Simmer week-end!

My friend, Liviu, who is also an aviation enthusiast, came this week-end to Bucharest, so that we can enjoy together the benefits of Il-2 and share the experience accumulated since we last saw. We exchanged books and movies and, from the very beginning, I had the feeling that time was passing too slowly for the enormous quantity of information we needed to 'upload'.
Except for our experience-sharing, we also disagreed on a few matters. Liviu doesn't like Fw-190 and loves the Spitfire, but I told him that Fw-190 can be as good. I had to prove Fw-190 was flyable... I start the game and decide to finish my opponent in a head-on pass, or, at least, through a boom & zoom. I engage in a head-on pass, but I shoot just like an old lady fires a bazooka, and I miss and the Spit gets on my tail, I struggle like a madman to shake it off. The Spit fires but misses me and OVERSHOOTS! My chance now and I'll need all the luck in the world... I turn my Fw-190 in its direction and climb under its belly. But the Spit has already rolled upside down, so all I see is the enemy cockpit in front of me and I fire like crazy... The enemy pilot gets killed, the Spit is cold, no input on the ailerons and rudders. Yes! Fw-190 rocks! Liviu looks at me in anger and disbelief...

Before Liviu got to Bucharest, I'd had the chance to watch a very good movie - The Blue Max. The dogfight scenes are pure joy and the plot is more complex than it seems!

And... two great books that I bought this week:

'Dan Vizanty - Destinul unui pilot de vânătoare' (Dan Vizanty - The destiny of a fighter pilot) by Daniel Focsa... Vizanty was WW2 Romania's 13th top scoring ace.

'O pasiune de o viaţă - Amintirile mele ca pilot aviator' (A lifetime passion - My memoirs as an airplane pilot) by Mihail Pavlovschi, a WW2 Romanian renowned Ju-52 pilot.

Bitter revenge at Kuban

Yesterday, after drinking some wine, I score 5 kills (!) in the Kuban campaign (4 x Pe-2 and 1 x I-16). I tried to save my mission, but I forgot to add the .ntrk extension and my game crashed... I lost my mission save and my score record. Damn!
Today I get home from my job and I'm decided to have my revenge. I fly in my Bf-109 E-4 to the conflict zone and I find three of four LaGG-3. My boom@zoom technique doesn't go too well, but my prey tries to escape upwards and I manage to pull up in time, get on its tail and cut it out!

This is my first LaGG-3 for today. The second one is hit by me and by my wingman, but the kill is somehow recorded on my account. Nothing spectacular, the second enemy just falls to the ground like a rock.
At the beginning, I'm so proud of my achievements. But later I find the LaGG-3 wasn't such a good plane, even the Soviet pilots used its acronym - Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov - in a joke, to call it 'the varnished guaranteed coffin' (Lakirovanny Garantirovanny Grob). And its airframe was completely made of timber! I should have sticked to the Pe-2 and I-16...

More about Virtutea Aeronautica Order

Carol II of Romania has created the first order in the world designed specifically for pilots - Virtutea Aeronautica.
After renouncing the throne in 1925, Carol changes his mind and decides to force things and regain his crown in 1930. After secretly negociating with Iuliu Maniu, the top Romanian politician of that time, Carol Caraiman (Carol had to take an ordinary family name after resigning his throne and after being expelled from the Romanian royal family) rents a plane in Paris and, in June 6th 1930, Friday, flies back to Romania, taking off from the Le Bourget airport. The plane, a Gnome-Rhône Titan-engined Farman (probably, a F.190, main production version, powered by a Gnome-Rhône 5Ba engine), was piloted by the French pilot Lallouette.

After flying over Germany, Austria and Hungary, the Farman enters Romania's airspace, but it reaches fuel limit and the plane has to land near Vadu Crisului village. After refueling his plane and receiving drinking water from a local peasant-woman, called Mudura (Modura), Carol's plane is descovered by a twin-seat IAR Potez 25 airplane, piloted by cpt. Ion Cristescu, sent by the commander of the 2nd Flight Reconaissance Group based at Someseni airfield (Cluj), worried about Carol's delay. As Carol's plane, the Farman has engine problems, Carol flies to Someseni in the Potez 25, where it lands at 19:00.

