homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields Recon Wars - Pilot's Experience Logs

Sub Lt. Rother Nought

No. 4 RNAS

27 miles behind the front

Coudekerque, July 1916

Well, I'm in for it now. I thought joining the air services would be a good way to avoid the war for a long while. Who knew they could train pilots so fast now? The last few days I have been up in a Sopwith Strutter ferrying 2nd Lt. Norton from one bomb-hole to another to photograph each one in turn. Of course, I would be all for firing off all the plates at once and getting out of there and back for a brandy like some anticipatory Yossarian, but Norton insisted on being at the right spot at the right time at the right altitude for every photo, regardless of how familiar Archibald was trying to become with all the sensitive spots of our bus. To make matters worse, every now and again he would jerk the Lewis gun around and stare intently at a spot in the sky as if to intimate that a hun was about to attack before glancing over with that inscrutable look of his, the berk...

I can't wait for tomorrow...



I am going to say this one time and then I'll shut up about it as I know it is not super useful, but this add-on makes me think even more than before that WoTR was a mistake. If you guys had focused on getting this to a new engine what perfection that would have been! Not that the graphics really need much, but having just some modern engine conveniences like dx11, easier modability, a modern control interface for joystick setup, modern map, better engine management, rotary flight model and ground game... I really never liked the two seater experience before but now you can see the enormous potential. Great job on this expansion, like lima said and I'll shut up now!

@BuckeyeBob:
Originally Posted by Bletchley
Quick link to an actual pilot's experiences in a Corps squadron in 1918, log and diary plus lots of extra information on how it was done back then smile https://gregswar.com/

B.


Thanks for the link, B! I will use this to update my Historical Weather mod for 1918!

Going through the log and diary, it's interesting to see how often the word "dud" appears. The word is used to describe not only the weather, but also an engine that is misbehaving or a mission that fails or does not go as planned. Another thing I noticed is that contrary to the idea that aircraft such as the Be2 never went up in bad weather, is how often pilots attempted to go up, at least in rain and clouds (never in high winds, however). Frequently, he mentions missions that were taken in "dud" weather. Often times, these are short missions that only last for 10 minutes or so, before he gives up and returns to base. Some, however, are completed even though the weather is not very good. In other cases, his log or diary simply states, "Dud. Did not fly."

In short, sometimes he flew in marginal weather, at other times he did not.

Nice find!


@Polovski:
Good stuff, that ties in with using Bad weather effects Operations to ON (which is default), and Bad Weather Cancels Missions turn to OFF (default) or change to Optional (then you can choose to try to fly or not as he did.


Okay, on the one side the aeroplanes haven't flown often because of bad weather.
On the other side pilotes have tried it of course.

So in my eyes it is logical, that a flight has been cancelled, if the weather was too bad during the whole flight. If the weather was acceptable during start and bad only for 10 Minutes and then acceptable again, then of course the pilots have done it. Also it is logical in my eyes, that they have tried to fly, if the mission was a short one with short distance and if the weather has allowed a start and was at the limit.
So, IMHO the bad weather in WOFF is not flyable and very often bad for the whole flight. So it is realistic, if the system with "Bad Weather Cancels Missions" ON cancells these missions. The other situations (short time of bad weather also in a short mission) is more a point of variable degree of dynamic weather. And I can imagine, that the system has limits at this.

But at the end, ReconWars is no patch, it's an absolut outstanding expansion. I can only say THANKS for it!!


Greetings!

In looking at the diary and log entries you need to note that it is a very 'active' front in the summer of 1918. The daily briefing in WOFF tells you if you are on a quite or active front, so you could put 'Bad weather effects Operations to ON (which is default), and Bad Weather Cancels Missions turn to OFF (default)' on an active front, but 'Bad weather effects Operations to ON (which is default), and 'Bad Weather Cancels Missions turn to ON' if it is a quiet front. This is what I have been doing!

B.

Hallo Bletchley,
that's a very good idea to integrate active / inactive front in the setting "Bad weather cancels missions" On or Optional/Off. And "Bad weather effects operations" On is basic on my system.

Greetings!

In parallel to my 2 Sqn campaign on the BE2c, I've begun a Luftstreitkrafte career starting earlier in the war, in July 1915, flying an unarmed Aviatik B-type. For some reason, I picked Bosta 2, perhaps because I fancied operating near the Channel coast for a change - we do like to be beside the seaside, and all that.

Leutnant Reinhart Hardegen's first show is a visual recce down to the Lines north of Ypres. Vizefeldwebel Dierksen is accompanying us, in another Aviatik.



Following the recent acquisition of Steel Beasts, I' now booting into Windows 10, and will likely henceforth use Win 7 just for forays into Battle of Britain II. I neglected to transfer my video driver settings so I'm stuck without its antialiasing, which will be apparent in the pics which follow. and , while I did manage to transfer over my pilots, I didn't update my WoFF Workshop settings so I'm getting a flight in bad weather. Both are fixed for my second trip!

Be that as it may, we're soon off the ground from Ghistelles and slowly clattering and clawing our way up into the rain.



In the front cockpit, my observer, Hauptmann Alvensleben - observers not pilots tending to command two-seaters, in our air service - sits impassively while we're steadily drenched in the slipstream.



