It's Time To Play,"What's My Plane" !

[Olham 164]

Okay, the last pic 24 is the control handle of an early Fokker, with the fire buttons; I'd say the Eindecker.

Here's Wikipeadia about the craft:

 

The Fokker E.III was the main variant of the Eindecker (monoplane) fighter aircraft of World War I.

It entered service on the Western Front in December 1915 and was also supplied to Austria-Hungary

and Turkey.

Design and development

 

The E.III was basically an E.II fitted with larger, newly designed larger wings, that had a slightly

narrower 1.80 meter (70-7/8 in) chord, slightly less than the 1.88 meter (74 in) chord dimension on

the earlier Eindeckers, going back to Fokker's original M.5 monoplane aircraft. The E.III retained

the same 75 kW (100 hp) Oberursel U.I engine, but had a larger 81 l (21.5 gal) drum-shaped main fuel

tank just behind the cockpit, which increased the Eindecker's endurance to about 2½ hours; an hour

more than the E.II. Most E.IIIs were armed with a single 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08 machine gun

with 500 rounds of ammunition; however, after the failure of the twin-gun Fokker E.IV as a viable

successor, some E.IIIs were fitted with twin guns.

 

Fokker production figures state that 249 E.IIIs were manufactured however a number of the 49 E.IIs

were upgraded to E.III standard when they were returned to Fokker's Schwerin factory for repairs.

 

Operational history

The E.III was the first type to arrive in sufficient numbers to form small specialist fighter units,

Kampfeinsitzer Kommandos (KEK) in early 1916 - previously, Eindeckers were allocated singly, just as

the E.I and E.II had been, to the front-line Feldflieger Abteilungen that carried out reconnaissance

duties. On 10 August 1916, the first German Jagdstaffeln (single-seat fighter squadrons) were formed,

initially equipped with various early fighter types, including a few E.IIIs, which were by then out-

moded and being replaced by more modern fighters. Standardisation in the Jagdstaffeln (and any real

success) had to wait for the availability in numbers of the Albatros D.I and Albatros D.II in early

1917. Turkish E.IIIs were based at Beersheba in Palestine while others operated in Mesopotamia during

the Siege of Kut-al-Amara.

 

At last I attach a photo of an Eindecker cockpit, and a link to the page about the handle.

http://www.aeroconservancy.com/german%20page.htm

 

 

Edited August 29, 2009 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Well done again, Olham. It is indeed a Fokker control handle and I would have accepted any of the early Fokker planes that one could find a photo of showing the style. Also, I believe this type was used all the way up to the early version of the DR.1, (later versions had the more familiar handle with the gun levers hinged on the port side of the control yoke). The final two points in this set are yours Olham.

 

 

Here are the current standings after photo set 6:

 

Dej, 13 points

Olham, 13 points

Red-Dog, 6 points

Rickitycrate, 6 points

Bullethead, 5 points

Luftace, 4 points

Duce Lewis, 3 points

Burning Beard, 2 points

rhythalion, 2 points

JohnGresham, 1 point

Shrikehawk, 1 point

TonyO, 1 point

 

 

We are now at the half-way mark of the contest folks, and while there is currently a tie for first place there are still a lot of points left to be had which means this race is far from over. Good luck to all our contestants, and be prepared.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[RAF_Louvert 101]

DING DING DING !!! WILD CARD PHOTO !

 

The first to correctly identify the aircraft shown, the bravez French aviateur peeking out from under the wing, and the significance of this photo will be awarded 2 bonus points. You must be spot on with all answers to win.

 

 

 

Good Luck!

[Duce Lewis 3]

The plane is a Morane Saulnier L w/ Roland Garros at the controls

It has the distinction of being the 1st aircraft with a fixed MG firing through the propeller arc

A "parasol" monoplane, the Morane Type L was a fragile two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. It was the first aircraft armed with a fixed machine gun that fired through the propeller arc. Bullets which struck the propeller were deflected by steel plates. Armed with a Hotchkiss machine gun firing 8 mm solid copper bullets, Roland Garros tested the design in April 1915. He scored three victories in three weeks before the plane was captured by the Germans.

