Howdy Gents!

[Pen32Win]

It's been a long time. Good to see there's still a few of you Old Hat's still about the place. I've got a couple of things to drop on you and a couple of questions.

First off I'm not back, yet. Things are going well here but still very busy. I've still got 5 months to go before my time as the Comanchero General Chairman is up. After that I become the Chairman of the Board for the next year which will consume a lot less of my time. As of late I've found myself getting the itch to get back into CFS2. Right now I don't even have a Flight controller which leads to my first question. Has anyone used the Logitech Flight System G940 with CFS2? If so how's it been for you?

Some time ago someone sent me an e-mail asking about the old 2-TAF ETO Airfields and all of the research I collected on those that were released and about a hundered more that never were. At that time I had no idea where I had stashed it all. Well I found it. All 500Mb worth of it. If anyone needs info on a specific airfield in the ETO just drop me a line. I also found out that many of the websites I gathered the Maps from are gone. I'll start dropping in to check for PM's on a more regular basis.

When I come back I'm thinking ETO. I've got that old Tiffie, Mossie & Tempest bug right now. What is the current scenery state as far as roads and waterways. Did Sander ever finish his project? What's happened since 2009 to better the "blank" space of CFS2's ETO? Did anyone ever figure out how to fix the "Floating" ground objects in the airfield builder? That was the down fall of the ETO fields I did long ago and it really was a shame. That method made for great low poly detail, if they only would have stayed on the ground when you flew over them!!! LOL.

Anyway, it good to see the old and the new names here on the board. I do miss the community and will be back as soon as things in the real world calm down. Happy Trails to all.

[mariereid]

Hi Pen32Win, nice to hear from ya! Like a lot of guys, I think I use all the stuff you worked on. :salute::ernae:

[Rami]

Some time ago someone sent me an e-mail asking about the old 2-TAF ETO Airfields and all of the research I collected on those that were released and about a hundred more that never were. At that time I had no idea where I had stashed it all. Well I found it. All 500Mb worth of it. If anyone needs info on a specific airfield in the ETO just drop me a line. I also found out that many of the websites I gathered the Maps from are gone. I'll start dropping in to check for PM's on a more regular basis.

When I come back I'm thinking ETO. I've got that old Tiffie, Mossie & Tempest bug right now. What is the current scenery state as far as roads and waterways. Did Sander ever finish his project? What's happened since 2009 to better the "blank" space of CFS2's ETO? Did anyone ever figure out how to fix the "Floating" ground objects in the airfield builder? That was the down fall of the ETO fields I did long ago and it really was a shame. That method made for great low poly detail, if they only would have stayed on the ground when you flew over them!!! LOL.

Pen32Win,

First, let me say how thrilled I am to see you! (albeit briefly) As far as your 2TAF fields, Sander's files were left at the beta4 stage. We've been working with that for a few years now. I'm not sure what you mean by the "blank space," so you'll have to clarify that one. Additionally, I haven't noticed any problems with "floating ground objects" in the last couple of years, so perhaps that's been resolved.

Achim27619 has created 377 GSL airfields in the ETO, MTO, and Eastern Front. Because it was unclear whether or not the 2TAF airfields would ever be finished, Achim took the step of making over all of the stock CFS1 airfields, (plus many more) so that most any airfield you'd ever need is available to you.

As far as Tiffies, Tempests, and Mossies, there are two campaigns available that have been fully updated, (Royal Canadian Air Force and Mosquito Squadron) the latter of which was originally a payware Just Flight add-on, but I was able to get permission to make a freeware version of it, which is in the SOH library. I'm afraid to this point I've only made sporadic use of the Hawker Tempest, but once and a while she gets dusted off.

Oh...a good friend passed me along your P-38 Lightning files for David Copley's works. I am very impressed...the P-38j can finally keep up with the rest of the boys in formation! :salute:

We really miss you as well. I'm sure there are many CFS2ers who will benefit from your knowledge and experience.

[Jean Bomber]

Hi Pen32Win,glad to see you still around the base :salute:.
cheers:ernae:
JP

[Pen32Win]

Thank Guys;

Rami;

By "Blank" I just meant that it was devoid of roads and rivers. From what you're saying on the Floating objects, either someone has figured out a fix to the SCASM or they're not attempting to use them in the manner I was. I hope it's been figured out. That would be a real treat. I'll dig into it more when I get back to building stuff.

The first thing I'll probably do is create a fresh ETO install and then proceed from there. I've still got all of my aircraft and objects from before I dropped out. After that it'll take some time to get back up to speed on GMax, SCASM, and the rest of the tools I used to use.... That'll be a project in itself.

Take Care Gents!

[Talon]

Good to see you again Pen You Old Saddle Tramp. Now all we have to do is put some Crazy Glue on your saddle so you stick around awhile.:icon_lol:


Talon

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Good to see you again Pen You Old Saddle Tramp. Now all we have to do is put some Crazy Glue on your saddle so you stick around awhile.:icon_lol:


Talon

Indeed, try to "stick around" :salute:

[Jagdflieger]

Look who is back from the wilds of Arizona! Great to see you Pen. Still using the majority of your "stuff" in the Senior Sim.

