OFF Team reveal next add-on aircraft

[Dej]

Sorry, just kidding... made you look though

 

Small chance of ever getting one of these in OFF. Bragging rights for whoever's first to name the type.

[+Muesli]

Hanriot HD.1???

[Olham]

Nope!

[sandbagger]

Not enough dihedral on the wings - Sopwith design maybe ???

[Olham]

Looks closest to Sopwith Salamander, but not close enough...

[JFM]

Looks like a Sopwith 2F1.

[MikeDixonUK]

Sopwith "Comic" Camel Interceptor?

Edited March 1, 2010 by MikeDixonUK

[stumpjumper]

looks like one of my creations

[RAF_Louvert]

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It's a modified F.1 night fighter belonging to No. 44 Home Defense Squadron.

 

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[RAF_Louvert]

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Aaah, I just now noticed that Mike Dixon guessed the "Comic", which is indeed the nickname for the modified F.1/3 night fighter variant. Well done Sir.

 

 

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[MikeDixonUK]

Thanks, although I have to admit my finding that was more to do with me searching for pictures of all different Sopwith variants until I found one with twin wing mounted guns, as opposed to any prior knowledge of the craft.

[nbryant]

Thanks, although I have to admit my finding that was more to do with me searching for pictures of all different Sopwith variants until I found one with twin wing mounted guns, as opposed to any prior knowledge of the craft.

 

 

Tried the same thing but couldn't find it..... guess Google does have some limitations

[Dej]

Yep, Mike Dixon had it, the Sopwith Camel 'Comic', hence the joke at the start.

 

The pilot's seat and fuel tank were swapped around and the Vickers, which the pilot now couldn't reach anyway, swapped for Foster-mounted Lewis. Opinion seems to be divided as to whether it's perfomance was improved or worsened. Intended as a night fighter to equip Home Defence squadrons. The longer-looking nose does indeed give it a Bristol Scout aspect so I could see where Uncleal was coming from.

 

The 2F1 variant, which caught JFM out, looks like this:

Edited March 2, 2010 by Dej

[carrick58]

Maybe one of these in 2 weeks?

 

[carrick58]

Or maybe this one ?

URL=http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=11543][/url]

[UK_Widowmaker]

It's a pretty mean looking aircraft though, with those two wing mounted Lewis Guns!

[Olham]

Balance of the craft, or at least vision for the pilot, might have been better on the "Comic".

 

Carrick, were did you see that Junkers? Is it flyable? I want one!!!

[MikeDixonUK]

At first I'd assumed that changing the front mounted guns for wing mounted guns was so that at night time the Pilot could fire at a target without the flash from the guns ruining his night vision as they might if they were infront of him, or were muzzle flashes not an issue in WW1?

 

Maybe that was just an added bonus.

Edited March 2, 2010 by MikeDixonUK

[RAF_Louvert]

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Mike, muzzle flash was THE reason why the guns were moved to the top wing on the Camel night fighters.

 

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[RAF_Louvert]

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There are many references in new and old books on the subject that elude to the problem of muzzle flash blinding pilots at night. The following excerpt from Anthony Williams' paper, "The Development of RAF Guns and Ammunition from World War 1 to the Present Day" is typical, and also touches on a point you have noted many times uncleal, that of heat:

 

 

"The home-defence fighters retained the top-wing Lewis guns rather than the synchronised Vickers, for several reasons. First, the gun was lighter which was an advantage given the high rate of climb needed to reach airship altitudes; secondly, it could be tilted to fire upwards; thirdly, its location meant that the pilot was shielded from the muzzle flash by the wing, so didn't lose his night vision; and, last but far from least, it was unsafe to fire the early explosive/incendiary ammunition from a Vickers because the bullet left in the hot chamber after firing a burst could "cook off" from the heat. In this instance, the Lewis Gun's open-bolt firing was an advantage."

 

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