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The Staff of SOH
Biggles defends the Desert!
- Thread starter Ian Astill
- Start date
Ian Astill
Charter Member 2012
I don't know. I do like having a go at the ''What if'' style stuff. I have an RAF Grey/Green Camo skin for the IL-2 somewhere round here....
Interesting to speculate how the Daffy would have done in the DAF. It may have had some use working in tandem with Kittyhawks and Hurricanes. The less heavily armed and slower Italian fighters (CR42 and G.50) may have allowed it more freedom to engage the bombers?
Interesting to speculate how the Daffy would have done in the DAF. It may have had some use working in tandem with Kittyhawks and Hurricanes. The less heavily armed and slower Italian fighters (CR42 and G.50) may have allowed it more freedom to engage the bombers?
Reply...
Ian,
With all due respect, the ultimate what-if for me regarding the RAF is the thought of Merlin-Engined Whirlwinds during 1941-1942 using their cannons to raise hell over Northeastern France and the Low Countries during those Rhubarbs and Circuses, equipped with drop tanks.
Ian,
With all due respect, the ultimate what-if for me regarding the RAF is the thought of Merlin-Engined Whirlwinds during 1941-1942 using their cannons to raise hell over Northeastern France and the Low Countries during those Rhubarbs and Circuses, equipped with drop tanks.
Reply...
Ian,
I also wonder how the Lancaster would be looked at in history if Handley-Page had figured out the extended-wing Hercules-Engined B.III in 1942 rather than later. That version proved to be a damn fine bird. I've often seen the Lancaster-Halifax disparity in a similar light to the Flying Fortress-Liberator disparity here in the States.
Ian,
I also wonder how the Lancaster would be looked at in history if Handley-Page had figured out the extended-wing Hercules-Engined B.III in 1942 rather than later. That version proved to be a damn fine bird. I've often seen the Lancaster-Halifax disparity in a similar light to the Flying Fortress-Liberator disparity here in the States.
Ian Astill
Charter Member 2012
That's a ''What If'' I can get behind! I love flying around in the Lucariny Converted Whirlwind and I have a bit of a faux mission whereby a large German formation has their escort distracted by hurricanes just off Dover, before a Squadron of Whirlwinds swoop in and wreak havoc amongst the bombers. I imagine it to be almost what the German's wanted with their Bf.110. A really great ''Destroyer''
I wonder though, if the Peregrine's had been afforded the same level of development as the Merlin would they have sufficed?
I wonder though, if the Peregrine's had been afforded the same level of development as the Merlin would they have sufficed?
kelticheart
Charter Member
I agree
Mmmmm....this sure sounds intriguing.....It always puzzled me why such a promising design was given up only because of troublesome powerplants.
Every technical account I read described the Whirlwind as a sound project, an overall good aircraft under some aspects well ahead of its time, except from the chosen engines.
Merlin-engined Mustangs, or even the Lancaster would have never became aviation history legends with the same attitude that condemned the Whirlwind.
Cheers!
KH
Mmmmm....this sure sounds intriguing.....It always puzzled me why such a promising design was given up only because of troublesome powerplants.
Every technical account I read described the Whirlwind as a sound project, an overall good aircraft under some aspects well ahead of its time, except from the chosen engines.
Merlin-engined Mustangs, or even the Lancaster would have never became aviation history legends with the same attitude that condemned the Whirlwind.
Cheers!
KH
Reply...
Ian,
This is for you. I have a handful of missions that I have never bothered to put into a campaign, because other projects have taken precedence. However, you might have fun flying them, and they can give you ideas about mission building, since it is clear that you have the itch. We need more people to publish their works, rather than make missions just for themselves. Most of these missions fall into the "historically plausible" category, although a few are based in fact.
One is even an airstart mission, which is a rarity for me.
If you are interested, I can send you the GSL file for Turin.
Ian,
This is for you. I have a handful of missions that I have never bothered to put into a campaign, because other projects have taken precedence. However, you might have fun flying them, and they can give you ideas about mission building, since it is clear that you have the itch. We need more people to publish their works, rather than make missions just for themselves. Most of these missions fall into the "historically plausible" category, although a few are based in fact.
One is even an airstart mission, which is a rarity for me.
If you are interested, I can send you the GSL file for Turin.
Ian Astill
Charter Member 2012
Thank you very much Rami! I'll have fun with them tonight! To be honest I haven't uploaded my current missions as they are just glorified quick combat jobs to mess around with. I haven't had the patience to work out triggers, events etc. I'll certainly look at uploading a few of the skins I've been messing around with.
I do have the itch to produce things and have been reading the Cody Coyote Bible on mission building.
After reading the book mentioned I think there is definite scope for a quirky mini campaign utilising Brunosk's Trop Spits amongst other. The summary of the story is, Civilian aircraft going missing crossing the desert during ww2. Special squadron of spits sent to find out the problem. They discover that the Germans are using a magnetic beam to scramble compasses and are drawing the aircraft away and shooting them down.
There are search and rescue, interceptions, dropping off an agent, defending your base against bombers, defending your base against paratroopers and ground attack missions and they include the following aircraft:
-Trop Spitfire
-Defiant
-Whitley
-Rapide
-Bf 109e and f
-Bf 110c
-Ju52
Would be an interesting project at least.
I'd recommend the Biggles Books to anyone here. A bit old hat at times but they cover WW1 to Post WW2 and as the author was a DH4 pilot in WW1 he tends to keep things pretty accurate!
I do have the itch to produce things and have been reading the Cody Coyote Bible on mission building.
After reading the book mentioned I think there is definite scope for a quirky mini campaign utilising Brunosk's Trop Spits amongst other. The summary of the story is, Civilian aircraft going missing crossing the desert during ww2. Special squadron of spits sent to find out the problem. They discover that the Germans are using a magnetic beam to scramble compasses and are drawing the aircraft away and shooting them down.
There are search and rescue, interceptions, dropping off an agent, defending your base against bombers, defending your base against paratroopers and ground attack missions and they include the following aircraft:
-Trop Spitfire
-Defiant
-Whitley
-Rapide
-Bf 109e and f
-Bf 110c
-Ju52
Would be an interesting project at least.
I'd recommend the Biggles Books to anyone here. A bit old hat at times but they cover WW1 to Post WW2 and as the author was a DH4 pilot in WW1 he tends to keep things pretty accurate!
Reply...
Ian,
I have a suggestion if you are interested. If you have Skype, Shadow Wolf 07 and I speak on a semi-nightly basis on Skype, and members like Talon were also part of this group. If you want to get into techniques beyond the handbook, I can also do screen-sharing to give you ideas on advanced techniques for some land missions, and Shadow Wolf 07 is also an expert on the Naval side.
Ian,
I have a suggestion if you are interested. If you have Skype, Shadow Wolf 07 and I speak on a semi-nightly basis on Skype, and members like Talon were also part of this group. If you want to get into techniques beyond the handbook, I can also do screen-sharing to give you ideas on advanced techniques for some land missions, and Shadow Wolf 07 is also an expert on the Naval side.
Ian Astill
Charter Member 2012
Would love to at some point Rami. May take some co-ordination with me being in the UK but Im sure we can do something. Can you PM me your Skype details?
Blood_Hawk23
Charter Member
Only a 5 hour difference. Just don't catch Rami on a school night. He's not the night owl I am.