CrisGer
Charter Member
German WWI L Class Zepplin
L44 CFS2 Zepplin by Gary Aumaugher
http://www.filefront.com/17709324/L44.zip
Gary Aumaugher has very kindly given us his L44 German Zepplin CFS2 model for uploading and sharing here at SOH. He says it is an alpha condition with some more adjustments he wanted to do, it but has very generously agree to launch it over to us, and it is landing now. I will attach the files as they are currently, he is going to send me the Pantshop Pro texture template files so we can make skins for it, it has a nice gray skin now, according to our first tester, "in overall gray which comes out a nice silver with a little specular shine" Also hopefully if tweaks are needed I am hopeful that the seasoned and experienced hands here can help with that. This was a very generous and kind gesture on Gary's part and gives us a important unit to add to our growing WWI revival for CFS2. I wil upload it here as soon as i get the texture templates.
The read me is included and updated to include Gary's request that we keep all the origina fles together. Those who understand and can pls check over the controls, and panel, I may have an alternate panel if we need one.
Three Cheers for the Kaiser
Zepplin over Kiel Regatta Year unknown.
WWI and Zepplin's
Naval and Army Use of Zepplin Rigid Airships
Often used in squadrons of up to 8 units at a time, for reconissance and bombing and harrasement misions, these were the most effective ariel units of the war until the development of fighters caught up with them. Most use was by the Imperial German High Seas fleet though early on the German Army tried to use Zeps (technically, I think the Army's airships were wooden-framed Schutte-Lanz types not Zeppelins) in their intended role of reconnaisance and paid the price, though IIRC AA fire may have been more effective than planes. The Navy used Zeps extensively early war in maritime reconnaisance over the North Sea mainly, until seaplanes and the likes of Camels launched from various seaborne means became a threat. Several airships were lost to these means; the 2F1 ship's Camel was often seen in the markings of a Zeppelin-killer, Cully IIRC.
The most famous clashes between Zeps and planes were during the (mostly night-time) airship raids on England. Leefe-Robinson, shot down in a new Bristol Fighter F2A by Jasta 11's Festner in April 1917, got his VC for shooting down SL11 in a Morane Parasol. Combat Aces, the CFS2 WW1 add-on, has some anti-Zep night missions in an Avro 504C, which are quite fun, in a dark, slow-motion kind of way, with decent effects and a suitable RFC plane or two.
There are several good books on the subject but I particularly recommend "The Friendless Sky" by the great writer Alexander McKee. Has a very readable chapter on zeppelin operations, long out-of-print but may be available cheap on e-bay. No illustrations but a more readable and enjoyable account of WW1 in the air from about every viewpoint would be very hard to find.
__________________
