GearyMcS
Charter Member 2011

Hey guys, Achim has updated his Norwegian airfields, and many of them now blend in very well with the surrounding scenery. The airfields at Vaernes and Fornebu now have expanded runways, allowing for easier takeoffs with Heinkels, Dreifingers, and Kondors. Also included are revised airfields in Iceland, at Keflavik and a brand-new base at Reykjavik! Thank you to Achim for these, and I moved them to the top of the pile for you!

Hey guys, Rami's "skunk works" have been secretly active in Europe again...can anyone guess the location? I have a couple more locations on this theme to do... Hint: The Allies targeted this location heavily during World War II.

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Missions Add-Ons Description: These missions were originally done by C.Burgess in 2000. I have just updated them with new planes and ships that have come out since then. by Talon To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Nagumo_Force.zip The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Aircraft - British Description: Update of Bismarck13's Bristol Bombay I took Bismarck13's (William Dickens) Bombay and simply did some refining to it. I created new skins with panel lines..basic servicable panel lines, nothing super sharp or detailed...just enough to give the plane some character. I revamped the DP file, using the Ground Crew British Weapons pack. There are 4 skins in this pack. The first is just a revamp of the original desert scheme that came with the plane. The second is a desert scheme Air Ambulance. Third is a Cargo variant in overall RAF Dark Green. Lastly is a Dark Green and Medium Sea Gray camo scheme...not accurate but looks nice. The Air Ambulance Skin: I attempted to recreate the Bombay in the markings of No1 Air Ambulance Unit, RAAF, based on an image sent to me by Hewman. Unfortunately, I was not able to do so in a manner that satisfied me. The Red Cross insignia on the sides of the fuselage should have No 1 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF in a semi-circle on the top half of the insignia...I was not able to produce that lettering in a curve with any of the software I have...or at least not with results that were good enough to use..they tended to be blurry and uneven. Secondly, the real RAAF Air Ambulance had the Red Cross insignia wrapped across the bottom of the fuselage..again, the results from many attempts to achieve this were less than stellar..very blurred, very streaky. So, I opted to include my first rendition of an Air Ambulance....it may not be totally accurate, but it looks good. And I think most simmers would rather have a good looking plane that is not quite on par with history than to have a historical skin that looks like crap. ________________________ A great big thank you to Bismarck for creating this fine aircraft. While it is not a super significant aircraft in terms of usage during WW2, it is a nice addition to the CFS2 line up of avaiable aircraft. Bismarck has produced many many aircraft that fit in this mold...planes that history and most model makers have over looked. Thanks also to Peperez and Hewman for supplying info on the colors and markings used on the Bombay. Thanks to the folks at Ground Crew for making and sharing their incredible British weapons pack. Very nicely modeled bombs in that pack. ________________________ Please refer to the original read me file by Bismarck13 (William Dickens). This is his work, and his rules aplly above all others. For my part...these skins are free ware. Feel free to tweak them to your own liking. Heck, if you want I will be glad to share my paint template if you want to repaint the plane in a way of your choosing...just shoot me a PM with your e-mail address and I will send you the Photoshop 5.0 files (can be used in Paintshop Pro as well). _________________________ Use these files at your own risk. Any loss or damage that may arise from the use of these files is...

Hey guys, I know it's a little unusual for me to be asking this type of question...but sources for what I'm researching are extremely limited, and I thought y'all might be able to point me in the right direction. Whilst I am in the midst of working on a few projects, my scattershot mind is starting another one, and I'm struggling to find good sources. I am looking for information on the 20th Fighter Group...the primary operators of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in the ETO until July of 1944, when they switched to the P-51. 1) They were based at RAF Kings Cliffe. 2) They flew a long-range escort mission to Bordeaux, France at the end of 1943.

In Fort Walton Beach, Florida, the surviving Doolittle Raiders gathered publicly for the last time. They once were among the most universally admired and revered men in the United States. There were 80 of the Raiders in April 1942, when they carried out one of the most courageous and heart-stirring military operations in this nation's history. The mere mention of their unit's name, in those years, would bring tears to the eyes of grateful Americans. Now only four survive. After Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, with the United States reeling and wounded, something dramatic was needed to turn the war effort around. Even though there were no friendly airfields close enough to Japan for the United States to launch retaliation, a daring plan was devised. Sixteen B-25s were modified so that they could take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This had never before been tried -- sending such big, heavy bombers from a carrier. The 16 five-man crews, under the command of Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who himself flew the lead plane off the USS Hornet, knew that they would not be able to return to the carrier. They would have to hit Japan and then hope to make it to China for a safe landing. But on the day of the raid, the Japanese military caught wind of the plan. The Raiders were told that they would have to take off from much farther out in the Pacific Ocean than they had counted on. They were told that because of this they would not have enough fuel to make it to safety. And those men went anyway. They bombed Tokyo, and then flew as far as they could. Four planes crash-landed; 11 more crews bailed out, and three of the Raiders died. Eight more were captured; three were executed. Another died of starvation in a Japanese prison camp. One crew made it to Russia. The Doolittle Raid sent a message from the United States to its enemies, and to the rest of the world: We will fight.

My youngest daughter graduates from Mascoutah High School today. Her mom and I are so proud of her. Hard to believe that I graduated from Stuttgart American High School 30 years ago. T.