Walfisch

R

Rickitycrate

Guest
I'm looking forward to using the Walfisch in BHAH. Piloting and observing. For whatever reason this fishbird has caught my imagination. Found an image of the craft, pic of a model kit, that makes me want to build the kit that I have. My new avatar for now.
 
you'll be happy to know that Makai did an outstanding job painting it and it really shows!

It looks great in the game and is actually a lot of fun to fly. I personally flew a few missions in it when we were Beta testing. Nice plane, and easy to fly. You can even give the Early War Entente crates a good run for the money in a dogfight.

OvS
 
How is the forward/down visibility? Such a different wing configuration, I wonder? Seems there would be some advantage too with the lower position of the top wing.
 
Hi, RICKITYCRATE
Here's a picture of the "Walfisch" from German WIKIPEDIA. And a second one from "Vintage Aviator".
Ther, you can see, that the forward down view left and right was through windows.
What makes the plane almost cosy to me, is the idea, that the observer could sit inside, looking out left and right and up.
(But I don't know, if he really could).

A third pic I found here: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2574545/mpage_4/tm.htm It's athread about the technique, how the fuselage was actually constructed (Wickeltechnik) - perhaps interesting for others too.

Enjoy. Olham
 
AAAH! The Roland C2! This little gem seems to be a favorite with lots of WW1 aircraft enthusiasts. It was a great plane when it was first introduced and managed to bu a usefull tool up to the end of the war.
 
Roland CII

Hi Olham, wie geht's? Yes I knew about the windows but when you are in a tangle with EA trying to keep an eye on the situation through those windows does not seem practicle. If I recall... the model kit I have includes window curtains. Overall an attractive well built and powerful machine by what I've read. Seems like it could be very deadly with the right crew. I enjoyed the pics and info thanks.
 
The LFG Roland C.II was fast and a good climber but lacked maneuverability. Fuselage disturbed airflow over the tail which reduced control effectiveness, and the plane could not be held in a climbing turn and had a tendency to stall. Downward visibility was limited and the airplane was tricky to land. Window hatches were to assist crew egress in the event of a rollover, providing the rollover cage prevented them from having their necks broken.

Quotes:

"...in our Walfisch we had poor visibility, and every pilot was in a sweat about landing." Hauptmann Hermann Köhl, Kasta 22

"...the Walfisch was not a particularly flight-worthy machine. It was taken for granted that every pilot on his first flight would crash on landing."
--unknown

"...[the Walfisch] was not liked by everybody because of its nose heaviness." Oberleutnant Maximilian von Cossel, Rudolf Windisch, F Fl Abt 62

(Source: LFG Roland C.II (Windsock Datafile 49), P.M. Grosz, 1995)

Still, I love the looks of this airplane and can't wait to fly one!
 
May not have been a sterling performer but, as far as appearence goes it certainly looke the part. :)

Bear in mind too that it was considered reasonably easy meat by skilled pilots like Ball, Guynemer and Dorme. Ball especially had a liking of stalking and attacking Roland flights over the Somme in '16.
 
The only thing bad about the Roland was that its crew was awfully exposed because of the upper-wing configuration. It gave the rear gunner a great field of fire, but also both the pilot and the gunner were exposed. Is this reflected in P3?

I agree with all here--cool aircraft. Cannot wait for the team to add even more two-seaters, which I would think would be the next major effort after the release of P3.
 
I think "being exposed" due to the upper wing config. is all in the mind of the crew given that the only thing the canvas and wood wing could do for you is provide something to cringe behind. It ain't going to stop bullets...
This mindset was also shared by the Dolphin pilots.


Propeller-Crossesw-flags7small.jpg
 
Oooooh, I do love me some Walfisches too! Can't wait to try her out as well. Now if we can just get the developers to waste more of thier precious time on Der Floh, or the Flea...see my Avatar pic...we'll be all set!! Psych!! just kiddin. I really think they shoulda named it the Bloated Tick instead. I'll bet it had interesting handling characterisitcs.

ZZ.

By the way, from what I've read the Wlafisch was a real hard nut, almost as agile as a fighter, but with the rear sting of a backseat gunner. Its only real weakness was to shoot her up from underneath like (either it was Ball or Mannock?) liked to do. If you had a wary pilot who swerved to get better bottom vantage aspects regularly, you had a real problem.
 
Rickitycrate said:
How is the forward/down visibility? Such a different wing configuration, I wonder? Seems there would be some advantage too with the lower position of the top wing.
Click to expand...

It feels very strange when you fly it. Like you're sitting on top of the wing, instead of in the cockpit, not like the E.III, it's different.

But it handles pretty good, much like it's suggested it does. It is hard to look down, but when in the back seat, it's great.... wide open sky behind you.