At 19:25, Carol, in a Potez 25, piloted by cpt. Nicolae Opris, takes off and heads for Bucharest, escorted by 2 Potez 25.
After an eventful day, Carol Caraiman lands at Baneasa Airfield in Bucharest, at 22:05, the same day.
To express his gratitude for the help he had received to get back to Romania safely, Carol II created Virtutea Aeronautica Order in 1930 (Royal Decree no. 2895) and Medalia Aeronautica (Aeronautical Medal) in 1931 (Royal Decree no. 463), after 10 years, in 1940 (a few months before he was forced to abdicate), Carol II emits a set of anniversary coins (90% gold, 10% copper).
One of the anniversary coins illustrates the Vadu Crisului episode. On the coin, one can see Carol, on a wheat field, taking an earthenware pot from the peasant woman called Modura. Behind Carol, the propeller of an airplane, and, in the background, sunrays and hills.

About June 6th 1930, there is an excellent article in Magazin istoric (History Magazine), January 2010, written by Mr. Dr. Valeriu Avram, called 'The aviation and the restoration'.
Special thanks to Mr. Vici, at WorldWar2.ro Forum, for scanning the article for me!!!

Virtutea Aeronautica (Aeronautical Virtue)

Today I play the Romanian campaign. I already have 3 kills (1xI-16, 2xLaGG-3) and today we have to escort our bombers (He-111) to Maryanskaya (Crimea). Mission is flown in 9 August 1942, I fly a Bf-109 E4, flight time - 43 minutes. I manage to kill 3 P-40's, and I'm promoted to sLt. and I also receive the 'Virtutea Aeronautica' Gold Cross class with one bar (Ordinul Virtutea Aeronautica Cruce de Aur cu o bareta). My folks seem to be so kind, I only have 6 kills...
Still, I'm so proud of my achievement, so I can't help but posting my award here... with my cursor on it.

A few things about 'Virtutea Aeronautica' (Aeronautical Virtue) Order. It has been created by King Carol II of Romania in 1930, being the first order in the world designed specifically for pilots. It had four classes: Gold Cross (strangely, it was the smallest class), Knight, Officer and Commander. Each class had two variants: 'whithout swords' (in peace time) and 'with swords' (in war time).
After Carol II abdicated in September 1940, the badge of the order was slightly modified, in the sense that Carol II's cipher was replaced by King Michael I's.
In the year 2000, the order has been restored, mainly for historical considerations, i.e. for being the first order in the world awarded to pilots only.

Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (Jack)

Yesterday evening, seminar at Joint-Ops Virtual Flight Schools: Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (雷電, "Thunderbolt"). The Allies called it 'Jack'. After a very dense 20 minute presentation, made by Mr Funflak, we jumped into a bunch of J2M5 cockpits and started testing this interesting airplane, built from the start as a bomber interceptor, with a very good climb rate.
Raiden has 3-stage supercharger, used as follows:
- up to 2000 m, 1st stage supercharger, fuel mixture 120%
- between 2000m and 5000 m, 2nd stage supercharger, fuel mixture 100%
- between 5000 m and 6500 m, 3rd stage supercharger, fuel mixture 80%
- above 6500 m, 3rd stage supercharger, fuel mixture 60%.
WEP could be activated manually and the engine doesn't overheat so easily.
First we fought against some P-51's, using our climbing rate as an advantage. I had the luck to down two of them... In the second mission, we had a tougher fight, against B-29's and P-51's. I shot at a B-29 many times, and eventually, one of his engines caught fire. I had to RTB, my fuel tank was full of holes and my engine had a very strange noise. I managed to find my homebase and land safely.

