Another batch of assorted questions
- Thread starter TyeDyeBoy
- Start date
Getting my license was the most exciting day I ever had! To finally fly on my own was like winning the lottery! The freedom, the challenge, the gas bill!! 
Especially the cost of fuel for that lear!! (I had to pay for my own fuel whenever I want to fly that thing!)
RFB
[Edited by RFBurns on 05-01-2001 at 15:18]
Especially the cost of fuel for that lear!! (I had to pay for my own fuel whenever I want to fly that thing!)RFB
[Edited by RFBurns on 05-01-2001 at 15:18]
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
Highest kill score, yes, but not greatest pilot. There are all sorts of criteria to take into consideration for a pilot. For example, The Red Baron was an excellent marksman, but only a mediocre flyer. Most of the pilots in the Flying Tigers were great strateticians and got the most out of their craft, but were at best only slightly above average pilots, and many of them couldn't shoot straight.
Hartmann had several advantages in getting such a score. First, he flew against vastly inferior pilots and machines for most of his career (Russian and North African fronts). Second, the Germans counted air-to-ground kills in their total count. Third, the Germans counted their kills from the Spanish Civil War (just prior to WWII) in their total count. Lastly, the Germans did not break up their assignments into tours of duty -- once "on duty", you flew until you were killed, wounded, captured, or simply unable to fly, no breaks.
Interestingly enough, Hartmann was killed by his own plane; he struck the tailplane when he bailed out (mid-1942, IIRC). How smart is that...?
[Edited by OriginalPhoenix on 05-01-2001 at 15:36]
The cesnas arent that bad, usually around 30 bucks for a full tank of fuel. Renting the plane comes with fuel, costs around 80 to 150 bucks to rent a plane, and they rent those much like a rental car company does, it has a full tank of gas, but when you return the vehicle, you have to make shure the tank is full.
Not as easy for the Lear45. Filling all tanks, both wing tanks and wing tip external tanks, costs around 300 bucks! I wont get into the maintenance of that lear! (needless to say, my instructor is, well somewhat "well off"). My instructor has 3 planes. 2 twin engine turboprops and one Learjet 45.
The lessons arent that bad in cost, but does take some time, lots of classroom study and flight instruction. But the rewards are well worth the effort!
RFB
Not as easy for the Lear45. Filling all tanks, both wing tanks and wing tip external tanks, costs around 300 bucks! I wont get into the maintenance of that lear! (needless to say, my instructor is, well somewhat "well off"). My instructor has 3 planes. 2 twin engine turboprops and one Learjet 45.
The lessons arent that bad in cost, but does take some time, lots of classroom study and flight instruction. But the rewards are well worth the effort!
RFB
Well, I have the most respect for WWI aces. The performances of their planes were very poor and they often risked to lose the control. Furthermore, the reliability of the engine (at the beginning) wasn't very good.
I understand easily that you became an ACE with only five kills (30' of flying against Nephilims...)
I understand easily that you became an ACE with only five kills (30' of flying against Nephilims...)
No, the criterion for WC Aces is the same. 5 kills.
I think it's crap, too, but hey? Most Gulf War pilots only had one kill.
What the heck are you talking about, Phoenix? Didn't Hartmann survive WWII? And, even if they did count lifetime kills, that's still pretty damn impressive. And, please don't use the description of Red Baron (Rictofen, not me) from "Claw Marks"...the Baron was, at least, an above-average pilot. Not good enough to survive a bullet in the heart, though...which is what killed him, while he was going for his 81st kill.
I think it's crap, too, but hey? Most Gulf War pilots only had one kill.
What the heck are you talking about, Phoenix? Didn't Hartmann survive WWII? And, even if they did count lifetime kills, that's still pretty damn impressive. And, please don't use the description of Red Baron (Rictofen, not me) from "Claw Marks"...the Baron was, at least, an above-average pilot. Not good enough to survive a bullet in the heart, though...which is what killed him, while he was going for his 81st kill.
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
Yes, the Kilrathi do train their pilots -- but just basically, they rely on the war to decide which ones are good enough to survive <G>
There were two major battles on Repleetah... the first lasted from 2646.080 to 2651.290 and killed 2.7 million human soldiers, 1.2 million civilians and 7 million Kilrathi. This was the one we see on WCA, with the big dig-tanks and Pavs being wounded...
The second battle was the one talked about in Victory Streak... that ended with the deaths of everyone involved during the last Confederate assault. It went from 2654.270 to late 2664. This was when Dekker served -- but he was captured and sent to a POW camp during the battle.
Ace status: Although your character can easily score five (and far more than five) kills, most characters in the WC Universe *can't*.
There were two major battles on Repleetah... the first lasted from 2646.080 to 2651.290 and killed 2.7 million human soldiers, 1.2 million civilians and 7 million Kilrathi. This was the one we see on WCA, with the big dig-tanks and Pavs being wounded...
The second battle was the one talked about in Victory Streak... that ended with the deaths of everyone involved during the last Confederate assault. It went from 2654.270 to late 2664. This was when Dekker served -- but he was captured and sent to a POW camp during the battle.
Ace status: Although your character can easily score five (and far more than five) kills, most characters in the WC Universe *can't*.
I dont recall anytime I had the throttle set anywhere below 80 percent in level flight! I became too comfortable with the Lear45 settings in level flight, around 65-70 percent at FL250.
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
My mistake...I'm thinking of Hans Marsielle, the "Star of Africa", who had some 158 kills until his death in '42.
First off, I'm not using the description from Claw Marks -- by most accounts, the Red Baron was an average pilot at best. What made him so deadly was his expert use of surprise tactics, and a deadly aim.
Also, as the bullet to the heart, could you provide a source for that? Most historical references state that he died of a head injury, though where that bullet came from is unclear. Could've been a lucky full-deflection shot from Capt. Brown, or AA fire. It's never been definitively proven either way, though Brown officially got credit.
In the real world, with real aircraft, getting 5 kills is *not* easy, the plane has no shields, has limitations to its manuverability and cannot simply stop midair and rearm and refuel. Back in the golden days of aviation, even during WWII, the aircraft were extremely difficult to handle, especially in dogfights. So 5 kills was considered *alot* for ACE status.
But many pilots couldnt even hit that number in an entire tour of duty.
RFB
But many pilots couldnt even hit that number in an entire tour of duty.
RFB
Mekt-Hakkikt
Mpanty's bane
Yeah, and in WC you just re-load when you get killed. If you played WC for the first time I am sure it wasn't so easy to get 5 kills without being killed.
That's the advantage of being "just a game."
That's the advantage of being "just a game."
Once I ran into trouble when testing for my pilots liscense, it was a single engine cessna, 20 mins into flight, was loosing engine power, probably due to dirty fuel injectors. Fortunately I was less than 5 miles from the airport, and made a safe landing. The trouble did point to fouled up injectors. It was no big deal, but had I been further away from the airport, it might have been a disaster! Lesson learned here, ALWAYS check your craft yourself prior to flight! 
RFB
RFB