We pass one of our observation balloons on the way. How much of the enemy he can see in these conditions, is doubtful.



I have to orbit to allow my companion to close up. After that, it's a long, slow climb up towards our objective over the Lines.



As we near the front, we come in for some attention from the Tommy gunners. It's noisy and more than a bit disconcerting. Evasive action seems pointless in our painfully slow packing cases so on we plough.



We finally reach our assigned height of around 1400 metres and make our run down No Man's Land to the objective.



Occasional gaps in the cloud allow the sun to light up our slow but pretty birds. We seem to have the skies to ourselves...for now...



...to be continued!

We're shelled with varying degrees of intensity as we trundle up to the objective.



Reaching it, we begin to orbit the general area. There's not much to be seen on the ground, but from time to time, outbreaks of flak reveal the presence of other aircraft in the vicinity. Turning on Labels at one point reveals these to be RFC Moranes on similar tasks to our own, no doubt.



If any of the fellows on the other side are armed, they show no signs of hostile intent, and soon disappear into the gloom. So back and forth we go...



...all the while fired at from below.



Tiring of this rather before I should, I slowly swing around for home.



The flak dies away as we leave the shelled area behind...



...and I put the nose down with the throttle still on to get back over our side of the Lines.



Well, that was an uneventful first hop, apart from the ground fire. Just as well, as we would have been in real trouble, had we run into an armed enemy aeroplane. Hopefully we'll have a chance to become well versed in the gentle art of two-seater operations before other aircraft start shooting at us!

Here's an interesting thing about this Recon Wars expansion. Had this air-combat-free mission been flown without the expansion, and certainly, if it had been flown as a patrol in scouts, it would have been a bit of a bore - not enough 'action'. Flying it in Recon wars, though, I'm finding the experience just as immersive and compelling as a scout patrol which sees combat. I don't know whether it's the ability to concentrate on flying while focussing on the mission; or the anticipation that comes with looking out for trouble to avoid, rather than meet, it; or the general sense of 'being there' conveyed by the superb visual experience that is WoFF BH&H II. But I'm finding that the immersion on Recon Wars two-seater missions is as deep as anything else I've flown in simulated WW1 skies.

Report on my second flight with Bosta 2 started on the AAR forum, HERE.

Very nice, 33Lima!

Are you using default or OCM clouds?

Stock here at present, apart from skinpacks and the CCF mods.

With OBD being a two man team - not enough years left in my life or Pol's to port this to a new engine alas.
What we have I think is great and overall gives better immersion and a sense of being there than most others out there.

In terms of the key bindings - I don't think I can make it easier than clicking the function item and then pressing a key or joystick button to remap.

Anyway still more to come.

WM

Edit:
I meant to add - great sorties in this thread pleased you guys are enjoying it!

To be honest I really, really like the look of WoFF as it is now; the world looks not just real but rather lovely, and the aircraft too are works of art. Even compared to sims with more modern engines.

The new 'engines' I'd like to see in WoFF are the ones in the Dolphin, the Pfalz D.XII and a few more French, German and British two-seaters, which - with the arrival of Recon Wars - are now suddenly a much more attractive proposition. I hope these 'new engines' will show up in the next payware expansion!

In the meantime, we've plenty of toys to play with.

Yep more 'engines' coming in 2023.

WM

Flying recon missions over the mountains in Alsace I have noticed that if I fly at the correct altitude for note taking, as instructed, I am informed afterwards that I was 'too low'. I need to fly considerably higher to avoid this. When calculating the height, I guess it must be the height above the target rather than the altitude that determines the correct altitude for successful note taking?

There's no arguing with this!



This one was my bad. I was trying to get my mixture on the top button of the Thrustmaster throttle which I guess counts as a hat switch and wasn't liked by the program. I've since used different keys and gotten it sorted!

Hi Bletchley, are you using ASL or AGL for the altitude? Use the AGL.

The Z key readout should report ASL or AGL.

If you were using AGL send the logs please after this situation please to support email.

Yes!!
As said on side 3 the system registrates AGL (z-key). Near at the coast it is quasi even logically, but over the mountains the difference is big of course.

Greetings!

Indeed that's the idea - near the Sea ASL is almost the same as AGL as the land is usually close to or merging into the sea, in the mountains it is not!

Well, old chap, I was using the altimeter in the cockpit of course!

That could be the reason, it doesn't seem to be a problem in on any of the other fronts. I will have a look with the Z key next time

In Alsace I don't worry about the enemy - it is the mountains that are trying to kill me. Dropping down low to drop off the weighted bag on an HQ in the valley and then desperately trying to claw back altitude before I get boxed in by the high ground...

Lots of fun, thank you, Polovski.

Greetings Becker! Yes, I can see now that you got to that one worked out already


B.

Additionally:
... and that the system registrates the AGL for photo/... in recon-missions is historically correct in my opinion, because in this early time of flying the AGL-Altimeter was in use. So in consequence the briefing-altitude / AI-altitude, the cockpit- / HUD-altimeter (all in ASL!) should be in AGL too. Then f.e. you would fly higher than now over Alsace-mountains.
I don't know, if it is possible for OBD to change this point. If not, a short info in the "Recon Wars Notes", that you must pay attention at AGL could be helpful for the users.

Greetings!