+Olham Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 What a fragile looking beauty! Now I'll find it harder to shoot them down....
+Hasse Wind Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 They are not that fragile, Olham. Easy to fly and surprisingly tough. As you know, I'm currently flying one in my marathon career. A great video.
Wayfarer Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Still on my first OFF campaign, flying BE2s. I find they stand up to my poor handling pretty well ... except when flying directly into a tree ... twice!
Slartibartfast Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Still on my first OFF campaign, flying BE2s. I find they stand up to my poor handling pretty well ... except when flying directly into a tree ... twice! Missing the old roundabout again... Beautiful that someone has had the money to do this...
Bullethead Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Amazing. I thought all those things had been shot down :). I have somewhat mixed feelings about this project. Part of me thinks that all memories of the Quirk should be buried in an unmarked grave at midnight, but part of me grudginly thinks it's cool that one still flies.
+Olham Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) Maybe there will be two BEs soon - The Vintage Aviator seem to be restoring one. See here: http://thevintageavi...nz/projects/be2 What I had not known: BE seems to mean Blériot Experimental - a French design? Edited January 24, 2011 by Olham
+Olham Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) ...and here is their Beardmore Engine. http://thevintageavi...re-engine-build Want to see and here it running? http://thevintageavi...e-engine-action And what about the R.E.8 they are building - lots of photographs of the work in progress: http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects/re8-reproduction/vintage-aviator-re8 Edited January 24, 2011 by Olham
+Hasse Wind Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Amazing. I thought all those things had been shot down :). I have somewhat mixed feelings about this project. Part of me thinks that all memories of the Quirk should be buried in an unmarked grave at midnight, but part of me grudginly thinks it's cool that one still flies. The Quirk was a pretty good two-seater for its time... that time being 1914-1916. After that it was criminal of the RFC to keep using it. The Bloody April showed quite clearly just how helpless the Quirks were against the new German fighters.
Lewie Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 The BE2 that the BEF reported to duty with in the Autumn of 1914 wasn't quite the same aircraft that latest version, the BE2d that VA has restored, is. The original had wing warping and the barely adequate Renault 8C 70 hp aircooled V8 that the Royal Air factory copied and improved upon slightly. I think the RAF was trying to add some manuvuerability to that last version before the Armstrong Whitworth FK8 and the 'arry Tate made their appearance, Bloody April took a terrible toll on both Quirck and Fee crews.
Wayfarer Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) Regarding the 'Bleriot' designation, as far as I understand, early on the Royal Aircraft Factory used the names of prominent French designs to indicate the configuration of their aircraft. Bleriot was for tractor machines and Farman for pusher types, I think (haven't had time to look this up yet). I don't think it meant that the design was necessarily French. Edited January 24, 2011 by Wayfarer
Lewie Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 The original BE1 was an amalgamation of scuttled Bleriot monoplane parts, from what I've read. It was called 'The Silent Aeroplane' when it was first flown because the Renault was pretty quiet compared to the Gnome. The engine used the prop drive off of the camshaft drive, so the prop turned at half engine speed, they had to bolt two props at 90 degrees to each other to utilize the slower rpm of the Renault. At the time it set records for altitude and economy, it was pretty advanced for 1912.
Bullethead Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 I don't think it meant that the design was necessarily French. It didn't. As you say, that was just weird Royal Aircraft Factory nomenclature. The BE2 was actually the 1st design by Geoffery DeHaviland IIRC, before he struck off on his own.
+Olham Posted January 24, 2011 Posted January 24, 2011 Yes, according to Wikipedia, you are both right there, Wayfarer and Bullethead - they also name de Havilland as constructor.
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