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

[Dej]

I'm not interested in points now either I just want someone to find it so that I know what it is. To that end, I think it is some form of airborne gun-laying solution generator, used for co-ordinating indirect artillery fire. If I'm correct (or close) maybe that'll help one of the other find the damn thing!

 

Oh, and Jim... you meant one of these:

Edited September 5, 2009 by Dej

[RAF_Louvert]

Dej, no Sir, not a measuring or computing device of any kind. Sorry this is causing everyone such frustration. Remember I mentioned a few posts back that JimAttrill was closer than he knew with his guess. I will also tell you that the company which produced this item was based in London.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

 

[Red-Dog]

Come on boy's don't give up.

Lou i think you should add a extra point on for every day that goe's buy without anyone getting it right,that would keep us guessing....

[RAF_Louvert]

Hmmm, extra points...I like that idea Red-Dog.

 

OK, attention everyone! If no one gives the correct answer by 5:00pm GMT, (that's a little over 90 minutes from right now), the first person to post the complete and correct answer AFTER that time will receive 3 points rather than 2 for this Wild Card. Now go do some more digging and be ready.

 

 

 

Oh, almost forgot. At that time you may all try again, no 36-hour wait period. We start fresh on this one at 5:00pm GMT.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

Edited September 4, 2009 by RAF_Louvert

[Check Six]

I can only hazard a guess like the others. I guess that the propellers on the front are not very efficiently designed, and so are not used to measure air speed or air flow, nor to use the amount of air flow for any measurement of any kind, but merely to form a mechanical drive.

 

The first photo (I think) gives the best clue to the use of the device. Without the tripod accessory mounted on top of it, it appears to have a view port that leads into the body of the device. This would be connected through optical devices to the tube protuding through the bottom of the device, pointing the camera directly down, not oblique photography, but directly overhead.

 

The gears inside are reduction type gears, giving a constant forwards and backwards motion of the arm ending in a crescent shaped pendulum. This operates an arm which in turn operates a switch on the top rear of the box (small silver coloured device).

 

Ok, here's my guess.

 

This is an automatic film winder, used to take a series of photos in sequence.

 

An educated guess as to manufacturer is Zeiss (as it appears to be quite advanced for the dates in use, and they were world leaders in technology of photography in that era).

 

As I guess it is used for direct overhead photography, I guess it is used for photographing landscapes, either for mapping purposes, or producing several photographs of trenchlines etc.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Check Six

[RAF_Louvert]

Check Six, it is not a Zeiss. In a few minutes when it is the top of the hour you are allowed to guess again if you like Sir. At 5:00pm GMT this Wild Card is worth 3 points and the 36-hour wait period starts all over for each of you. Get ready Gents.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Check Six]

Check Six, it is not a Zeiss. In a few minutes when it is the top of the hour you are allowed to guess again if you like Sir. At 5:00pm GMT this Wild Card is worth 3 points and the 36-hour wait period starts all over for each of you. Get ready Gents.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

Well, you didn't tell me it was not a camera film winding device, so I can assume I got that right.

 

The other suspect might be Leica manufacturer.

[Olham]

Perhaps, if Checksix is right about the box in general, you could give him two,

and the one to come up with the company, the third point, Lou?

 

This could have well been the last question, so hard is it.

It is even worse to find the right search words for the web, when you're not English speaking.

But I don't mind when they get even harder - gives a better chance, when you notice a posting

rather late.

[Rickitycrate]

It's a sewing machine for in flight canvas repair to be operated by the observer. Made by Singer. The prop spins a little nut insde where a caged squirrel gives chase on a treadmill thus suppling the power to effect the repairs.

[Check Six]

It's a sewing machine for in flight canvas repair to be operated by the observer. Made by Singer. The prop spins a little nut insde where a caged squirrel gives chase on a treadmill thus suppling the power to effect the repairs.

 

That was my next guess. Though Singer being English, I would have gone with a hamster in the wheel.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Check Six

[Rickitycrate]

Check Six, I read on Wikipedia that a hamster was tried but got elevation sickness and was therefore found not to be up to the task.

[RAF_Louvert]

He, he...we're guessing sewing machines now.

 

 

Olham wrote:

Perhaps, if Check Six is right about the box in general, you could give him two, and the one to come up with the company, the third point, Lou?