 

Country: France

Manufacturer: Société des Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier

Type: Fighter Reconnaissance

First Introduced: 1913

Number Built: 600

Engine(s): Gnome, rotary, 80 hp

Wing Span: 36 ft 9 in [11.2 m]

Length: 22 ft 6¾ in [6.88 m]

Height: 12 ft 10½ in [3.93 m]

Empty Weight: [385 kg]

Gross Weight: 1,441 lb [655 kg]

Max Speed: 71.5 mph [115 kmh]

Ceiling: 13,123 ft [4000 m]

Endurance: 2½ hours

Crew: 1 or 2

Armament: 1 machine gun

 

 

 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Oooo, excellent guess and info Duce. But sorry Sir, not entirely correct. Watch tomorrow though for the next photo set.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Duce Lewis 3]

Sure looks a lot like her

 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

It does indeed Duce, and I did say you weren't entirely correct.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Morane-Saulnier P type flown by Georges Guynemer. After this photo was taken Guynemer crashed but survived to fly again. Yeah right, haha.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Rickitycrate, you also are not entirely correct Sir. But you're not entirely correct in a different way than Duce is not.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Olham 164]

The Morane-Saulnier L, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type L was a French parasol wing one or

two-seat aeroplane of the First World War. The Type L became one of the first successful fighter

aircraft when it was fitted with a single machine gun that fired through the arc of the propeller

which was protected by armoured deflector wedges. Its immediate effectiveness in this role launched

an arms race of fighter development and the Type L was swiftly rendered obsolete.

The original Type L used wing warping for lateral control, but a later version designated Type LA

was fitted with ailerons.

Built by Morane-Saulnier, large numbers of the Type L were ordered by the French Aviation Militaire

at the outbreak of the war, being designated the MS.3. In total about 600 Type Ls were built and in

addition to the French air force, they served with the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service

and the Imperial Russian Air Service.

 

The type was also produced under licence in Germany by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke as the unarmed A.I and

A.II scouts and then the E.III armed scout.

 

Operational history

In December 1914, renowned French aviator Roland Garros, then serving with Escadrille 23, worked with

Raymond Saulnier to mount a machine gun on his Type L. Saulnier had experimented with a mechanical

interrupter gear but reverted to the simpler solution of using armoured propeller blades. Garros'

mechanic further improved the system by fitting deflector wedges to the blades in line with the barrel

of the gun. Garros took his Type L fighter into combat in March 1915 and achieved immediate success,

shooting down three German aircraft in April, a noteworthy feat at the time. On 18 April 1915, Garros'

Type L was forced down behind German lines and was captured before Garros could burn it.

This motivated the Germans to develop their own fighter, which materialised at the end of May as the

Fokker E.I, fitted with a true synchronizer system.

 

And the man under the wing in the cockpit is George Guynemer, the famous French ace.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Sorry Olham, as I outlined in the original post, to claim the points you must identify the plane, the pilot, and state the importance of this particular photo, (it was taken for a rather noteworthy reason). You are not entirely correct Sir, but you were closer than Duce and Rickitycrate.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Red-Dog 3]

Right with the help of the others already posted i think that the picture is of?

 

1. A The Morane-Saulnier L

2. The pilot is George Guynemer

3. It was taken to celebrate his first aerial victory with his gunner ' Guerder' when they shot down a Aviatik (probably a B-I), on july 19th 1915.

Guynemer and Guerder were both decorated with the Médaille Militaire, right...

Edited August 31, 2009 by Red-Dog

[RAF_Louvert 101]

We have the complete answer! Well done Red-Dog, you even named his gunner. Both Guynemer and Guerder were corporals at the time of this photo, flying with Esc 3. And since you cited the Médaille Militaire I will mention an interesting feature of this award. Normally presented only to non-commissioned officers or enlisted personnel who distinguish themselves by acts of bravery in action against an enemy force, it can also be presented as the supreme leadership award to generals and admirals who have been commanders-in-chief.