[dvslats]

Hey There Pen,
It's good to see you're still kicking and had not been abducted by aliens or anything like that. ;)

Dv

[Captain Kurt]

I'll add to the welcome back too. Many of your contributions are still heavily used, in fact they are the standards. I hope we will see more in the future when you get the time.

You mention having a lot of research on the ETO airfields, and I'd like to know if that includes the tactical ALG fields (Advance Landing Ground) that the Allies constructed as they moved across France and Belgium into Germany. These are numbered A-1 to A-99, Y-1 to Y-99, R-1 to R-98, and the RAF fields B-1 to B-98.

As Rami noted a large proportion of the permanent airfields have been done by Achim, but not the temporary invasion fields.

I have been trying to get some visual aids - either aerial pics or 9th AF Engineer Command layouts that were distributed to pilots for aerial identification. I have the Lat/Lon coordinates and the strip orientations but can't find info on how dispersal, taxiways, etc. were laid out. Any help would be appreciated. :ernae:

[Ali Cat]

I’m a "new hat" but I’ve noticed your excellent work. Good to hear from you and thanks for all you’ve done.


AC

[Pen32Win]

Thanks Again Gents and You're Welcome. It's alway nice to hear people like the things you do.

CK, I do have some info on the ALG Fields but not a whole bunch. Like you stated the information on them is pretty thin. If you pick out one or two at time and let me know I can handle your request. It will help me if you give me both the ALG ID as well as the common name. Example: Y-32 Asch, B-48 Glissy Amiens or B-82 Grave...etc. Since the files are all jumbled together it will really help in my search.

BTW, I have tons of stuff on Luftwaffe fields. A whole digitized book of maps, there are 100 or more of them. It's quite a collection.

[Pen32Win]

CK;

I have been doing some more digging and have a number of ALG Maps. It looks like I have quite a few IXth AF Fields. In addition to those I found a PDF with the IX Engineer Command Master Plans for Fighter-Bomber Fields, Medium bomber Fields and Transport fields.

[Captain Kurt]

Hey Pen,

That was fast! I'm very hopeful you'll have the materials I need.

The specific fields I am looking for are:
RAF Station Lashenden, England (the prototype for ALG development)
A-2 Criqueville, France
A-31 Gael, France
A-66 Orconte, France
A-98 Rosieres En Haye, France
Y-64 Ober Olm, Germany
R-45 Ansbach, Germany

The master plans would probably also be very useful.

I am gathering the information needed to develop a long historically accurate campaign for the Pioneer Mustang Group, the 354th FG. I'll have to build the ALG fields they used and paint the P-47s and P-51Bs and Ds in order to make it, as well as building the missions. It will be a long project, but the making the landing fields come first.

I truly appreciate the help. :salute:

[Captain Kurt]

Hi Pen,

I just clicked on your signature URL. So you are involved in Pony Express recreations? That's an interesting connection.

My family owned a cattle ranch for a while north of Eureka, Nevada when I was a kid in the late 1950s. One of the old, old log outbuilding barns was supposed to have been originally built as part one of the Pony Express way stations as shelter for the horses. There was a natural spring nearby which is why the spot was chosen I would guess. Dad just about lost his shirt trying to raise cattle and he sold out in 1960. I remember Mom was pretty happy to be getting out of there - it was an isolated, desolate area.

Thanks again for your help.

[Pen32Win]

CK;

I've got Ansbach as it was in Luftwaffe hands. Other than that one the closest I have is A-1 and B-2. I'll do some more digging tomorrow. I've run out of legs for today.

On the Pony Express thing, yes. It's our biggest fund raiser of the year. We carry the mail from Phoenix to Prescott. The old homestead sounds pretty cool.

PM Coming your way.

[Pen32Win]

OK, here's the deep data dig of the day. Y-64 Ober Olm was also known in German as "Flugplatz Mainz-Finthen" or just "Finthen" which I also have a good map of.....

[PomBee]

Welcome back, Pen. It's great to hear from you again.

Cheers,

PomBee.:ernae:

[Pen32Win]

Thanks PB.

CK, the data you requested has been sent. I spent some time last night cataloging all of the maps I have and it came up to 334 different fields. Some excellent, most very good, a few are just better than nothing at all.

[Captain Kurt]

Got it Pen, thank you. :salute:

Since there seems to be nothing on the individual ALG fields, I'll use the basic IX Engineer Command field layout to construct the tactical fields. I think we can assume the plan was generally followed given how quickly the fields were constructed.

[Pen32Win]

No Problem CK;

Some of the ALG's where scratch built and others (like the two maps I sent) used existing fields and still others used existing fields but they were so beat up from Allied Bombing they simply built over them. From the pictures I found of Ober Olm and Ansbach they pretty much just moved in and set up shop were places like Volkel had to be totally rebuilt. At Volkel pilots and crews alike were living under canvas for some time.

[Ghostrider]

A belated Good to see you, Saddle Tramp! Your stuff is still right at the top of the "must-haves"!

Blatant self-serving plug: Maskrider has worked his magic on the Marianas, Bonins, etc... and we have a whole fleet of working B-29s and skins that can fly loaded to Japan and back.

Hope you like 'em,
GR

[Pen32Win]

Thanks GR;

Also thanks for the input on the Flight controllers. Hope things are going well for you too.