Single Quiz Question

[Flyby PC 23]

To go OT a little bit, when I look at WW1 aircraft, I find some very ugly, and others look superb, but very often, you cannot tell just by looking at it, what makes a good aircraft.

 

I wouldn't say they all look the same, but visually, I find it's very hard to pick out the exceptional aircraft from the 'also rans'.

 

I find myself lacking the visual vocabulary to judge power, strength, speed and stability from photo's.

 

Say for example those WW2 Hurricane pilots seeing a Spitfire arrive, I can see at once why they would be grinning. But would I be blown away the first time I saw my first SE5? I might feel a lot better once I'd flown it, but visually? .....

[Olham 164]

Here is at least one Roland Payen design for you, Hauksbee - but you're right - can't get in to the "dannysoar" site.

 

http://modelarchives.free.fr/Bestiaire/Payen_P400_P/index.html

 

Flyby, I guess there are some great aircraft, which were commonly regarded as rather ugly;

like the S.E.5a, the Hawker Hurricane or the McDonnell Douglas "Phantom".

Personally, I liked all three of them. Of course, the Spitfire has the elegant timeless design,

which I as a designer really love to look at.

But no other British fighter could come back to base with as much damage done to it

as the Hawker Hurricane. And it was the "ugly sister", which brought the German bombers

down over England; not the Spitfire (which was tangling with the "Messerschmidt's").

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

...and they're so damned ugly, I'd risk going up in an E.III just to take a whack at them.

 

I'll buy that for a Dollar!

[Hauksbee 103]

I wouldn't say they all look the same, but visually, I find it's very hard to pick out the exceptional aircraft from the 'also rans'.

I know how you feel. I'd never the pick the DH-2 as being the one that put a end to the "Fokker Scourge" On the other hand, the E.III has such a 'modern' layout that I'd never pick it to be such a turkey to fly.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Hauksbee

[Hauksbee 103]

Here is at least one Roland Payen design for you, Hauksbee - but you're right - can't get in to the "dannysoar" site.

Nice one, Olham. I'd not seen this one...and with contra-rotating props.(?) Payens was certainly pushing the envelope for his time. It's a shame that we'll never know if any of them would have panned out.

[carrick58 23]

Luv Art Deco