhibit superior performance. Production quality was uneven between different contractors. Materials like laminated plywood and fabric weathered rapidly, affecting performance. A suite of WWI flight models based on what we think we know will always be a work of art, not hard, cold facts.

I don't know if you are flying "stock" RB3d or if you are using a patch. The best patches are the ones using Greybeard's flight models. Greybeard has adhered firmly to the best available data about aircraft performance, and has refused to be swayed by hearsay accounts. Hell's Angels uses a Greybeard FM, but only the Western Front Patch has Greybeard's latest FM.

If you're not using these patches, at least use Panama Red's FM, which is still a very good effort.

S!

Yeah, I'm still using the stock the RB3D FM's. I guess I'm way behind the times. What else does the "Western Front" patch offer besides FM improvements?

Even with Greybeards FM in WFP the AI will always catch you if you try to run. It's happened to me flying Alb's against Nieuports and Camels, and in the Camels against Alb's and Fokker Dr.1's. It's just a shortcoming of the AI programme that not even Greybeards FM resolves.

Mind you if you play Online against human opponents with Greybeards FM then you will get a much better result in comparative terms using those aircraft mentioned above.

I seem to notice my crate flying slower when it is shot up. Also, The handling or maneuverability
goes to pot.

You know, now that I think about it, you are right. I've don't think that I have ever outrun enemy scouts once they have closed with me.

Lucky, what WFP mainly offers is more planes, 100 planes to the forty-something in the stock game. Ever wanted to fly a Vickers Gunbus or a Martinsyde, a Fokker E.IV or a Roland D.II? With WFP you can.

http://www.swwisa.net/wfp/

S!