HyperLobby

It's been a long time since I've logged in to HyperLobby. But, finally, today I did it again and I had a lot of fun. Il-2 Sturmovik 1946 v. 4.10.1 on a server called UKDedicated1, for about 5 hours!!! I had a few kills and I've been shot down a couple of times. A guy incredibly missed me once, me flying like a stupid goose, and two stalled when trying to chase me at low altitude.
Yesterday I graduated Advanced Pilot School at Joint-Ops, after a very long and strenuous examination. Advanced Fighter School 1 begins in a couple of months, so I have a lot of time to polish my skills on the HyperLobby Arena - Blood in the Skies!

Twelve o'clock high

I was really happy to have the chance to watch this amazing movie! I really can't imagine a better WW2 classic, the bombing and fighting footage are great, not to mention the complex issue of leadership that is brought forward (a comparison with the episode where Sun Tzu explains his theory by disciplining a group of women - would be extremely interesting).

Another interesting classic movie

Yesterday I watched "One of our aircraft is missing" (1942). Although the war was at its peak, along with the inherent propaganda, this movie is still worth considering.

Reach for the Sky (1956)

Today I watched Reach for the Sky (1956), an impressing WW2 movie, the shots, the settings, the acting, everything was just pure joy for the eye and soul. And Kenneth More was magnificent!

Tudor Greceanu - WW2 Top Romanian Ace

Today I finished reading Tudor Greceanu's book - ' Drumul celor putini' (The way of the few). I am deeply moved by this man's love for his country, his courage, his wisdom and his power to resist the Soviet invasion. He sacrificed everything for his country and his country fed him only with suffering and oblivion. Today I'm proud to have made a new immortal friend!

http://www.worldwar2.ro/arr/?article=705

And I can't help mentioning here two other great books, that I read recently and I cherish very, very much:

Ion Dobran (WW2 Romanian Fighter Ace)'s 'Lieutenant Dobran's Diary'

Ion Profir (WW2 Romanian Top Bomber Pilot)'s 'Flying solo in the sky above Stalingrad'

Singlemanship

Singlemanship is a term, invented by Mrs FireSalamander at Joint-Ops, that defines the art of fighting alone against multiple enemies. For the beginning, we started learning how to fight alone against two enemies using wingmanship.
We fought in turns, 2 vs 1 and 1 vs 2. It was a lot of fun, everybody tried their best. At some point, my cannon ammo was out and I had to chase my enemy with my machine-guns only, like in WW1. I was close to tearing everything apart in my cockpit and starting throwing things at my opponent...
Now, after this seminar, I cannot help but come up with some Chinese-like philosophy:
- When two, fight like one!
- When one, fight like two!...

Dobran's birthday

Today is general Dobran's birthday. He was a WW2 Romanian ace who fought against the Soviets, the Americans and, after 1944 August 23rd, against the Germans.

Me and my friend, Liviu, called him today, on his 92nd birthday, and wished him Happy Birthday. He has not changed a bit since we first met him last year. Maybe we are lucky enough to meet him this year, too. This man's worth his weight in gold! Two major aspects impressed me about general Dobran: modesty and intelligence. Although he's 92 years old this year, his mind stays very lucid and bright. We are all proud to have among us such a valuable war hero!

http://www.worldwar2.ro/arr/?article=695

Worst bogey ever

I remember one particular day of those rookie days... I'm in front of my computer, ready to take off. Hands on my joystick and keyboard, free-track is on, my feet already feel the rudder pedals...

Quick mission with a Bf-109 G6 against a few La-5. I shoot one down and the others seem to run away. I'm flying above the clouds now, looking right, looking left, looking back-left, looking back-right. Nothing in sight.

I double-check my six. Nothing back-right, nothing back-le...

Oh, shit!!! I see a bogey coming right at me, he's at my 7 o'clock. I choose the barrel-roll instinctively, but the bastard sticks to me like glue, as if invisibile wires tie us together. I sweat like a pig, my 109 is flying in desperate curves, but the enemy doesn't open fire yet. I don't understand, he's playing with me, yeah, you sick bastard, what are you waiting for?! Take the shot, you...!

My sweating face is near the monitor, eyes wide open... It is a FLY, a goddamn FLY! Unbelievable! It smiles at me and flies away...

I'm totally humiliated. I would've preferred it was a murderous bandit...