OvS
 
Hello,
i have read some of the pilot's statements posted by JFM, but according to what i read the "Walfisch" was a fast reconaissance two seater with fighter capabilities, and shot down numerous enemies, maybe a bit like the "Brisfit", or Bristol Fighter.
What i do not understand is that - if the LFG Roland was indeed constructed in the Goettingen wind tunnel, why didn't they mount the thicker wings to that machine. This plane was otherwise so advanced ...

I am really looking forward to "fly" this bird (or fish), along with maybe more planes that will later be added to the OFF variety of planes :rapture:... (I know of at least two people who would LIKE to see a Fokker D.VIII, or a Taube later. Oops. :gossip: lol)

Greetings,
Catfish
 
Yes, with BHAH we will have a nice large group of planes to start "off" with but I think and hope that some more crates, 2 seaters and bombers will become available in time. Not to be greedy or dissatisfied in any way but there is such a rich historical record to draw from. Yes Zoom Zoom even your flea would be interesting to fly. It might handle like a turd but it was a real airplane that must have taken to the air, played no part in the war of course. Heck one of the first things I flew in P2 was a bicycle then I took a turn with the Model T. Walked away from both crashes too. Hehehe
 
Could any of the "devels" tell us, if it would be possible - in multiplayer mode - that my neighbour, friend and flight colleague would fly the "Walfisch", whilst I do the rear gunning? Against AI, that is?
Yes, like everyone around here, I'm very keen on flying the new planes.
Maybe, in it's time (pre-Albatros), even the Halberstadt was a good fighter to experience. And the "Walfish" will be my first two-seater then.
:jump: :jump: :jump:

Let's have fun with the new planes soon. The other ones mentioned here (D VIII, Sopwith Snipe, Siemens-Schuckert, Taube, and, and, will keep it exiting to hope for a later P4 then. :wave:
 
Catfish said:
Hello,
i have read some of the pilot's statements posted by JFM, but according to what i read the "Walfisch" was a fast reconaissance two seater with fighter capabilities, and shot down numerous enemies, maybe a bit like the "Brisfit", or Bristol Fighter.
What i do not understand is that - if the LFG Roland was indeed constructed in the Goettingen wind tunnel, why didn't they mount the thicker wings to that machine. This plane was otherwise so advanced ...

I am really looking forward to "fly" this bird (or fish), along with maybe more planes that will later be added to the OFF variety of planes :rapture:... (I know of at least two people who would LIKE to see a Fokker D.VIII, or a Taube later. Oops. :gossip: lol)

Greetings,
Catfish
Click to expand...

I agree... I know Eduard von Schleich had success in it, as did MvR.... not per say with kills, but missions and overall flight. Keep in mind, the time period this bird was flying there were not as many planes in the skies either. Although it did see action late into the war, it was not used as extensively once the DFW, Rumpler and other 2-seaters broke into the scene.

OvS
 
Olham54 said:
Could any of the "devels" tell us, if it would be possible - in multiplayer mode - that my neighbour, friend and flight colleague would fly the "Walfisch", whilst I do the rear gunning? Against AI, that is?
Yes, like everyone around here, I'm very keen on flying the new planes.
Maybe, in it's time (pre-Albatros), even the Halberstadt was a good fighter to experience. And the "Walfish" will be my first two-seater then.
:jump: :jump: :jump:

Let's have fun with the new planes soon. The other ones mentioned here (D VIII, Sopwith Snipe, Siemens-Schuckert, Taube, and, and, will keep it exiting to hope for a later P4 then. :wave:
Click to expand...


Don't quote me, but I THINK you can. Maybe PD or Sittingduck can answer better than me. I have not flown MP in OFF yet.

OvS
 
It would nice to get the Rumpler in the game (highly prized by allied airmen to down because of its high-flying capabilities), as well as the Albatros C series aircraft, LVGs and Hannoveraner in the sim (as well as a host of allied two-seater aircraft) at some future point.
 
First, that'd be great to have two guys crew an airplane in P3.

Second, MvR did have one unconfirmed victory flying a Walfisch (although I haven't absotively corroborated this). Many are familiar with the event: he rigged a MG to his plane to fire over the prop. He attacked a Nieuport and claimed it shot it down. He did not specifically identify his own airplane as an LFG Roland C.II, and for a time his unit Kasta 8 was equipped with both LFG Roland C.IIs and LVG C.IIs. However, Richthofen described steadily closing on the Nieuport from astern and no way an LVG C.II could do that.

Also, based on everything I've read the Halberstadt Ds were a joy to fly. Is there a Halb in P3? I need to get over to the P3 HQ and refresh what planes are going to be available.
 
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