 

You know, since this one is giving you all ulcers, that is exactly what I am going to do Olham. The object in the last two Wild Card photos is a rollfilm type aeroplane camera. It featured interchangeable lenses, an integrated shutter, and automatic film advance via power supplied by the propeller at the front of the box. The camera attached to the bottom of airplane and was accessed through a door in the floor of the cockpit. The observer had a sight tube fitted to the small tripod on top of the camera, and he triggered the shutter via a Bowden cable that attached to the aluminum block at the rear of the box. The advantage to this system over the glass plate cameras was the relative speed at which one could snap photos of the ground features below. It also eliminated the fumbling around when changing film plates in flight and gave the observer more time to keep an eye out for approaching enemy aircraft.

 

Check Six, two points to you Sir for correctly identifying what the object is and how it worked. Now if anyone can come up with the company that produced this little gem, I will award you the final point for this Wild Card. In the meantime, I will be posting the next set of photos in about 45 minutes, so like a troop of good scouts, be prepared.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

Rickitycrate wrote:

Check Six, I read on Wikipedia that a hamster was tried but got elevation sickness and was therefore found not to be up to the task.

 

Which is why we have used guinea pigs for such things ever since.

[Rickitycrate]

But I just read that the Squirrels were Canadian volunteers. I wonder what gives?

[RAF_Louvert]

If you read that in Wikipedia I wouldn't count on it being accurate.

[RAF_Louvert]

Here are the current standings after the recent you've-got-to-be-kidding-me-we'll-never-be-able-to-figure-out-this Wild Card photo:

 

Dej, 15 points

Olham, 15 points

Red-Dog, 10 points

Rickitycrate, 8 points

Bullethead, 5 points

Luftace, 5 points

Duce Lewis, 3 points

Burning Beard, 2 points

Check Six, 2 points

rhythalion, 2 points

JohnGresham, 1 point

Shrikehawk, 1 point

TonyO, 1 point

zoomzoom, 1 point

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Check Six]

Well, you know what they say...one volunteer is worth ten conscripts. God bless the Aussies who were volunteers. All of them, to a man. Don't know if Canada enforced conscription or not, but what the hell...God bless them too.

[Rickitycrate]

Eastman made the camera.

[RAF_Louvert]

.

 

 

Sorry Rickitycrate, this is not a Kodak moment for you Sir.

 

 

.

[Olham]

Now I got it:

 

Williamson Aeroplane CameraMANUFACTURER: Williamson Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

NATIONALITY: English

PLACE MANUFACTURED: England, London

OBJECT TYPE: Camera

INTRODUCTION DATE: ca. 1915

FUNCTIONAL TYPE: aerial

 

 

[Dej]

Yay! Well, indeed you have Olham. That was a toughie.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Dej

[RAF_Louvert]

WHOO HOOO! You've got it Olham. It is the Williamson Model F aerial camera, circa 1915. The final point for this Wild Card is yours Sir.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

 

[Olham]

It was indeed, Dej.

I searched for Artillery guidance, observer cameras, aerial cameras, aerial photography - nothing near this.

Only when I now typed in rollfilm aerial camera, I found it.

 

PS: Thanks, Lou - I need a break now (Lol!)

Edited September 4, 2009 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert]

OK folks, we are going to put the recent Wild Card behind us and move ahead to the next set of photos in this little soirée. For photo #31 you will sort out what the plane is for the first point, and when going for the second point you will need to identify the distinguished and famous gentleman sitting on the plane, (the one seated towards the front of kite). BTW, the tail number is going to help you out with this one. Remember the rules, and have fun.

 

 

Good luck all. Round 8 begins now. Let's play What's My Plane!

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Olham]

The craft on 31 is a Sopwith Pup, it was Richthofens 61st victory.

With Richthofen on the fuselage is Anthony Fokker, who is wearing

the helmet and the flying coat of the pilot.

 

The pilot was Lt. A. F. Bird 46 Squadron RFC.

The location was south of Bousbecque. Date: 3. March 1917

Edited September 4, 2009 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert]

Very good Olham, and you even named Fokker to boot. I had a hunch you would grab this one PDQ. I am going to assume that the date you listed was done in the heat of the moment Sir as it should be 3.9.1917, (3rd of September, not 3rd of March). Also of note is the fact that MvR was flying a pre-production Fokker F.1, #102/17, when he achieved this victory, (one of two he managed with this plane). The two points for #31 are yours Olham.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou