First of all, I believe
I was the first one who said "relax, he might be out on a trip." I said that on:
02-09-2005 10:48 PM
Straiga replied in that thread on 02-10-2005 07:01 AM. Unfortunately, he chose not to shed any light on his bona fides. He merely referred the "little people" to this Autopilot thread. Another place that he
could have resolved the problem but chose not to do so.
So it isn't as if he hasn't had an opportunity to reply; he chose not to provide any definitive information.
BTW, the above isn't an indictiment or "lynchmob" comment; it's merely the historical record so far; might as well all be on the same page.
Where does it end? Well, for me I'd like to know which Mustang and the rough time period he was flying it. I can check it out from there. Golfer, I'm sure you realize there aren't that many retired USAF generals who had Mustangs and let their son fly it a bunch. I don't really anticipate that it would be that hard to verify.
As for the Navy F-14D claims, that's pretty easy too. Name a couple of cruises, with time period and squadron. I'm sure it won't be too tough to track a guy that had a USAF general for a father in the Navy. That'd be almost common squadron knowledge.
I think that'd pretty much do it for me anyway. I personally don't need to see an LOA or a logbook. I'd rather check through the respective communities.
Let me give you an example. I was 343 SRS (later became 38th SRS for the front end crews) from mid-75 to mid-80. Ask just about anyone in that squadron at that time if they knew a guy from Kansas City whose dad was a retired L/C and I think you'll get my name. Had my dad owned a Mustang, everyone on the base would have known me.
As I've repeatedly pointed out, folks that make these claims ought to expect to be called on it. It's the Intardnet. Anyone can pretend to be anyone nowadays. In this community, Voss fouled the nest and the BS antennae are, as a result, always up.
There are a few things that Straiga has posted that made my particular BS meter needle jump. One of those was the "I can't remember" comment. Can't remember? Pegged the needle there.
If you don't want to tell me, I'd accept a sharp "none of your business". I'd still question the bona fides, but I'd accept the answer.
But a guy that flew a Mustang for 500 hours and "can't remember" which one?
Maybe, "I can't remember the serial number but the N-number was XXXX." or I can't remember the serial number but the nose art was "Moonbeam McSwine".
Anyway that was one thing; there's more.
As to the entire vital discussions propagated and the game, I'm sorry but I view a large part of it as nitpicking. I didn't bother to read the full engine torque thread but surely most pilots realize that flying is the continual adjusting of controls to achieve the desired result or flight path.
You're coming down final, the crosswind changes two knots, you make a basically unconscious correction. You slowly burn off fuel in one wing tank and you continually, unconsciously make a small alieron correction (or dial in some trim) to compensate.
In most of the aircraft modeled here, engine torque is never going to be some huge factor. It's going to be a relatively small change that you will unconsciously adjust to as necessary.
Now I never was a big "gotta know every single detail about how this rivet affects total drag" kind of guy. I just fly the airplane where it needs to go mostly in whatever circumstances I find myself in.
I think HT has pretty in-depth knowledge of what he is modeling. I think he has modeled BETTER THAN ANYONE SO FAR
IN A MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE AIR COMBAT GAME.And he provides that for $15/month. So you know what? I'm not going to drag out all my old aerodynamic books to see just exactly how much that rivet that's .35 of an inch taller than it should be affects the flight model. Cuz I don't care.
Same for this autopilot thread. Most of the aircraft in this game never had any sort of a/p in real life. HT gave us an a/p that allows me to answer the door and pay the Pizza man while I'm climbing out. Good deal, sez I. Do I care if it works like the a/p in a B-767? Not in the friggin least.
Sorry for running on.
Like I said, if I claimed to have 500 hours in the P-51 and started telling folks to listen to me cuz I know and I'm telling you how it is, I'd sure as watermelon expect to be called on it and I'd sure as watermelon be ready to provide some easily checked bona fides.
"Yeah, Reg Urschler checked me out in Gunfighter and I fly it when he can't make a show."
I WISH. I got a ride in the backseat with no controls. It was fabulous. It was from New Century Airport in Olathe, Kansas to Lawrence, Kansas the day before they dedicated that building to Bob Dole at KU. Doug Jackson accompanied us in his Tora T-6/Zero and we did a bit of hassling on the way.
See? Not that hard, is it?
