Blasphemy!

13 December 1998, 08:07 AM

Bill,

Agreed on Hawker making a run because of fuel running out, I was just pointing out that if he had outlclassed Richthofen enough to bring him down early in the dogfight, he may not have been faced with the fuel problem at all.

Regards,

MDD

13 December 1998, 08:45 AM

Something just popped in my head here (pop)
I recall reading somewhere that the DH2 was slower than the Albatros DII but that it could turn tighter. Does anyone have any idea if there is any truth to this statement? Just from looking at the 2 aircraft, the DH2 looks outclassed by the
DII in every way.

Barrett · 13 December 1998, 09:46 AM

To settle this peculiar "argument," I'll quote The First Rule of Fighter Aviation:

"A kill is a kill."

Paul Forster · 13 December 1998, 10:14 AM

How could MvR pick on inexperianced pilots? Was he psychic,did rookie pilots have special markings on their planes so MvR could pick them out? I don't think so.The turn over rate of Allied pilots was so rapid (

Bloody April in particular ) that there was a fair chance any pilot MvR ran into would be a rookie.

13 December 1998, 11:28 AM

C. Grube,
How could you be so insensitive? Now you have all the Red Baron groupies up in arms! For shame, now you'll have to take sensitivity training 101.
You should've learned from my example! I am a bad boy because I dared to cast dispersions on the character and skill of MvR. The MvR crowd was braiding the noose for my neck. Luckily there are a few people that are realistic enough to admit that MvR wasn't the greatest thing sinced sliced bread. He was good at his job, but he wasn't great.
VBR,
Jim

Ira_Silverman · 13 December 1998, 11:29 AM

Politically Correct Rules of Past and Future Wars, Book 27, Version 3.04:

1.01: Any pilot in a future war with 5 or more kills shall have a large Scarlet A painted on his aircraft with the number of kills painted in equally large letters adjacent to it.

1.02: No aircraft shall be allowed to engage an opposing aircraft unless the A number of the EA is a value of 5 or less below his own.

1.03: Each combatant shall be required to make a low speed fly-by past his opponent so each knows what he, or she, is up against.

That should about do it.

Shooter · 13 December 1998, 11:54 AM

Paul:

Two methods of victim selection are operative, that I know of:

(a) Look for the idiot who seems to barely be able to keep his a/c aloft, who cannot seem to stay in formation, etc. He is probably a rook. While this method can be feigned by some REALLY devious shooters, it is pretty reliable, and it is second to method #2.

(B) pick one at random...scrubs constitute about 93% of the people who strap on a fighter plane. Very few do the shooting, and an appallingly large number are those who get shot. The remainder blunder through life without the experience of either.

Hey, you ASKED!

Bill

mike_baram · 13 December 1998, 02:09 PM

How could MvR pick on inexperianced pilots?

That big blue "L" on the tail was a dead giveaway.

13 December 1998, 04:25 PM

Hey Mike,
Everybody has to start somewhere. But we all know what the big Red was doing the night of April 21st, 1918 don't we. Not BREATHING! BUMMER the big RED got himself punctured and deflated. Rookie mistakes get you every time.
VBR,
Jim

13 December 1998, 04:50 PM

To all the Red Baron groupies,
Maybe I did not address the issue properly. So Ill try again. Yes, MVR was very good at his craft. But so are professional football players! You don't have playoffs between pros and college players for a reason! And ranking the Red Baron as one of the world's great fighter pilots is just as ludicrous. He was careful not to engage experienced pilots. He evaluated his opponents, and when he was assured that victory was his, he attacked. The Red Baron was a gunfighter who took few chances. And yes , that was his job too. But I wonder. If he had met a long line of Balls,Bishops,McCuddens, and Lukes, would he have survived as long as he did? I do have my doubts!

Your turn!