 

 

 

Here are the current standings after the last Wild Card photo:

 

Dej, 13 points

Olham, 13 points

Red-Dog, 8 points

Rickitycrate, 6 points

Bullethead, 5 points

Luftace, 4 points

Duce Lewis, 3 points

Burning Beard, 2 points

rhythalion, 2 points

JohnGresham, 1 point

Shrikehawk, 1 point

TonyO, 1 point

 

 

The seventh set of photos will be coming along soon folks.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Dej 17]

Here's a very interesting site on the construction of a replica Morane Saulnier L: Morane Saulnier L Replica ... it's in Dutch but online translation engines will cope and there are some fabulous photos.

Edited August 31, 2009 by Dej

[Duce Lewis 3]

It does indeed Duce, and I did say you weren't entirely correct.

Sorry Lou, I'd misread your post to mean that I'd gotten the plane wrong

 

Keep em comin,

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Not to worry Duce, and since you asked to keep them coming...

 

Here we go folks, the seventh set of photos is set. Remember the rules, (found in the first post of this thread), and to write that 150-word, (minimum), description about features shown in the photo and/or about the plane itself when going for that second point. Also, in photo #27, identify the power plant shown and at least one WW1 plane it was fitted to as the standard engine.

 

 

 

 

 

And just as a refresher, this is the prize you are playing for:

 

 

 

 

Good luck all. Round 7 begins now. Let's play What's My Plane!

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Rickitycrate 10]

Pic 26; The Caudron G.4 was a French biplane with twin engines, widely used during World War I as a bomber aircraft. It was designed by René and Gaston Caudron as an improvement over their Caudron G.3. The aircraft was no delight for the eye with its massive, open construction. The aircraft employed wing warping for banking. The first G.4 was manufactured in 1915, both in France, England and in Italy.

 

The Caudron G.4 was used as a reconnaissance bomber into the heart of Germany. Later, when Germany developed a fighter force, the aircraft had to be used for night bombings.

 

The G.4 was in use in Belgium, France, Finland, Italy, UK, and in the United States.

 

 

 

 

Development

While the Caudron G.3 was a reliable reconnaissance aircraft, it could not carry a useful bombload, and owing to its design, was difficult to fit with useful defensive armament. In order to solve these problems, the Caudron G4 was designed as a twin engined development of the G.3, first flying in March 1915.^[1] While the G.4 had a similar pod and boom layout to the G.3, it has two Le Rhône rotary or Anzani 10 radial engines mounted on struts between the wings instead of a single similar engine at the front of the crew nacelle, while wingspan was increased and the tailplane had four rudders instead of two. This allowed an observer/gunner position to be fitted in the nose of the nacelle, while the additional power allowed it to carry a bombload of 100 kg.

 

A total of 1358 G.4s were produced in France, while a further 51 examples produced by the A.E.R. company in Italy and 12 were built in Britain by the British Caudron company. ^[1]

 

 

 

Operational history

 

 

 

World War 1

The G.4 entered service with the French Aéronautique Militaire in November 1915. It was the first twin engined aircraft in service in any numbers with the French. The Caudron G.4 was used to carry out bombing raids deep behind the front line, being used to attack targets as far away as the Rhineland.^[1] Increasing losses led to its withdrawal from day bombing missions by the French in the autumn of 1916.^[1]

 

The British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) also used the G.4 as a bomber, receiving 55, of which twelve were licence built by the British Caudron company and the remainder supplied from France. Number 4 and 5 Wing RNAS using the G.4 for attacks against German seaplane and airship bases in Belgium.^[2] It was finally replaced in RNAS service by Handley Page O/100 aircraft in the autumn of 1917^[1]. Italian G.4s proved successful in operating in the mountainous Alpine fronts, where its good altitude capabilities proved useful.^[1] The G.4 was also used by the Imperial Russian Air Force for reconnaissance purposes.

 

Variants

 

The first G.4 prototype flew in March 1915. The G.4 was manufactured in three main versions, A2 for reconnaissance, B2 for bombing and E2 for training. The A2 was equipped with a radio for fire spotting, B2 could carry 100 kg of bombs and the E2 was equipped with dual controls. G.4IB (French: Blindage) was an armoured version. There were also other bomber and escort aircraft versions.

 

The G.6 was a further developed G.4, with a conventional fuselage and tail replacing the pod and boom arrangement of the G.3.

 

From Wikipedia

Edited September 1, 2009 by Rickitycrate

[Olham 164]

No. 27 is a Hispano suiza V8 engine, it was standard with the SPAD VII and SPAD XIII.

In the XIII, I think it was geared version.

 

Picture is from the National Museum of the US Airforce

 

Béchereau's first real success was the SPAD S.VII. Developed from the SPAD V, of which 268 were ordered

but none certainly built as SPAD Vs, the SPAD S.VII was a single-seat tractor biplane fighter of simple

and robust design powered by the new Hispano-Suiza water-cooled V-8 engine. Compared to earlier fighters,

when the SPAD VII appeared in 1916, it seemed a heavy and unmanoeuvrable aircraft, but pilots soon learned

to take advantage of its speed and strength. Some 3,500 SPAD S.VIIs were built in France during the First

World War, 120 in Britain, and 100 in Russia, although far more had been ordered from a new factory in

Yaroslavl which was not completed until after the Russian Civil War.

 

Béchereau's subsequent designs until 1918 followed the basic outline of the SPAD S.VII. The two-seaters,

the SPAD XI and SPAD XVI, were built in moderate numbers, around 1,000 of each type, but two-seater SPADs

were much less successful than the rival Breguet 14 (5,500 built) and Salmson 2 (3,200 built). Single-seat

developments of the SPAD 7 were more successful. The SPAD 12 was a minor variant, the first to use the geared

output Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine, which allowed it to be armed with a 37 mm Hotchkiss cannon (moteur-canon)

firing through the propellor hub. Tested successfully by ace Georges Guynemer, the general conclusion on the

SPAD 12 is that only very skillful pilots could exploit its powerful armament. Accordingly, although 300 were

ordered, most were completed as normal SPAD fighters, with possibly one or two of the SPAD XII aircraft even

serving with the US Air Service in France.

 

The SPAD S.XIII was essentially the SPAD S.VII redesigned around a more powerful, geared drive Hispano-Suiza engine,

as was used on the SPAD XII. This was produced in even greater numbers, the exact total is uncertain with figures

from 7,300 to 8,472 being quoted in different sources. Single-seat SPADs were flown by many ace pilots, including

Italy's Count Francesco Baracca and the United States Army Air Service's Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, with 34 and 26

victories respectively. Georges Guynemer was, as has already been noted, highly successful with the SPAD S.XII,

as well as the SPAD S.VII and SPAD S.XIII. At the end of the First World War, all 1,152 single-seat fighters on

the strength of French front line air units were SPAD 13s. It is reported that nearly 900 SPAD XIII fighters were

eventually to end up in American service.

 

Although SPAD had been successful, and had reaped very large profits, the very high profits in aircraft manufacturing

had led to increased competition during the war. In 1916, for example, over 98% of the SPAD fighters built had come

from factories owned by SPAD and Blériot. By 1918, with large industrial syndicates competing for contracts, this had

fallen to 43%. SPAD designs accounted for around 20% of French aircraft produced during World War One. Louis Blériot's

1913 investment was a very profitable one.

 

The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914 and used by a number of

Allied aircraft during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A was rated at 140 hp (102 kW) and the later

Hispano-Suiza 8F reached 300 hp (220 kW).

 

General characteristics

 

* Type: 8-cylinder liquid-cooled Vee piston engine

* Bore: 120 mm (4.724 in)

* Stroke: 130 mm (5.118 in)

* Displacement: 11.76 L (717.8 in3)

* Dry weight: 445 lb (202 kg)

 

Components

 

* Fuel system: 1 Claudel or Zenith Carburetor

* Cooling system: liquid

 

Performance

 

* Power output: 150 hp (112 kW) @ 1,700 rpm (eq. 463 ftlbs torque)

* Fuel consumption: 0.51 lb/(hp·h)

* Oil consumption: 0.03 lb/(hp·h)

Edited September 1, 2009 by Olham

[Olham 164]

Maybe you expected me to identify the German craft, that's type I can't say right now, but I don't

have a wider knowledge about WW1, or even the craft and the aces. I tried it, but couldn't find it.

In the end it may be the craft of someone famous, and everyone knew it, but me?

Well, may Dej or RedDog jump at it - I'm really curious about it! Gee - this is great fun;

thanks once again, Lou!

[Red-Dog 3]

Hi chaps i think No 28 is a Sikorsky Ilya Muromets.

General characteristics

 

• Crew: four to eight (up to twelve)The S-22 cockpit had sufficient space allowing several persons to observe the pilot. Openings on both sides of the fuselage permitted mechanics to climb out onto the wings to service the engines during flight. Hatch on the left side provided an exit to the front bridge. Behind the cockpit was a large passenger cabin with four large windows on each side. Placed at the rear was a stairway to the upper bridge and a washroom. Further back was a private cabin which included a berth, small table and a cabinet. Lighting was provided by a wind driven generator and heating was supplied by two long engine exhaust pipes which passed through the corners of the cabin
• Length: 17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan:
• Top wing: 29.8 m (97 ft 9 in)
• Bottom wing: 21 m (68 ft 11 in)
• Height: 4 m (13 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 125 m² (1,350 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,150 kg (6,930 lb)
• Loaded weight: 4,600 kg (10,140 lb)
• Powerplant: 4× Sunbeam Crusader V8 engines, 148 hp (110 kW) ^[2] each
• * Fuel and oil: 600 kg (1,320 lb)

Performance

 

• Maximum speed: 110 km/h (68 mph)
• Wing loading: 36.8 kg/m² (7.5 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 7.7 kg/hp (16.9 lb/hp)
• Endurance: 5 hours with 300 kg (660 lb) of bombs & armament, 10 hours with extra fuel.

Armament

• Various numbers and combinations of guns at different points during the war, including 12.7 mm, 15.3 mm, 25 mm, 37 mm, and 76.2 mm guns, Maxim guns, Lewis guns, Madsen guns, Colt machine guns and Leonid Kurchevsky's experimental recoilless guns among them.
• Various loads of 50 kg, 100 kg and 656 kg bombs or 6 x 127 mm rockets (under the wings) depending on fuel, armament and crew carried. With three crew and two defensive machine-guns, a V type Ilya Muromets could carry 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs

Edited September 1, 2009 by Red-Dog

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Outstanding answers Rickitycrate, Olham, and Red-Dog! Two points to each of you Sirs. That only leaves our smashed aeroplane in this group to sort out.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Red-Dog 3]

An outstanding competition Lou.

 

 

[zoomzoom 2]

Ok I'll bite. It can't possibly be this simple, but I'll say the smashed bird is an Albatros DIII.

 

Can't really make out all the bits from the wreckage. Or even if its a single or double place. If its double its one of the albatros C series.

 

But I'll answer the DIII.

 

ZZ.

Edited September 1, 2009 by zoomzoom

[zoomzoom 2]

Woops....just read the directions on page one. So, I think I need to elaborate on my choice......right? Ok. Its obviously an Albatros build by the tail section and albatros logo on it, not to mention the shape. At first I saw the one strut and thought it a DII until I looked closer and saw the other half of the V-Strut laying flat on the ground. So....this means Albatros DIII-DV-or DVa. The shape of the fuse.....whats left of it, appears ( I could be wrong) to be more flat sided, so we have the DIII hit again. The markings are before the Square eiszerns cruz spl? came into play, so its early, most likely a DIII. But what gave it away ( I think)was the shape of the rudder with its squared end as in a DIII, not rounded like a Dv or DVa. Thats the best I've got.

 

ZZ.

Edited September 1, 2009 by zoomzoom

[RAF_Louvert 101]

zoomzoom, it is the Alb DIII Sir. You get one point for correctly ID'ing the plane. However, you are not allowed to post further info again for 36 hours on the same photo set, so your second post won't count. You would need to include your guess and all info in your first post. Well done though on correctly identifying the kite.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou