WWI Aviation Illustration

Russia - 1915 Sikorsky S-16

2012-02-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

One Of The Best Russian Designed Fighters of WWI

Even though early Russian Aviation design never had the resources to produce enough aircraft for their needs during the Great War, They did design some effective aircraft. Igor Sikorsky proved himself as one of the truly great Russian aircraft designers. His career is marked by innovation and a firm grasp of the fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Russian Empire

Sikorsky S-16, Crew and Serial number unknown, 1915

This is an early version of the S-16. It has the pendant version of the Russian colors on the fuselage and rudder. The wings have the roundel type national insignias. The aircraft is finished in varnished cloth. As with all the examples I have seen the wheels do not have covers.

Sikorsky S-16, 7th IAO, Y. Gilsher G. Kvasnikov c/n 201, March-April-1916

In this example you can see some variation in the construction of the S-16. The tail fin has a different shape and additional panels are added to the metal forward section and cowling. The wheel is more robust than in the earlier version.

Bolshevik Forces

Sikorsky S-16, Crew and Serial number unknown, Bolshevik Forces, 1918

This later version has a change to the fuselage. The wheels have been replaced with pontoon like skis for use on snow and muddy improvised runways. The pendant insignia has been over-painted in red. The wings have the white circle and red star style markings.

A Brief History Of The Sikorsky S-16
The Sikorsky S-16 (named after its designer) or RBVZ S-XVI (named after its manufacturer) was a Russian equi-span single-bay two-seat biplane designed by Igor Sikorsky in 1914-15. Conceived in response to demand for an escort fighter for the Ilya Muromets bombers. The prototype S-16 made its first flight on February 6, 1915. This prototype was fitted with an 80 hp air-cooled 7 cylinder, Gnome rotary engine instead of the intended 100hp because of supply problems. The S-16 was the first Sikorsky fighter to be equipped with a synchronized machine gun firing through the propeller. However, the synchronization left much to be desired. The S-16, with slight modifications from batch to batch survived the Revolution and were operational with the Red Air Force through the Civil War.
On 17 December 1915, the Russian government placed an order for 18 aircraft, these being delivered in early 1916.Although highly maneuverable, the S-XVI possessed a comparatively poor performance due to insufficient power. A further small batch were completed in 1917, with the aircraft being used during the Russian Revolution and staying in service until 1923.

References
From Wikipedia Sikorsky S-16, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-16"

Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Complete Book of Fighters". Colour Library Direct, Godalming, UK: 1994. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.

France - 1917 Nieuport 24

2012-02-20T06:11:00.000-06:00

The First Round Body Nieuport

In 1917 the Nieuport 17 and the improved N.23 were seen as a dead end. Aviation technology development had rendered it less able to perform as a front line fighter. Gustave Delage took what was learned from previous models and created a new design with a new rounded shape and improvements to make Nieuport aircraft viable again. Even though the new design had some problems it served in several nations well after the end of the Great War.

Nieuport 24

Nieuport 24 N87 Escadrille (Les Chats Noir) Caporal William Wellman, s/n 10 - 1918

William Wellman was an American flying with the French Black Cat Squadron. The paint scheme is the standard aluminum finish with the squadron insignia on the fuselage. The numbers on the rudder are missing. The wing roundels are the standard 4 point scheme. I am not sure if the number ten was painted on the upper wing or not. I assume it was not, however I may be wrong.

Nieuport 24 N561 Escadrille, Roland Garros, s/n 5685 - 1918

This example has a four color camouflage pattern. I have not seen references for the wing pattern. The insignia is a not a squadron one, but a personal one chosen by the famous French ace Roland Garros. The rudder markings are just the serial number.

Nieuport 24bis

Nieuport 24 bis N501 Escadrille, s/n 4487 - 1917

The red rear section adds a lot of sizzle to the standard aluminum finish. The insignia is the late version used by the 501^st squadron. The rudder markings include the tare and loaded weights.

Nieuport 24 bis N502 Escadrille, Adj Basille Sané, s/n 4487 - 1917

This example does not carry the squadron insignia (A circle quarter red and dark blue). However the wide tri-color bands add a lot of visual impact. Sané was flying this plane when he was credited with bringing down a Gotha bomber assigned to Kaghol 1 in 1917.

A Short History of the Nieuport 24
The Nieuport 24 introduced a new fuselage with improved aerodynamic characteristics. Other changes included rounded wingtips, and a tail unit incorporating a small fixed fin and a curved rudder. The tail skid was sprung internally and had a neater appearance than that on earlier Nieuports. Power was provided by a 130 hp Le Rhône rotary engine .
In the event, there were problems with the new tail, most production aircraft of the type were of the Nieuport 24bis model, which retained the fuselage and wings of the 24, but reverted to the Nieuport 17 type tailplane, tail skid and rectangular balanced rudder. The new tail design was finally standardized on the Nieuport 27.
A batch of Nieuport 24bis were built at British Nieuport and General Aircraft Co. in England for the Royal Naval Air Service.
The standard armament of the Nieuport 17 (a synchronized 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers in French service - a 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun on a Foster mounting on the top wing in British service) was retained to save weight and retain a good performance, although many 24s were used as advanced trainers and normally flown without guns.
In the summer of 1917, when the Nieuport 24 and 24bis. were coming off the production line, most French fighter squadrons were replacing their Nieuport 17s with SPAD S.VIIs - and many of the new fighters went to fighter training schools, and to France’s allies, including the Russians, and the British, who used theirs well into 1918, due to a shortage of S.E.5as. A few French units retained the Nieuport through late 1917 - the type was actually preferred by some pilots, especially the famous Charles Nungesser.
Some of the Nieuport advanced trainers bought by the Americans for their flying schools in France in November 1917 may very well have been 24s or 24bis.
Both Poland and Russia continued to use the Nieuport 24 into the the early 1920's. There are many examples where the same plane fought on both sides of the Polish Russian War of 1919-1921. In some cases it was due to defection of the pilot, or the aircraft was captured by the opposing side.

References

Nieuport 24. (2010, July 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10: 18, July 23, 2010, from http: //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nieuport_24&oldid=373176479

Escadrille 501 http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille501.htm

Nieuport Fighters in Action published by Squadron/Signal Publications.

Escadrille 501 http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille502.htm

Nieuport Gallery http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/nieuport-gallery.htm

Bruce, Jack M. More Nieuport Classics. Air Enthusiast, Number Five, November 1977-February 1978. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press. pp. 14-28.

Cheesman E.F. (ed.) Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War Letchworth, Harletford Publications, 1960 pp. 96-97

Russia - 1920 Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe

2012-02-17T04:34:00.000-06:00

Red Stars and a very Red Nose.

In spite of a nasty cold I have been busy working up illustrations for Project X. I will be posting some details in March. I have been jumping between the Great War and the Inter-war period. My focus has shifted to aircraft flown by the Bolshevik forces. Research on the era is very problematic due to lack of records and the language barrier. With the passing of the last witnesses to events during World War One the task has become even more challenging.

The Mysterious Bolshevik Sopwith Snipes

By the late war The British needed a replacement for the aging Sopwith Camel.The new fighter to take up the fight was the Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe. Delivery of the new aircraft to the RAF began in the early Autumn of 1918. The Snipe was faster, easier to fly and structurally stronger than the Camel. These traits helped the Snipe become the preferred front-line RAF fighter during the early postwar era.

Documents show three Snipes were known to have served with the Soviet Air Service. One of the unsolved mysteries is how these aircraft were acquired. Records show no Royal Air Force units supplied with Snipes operating in Russia. The same can be said for the Polish squadrons opposing the Bolshevik forces. Two of the Snipes are fairly well known, almost nothing is known about the third example.

The Two Faces of Nelly

The most famous of the Soviet Snipes was serial number E6351 which was assigned to the 1^st Fighter Detachment. The pilot G. S. Sapozhnikov had the name “Nelly” painted on the starboard side of the fuselage behind the cockpit.

Sopwith Snipe - 1920

The paint scheme was basically the standard PC-10 finish with light gray panels around the cockpit and a natural metal cowl, under-sufaces are clear doped linen. National markings were red stars painted over the British RAF roundels. The rudder was still painted in the standard British tri-color stripes.

Sopwith Snipe - 1920

Sapozhnikov's Snipe was repainted. All of the British markings were removed. The new national markings were only applied to the bottom surfaces of the lower wing. Some profiles show the stars as red, however latest research state they are in fact black. A black Ace of Spades cover the fuselage roundels. The rudder is painted blue with a curved black arrow. Sapozhnikoz was killed in this aircraft when his engine failed on takeoff on December 8, 1920.

Germany - 1916-1918 Assorted Aircraft

2012-02-12T20:09:00.000-06:00

Some New German Profiles

I woke this weekend with a cold. Needless to say it has slowed me down a bit. I took a break from working on interwar aircraft to work up a few new German WWI profiles.

Albatros D.III OAW Jasta 39, Oblt. Josef Loeser Italian Front, summer 1917

The candy cane paint scheme made this Albatros a must do profile.The upper wing surfaces and both sides of the tail plane are painted in white and red stripes running forward to aft. This was one of the German Jastas sent to bolster Austrian operations against Italy. The three Jastas were № 1, № 31, and № 39.

Fokker D.VII Jasta 64, Vzfw. Joseph Doerflinger October 1918

This is another controversial profile. Some sources claim the nose section is bare metal, others claim it was a dark blue. The lozenge colors I used are probably inaccurate. I expect to do a new version once my new master files are completed.

Junkers Cl.I s/n 1802/18 - 1918

I have seen sources for this Junker CL.I and liked the atypical mustard and green paint scheme. The sources I have found show a different landing gear strut arraignment for this aircraft.

Zeppelin Lindau Do-I (Doriner D.I) s/n D.1905/18 - 1918

This is a highly conjectural profile based on elements seen in other sources. It depicts one of the approximately finished Zeppelin Lindau Do-I reputed to be hidden by Germany after the Armistice.

Germany - 1918 Junkers CL.I

2012-02-08T23:59:00.000-06:00

A Life of Controlled Chaos

Things have been hectic in the studio recently. The Polish Project is moving along with new additions to the galleries. New master files are in work and new references have been found. In addition to this I have started a collaboration with a writer like and respect on an upcoming project. I will give more details on the project when I can. All I will say at the moment is it will be a very interesting read.

Long term readers know my opinion on the question of what makes a forward thinking airplane design during the First World War. It is no secret that I think designs with more than a single set of wings was a paradigm which needed to be cast aside. In most cases triplanes were a waste of time and material. Successful triplanes were light weight and small. Ironically this type of airframe was what made the Fokker E.V-D.VIII a great plane.

Junkers's Dream Machine

Hugo Junker was an inspired visionary who did the groundwork for modern aviation. He championed the idea of metal skinned monoplane aircraft in spite of what some saw as common wisdom, but was just another manifestation of lack of vision. Junker went beyond the envelope and saw the shape of things to come. His ideas were picked up by Anthony Fokker, who was always quick to assimilate the work of others, during their joint venture producing the J.10 late in the war.

Junkers Cl.I - 1918

This is an example of the long body version of the CL.I (J.8 or J.10) painted in a relatively common camouflage scheme.

Junkers CLS.I - 1918

As with many aircraft a seaplane version was tested for feasibility. This example has an unpainted body and struts with a streaked camouflage on the floats. The rudder on the J.11 was altered as well as the exhaust system.

Overview of the Junkers CL.I
The Junkers CL.I was a ground-attack monoplane aircraft developed in Germany during World War I. Its construction was undertaken by Junkers under the designation J 8. as proof of Hugo Junkers' belief in the monoplane, after his firm had been required by the Idflieg to submit a biplane (the J 4) as its entry in a competition to select a ground-attack aircraft.
The J 8 design took the J 7 fighter as its starting point, but had a longer fuselage to accommodate a tail gunner, and larger wings. The prototype flew in late 1917 and was followed over the next few months by three more development aircraft.
The Idflieg was sufficiently impressed to want to order the type, but had misgivings about Junkers' ability to manufacture the aircraft in quantity and considered asking Linke-Hoffmann to produce the type under license. Finally, however, Junkers was allowed to undertake the manufacture as part of a joint venture with Fokker, producing a slightly modified version of the J 8 design as the J 10. Like the other Junkers designs of the period, the aircraft featured a metal framework that was skinned with corrugated duralumin sheets. 47 examples were delivered before the Armistice, including three built as float planes under the designation CLS.I (factory designation J 11). After the war, one or two CL.Is were converted for commercial service by enclosing the rear cockpit under a canopy.
References
From Wikipedia Junkers CL.I "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_CL.I"

Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). "The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1962). German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions. pp. 536.

"World Aircraft Information Files". London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 897 Sheet 01.

Poland 1920-1293 Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30

2012-02-03T22:33:00.001-06:00

Polish Advanced Trainers

When Poland became an independent nation, one of the important needs was the creation of an effective air force. In the beginning the core was composed of veterans serving with the Germans and Austrians during the First World War. Soon aviators from many nations joined them to create a formidable fighting force. Still more aviators were needed to defend the promise of independence for this fledgling nation. To meet this need flight schools were created to swell the ranks of combat pilots who would defend their country and eventually fight for freedom during the Second World War.

The Morane-Saulnier A-1 had very modern lines and was very streamlined. Even though 1,210 were produced it never made a big impact at the front during the Great War. By mid-May 1918 it was withdrawn to serve as an advanced trainer, designated MoS 30. When France began aiding Poland in their efforts for independence the Morane-Saulnier A-1 was a perfect fit for use in the Polish Advanced Flying Schools.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Poznan Lawica 1920

When the MS A1 was deployed in Poland many of them retained their French markings. I am not sure if they retained the roundels on the wing or if they carried Polish markings.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Grudziadz 1922

This is another example of the standard French camouflage pattern. Notable it the lack of wheel covers and color change of the MS logo on the cowling.

Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Grudziadz 1923

In ths profile you see the French camouflage scheme still in use but there is a the shift to use of Polish national insignias.

Morane-Saulnie AI MS-30 E1 - Advanced Flying School, Bydgoszcz 1923

This example has the dark green color we associate with interwar aircraft. One obvious change is the wide pale blue area on the fuselage. This is fairly atypical. Most late Polish aircraft use gray on the lower surfaces.

Poland - 1919 Fokker D.VII Part 1

2012-01-31T07:07:00.002-06:00

Three Polish Fokker D.VII

Another day, another Polish aircraft update. I will try to post them in an orderly and thematic manner to avoid any confusion (Being a geezer with memory issues this is more for me than my readers). Recently I have been working on Polish profiles of the Fokker D.VII. I decided to post them by squadron instead of piecemeal.

I have been thinking about offering CD profile collections for sale. I am still considering the format and structure. Whether it would be better as naked images accessed through a HTML menu or as a PDF. I am not sure if there is a demand for another collection by another illustrator. I welcome any feedback on this. If there is a need and market for this I will be offering them on my blog and my main site.

Fokker D.VII, 15.Eskadra Myśliwska, Pilot Unknown s/n 502/18

This example is fairly typical of schemes used for he Fokker D.VII in Poland. Of note is the bomb rack carried by many of the Fokker D.VII in Polish service. All the polish national markings are the simple version.

Fokker D.VII, 15.Eskadra Myśliwska, Sgt. A. Bartkowiak, s/n 503/18, August-1919

The fuselage and wheel covers of this example are painted in a dark finish. The sources I have seen show it as black. The wings and tail plane are covered in a standard lozenge fabric.

Fokker D.VII, 15.Eskadra Mśsliwska, s/n 504/18, Ostrow Wielkopolski Airfield,1921

Here we have another plane covered in five color lozenge cloth. The crippled hand is a personal insignia. I am still searching for the identity of the pilot of this plane.

A Short Incomplete History of the 15.Eskadra Myśliwska
The unit was formed May 25, 1919 in Poznan as 4 Greater Combat Squadron (ie hunting, in contrast to the squadron,field). The commander was Ltn. George Dziembowski. The first squadron had six pilots which flew German aircraft. The unit initially flew three Albatros D.III 2 Fokker D.VII and a Fokker D.VIII (EV). Beginning in July of 1919 the squadron used the French SPAD VII to train pilots. Later on they switched to the Fokker D. VII. On September 20, 1919 the squadron was stationed at the airport Poznań-Ławica, awaiting orders from the Supreme Command.
In February 1920 the Greater Combat Squadron was named Fighter Squadron 15 . The unit was redeployed to the airport in Bydgoszcz as the reserve unit for the Supreme Command. In April 1920 the squadron consisted of seven fighter pilots and 9 Fokker D.VII , 2 SPAD VII and a two-seat multi-role aircraft Albatros B.II (unassembled).
In May 1920 was sent to the front of the Polish-Soviet war and incorporated into the Third Division . On May 16, 1920 the squadron arrived at the airport Wapniarka to Podolia. The squadron specialized in reconnaissance and ground support missions. During combat operations against the Bolsheviks, the 15th squadron used light bombs strafing runs with great effect. On May 24 of 1920, 5 planes destroyed the Soviet artillery battery in Zielonka.During a two day mission (May 27-28) involving the 15th, 5th and 21st Squadrons attacked the Malewannaja railway station, targeting armored trains and rolling stock.
Overall, from May to October 1920, 15 Squadron made 277 sorties, losing four aircraft to ground fire (three aircraft were damaged) one pilot was killed and one wounded. After the war, under the command of 18 January 1921 Fighter Squadron 15 years stationed in Ostrow Wielkopolski .bIn August 1921 the year 15th Fighter Squadron was part of Fighter Squadron V 3 Air Regiment in Poznan-Shoal.

References

Tarkovsky, Krzysztof: Polish Air Force in the war with Soviet Russia 1919-1920. Warsaw: 1991. ISBN 83-206-0985-2 ,
Goworek, Thomas: The first Polish fighter aviation, Warsaw 1991, ISBN 83-85001-46-8

Poland - 1920 Ground Attack Aircraft

2012-01-30T03:46:00.000-06:00

German Ground Attack Airplanes in the Polish Air Force

Once again my obsessive side is showing. I'm up to 45 Polish aircraft and looking at my reference material I see that I can easily break the hundred mark. It has been an opportunity to revisit existing subjects and an excuse to get more lost master files completed. Another benefit is I am learning more about an era and theater I knew little about.

Before Poland gained independence the country was threatened by both Russia to the east and Germany and Austria to the west. Many Poles were faced with the choice of living in hardship or being conscripted into both the western empires. Needless to say many a Pole found their way into the cockpit of German and Austrian aircraft. When the Great War ended the Polish pilots and their aircraft returned to Poland where they were put to use in found the Polish Air Service.

Albatros J.I, 1.Eskadra Wielkopolska “Smok” s/n 6 (Alb.J1.217/18) 1921

This Albatros J.I was named “Smok” which means Dragon in Polish. The name was painted in white on the forward fuselage, just behind of the bare metal engine compartment. When in German service it was assigned the serial number 628/17 or 628/18. The profile shows the plane when it was attached to the Poznan Flying School in 1921. The national markings on the fuselage and rudder are the more complex version which also appear on both the upper top and lower bottom wing surfaces. The overall color scheme is dark green with pale blue lower surfaces. As with many other Polish aircraft the serial numbers are painted in black over a white stripe. The wheels had covers, however the conic spinner is removed.

Halberstadt CL.II 14.Eskadry Wywiadowczej, s/n 201/18 W. Bartkowiak J. Klicze, 1920

The paint scheme is not much different than the original German scheme. The cowling is bare metal and the fuselage is varnished wood. The wings are lozenge pattern camouflage. The Polish markings are the simple version. The wing markings are in the typical locations. The wire wheels were not covered and the conical spinner is removed. The exhaust is atypical, most Halberstadt mounted it horizontally on the right side of the engine. As in the previous profile the serial numbers are painted on a white stripe.

Poland - 1919 Oeffag D-III BA.253

2012-01-21T04:36:00.000-06:00

Project Poland: Take Two

It has been a hectic week in the studio. I have been refining my file name schema, switching from shorter names to more descriptive ones including as much vital information as I can in the name to aid in archiving and web searches. It would drive me crazy when a profile for one aircraft type would be mislabeled by a search engine when pulling results. So far the new method seems to work fairly well. It means larger web documents, but improves search accuracy. (Which is always a good thing.)

I have been busy collecting research material and working up quite a few Polish aircraft profiles recently. The new work includes: Albatros C-class two seat types, Halberstadt CL.IIs, Hannover CL.IIIs, SPAD S.7s, AIRCO DH-9s and a large number of Oeffag D-III Series 253s. Since I have completed enough of them it seemed to be a good opportunity to post part 2 of the series on Polish aviation.

The Kościuszko Squadron

Poland's most famous aviation unit was the Kościuszko Squadron, named for the national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko. The pilots were mainly American ex-service pilots. Some were mercenaries, others volunteered. The Americans were joined by several regular French units. These contained (or were alleged to contain) substantial contingents of Polish personnel.

Tadeusz Kościuszko

Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (born: February 12, 1746, died: October 15, 1817) was a Polish–Lithuanian and American general and military leader during the Kościuszko Uprising. He is a national hero of Poland, Lithuania, the United States and Belarus. Tadeusz Kościuszko fought in the American Revolutionary War as a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1783, in recognition of his dedicated service, he was brevetted by the Continental Congress to the rank of brigadier general in a mass promotion given to all officers who had served during the war. He lreturned to Poland and ed the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia as Supreme Commander of the Polish National Armed Force (Najwyźszy Naczelnik Siły Zbrojnej Narodowej).

The squadron usd a wide range of aircraft built by both sides of World War One. However the Kościuszko Squadron fielded a large percentage of Austro-Hungarian Oeffag D-III Series 253 with great effect.

Oeffag D-III of the Kościuszko Squadron

Oeffag D-III BA.253 Kościuszko Squadron, Maj. Cedric E. Fauntleroy, Lwów, Dec. 1919

This was the personal aircraft of the commander of the Kościuszko Squadron, Maj. Cedric E. Fauntleroy. The upper wing and tail plane surfaces are painted dark green as is the fuselage. The lower wings and tail plane are finished in yellow varnish. The forward section of the cowling and engine cover was painted red.

Oeffag D-III BA.253 Kościuszko Squadron, s/n.253218, Kpt. Merian Cooper, Kiev, May 1920

This is the personal plane of Kpt. Merian Cooper while in Kiev, May 1920. The upper wing and tailplane surfaces and the rudder are covered in "sworl" fabric. The red forward section is shown in some sources bearing a white border. As with many polish aircraft the wheels did not have a cover.

Oeffag D-III BA.253 Kościuszko Squadron, s/n 8, Pilot Unknown, Lwów, February, 1920

This example shares many of the elements of the previous profile. Once again we see the "sworl" camouflage being used. This example has covers on the wheels and the engine cover has been removed.

Oeffag D-III BA.253 Kościuszko Squadron, s/n 10, Pilot Unknown, Lwów, Dec. 1919

This is fairly typical paint scheme. The Polish insignia is the more complex version, and the rudder is yellow varnished, which was a fairly common practice. Once again there is no wheel covers.

History of the Kościuszko Squadron

Excerpt From Wikipedia Polish 7th Air Escadrille
The Polish 7. Eskadra Lotnicza (7^th Air Escadrille), better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers. It was one of most active Polish squadrons in the war.
The unit was formed when Poland regained independence, on 7 November 1918 in Kraków, as the 3^rd Air Escadrille, utilizing mostly bomber and reconnaissance aircraft left by Austro-Hungarian forces. On 25 November 1918 it was moved to Lwów (current Lviv), where it took active part in fighting of the Polish-Ukrainian War until June 1919. On 21 December 1918, after unification of Polish air units' names, its name was changed to the 7^th Air Escadrille. It was commanded by Jerzy Boreysza, from April 1919 by Stefan Stec. Among pilots was World War I Ace Mieczysław Garsztka. Number of aircraft was variable, in May 1919 it possessed 3 fighters Fokker D.VIII (E.V), 3 reconnaissance Hansa-Brandenburg C.I and 1 LVG C.V. In June 1919 the escadrille was converted into fighter unit, then in September it was withdrawn into reserve. In October 1919 the commander became Ludomił Rayski.
In late 1919 eight American volunteers, including Major Cedric Fauntleroy and Captain Merian C. Cooper, arrived in Poland from France where in September 1919 they had been officially named the Kościuszko Squadron (after the Polish American hero Tadeusz Kościuszko) with Major Fauntleroy as its commander. After reaching Poland the men from Kościuszko Squadron joined the 7th Squadron. More pilots arrived during the following weeks - in all, there served 21 American pilots, along with several Polish pilots, including Ludwik Idzikowski, the ground crew was all Polish. In November 1919 Major Fauntleroy took the command and on 31 December 1919 the escadrille took the name Kościuszko Squadron. Meanwhile the Polish Air Force underwent reorganization. Even though most volunteers asked to be sent to the frontlines as soon as possible, the Polish high command delayed their deployment in view of the coming Polish offensive.
The Kościuszko Squadron was the first air squadron to use a railway train as a mobile flying base with specially designed railroad cars that could transport their aircraft as the front moved and developed. The train also included the squadron's operational headquarters, aircraft spares and repair workshops and living quarters.
The Kościuszko Squadron was first used in the Kiev Offensive in April 1920, rebasing from Lwów to Połonne. Its aircraft were Albatros D.III (Oef) fighters, supplemented by Ansaldo A.1 Balilla. Since there were no air encounters, primary missions became reconnaissance and ground attack. Most of the Squadron's flights were directed against Semyon Budionny's First Cavalry Army. The Squadron developed a tactic of low-altitude machine-gun strafing runs. Polish land commanders highly valued the contribution of the Kościuszko Squadron. General Puchucki of the 13^th Infantry Division wrote in a report: “The American pilots, though exhausted, fight tenaciously. During the last offensive, their commander attacked enemy formations from the rear, raining machine-gun bullets down on their heads. Without the American pilots' help, we would long ago have been done for.”
Merian Cooper was shot down but survived. Budionny had put half a million rubles on Captain Cooper's head, but when he was caught by the Cossacks he managed to convince them that he was a corporal. A few months later he escaped from a POW camp near Moscow to Latvia.
In August 1920 the Kościuszko Squadron took part in the defense of Lwów, and after the Battle of Warsaw it participated in the Battle of Komarów which crippled Budionny's cavalry. Most active days were August 16 and 17, when Escadrille, reduced to 5 uninjured pilots, fulfilled 18 ground attack missions each day.
In 1920 the Kościuszko Squadron made over 400 combat flights.

References

Polish 7th Air Escadrille. (2011, November 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:00, January 20, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polish_7th_Air_Escadrille&oldid=461440694
Wings Palette World War I/Fighters/Oeffag D.III/Ba.153/Ba.253/Poland http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/175/29/0
Polish Albatros D.III Kościuszko Squadron scheme http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/camouflage-markings/53442-polish-albatros-d-iii-kozusko-squadron-scheme.html
Tadeusz Kościuszko. (2012, January 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:21, January 21, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko&oldid=471731506
Merian C. Cooper, Faunt-le-Roy i jego eskadra w Polsce : dzieje Eskadry Kos'ciuszki, Wydawnictwa Pism Związkowych, Chicago, 1922.
Kenneth Malcolm Murray, Wings Over Poland: The Story of the 7th (Kosciuszko) Squadron of the Polish Air Service, 1919, 1920, 1921, D. Appleton and Co.,1932.
Janusz Cisek, Kosciuszko, We Are Here: American Pilots of the Kościuszko Squadron in Defense of Poland, 1919-1921, McFarland & Company, 2002, ISBN 0-7864-1240-2, Google Print

Poland 1918-1921 Breguet Br.14 A2

2012-01-17T07:57:00.000-06:00

Breguet Br.14 A2 of the Polish-Soviet War

Slowly but surely I have been busy fleshing out the my collection of profiles for Poland, Belgium, Greece and Turkey. Some of the work has been slowed by the need for new master files. I hope to remedy this in the near future. I have been preparing the raw line drawings for the process of breaking them down into parts which get refined, shaded and stacked up for reassembly. Once the master files are done I can have fun.

As I promised before here is the first installment on Polish Air Force. There is much more to come. I will be posting them by aircraft type to attempt a coherent narrative.

The Birth of Polish Air Power

Military aviation in Poland started shortly after the country regained its independence in November 1918. Initially, the Polish Air Force consisted of mostly German and Austrian aircraft. The aircraft used included captured German Albatros D.III and D.VI, Fokker D.VII and D.VIII, and the Austrian Lloyd C.V and Oeffag D.III, as well as other aircraft types. These planes were first used by the Polish Air Force in the Polish-Ukrainian War in late 1918, during combat operations centered around the city of Lwów (now Lviv).

When the Polish-Soviet War broke out in February 1920, the Polish Air Force used a variety of aircraft from Britain, France and Italy. The most common aircraft in service at this time were the British made Bristol F2B and Italian Ansaldo Balilla fighters. German aircraft were still in use during the Polish-Soviet War The 21. Eskadra Niszczycielska (21st Destroyer Squadron) included a Gotha G.IV on April 30, 1920.

Breguet Br.14 A2, 39 Eskadra Breguetow sn 7460, Krakow Aerodrome mid 1919

This is one of the original Breguet Br.14 A2s assigned to BR39 Escadrille which was sent to Poland after WWI. It is finished in the French standard five-color camouflage scheme. The top wing bore both French and Polish markings, French on the left upper wing, Polish on the right. The rudder has the Polish insignia painted over the original three color French markings.

Breguet Br.14 A2, 16 Eskadra Wywiadowcza, sn 7244, May 1920

This is another French Breguet Br.14 A2 from Escadrille BR39 which became 16 Eskadras when turned over to the Polish Air Force. The basic paint scheme is the same as above, except the rudder has been over-painted and bears the Polish insignia. The marking mid-ship is a young woman scattering flowers. This unit eventually became the fictional Lithuanian squadron sent to fight in the 'Zeligowski's revolt'.

Breguet Br.14 A2 in Polish Service Overview

During the closing days of the Great War France redeployed three French escadrilles to Poland to aid in their struggle for independence and to bolster their defenses against what was seen as a growing threat of Soviet expansion. Escadrille BR39, BR59 and BR66 were redesignated as Polish squadrons. Eventually the French government handed over the surviving aircraft of these escadrilles to the Polish Air Force. Escadrille BR39 became 16EW, Escadrille BR59 became 12EW and Escadrille BR66 became 4EW. The original three Polish squadrons were disbanded by late 1920. Poland ordered an additional 70 Breguet Br.14s and between 1920-21 assigned them to the newly formed 1, 3, 8, 10, 12 and 16 Eskadras. By 1924 the Br14 was showing its age and was replaced by newer designs entering service.

The Br14s assigned to Poland were finished in the standard five-color camouflage scheme and French markings. The French roundels were gradually over-painted with the Polish red and white checkerboard insignias During the transition the aircraft bore a mix of French and Polish markings. Late issue Br14s were painted in a dark green on all of the upper surfaces

Poland sent the 16 Eskadras to aid Lithuania in the 'Zeligowski's revolt' which was fought between 1920 to 1921. 16 EW was sent as a fictional Lithuanian squadron. To help with the masquerade their markings were changed of a red square with white border on left wing and white square with red border on right. The rudder of these aircraft were painted in red and white stripes.

References

Aircraft Colours and Markings of the First World War Era: Breguet Br14 http://www.cbrnp.com/RNP/CDv2/Poland/HTML/Aircraft-Breguet_14.htm

Germany - 1918 Jasta 26 Fokker Dr.I

2012-01-15T05:03:00.000-06:00

Fokker Triplanes of Jasta 26 - 1918

Back in June of 2011 I did a post on the famed German ace Bruno Lorzer: http://wwiaviation.blogspot.com/2011/06/german-ace-brunolorzer.html, however I neglected posting any of the other Fokker Dr.I assigned to Jasta 26. The nagging problem has been and still is one of identifying the pilots who were flying them. So with many apologies, here are some of the profiles. If anyone knows anything about the pilots, please let me know. I would be eternally grateful and I will sing your praises, online if not in the shower.

In all the examples shown here the upper wing surfaces are finished in the brownish streaked scheme used on the factory fuselage. The lower wing surfaces are painted in the standard pale blue (Methuen ~21/22A2). The wheel covers are painted in the standard factory finish.The use of the Maltese cross indicates the aircraft were in service in after the order to replace the Iron cross in the spring of 1918.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

Here we see the black and white striping painted over the basic factory streaked scheme. The black trefoil was a personal marking. The Maltese cross is thinner than the other examples.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

Here we see a another different stripe pattern. The cockpit section is not over-painted, however there is a white and black stripe just behind the brown painted cowling. The Maltese cross is thicker than the first example.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

This example has black and white stripes which start just forwrd of the cockpit. The cowling is painted black.

Fokker Dr.I Jasta 26 Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

The final example has a series of vertically stacked whte stripes just forward of the typical black and white stripes.

References

Over The Front Volume 5 No. 4
Nowarra, Heinz J. "Fokker Dr.I In Action" (Aircraft No. 98). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-89747-229-2.
Colours and Markings of the First World War Jasta 26 http://www.fun-modellbau.de/ww1-datenbank/Germany/Jasta26.htm

Belgium - 1917 Nieuport 11

2012-01-12T03:36:00.000-06:00

Three Belgian Aces and The "Bébé"

Early in the war Belgium suffered from a lack of combat aircraft. They had to wait for the French to supply them with hand me down planes which were no longer state of the art. Even though they were hampered with less sophisticated planes their fighting spirit proved to be a factor in their success. The best of the Belgian aviators preferred light but nimble machines which allowed them to out-maneuver their opponents. Today's collection is some of the early combat aircraft flown by the Belgian Air Service.

1^ere Escadrille Belgian Air Service

Nieuport 11 Major Willy Coppens 1st Escadrille - 1917

This example shares a scheme with several other Belgian aircraft, the gray lower fuselage and the dark green upper surfaces. The stylized origami bird is the insignia for the 1st Escadrille. It is unusual in that the aircraft has a Vickers gun mounted on the forward fuselage and not the wing mounted Lewis gun which most Nieuport 11 carried.

2^me Escadrille Belgian Air Service

Nieuport 11 Lieutenant Jan Olieslagers 2nd Escadrille - 1917

This example is painted in a sprayed 2 color camouflage scheme. The Belgian roundel painted below the cockpit is not typical for the Nieuport 11. As in the previous profile the serial numbers on the rudder are over painted. The armament is the standard wing mounted Lewis gun. The lower wing surfaces are finished in yellow varnish.

5^me Escadrille Belgian Air Service

Nieuport 11 Adj. Edmond Thieffry Escadre de Chasse sn N3 Spring - 1917

This yellow varnished example has the unit insignia of a red shooting star bordered in white on the fuselage. The wheel covers bear Thieffry's red central stripe on white field pattern. The rudder has the identification N3 painted on the yellow section.

France - 1916 - 1917 More Nieuport-17

2012-01-09T01:13:00.001-06:00

Three French Nieuport-17

I have been working on getting my archive of Nieuport aircraft rebuilt. Hopefully I will have the new master files for the different types finished and I can start fleshing out neglected areas in my collection. Slowly but surely I get closer to where I was before the big crash ate my homework. When I first started my website I was happy with a single profile to give a glimpse into the evolution of aircraft design. Now I seem to be consumed with depth of content. I have passed the 1300 profile mark and the project keeps growing.

Today's post is a small sample of the weekend's work. My recent excursion into post world war one aircraft is moved to a back burner as I get back to basics. I have so many irons in the fire I need to focus a bit more on the main topic of my site. I will still be posting profiles from the Greco-Turkish War and the Polish-Russian conflict. I just need to get back to my roots.

Escadrille N3 Les Cigognes

Nieuport-17 C1 René Dorme “Pere Dorme 3” Escadrille N3 1916

This plane was flown by René Dorme (23 victories) when serving in Escadrille N3 escadrille “des Cigognes” (“The Storks”). The aircraft is finished in the typical aluminum varnish mix used at the time. The legend painted on the forward section reads “Pere Dorme 3”. The all red stork was used as the unit insignia between October 1916 through April 1917. On the top of the fuselage just behind the head rest is a stylized green “Croix Lorraine” (“Cross Lorraine”). The red number 12 is unusual in that it was not painted to align with the center line when the plane is in flight.

Escadrille N15 Casque de Bayard

Nieuport 17 Slt. Fernando Chevillon, Escadrille N15, “DEDETTE III” sn 7 N2054 1917

“Casque de Bayard” translates as “helmet of Bayard” (a famous french Knight of the 16th Century), was used as the insigna of the Escadrille N15. The black version appears on several Nieuports flown by the 15^th Escadrille during 1917. Several variants were used including white and red versions.The name “DEDETTE III” is painted on the forward fuselage. This is the third aircraft Chevillon named Dedette. Some sources show the serial number as N2038. I may have to change the profile to reflect this.

Escadrille N31 Les Archer Grec

Nieuport-17, Pilot Unknown, Escadrille N31, sn 25, 2254- 1917

Escadrille N31 (Founded in September of 1914.) was called “Escadrille l' archer grec” which translates as “Squadron of the Greek Archer”. The escadrille fielded Nieuport 17 between February through April of 1917. The insignia variant used did not have a colored field or solid circle often seen. While this plane is well known. none of the sources I have seen have any information on who piloted number 25.

References

The Blueprints.com http://www.the-blueprints.com/
Wings Palette http://wp.scn.ru/en/
L'escadrille SPA 3: http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille003.htm
L'escadrille SPA 15: http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille015.htm
L'escadrille_31:http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/escadrille031.htm
Michel and Guy Vaugeois History of the 7th fighter Wing SHAA 1989
From Wikipedia Nieuport 17, "From Wikipedia Nieuport 17"
Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137-153.
Cheesman E.F., ed. "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918" War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford Publications, 1960.
Cooksley, Peter. "Nieuport Fighters in Action". Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89747-377-9.

Greece-Turkey 1918-1922 Airco DH.9

2012-01-08T00:05:00.000-06:00

Airco D.H.9 of the Second Greco-Turkish War

Slowly but surely I am getting back to normal after the holidays. Between medical appointments and working up profiles and new galleries and new navigation for them which are been viewable on galleries on my main site I have been a bit busy. Life has been interesting. I use the term advisably since the Chinese use the phrase as a curse. “May you live in interesting times” is not a friendly wish.

Today's post is another look at the aircraft used during the Second Greco-Turkish War. Once again both sides used the same aircraft type. The Greeks were supplied by Britain, and the Turks by captured Greek equipment. Such are the fortunes of war.

Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service

Airco D.H.9 - 1918

This aircraft had carried a typical RNAS color scheme before entering Greek service. In some profile examples show the fuselage and fin painted in very light gray to white paint scheme. Greek roundels are only painted on the wings. The forward fuselage section was natural metal both sides of the fuselage carry a Greek flag. This was the personal aircraft of the top Greek ace of WW1 Aristides Moraitinis during 1918. This aircraft served with the Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service and was stationed at the Moudros airfield, Lemnosin January of 1921.

Airco D.H.9 - 1921

This British built DH.9 first served RNAS before it was given to the Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service and was stationed at Alfion-Karahisar airfield during July 1921. The aircraft is finished in PC10 Dope on upper flying surfaces, fin, undercarriage legs and rear fuselage. The fuselage panels were painted battleship gray, and the under surfaces and wheel covers are clear doped Linen. The blue and white Greek national markings were converted from existing RNAS roundels from when they were based at Moudros during WW1. The serial number is painted in white, and is partially obscured by a dark gray or black wavy line. This pattern was a theater marking applied to all operational aircraft involved in the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922. Note that roundels on the lower wing surface do not have a 1 inch White outline.

Turkish Air Force

Airco D.H.9 - 1921

This was a Greek aircraft captured by the Turks when it made a forced landing at Mugla on 27th July 1921. The plane was named “Ismet” after the commander of the Western Front. The name is painted onto the red square of the national insignia both sides of the fuselage.this aircraft was used extensively throughout the Turkish War of Independence. After the war it was converted into a two-seat trainer and it was used at the flying school in Gaziemir-Izmir until it was retire in 1924.

Airco D.H.9 - 1922

This was one of three Greek Navy planes deserted at the Gaziemir airfield after the Greek withdrawal and evacuation of Izmir on 9th September 1922. It was named “Ganimet” which translates as War Gain. The name is painted onto the red square of the national insignia on the starboard side of the fuselage. The port side insignia bears the identification number 262. It was converted into a two-seat trainer and used at the flying school in Gaziemir-Izmir until 1924.

References

Wings Palette - Airco DH.9/9A - Greece: retrieved from http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/b/47/23/0
Wings Palette - Airco DH.9/9A - Turkey retrieved from http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/b/47/137/0

A Side Note:

Recently during image searches I have noticed a trend which is does not bode well. It seems users of several highly trafficked and well known forums are not only “Hot linking” (using a URL to images on other people's server so they are stealing bandwidth) but they do not even have the common courtesy to ask permission to use images or give credit to the owner of the material and a link back to the site they are robbing. Hot linking and use media without attribution is theft of intellectual property pure and simple. Not only has my work been pilfered but the work of many others have been treated the same way. There is a trend where the hosts of the forums are turning a blind eye to the problem even after receiving email about the problem. I see them just as culpable as the abusers. We are better than that people.

Breguet Br.14A2 1919-1922

2011-12-26T20:23:00.000-06:00

Breguet Br.14A2 of the Second Greco-Turkish War

It is good to get back to work on my projects after thee last month. As I said earlier I have been working on some of the later examples of World War One aircraft. Today offering is a few of the aircraft which fought in the Second Greco-Turkish War. There will be more of these aircraft to come.

When the Treaty of Versailles was signed on November 11 of 1918, it was called the war to end all wars. With hindsight we can see just how out of touch they were. All the treaty did was set the stage for even more warfare, both in the long and short term future. The combination of shifting fortunes of nations a rise in nationalism in the Baltic, and availability of weapons left over from WWI was a recipe for a new string of smaller but no less fierce wars.

When Turkey was reeling from their ill-fated participation in WWI, Greece saw an opportunity for expansion. Even though Turkey had been on the losing side of the Great War, their army still had more troops and armament than the Greeks. The Turks crushed the Greek forces and the Treaty of Laussane formalized the cessation of hostilities in 1923. In the end this military misadventure proved to be a mistake which would topple the Greek monarchy and bring about military rule. The Second Greco-Turkish War would bring about the current state of affairs in the Middle east.

Turkey

Breguet Br.14A2 Turkish Air Force - 1921

This Turkish Bre.14.A2 has a fairly standard French camouflage pattern. The aircraft bears the new red square and star and crescent rudder markings.

Greece

Breguet Br.14A2 - 1921

The basic fuselage scheme is similar to the Turkish example shown above. Notable is the black wavy line over-painted on the Greek insignia on the fuselage. The rudder is painted in the standard Greek identification pattern.

Breguet Br.14A2 - 1921

The paint scheme is more muted on this example and the serial numbers on the rudder have been over-painted. Like the previous aircraft the forward section is bare metal.

Germany - Jasta 6 Fokker D.VII

2011-12-12T22:45:00.000-06:00

Three Fokker D.VII Jagdgeschwader Nr.I Jasta 6

I had a 3 day weekend so I took time for rest, relaxation and consolidation. For a change of pace I am posting some of a series aircraft from Jasta 6 I've been working on. In between all the chaos I have also been busy working up some Turkish and Greek planes from the Greek Turkish War for my main profile gallery which should make one of my readers happy.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) Ltn. Der R Richard Wenzl Jasta 6 - 1918

This airplane is an early D.VII flown by Richard Wenzl who commanded the Jasta in part of 1918. What sets it apart from other Fokker D.VII in Jasta 6 is the streaked khaki paint scheme on the fuselage instead of a lozenge pattern. The wings are covered in a 5 colored lozenge pattern fabric. The forward fuselage and tail plane are painted with the distinctive diagonal black and white stripes associated with the jasta. As with many example in Jasta 6 the wheel covers are also done in a striped pattern.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) Ltn. Werner Noldecke, Jasta Busigny Aerodrome - 1918

The scheme is similar to many Jasta D.VII. The fuselage is covered in a 4 color Lozenge and the wings in a 5 color pattern. The black and yellow stripes are the personal markings of the pilot, Ltn. Werner Noldecke.

Fokker D.VII (OAW) Pilot Unknown Jasta - 1918

Once again this D.VII is the basic Jasta scheme. The white shield with a spade on it is the personal insignia of an unidentified pilot.

History of Jagdstaffel 6

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 6 was founded on 25 August 1916. It was one of the original units of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe. The jasta was formed from Fokkerstaffel Sivry, itself an early attempt to use the new winged weapons of fighter aircraft. On 29 September, it was assigned to 2 Armee and refurbished with Albatros D.I fighters.

When Manfred von Richthofen formed Jagdgeschwader 1 on 24 June 1917, Jasta 6 moved to Markebecke on 2 July to join them. The squadron would remain part of the Flying Circus for the rest of the war. In June, July, and August of 1917, the jasta lost a commanding officer per month to enemy action, even as the unit moved from one hot spot to another. It also struggled with technological problems, as it needed genuine castor oil to lubricate the rotary engines of its airplanes.

Jasta 6, at the end of the war, moved back into FEA 9, Darmstadt. On 16 November 1918, they disbanded and passed into history. They had been credited with 196 confirmed aerial victories, at the cost of ten pilots killed in action, 9 wounded in action, two killed in flying accidents, four Injured in flying accidents, and two pilots taken prisoner of war.

Although most notable aces in the squadron rose to command at one time or another, Franz Hemer and Kurt Küppers served in its ranks and earned honors without succeeding to the helm.

When the squadron was formed, it had eight Fokker Eindeckers, mostly Fokker E.IVs, which it used for its first month of operations. It added Albatros D.Is on strength in September 1916, and had at least one Fokker D.V assigned. Albatros D.IIIs were put into service in March 1917. By June 1917, Albatros D.Vs had been added to the squadron's roster, as well as Fokker Triplanes. Many of the aircraft wore a unit marking of black and white stripes on their elevators; personal insignia went on the fuselage. On the later triplanes, the engine cowling was painted scarlet and white in a petal pattern. By May 1918, the unit was re-equipped with some Fokker D.VIIs. In August, it received some Fokker D.VIIIs, but had to withdraw them from service due to lack of castor oil to lubricate their air-cooled rotary engines.

References

Jagdstaffel 6. (2011, October 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:12, December 11, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jagdstaffel_6&oldid=456174564

Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914-1918. Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731.

Germany - 1916 LFG Roland C.II pt.2

2011-12-06T01:56:00.001-06:00

Early C Class Aircraft and Kagohl Units

The Kagohl (Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heersleitung) were aerial units which operated under the Commander of the German Armies. The organization consisted to a Headquarters Staff and six Kampfstaffeln, each consisting of six C Class aircraft. They had their own ground transport and used the German railway system for rapid deployment. Their original concept, was strategic bombing of England. The flaw in the plan was C class aircraft lacked the operational range to bomb England. Instead of performing strategic bombing missions; they operated as tactical bomber units. During the battle of Verdun, They patrolled the front attempting to prevent French bomber operations against the German front. Some Kagohls also served on the Eastern front.
Kagohl 2 consisted of Kampfstaffeln(Kasta) Nr.7-12. Kasta Nr.8 was founded on December 20, 1915. The Kasta flew LFG Roland C.II, and one of the unit's claim to fame is Manfred von Richthofen served with them early in his career.

Three Roland LFG From Kagohl 2/Kasta 8

LFG Roland C.II Mont-Morville Aerodrome - 1916

This example shows some of the features of the early LFG C.II. Of note is the lack of a forward mounted gun and the round roll cage. The finish is called sky. The actual color could vary from pale blue to light gray or off-white.

LFG Roland C.II Ltn Manfred von Richthofen Kg2/8 May-June 1916

This example is one of the first aircraft that von Richthofen flew in combat. He flew this LFG Roland while serving with Kasta 8 on the Eastern Front.

LFG Roland C.II Mont-Morville Aerodrome - 1916

The finish on this example is lighter. Besides the vertical bands the finish and structure of the aircraft is the same as the previous profiles.

France - 1917 Salmson 2a

2011-12-04T22:58:00.001-06:00

Three French Salmson 2a

Late in the war many French Escadrille were supplied with the excellent Salmson SAL 2a. Today I am posting samples of some of the more successful units. I am working on more examples and will follow up with updates soon.

Escadrille SAL.1

Salmson 2a Escadrille SAL.1 Les Escargots - 1918

This is a very well known SAL.2a which flew in the 1^st Escadrille. The insignia is a blue snail. I have no information on the crew or serial number. I used a drawing by Bob Pearson as the primary source for the marking information.

Escadrille SAL.28

Salmson SAL 2a Escadrille SAL.28 sn-10-44 - 1918

I began research on this aircraft with photo and details I found at albindenis.free.fr. This Escadrille used an elephant as their insignia. Different flights carried black, white, or the most definitive version which was a charging elephant with a green cover with gold trim. This is the insignia I used on this profile.

Escadrille SAL.32

Salmson 2a Escadrille SAL.32 - 1918

I used Bob Pearson's color profile and photos from albindenis.free.fr as references for this profile. The 32th Escadrille used a seagull in flight or on a naval life preserver as their insignia.

Germany - 1916 Halberstadt CL.II part 2

2011-12-02T22:37:00.001-06:00

Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Recently I have been working outdoors in the elements. During the holiday season I end up sleep deprived and a bit fuzzy around the edges. When I get home I mainly work on finishing new master files for a new push after the new year. It has been consolidation time for me, however it is needed to avoiding wasting time and energy with changing things piecemeal instead of building the structure in a logical modular manner. The past few days I have been busy preparing for things to come. One project is working up all of Manfred von Richtofen's aircraft, I have found several lists of his planes which will give me an outline to follow. This will include the two seat aircraft he served as the gunner/observer in. I have finished a couple of the profiles for this, including a LFG Roland C.II from Staffel 8, KAGOHL 2. I will post some of them soon. Today I am posting some of the new Halberstadt CL.II profiles I have done.

More Halberstadt CL.II

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 23b - 1916

This example served in Schlasta 23b during 1916. The aircraft is finished in two different camouflage schemes. The fuselage is painted with a speckled pattern and other surfaces are finished in a five color lozenge pattern.

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 26b - 1916

This example has an unusual scheme. The red and white flame pattern over the speckled fuselage makes it easy to identify. All the lozenge is a five color scheme. It was a fun profile to do.

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 27b Brünhilde - 1918

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 27b Thea - 1918

This pair of CL.II were assigned to Schlasta 23b are both painted in nearly identical schemes. Both have a female in white on the rear section of the fuselage. Nr. 2 bears the name “Brünhilde” and Nr. 5 bears the name “Thea” Both have white numbers mid-plane, a white chevron which is the Schlasta identifier. The red stripe bordered in white I am not sure what its significance is.

Germany - 1918 Halberstadt CL.IV

2011-11-24T21:51:00.001-06:00

The Most Effective Ground Attack Aircraft of WWW I

The holidays have thrown my posting schedule for a loop. In the US we have been celebrating Thanksgiving. A day of feasting on large flightless birds and tables groaning under the weight of side dishes. I have recuperated from digestive torpor in time to post today. I am into my early 6 weeks of doing full time charity work to bring food and Christmas gifts to those who are unable to provide for them self.

I decided to post some of my new profiles of one of my favorite planes of the war. I will post a few more when I get the time.

Halberstadt CL.IV Schlachtstaffel 21 Chateau Thierry July 1918 - 1918

This striking example was the aircraft flown by the CO of Schlachtstaffel 21 in the Battle of Chateau Thierry in mid-July of 1918. The white fuselage with white strikes made it a high priority on my profile list. The wings are standard five color lozenge fabric, while the tail plane is white.

Halberstadt CL.IV Unit and Pilot Unknown - 1918

The color scheme of this plane is a matter of conjecture. Most show it as varnished wood over-painted with the black and white design. Other references show it as a blue gray under surface with the black and white markings. In all the examples the wings were covered in German five color lozenge cloth. None of the sources had any information on what unit it served in or the identity of the flight crew.

Halberstadt CL.IV Unit and Pilot Unknown - 1918

The fuselage on this example is painted in a four color camouflage pattern, The diagonal stripe has a thin black stripe separating th red and yellow areas. The skull and crossbones is a favorite marking used by many nations. I assume it was a personal marking and not a unit identifier. The black number on the rudder is somewhat common, however most still bore the numbers on the fuselage.

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its good maneuverability to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Karl Thies, chief designer of the Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke, G.m.b.H., designed the CL.IV as a replacement for the CL.II, which was very successful in harassing Allied troops. Purpose of an improved version was to create a superior ground attack aircraft.

The new CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a horizontal stabilizer of greater span and higher aspect ratio than that of the CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater maneuverability than the CL.II. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland).

As with the CL.II, the CL.IV was powered by a single 160 hp (120 kW), 6 cylinder in-line, water cooled Mercedes aircraft engine. The aircraft was armed with a fixed forward-firing 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15 “Spandau” synchronized machine gun, and a single trainable 0.312 in (7.92 mm) “Parabellum” MG14 machine gun, on a ring mount in the observer's cockpit.

Flights of four to six CL.IVs flew close support missions, at an altitude of less than one hundred feet, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops. After these late German offensives stalled, Halberstadt CL.IVs were used to disrupt advancing Allied offensives by striking at enemy troop assembly points and night sorties were also made against Allied airfields and interception missions against Allied bombers as they returned from their missions.

References
From Wikipedia Halberstadt CL.IV, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_CL.IV"

Germany - 1916 Halberstadt CL.II

2011-11-20T23:36:00.001-06:00

Germany and Ground Attack Aircraft

I took a break from working on American units this weekend. What that means is I just shifted focus back to German aircraft and their operational organization. I took the opportunity to work up several models of Halberstadt aircraft and more Fokker D.VII.

As early as 1916 Germany developed purpose built Ground attack aircraft which supported infantry units. Armed with machine guns and anti-personel bombs these aircraft performed their missions well. One of the best designs was the Halberstadt CL.II.

Jagdgeschwader Nr.2

Halberstadt CL.II Jagdgeschwader Nr.2 - 1918

This example is painted in the standard scheme set by Rudolf Berthold after March 1918, when Hptm. Adolf Tutschek died and command passed to him. The red nose could indicate this example was attached to Jasta 15. The cross on the rudder is the Maltese cross in use in 1918.

Schlasta 21

Halberstadt CL.II “Martha”, Schlasta 21 sn C893/18, France Nov. 1918

This example has a very striking paint scheme. The name Martha is probably the name of the pilot's girlfriend. The number 3 on the rudder is unusual, The side mounted boxes for anti-personel munitions are absent. The wings are done in the standard lozenge scheme, a dark pattern on the upper surfaces, lighter on the lower. The tail plane is painted in the orange and dark green motif. Once again the Maltese crosses indicate the aircraft is in use in 1918.

Halberstadt CL.II Schlasta 21 sn 5, France Nov. 1918

This example is painted in a speckled pattern. The rear fuselage section is white with a yellow stripe separating the dark section from the white. The number in the white diamond may be an aircraft identifier. The wings are standard lozenge and the tail plane is white. The side boxes are mounted on the fuselage.

The Halberstadt CL.II was the first German purpose designed aircraft for the ground attack role. The Halberstädter Flugzeug Werke began supplying the German Halberstadt D-II during the summer of 1916. The plane was created to provide air support for ground troops.
The CL.II was powered by the reliable 160 hp (120 kW), 6 cylinder in-line, water cooled Mercedes aircraft engine. and armed with three machine-guns and five 22-pound (10 kg) anti-personnel bombs, the plane soon established itself as the best ground attack fighters of the war.

References
From Wikipedia Halberstadt CL.II, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_CL.II"

Angelucci, Enzo (ed.). "World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft". London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.

Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962.

Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

United States - 1918 Salmson 2a

2011-11-17T02:07:00.001-06:00

Salmson 2a in the 1st Observation Group

I have been busy working on American aircraft groups and I have just finished a new master file for the Salmson 2a. So far I have done several French, American, and one British profile. The SAL 2a has a lot of detail to contend with. Once again it is fun with louvers time. I have worked up an easy way to add them. I make one louver, trim the image to give me the proper spacing, make a new image window the correct size and use a fill tool to make a row of them as long as I want. As long as I do the math before creating the new window I get a clean even row of them without any irregularities. A bit of copy pasting to a layer and the I have what I need fast and easy. Then all I need to do is tweak the opacity and the layer blending mode and I am done. Keeping them isolated on a single layer keeps things simple if I need to play with them later.

1^st Aero Squadron 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 1^st Aero Squadron - 1918

When the United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917, the 1^st Aero Squadron was still based at Columbus, New Mexico. The Army ordered the 1^st Aero Squadron to Fort Jay, New York City, to accompany the 1^st Division to France. The squadron arrived in August 1917, too late to join the 1^st Division, but sailed for France on its own under the command of Major Ralph Royce. It arrived at Le Havre on 3 September 1917, the first U.S. squadron in France.

Untested U.S. squadrons were initially sent to a fairly inactive sector of the Front north of Toul to acquire combat experience at minimum risk. The 1st Aero Squadron trained at Avord, Issoudun and Amanty, France, during the winter of 1917–18. While at Amanty a member of the squadron, Lt. Stephen W. Thompson, achieved the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. The aircraft used by the squadron were the Curtiss AR-1, Spad XIII pursuit plane, and Salmson 2 observation plane.

On 8 April 1918, the 1^st Aero Squadron was assigned to an aerodrome at Ourches, and was joined shortly after by the 12^th and 88^th Aero Squadrons to form the 1^st Corps Observation Group, the first U.S. air group. The group served as an observation unit for both the French XXXVIII Corps and the U.S. I Corps, moving its location nine times between April and November.

88^th Aero Squadron 1^st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 88^th Aero Squadron - 1918

Activated in the summer of 1917 as the Air Service 88th Aero Squadron; deployed to France during World War I and served on the Western Front. Engaged in combat as a corps observation squadron with I, III, IV, and V Army Corps, May 30 – November 10, 1918. After the armistice subsequently served with VII Army Corps in occupation force, November 1918 – May 1919 when the squadron returned to the United States

90^th Aero Squadron 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Salmson 2a 90^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The 90^th Fighter Squadron was initially activated on 20 August 1917, as the 90^th Aero Squadron. Its first location was at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas. The first few months of its existence were consumed by the necessary training to prepare the men for operations in France during World War I. On 12 November 1917, the men of the 90^th arrived at Le Havre, France. The initial cadre of officers and enlisted men began preparing the infrastructure necessary to support their flying mission. The air contingent arrived soon after this first group.

The squadron's first aircraft were the Sopwith 1½ Strutter ground attack aircraft. The squadron upgraded to Salmson 2-A2s, SPAD Xis, and Breguet BR-14 observation aircraft. Pilots flew from Colombey-les-Belles and scored seven confirmed aerial victories (against aircraft) and participated in the final allied offensives. The 90^th earned a positive reputation for its ground attack missions during its continuous participation in the air offensive over Saint-Mihiel. Its first commander, First Lieutenant William G. Schauffler, designed the 90th's Pair o' Dice emblem displaying natural sevens during this campaign.

United States - 1918 DH-4

2011-11-14T17:37:00.001-06:00

Never a Dull Moment

Work on the new section on the overview of American aero squadrons is going slowly but steadily. It has reminded me of the fact that nothing is simple, and each door you open is not an exit but another set of rooms and doors still unexplored.Besides laying out new pages and nailing down the navigation in a coherent manner, I am busy working on new master files and two new sets of unit insignias for this section. One insignia set is virtual decals for use on profiles, the other set is larger images to use in the articles.

Overview of the De Havilland DH-4
Designed in 1916 by Geoffrey de Havilland, the D.H.4 was the only British design manufactured by the Americans. It was easily identified by its rectangular fuselage and deep frontal radiator. Versatile, heavily armed and equipped with a powerful twelve cylinder engine. American built DH-4 used the Liberty engine. This biplane which operated as an observation aircraft and daylight bomber was fast and maneuverable. The American version was manufactured by Dayton-Wright and was called the “Liberty Plane”.

Sometimes called the “Flaming Coffin”, its huge fuel tank was dangerously positioned between the pilot and observer, hindering communication. Produced in vast numbers, 6295, of which 4846 were built in the United States, many D.H.4s were modified for civilian air service after the war.

Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group U.S.M.C.

Dayton-Wright DH-4 Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group U.S.M.C.

This American built Dayton-Wright DH-4 Liberty Plane flew in then Squadron-D Day Wing Northern Bombing Group of the United States Marine Corps. The profile shows the aircraft when at La-Frene, France during Oct of 1918. The white D-5 is the flight and airplane identifier. The Insignia is for the Marine Corps. The fuselage, wings and tail plane are painted olive drab on the upper surfaces and light gray on the lower areas. The wing roundels are added in the standard 4 place configuration (Upper wing top surface, Lower wing bottom surface). The landing gear struts are the newer reinforced design.

50^th Aero Squadron - 1st Observation Group U.S.A.S.

Airco D.H.4 50^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The 50^th was known as the Dutch Girl Squadron. They borrowed their squadron insignia from the label on a kitchen cleanser popular during that time. It went with their motto: “Cleaning up on Germany”. The examples I have seen have unbordered black numbers, and olive drab upper surfaces and varnished fabric on the lower surfaces. The wings on their American built DH-4 have roundels in the standard 4 spot scheme.

During Meuse-Argonne offensive the 50th Aero Squadron earned their reputation for heroism supporting the offensive by flying contact patrols where they were in constant communication with ground units and providing vital intelligence. On the 5^th of October Elements of the U.S. 77th Infantry Division (Who became known as the “Lost Battalion”) were cut off and surrounded on a heavily forested hillside northeast of the town of Binarville. The U.S. Army came up with a plan to resupply them from the air. The mission was give to the 50th. During attempts to locate the men, 1st Lt. Harold Goettler and 2nd Lt. Erwin Bleckley were brought down by ground fire on their second flight of the day Both men died and were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross that was upgraded in 1922 to the Medal of Honor.

11 ^th Aero Squadron 1^st Bombardment Group U.S.A.S.

Airco D.H.4 11^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The unit insignia was taken from a cartoon character Jiggs, invented five years before by an 11^th Squadron officer, George McManus, whose comic strip, “Bringing Up Father,” was the first of its kind to attract a worldwide readership.. The positioning of it is standard for the squadron. The white identifier number does not have a border. The lower wing surfaces are varnished fabric.

The unit was first organized on June 26, 1917 as the 11^th Aero Squadron, part of the 1^st Day Bombardment Group at Camp Kelly, Texas. During the Great War the 11^th was moved from Camp Kelly, and on January 1^st 1918 was relocated to England. On August 12, 1918 it was sent to France, where it remained until April 21 1919.

France - 1918 Breguet Br.14

2011-11-11T16:35:00.001-06:00

Two Pairs of Breguet 14's

First off I want to thank all the veterans who have served us well in times of war defending freedom we should never take for granted. As long as we tell their stories they shall never be forgotten.

My posting schedule has been a bit erratic recently. Between working on new masters and profiles, working up the pages for the U.S.A.S. Pursuit, Observer, and Bombardment Groups, and the squadrons serving in them, I have been frazzled.

Today's post is a mixed bag of Breguet 14's in French service. The difference between the two versions of this aircraft are easy to spot.

Breguet Br.14A2

Breguet-Renault Br.14A2 Escadrille Br 234 sn 4644, 1918

This Breguet Br.14A2 from the Autumn of 1918 was powered by a Renault engine. The blue is not typical. The insignia for the 234^th Escadrille is a stylized Gallic angel on a blue field.

Breguet Br.14A2 Escadrille 509 Sg. Jean - 1917

The paint scheme is fairly standard. The unit markings area white dragon and quartered blue and white circle. The wing struts are light gray.

Breguet Br.14B2

Breguet Br.14B2 Escadrille 11 - 1917

Another example of a standard French camouflage scheme. The unit insignia is a red origami bird with eyes added to the head. The wing struts are natural wood.

Breguet Br.14B2 Million, Escadrille 504, sn 909 - 1917

Most examples I have seen of Breguet 14's in the 504^th Escadrille bear the red and white banding and the red cross. The lower red stripe is unusual.

U.S.A - 1918 The 9th Aero Squadron

2011-11-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

Breguet 14 Aplenty

Once again I have got on an obsessive roll. After a lot of research I have found plenty of material for working up profiles of the Breguet 14a.2 and 14b.2. I decided to continue by posting examples which served in another aero squadron during 1918.

The 9^th Aero Squadron U.S.A.S. & The Breguet 14 A2

Breguet 14 A2, 1^st Flight, 9th Aero Sqn, Pilot Unknown, sn 4948 - 1918

During the closing days of WWI the 9th Aero Sqn spent a good deal of time conducting night reconnaissance. To reduce visibility of the aircraft when performing night missions, aircraft of the First and Second flights were painted in black.

In the postwar era the aircraft of the First Flight were decorated with a tooth filled mouth and eye reminiscent of an Orca. The unit insignia of searchlight beams which formed an “IX” were also added after the Armistice. This example carried an unusual pattern on its tail fin, the colors are conjectural.

Breguet Br. 14 A2, 2nd Flight, 9^th Aero Sqn, Pilot and Serial Number Unknown - 1918

The Second Flight marked their aircraft with a swastika on the fin. This aircraft carried the name “JIMMY” below the pilot's cockpit.

Breguet Br14.A2 2/Lt Bruce Struthers, 3rd Flight, 9^th Aero Sqn, sn 4937 Early 1918

Breguet Br14.A2 2/Lt Bruce Struthers, 3rd Flight, 9^th Aero Sqn, sn 4937 Late 1918

The Third Flight retained the original French five-color camouflage scheme, with red and white checks on the tail fin and tailplane. The profiles above depict the aircraft at two stages in its career. When the flight originally chose the red checkerboard theme, the checks were painted directly on the camouflaged tail fin. This aircraft is unique in that the aft fuselage also carried checks. Eventually the areas exposing the camouflage were filled in with white as seen in the second profile. One point of interest is the complete lack of all armament on this plane even the Scarff mount in the rear cockpit has been removed.

History of the 9^th Bombardment Squadron

The 9^th Bombardment Squadron began as the 9th Aero Squadron at Camp Kelly, Texas on 14 June 1917. World War I had begun in April of that year and the unit was targeted for overseas combat duty. Their first European stop was Winchester, England in December 1917. Following the holidays, the unit moved on to Grantham, England to train for combat flying the Sopwith Scout. After eight months of intensive training, the unit moved to the front in August 1918. While in Colombyles-Belles, France, the 9th was assigned to the 1^st Army Observation Group. Also, after arrival in France, the unit began flying a new aircraft; the French Brequet 14. That aircraft would be used extensively to perform the unit's mission - night reconnaissance. By specializing in night reconnaissance, the 9^th gained the unique distinction of being the first in the American Air Service to do so. However, their missions were not without danger. In one case, two of the 9^th aircraft were engaged by seven enemy Fokkers. The 9^th's aircraft not only shot down two German aircraft, but completed their photographic mission.

As the war progressed the unit participated in many night missions and battles. Most famous of those battles were the Battle of Lorraine, Battle of St. Michiel, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. For those, the unit earned their first battle streamers. After the war had drawn to a close, the unit was moved to Trier, Germany to serve as part of the occupation force under the Third Army on 5 December 1918.

References

9^th Bomb Squadron. (2011, September 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:19, November 9, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=9th_Bomb_Squadron&oldid=449900423
Bréguet 14 Over the Front Retrieved 16:25, November 9, 2011, from http://www.overthefront.com/WWI-Airplanes-Breguet-14.php
9^th Bombardment Squadron Retrieved 16:36, November 9, 2011, from http://www.7bwb-36assn.org/9bombsquad.html
9^th Bombardment Squadron Retrieved 17:02, November 9, 2011, from http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/agency/9bs.htm
American WWI Air Force OOB Retrieved 17:10, November 9, 2011, from http://www.usaww1.com/American_wwi_air_force_OOB.php4
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 890 Sheets 78-79.

US - 1918 96th Aero Squadron

2011-11-06T11:09:00.001-06:00

America's 1^st Bombardment Squadron & the Breguet Br.14

As part of the ongoing work on the U.S.A.S during the First World War I began fleshing out details for the 1st Bombardment Group. This means a need for new master files for both the AIRCO DH-4 and the Breguet Br.14. Since the 96^th Aero Squadron was the first squadron of the group deployed I began by making a new master file for the Breguet Br.14 to replace the one lost during the great crash. Once I have finished some French, Belgian, and Greek profiles I will get busy with a new DH-4 master. Here is a short excerpt from some upcoming pages on wwiaviation.com.

Breguet Br.14B2 96^th Aero Squadron sn 10 - 1918

This Breguet Br.14 is painted in a standard French scheme, including the rudder which has the original identification information. The four pane windows were intended to improve visibility for the observer. As with most aircraft in the 96^th, the numbers are red with white borders. The wings are camouflage pattern on the top surfaces and varnished fabric on the lower. The wings have a standard positioning scheme for the roundels, Two on the top surface of the upper and two on the lower surface of the lower bottom wing. As with all the examples shown today none of them have wheel covers.

Breguet Br.14B2 96^th Aero Squadron Major Harry Brown, sn 12 4012 - 1918

This is Major Brown's plane from the unfortunate incident which resulted in the capture of 6 aircraft and crew near Coblenz, Germany. The plane has command stripes on the fuselage and the rudder has been repainted. The red numbers have no border. There was no squadron insignia on the fuselage.

Breguet Br.14A2 96^th Aero Squadron sn 15-4880 - 1918

This example has slightly different paint scheme, and no windows on the fuselage. It does have the word “PHOTO” painted near the pilot's position. 20 kg french bombs are mounted on hard points under the lower wing. The rudder carries the standard markings.

Breguet Br.14A2 96^th Aero Squadron sn 24-4891 - 1918

This example has all the standard features you would expect for a typical Breguet Br.14 serving with the 96^th Aero Squadron during 1918. The tail plane is painted in the standard french camouflage pattern.

A Short History of the 96^th Aero Squadron
The 96th Aero Squadron was America's first bomber group and was formed at Kelly Field, Texas. Originally consisting of 80 men, largely college graduates or college dropouts, volunteers all, and something of an elite group, since their aeronautical qualifications were the highest in the U.S. Army Air Service. Just before embarking upon its first aerial warfare, the squadron decided upon its insignia, a black triangle outlined by a white strip enclosing the profile of a red devil thumbing his nose at the ground with his right hand. In his left, he held a white bomb. This distinctive emblem was designed by the squadron's talented graphic artist, Harry O. Lawson.
The 96th's first attack was a six Breguet raid against the railway yards at Dommary-Baroncourt - a village located in between Thionville, Metz and Verdun - on June 12. The six planes dropped a ton of bombs across the rail yards, hitting the railway lines and a warehouse. This ton per raid average would be maintained during the month of August when formations of 10 Breguets, on average, dropped a total of 21.1 tons of bombs during 14 flying days and a total of 20 missions.
On July 10 a flight of six Breguet 14B.2 bombers from the 96^th Day Bombardment Squadron bombers got lost. The weather had turned to rain about an hour after the flight took off, bringing the clouds down to 100 meters (330 feet) reducing the visibility to near zero. The planes were running short on fuel and faced with the dilemma whether they would land under power or to attempt gliding to a landing. The flight landed near Coblenz, Germany, and fell into German hands without firing a shot. The Germans sent back a humorous message which was dropped at one of the allied airdromes. It said, “We thank you for the fine airplanes and equipment which you have sent us, but what shall we do with the Major Harry K. Brown?” In all fairness, the mistake was both understandable and unfortunate.
There was only one other Breguet operational for the rest of July which the 96th duly used for bombing practice. 11 more Breguets arrived on August 1^st which allowed operations to continue as they had before. The squadron flew for 14 days during August – probably the number of days the weather allowed bombing operations. And during that time they dropped 21.1 tons of bombs during 20 bombing raids. The German airfield and the railway station at Conflans were favorite targets in spite of its heavy anti-aircraft defenses. Following rivers made for good navigation and easier orientation. The village was located at the junction of the Moselle and Madon rivers which made it relatively easy to find. The 96th hit Conflans with a total of 15,000 kilograms of bombs over the course of the war – meaning that 96th's efforts against just this 2.5 square mile village of 2,500 people accounted for one quarter of all bombs dropped by all four Day Bombardment squadrons against all targets during the entire war. During one raid on August 20th against Conflans, the 96th destroyed 40 German aircraft while they were still in railway boxcars and also killed fifty workmen and soldiers.
In spite of the set backs experienced by the 96^th it had been the most successful of the bomber squadrons of World War One and it was the only US bomber squadron operating in combat for four months before other bomber squadrons started to go into action. It was the 96^th that wrote the book on American bomber tactics and operational procedures.
References
1st Bombardment Group during World War I Retrieved 12:19, November 2, 2011, from http://www.usaww1.com/1st_Bombardment_Group.php4

96th Bomb Squadron. (2011, September 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:19, November 5, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=96th_Bomb_Squadron&oldid=452846154

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

Joseph, Frank: Last Of The Red Devils. Galde Press, Inc., 2003.

Italy - 1916 - Nieuport-Macchi

2011-11-05T06:56:00.004-05:00

Italian Manufactured Nieuport 11

While working on profiles for the Nieuport-Macchi 11 I have has a problem. The sources provide very little information on who fllew them and what units they served in. I seem to not be alone coming up dry on the hunt for deeper understanding. I have read those words Pilot and Unit unknown more often than not. I am not fond of being unable to establish the pedigree of a aircraft profile, but sometimes you just have to settle for what you can find.

Italy began to produce their own version of the Nieuport 11. Production was licensed to Macchi who produced several other aircraft including: Hanriot HD-1, and flying boats. It was not till later that Italy produced Italian designed fighters.

Nieuport-Macchi 11, Pilot Unknown, 75º Squadriglia sn Ni1763 - 1916

The broad strip of Italian national colors add visual interest. Italian Nieuport 11s carried their serial numbers on the fuselage and not the rudder. The cowling in this example was not painted. Some drawings show this aircraft with reinforcement tape on the seams. I have done another drawing with them, however I posted this one to show what my old master file looked like in contrast to the new one used for the other profiles.

Nieuport-Macchi 11, Pilot Unknown, Servizio Aeronautico Italiano sn Ni3242 - 1916

This example has a personal insignia which combines the Italian roundel with an ornate letter A. It has the reinforcement tape and the colored wing tips. The port side wingtips are red and the starboard ones are green. The theme is carried on to the cowling which is painted in the red, white, and green sections.

Nieuport-Macchi 11c, Pilot, and sn Unknown, Servizio Aeronautico Italiano - 1916

This example has the same red, white and green theme as above. the thin tri-color wraps around the fuselage. The serial numbers are not painted the aircraft.

France - 1915 Nieuport 11

2011-11-02T02:59:00.000-05:00

Three French Nieuport 11 “Bébé”

I have been busy working on new master files and insignias for new profiles. But I took a break to flesh out some of the new profiles. I have always loved the more flamboyant color schemes and I decided to do a batch of Nieuports 11s sporting the French Tri-color scheme which was a popular theme with several pilots.

The Nieuport 11 “Bébé” was an improvement over the Nieuport 10. It was nimble, relatively quick, and easy to fly. In the early war it was a favorite of many pilots serving in French, Italian, Belgian, and Russian air forces.

Nieuport 11 Escadrille N67, sn N571, Spring 1916

I am not sure who was the pilot for this example. However we know it was used by Escadrille N67 during 1915. The dark brown lines along the fuselage is a reinforcement tape used to strengthen the seams where the fabric sections meet. The rudder markings give the serial number and the maximum weight limit for ammunition, fuel, lubricant and pilot. The cowling was painted yellow. The tri-color scheme on the wheel covers adds visual interest.

Nieuport 11 Sous Lt Jean Navarre, Escadrille N67, Verdun Spring 1916

This is one of several Nieuport 11 flown by the famous French Ace Jean Navarre. He was attached to Escadrille N67 which served in the area around Verdun during the Spring of 1916. The rudder markings have the serial number for the aircraft. The pennant style insignia was painted on the top and sides of the fuselage. As was the standard practice no roundels were painted on the fuselage. The reinforcement tape was also used on the wing edges. The cowling is unfinished metal and the wheel covers are simple varnished cloth.

Nieuport 11 Lt. Armand de Turenne, Escadrille N48, sn N1344, 1916

This Nieuport 11 was flown by the French Ace Lt. Armand de Turenne while assigned to Escadrille N48 during 1916. The tri-color theme covers the entire fuselage. Some sources say the forward blue section was in fact plain yellow varnish. The horn and shield was his family coat of arms. The cowling is unfinished metal as with many Nieuport 11. The wheel covers are painted blue. The rudder carries standard markings.

The small Nieuport 11 biplane was affectionately known as the "Bébé" (baby). Originally designed for racing, this light plane was fast and extremely maneuverable. Its only major problem was in the design of its wing struts. In a steep dive, the struts allowed the wings to twist, sometimes with disastrous results. Used by the British and French to counter the Fokker E.III, the Nieuport 11 was disadvantaged by its lack of a synchronized machine gun.

References
From Wikipedia Nieuport 11, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuport_11"

Angelucci, Enzio, ed. "The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft". New York: The Military Press, 1983, p. 53. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.

Bruce, J.M. "The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps" (Military Wing). London:Putnam, 1982, p.326. ISBN 0 370 30084 x.

Chant, Christopher and Michael J.H. Taylor. "The World's Greatest Aircraft". Edison NJ: Cartwell Books Inc., 2007, p. 14. ISBN 0-7858-2010-8.

Cheesman E.F., ed. "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War". Letchworth, UK: Harleyford Publications, 1960, p. 92. ISBN 978-0-8306-8350-5.

Cooksley, Peter. "Nieuport Fighters in Action". Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89747-377-9.

Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the 20th Century Weapons and Warfare". London: Purnell & Sons Ltd., 1967/1969, p. 1989. ISBN 0-8393-6175-0.

Britain 1915 Morane-Saulnier Type N

2011-11-01T09:24:00.000-05:00

Morane-Saulnier Type N in the Royal Flying Corps

Today I am wrapping up my series on the Morane-Saulnier Type N with some examples Flown by the British Royal Flying Corps. Throughout the early days of the war Britain operated many French designs. Some of the types used were manufactured by Caudron, Farman, Morane-Saulnier, Nieuport, and SPAD. Eventually Britain manufactured some of these types under license. Eventually British aircraft companies provided the bulk of the designs flown by the RFC and RNS.

Morane-Saulnier Type N, 2nd Lt. R. P. Turner 1^st Sqn RFC, sn 5069 - 1915

This example is less gaudy than most Morane-Saulnier Type N you see. As with most British aircraft National Roundels are paint on the side of the fuselage. Another common theme is the serial numbers run parallel with the line of the fuselage and are not painted following the center line.

Morane-Saulnier Type N, 60^th Sqn RFC sn A186 - 1915

Not all pilots flying the Type N kept the conic prop cover. Some removed it to provide better cooling for the engine and to prevent it from coming loose from vibration from both the engine and impacts of bullets striking the deflector guards.

Morane-Saulnier Type N, Lt. Bayetio 24^th Sdqn RFC, sn A198

This paint schme is fairly common except for the tri-color stripe running diagonally on the fuselage.The Morane-Saulnier logo on the cowling is painted black instead of white. The rudders on British Type N carry no markings.

2011-10-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

Three Pfalz D.IIIa From Jasta 30

Many Pfalz D.III were mainly silver in color with black markings. However some Jasta used a consistent paint scheme to aid in unit identification. Jasta 10 had yellow noses, Jasta 40 were black with white aft sections, Jasta 18 had their iconic red and blue paint scheme. Jasta 30 was easy to spot because of their large diamond shaped unit insignia. The color of the diamond was not always consistent but the shape was easy to see.

Pfalz D.IIIa Jasta 30 Pilot Unknown sn 5947.17 - 1917

This example is painted overall with a mixture of varnish and aluminum powder, except for the rudder which is painted white with black trim and the Iron Cross. The diamond Jasta insignia is yellow-orange with black border and the fuelage has a black chevron style stripe. The Iron Crosses on the wings and fuselage do not have a border.

Pfalz D.IIIa Jasta 30 Ltn. von der Marwitz sn 4203.17 - 1917

The basic paint scheme is similar to the previous example except the diamond and the empanage are painted red. The tail plane is silver. The rudder cross has been painted over.

Pfalz D.IIIa Jasta 30 Ltn. Erich Kaus sn Unknown - 1918

The aluminum finished fuselage has striking black stripes and a red diamond. The empanage is painted white with black border. The Maltese Cross indicates this aircraft was still flying after the spring of 1918 The wings are covered in four color lozenge fabric. The wings have dark lozenges on the top surfaces and a lighter pattern on the bottom. There are white bordered Iron crosses on the upper top wing an the lower bottom wing. The wheel cover is covered with the same fabric used on the upper wing surfaces.

U.S.A. - 1918 Nieuport 28 part 3

2011-10-29T06:06:00.000-05:00

Three Colorful Nieuports

One of the thing which attracted me to World War One aircraft is the flamboyant color schemes used to identify who was piloting the plane. personal heraldry wass more important than stealth during this period. When America officially entered the war the pilots serving in the American Expeditionary Force many adopted the custom of personalizing their planes. Here are a few of the new examples I have recently finished.

Douglas Campbell 94^th Aero Squadron 1918

Nieuport 28 Douglas Campbell 94^th Aero Squadron sn N6164

Douglas adopted a black star pattern on a red cowling as his personal markings. The wheel covers are a blue variant which was popular with other pilots in the squadron. He did not have roundels painted on the underside of the top wing. The white identifier numbers do not have borders. The small black numbers on the rudder are the serial number.

1st Lt. William F. Loomis 94^th Aero Squadron 1918

Nieuport 28 1st Lt. William F. Loomis 94^th Aero Squadron sn N6181

WIliam Loomis chose a red and white candy stripe pattern on his cowling. The numbers are a bordered block style popular with many of the American squadrons. The rest of the paint scheme is fairly standard.The serial numbers on the rudder are painted over

213^th Training Squadron AEF 1918

Nieuport 28 213^th Training Squadron AEF sn N658 France 1918

Training aircraft used by the United States and Great Britain were often painted in bright colors and patterns. This aircraft flew in France in 1918. The red white and blue paint scheme is based off the American flag. The rudder color scheme is more like the version used in France.The Indian head unit insignia differs from the ones used by the 103^rd Aero Squadron. The black block style numbers are identify that particular plane.

Belgium - 1917 Hanriot HD.1 Aces

2011-10-28T05:09:00.000-05:00

Diary of a Waterlogged Workaholic

I have been busy as always. Running a one man dog and pony show keeps me on my toes. There always seems to be a new profile I want to do, or a new sections of my site to lay out. A new section will cover an organizational view of aircraft units. I have the groundwork laid out for the German Jagdgeschwader and Jasta forming them, and the American Pursuit Groups and their Aero Squadrons. That subsection will take a while to get right.

Yesterday I addressed the problem of gallery pages which have grown too large to load quickly and needed to be divided into additional gallery pages dedicated to a single aircraft type. I have not done a recent profile count but I think I have broken the 1000 mark.

Today I was out and about taking care of pressing matters which could not wait for a day without pouring rain. It was good to get back to the studio where it was warm, dry, and I could get a warm cuppa into my shivering hands. after lunch I worked up several SPAD S.XIII, some Nieuport 28's and finished the master for a new Nieuport 11. I took a break and completed 3 new Hanriot HD.1's which I decided to share.

Three Belgian Aces

Belgium fought valiantly in the First World War. In spite of German forces dug into Belgian soil the Belgian Air Force waged a successful air campaign using French and British aircraft. One of the favorite planes used by the Belgians was an aircraft shunned by France as being obsolete. The Hanriot HD.1 found great favor with the Belgian pilots, some scored the majority of their victories at the controls of the HD.1.

Major Willy Coppens 1892 - 1986

Hanriot H.D.1 Major Willy Coppens 9me Escadrille sn 24, 1917

Coppens joined the army in 1912, serving with the 2nd Grenadiers before transferring to the Compagnie des Aviateurs in 1914. At his own expense, he and thirty nine other Belgians enrolled in a civilian flying school at Hendon, England. After additional training in France, Coppens began flying two-seaters in combat during 1916.

The following year, he was assigned to single-seat fighters and soon became an expert at shooting down enemy observation balloons. After downing a balloon, Coppens would often perform aerial acrobatic displays above the enemy. On one occasion, the balloon he was attacking shot upward and Coppens actually landed his Hanriot HD.1 on top of it. Switching off his engine to protect the propeller, he waited until his aircraft slid off the top of the balloon, then restarted the engine and watched as the German balloon burst into flames and sank to the ground.

On the morning of October 14, 1918, his days as a fighting pilot came to an end near Thourout in northwestern Belgium. Just as he began the attack that would culminate in his 37th victory, Coppens was hit in the left leg by an incendiary bullet. Despite a severed artery and intense pain, he shot down his target and managed to crash land within the safety of his own lines. His badly shattered leg had to be amputated. Before he retired from the army in 1940, Coppens served as a military attaché in France, Great Britain, Italy and Switzerland.

Lt. Andre de Meulemeester 1894 - 1973

Hanriot H.D.1 Lt. Andre de Meulemeester 9me Escadrille sn 30, 1917

Andre de Meulemeester dubbed "The Eagle of Flanders" joined the Belgian Air Service on January 26, 1915 and was assigned to 1ère Escadrille de Chasse on April 8, 1917. While flying a Nieuport 17, de Meulemeester scored six victories before his unit was re-equipped with the Hanriot HD.1. In the spring of 1918, he was joined 9me, scoring four more victories by the end of the war. During 511 sorties, de Meulemeester engaged the enemy in aerial combat 185 times, was wounded in action twice and was attacked by British D.H.4s on two occasions. In 1919, de Meulemeester left the army, gave up flying and went to work in his family's brewery business.

Lt. Jan Olieslagers 1883 - 1883

Hanriot H.D.1 Lt. Jan Olieslagers 1ère Escadrille sn 8, 1917

Olieslagers fascination with racing motorcycles led to a world championship in 1902. He was the first man to reach a speed of 100 km/h on a motorcycle. As his interest shifted to aircraft, he purchased a plane in 1909 and within four years, he had set seven world records. When the Germans invaded Belgium, he and his two brothers joined the army and donated their three Blériot XI monoplanes to the war effort.

In his first combat, Olieslagers attacked an enemy aircraft armed only with a pistol. Throughout the war, he rarely claim the enemy aircraft he destroyed. Despite his six confirmed victories, Olieslagers flew 491 sorties and had engaged in 97 dogfights. Returning to Antwerp at the end of the war, Olieslagers was responsible for the development of the Antwerp Airport in 1923.

United States - 1918 SPAD X.III 93rd Aero Squadron

2011-10-27T04:37:00.000-05:00

Digging for Some Understanding

Researching history is a puzzle at times. You dig through articles, pour over photos and in the end you still have deep questions which make you wonder if you will ever have all the pieces to see a clear view of your subject. This has been the case with attempting to find enough information to bring to life an aircraft I have only seen in two pictures. When I was working on fantasy and science fiction subjects I was free to improvise to a certain amount. I was helping define what someone would see in their mind's eye. History is a harsher mistress. There is a certain amount of conjecture, however it has to be grounded in research of facts about your subject.

I want to take a moment to thank Gene Beals for his hard work building great site on the 93^rd Aero Squadron http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sunnyann/93aero/index.html. It is well worth a visit.

My current cause of befuddlement started when I began research for information on the Pursuit Groups serving in the American Expeditionary Force in France. Many times I feel like it is the first day in school and I forgot my books. Slowly you pick through sources looking for elusive pieces to the puzzle. On a good day you have enough information to at least begin laying out the outline. For every hour of drawing time there is at least two hours of research. People tell me doing profiles if difficult. For me it is a relief from all the hours of studying records.

Today's puzzle began with making the initial drawing of a unit insignia to add to my "Decal" archive. I worked up two versions until I liked the results. The only problem was I did not have a source to show me any of the aircraft that carried the insignia. It was time to get my data shovel and dig around some more.

Sometimes You Have to Just Make a Best Guess

Conceptual Drawing for the 93^rd Aero Squadron's Insignia

This is the second version of the initial drawings I made for my insignia archives. I am a firm believer in working it to completion and saving it in a form where I can copy and paste it into other profiles. I see no sense in reinventing the wheel. For me the final process of making profiles is more akin to building a model kit than drawing.

Four SPAD S.XIII of the 93rd Aero Squadron U.S.A.S.

SPAD S.XIII 93^rd Aero Squadron Major John Huffer sn 1 - 7662, 1918

SPAD S.XIII 93^rd Aero Squadron Lt. Alfred B. Patterson sn 12 - 46082, 1918

SPAD S.XIII 93^rd Aero Squadron Captain Robert L. Rockwell sn 15 - 46082, 1918

SPAD S.XIII 93^rd Aero Squadron 1^st 1st Lt. Charles R. D'Olive sn 24 - S7748, 1918

The profiles are highly conjectural. The photos I have seen do not show all the details and the colors are best guess based on standard practices and comparing gray tones with known colored areas. The insignia on some examples may be a little too ornate, but I can correct that in later versions. For now I am just happy to make a first attempt at a subject I have not seen many color profiles for this squadron. If anyone has information to make it more accurate please contact me. I have the names and serial numbers for all three flight for the squadron. My main problem is I am lacking details to fill the ranks with profiles for this squadron.

References

93^rd Aero Squadron - World War I Retrieved Oct 24, 2011 01:25 from http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sunnyann/93aero/index.html

United States - 1918 Nieuport 28 C1

2011-10-22T09:08:00.001-05:00

The Four American Nieuport 28 Squadrons

I took a break from the Morane-Saulniers and tackled a much needed master file for the Nieuport 28 C1. Once it was finished I was able to work up a dozen aircraft. My next step is to finish off the remainder of the examples I have found to round things out.

The Nieuport 28 was assigned to four American Aero Squadrons. The largest number were given to the 94^th Aero Squadron. Structural problems with the upper wing made American pilots wary of flying the aircraft as aggressively as they wanted. The Nieuport 28 were soon replaced by the SPAD C1 S.XIII which served the Americans well.

27^th Aero Squadron USAS

Nieuport 28 - 1918

This example served with the 27^th Aero Squadron. The fuselage is painted in the French factory camouflage pattern. The swooping Eagle is the unit insignia. The standard American scheme for placement of national markings was no roundels on the fuselage and a six roundel format. The top wing has roundels on both the top and bottom surfaces, and the lower has roundels on the lower surface only.

94^th Aero Squadron USAS

Nieuport 28 - 1918

This Nieuport was flown by Lt. James.Meissner while serving with the 94^th "Hat and Ring" Squadron. The cowling is painted in a scheme designed by the pilot. The color and type of numbers varied. In this case the numbers are black without a border.

95^th Pursuit Squadron USAS

Nieuport 28 - 1918

The paint scheme for this Nieuport is a bit flashier than some examples. The red and yellow spiral design on the cowling makes for a striking appearance. The kicking mule insignia for the 95^th Pursuit Squadron is shown as white on some profiles and blue on others.

147^th Aero Squadron USAS

Nieuport 28 147^th Aero Squadron - 1918

The basic paint scheme for this Nieuport 28 is a fairly standard French pattern. The Terrier insignia for the 147^th Aero Squadron is a whimsical touch. The numbers are the block bordered style numbers were used by many squadrons.

Russia - 1915 Morane-Saulnier Type N

2011-10-20T07:24:00.000-05:00

Three Russian Bullets

After my last round of churning out Morane-Saulnier Type N profiles I am close to exhausting my archive material tor this aircraft type. I moved onto getting masters for the Type G, H, P and L completed to help fill in the gaps. Here are a few of the current crop of Type N profiles I have made this week.

Morane-Saulnier Type N Konstantin Vakulovsky R.A.S. 1^st Fighter Detachment sn MS 741

This example was flown by N Konstantin Vakulovsky when assigned to the 1^st Fighter Detachment The aircraft has the iconic red forward section and the Russian version of the tri-color rudder with serial numbers. The wing carries roundels on the top and bottom surfaces.

Morane-Saulnier N Russian Air Service 4^th Corps Detachment winter 1915

This example has early style skis mounted instead of wheels for operation during the winter and the muddy conditions found in Russia during th spring and autumn seasons. The black and white fuselage has a variation on the penant style national markings. The rudder does not carry serial numbers because the roundel is painted over varnished fabric.

Morane-Saulnier I Ivan Smirnov 19^th KAO 1 BAG sn MS740

This example lacks both the propeller spinner and wheel covers. The black rudder has the skull and cross bones used by the famous 19^th Fighter Detachment usually written as XIX Detachment which was known as the "Death or Glory" Squadron. The metal pieces attached to the propeller are known as deflector gear, which were first used by the French ace Lieutenant Roland Garros. Since Russia did not have the interrupter gear the only solution for firing forward was to use metal guards which deflect rounds which would have hit the prop.

France - 1915 Morane-Saulnier Type N

2011-10-19T00:22:00.002-05:00

Three French Bullets

I had got sick of looking at the generic profiles I had posted back in the Dark Ages and thought it was time to freshen up the gallery collection. After my crash I have had to go back to basics and reinvent the wheel. Although at the time it was a serious loss, much good has come from it. Being more obsessive about including small details like lacing and turnbuckles on the wires helps make for a better drawing. Over the past two days I have been on a roll. After about eight hours of research I sat down and made fourteen examples of the Morane-Saulnier Type N. So far the largest group has been Russian versions, although I have worked up a fair number of British birds.

Morane-Saulnier Type N Jean Chaput Escadrille 159

This example was flown by Jean Chaput while serving with the 159^th Escadrille. It has a fuselage stripe flash which is not seen on many examples. most had plain varnished fabric covering the fuselage, wing and tail plane. The black forward section shows wear which is perhaps due to deflected rounds. The wing has roundels on both the top and bottom surface. The identification markings have been painted over.

Morane-Saulnier Type N sn MS 394

I a not sure who was the pilot or the unit of this example. However I do know the serial number. The paint scheme is what most think of when the Morane-Saulnier Type N is discussed. However the tri-color marking on the fuselage does make it worth drawing. As was standard practice the wing carried roundels on both the top and bottom surface. I painted this bird in pristine condition although the wear on the forward section seems to be a common feature.

Morane-Saulnier Type N sn MS 750

Some of the Type N were finished in a mixture of aluminum powder and varnish giving them a silvery finish. Tee forward section was painted red and rudder has a more complete set of identification markings. The source I had showed natural wood landing struts and the frame for the wires used for the wing warping system.

Due to the shape of its nose, the Morane-Saulnier Type N was aptly nicknamed the “Bullet”. Only 49 Type N were built. The was the first French aircraft specifically developed as a fighter. Armed with a fixed, forward firing machine gun, its propeller was protected by the metal deflector plates pioneered by Roland Garros on the Morane-Saulnier Type L. Although it was faster and more maneuverable than previous aircraft, the Bullet was extremely difficult to fly and unpopular with pilots. A fair number of then were saw combat in both the British and Russian air services.

References
From Wikipedia Morane-Saulnier N, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_N"

Bruce, J.M. "War Planes of the First World War: Fighters: Volume Five". London:Macdonald, 1972, p.86. ISBN 356 0779 7.

Bruce, J.M. "The Bullets and the Guns". Air Enthusiast. Issue Nine, February-May 1979. Bromley, Kent: Pilot Press, 1979. Pages 61-75.

Morane-Saulnier A1 part 2

2011-10-18T08:28:00.001-05:00

Morane-Saulnier A1 in Other Countries.

Here are a couple more Morane-Saulnier A.1 monoplanes. I wish I could find more examples to give a wider view of this plane. My Morane-Saulnier mania has moved on to the Type N "Bullet". I have finished my new master file and added a lot more detail than in the old lost version. My next post will share some of the new crop of illustrations I finished today.

Belgium Belgian Air Force

Morane-Saulnier A.1 MoS 30 E1 9e Escadrille Belgium Air Force

This is one of three Morane-Saulnier A.1 which were given to the Belgian Air Force by France. The paint scheme is the standard five color French pattern. As with French aircraft there are no fuselage roundels. The wing had roundels top and bottom surfaces. The white thistle flower is a unit marking. The Morane-Saulnier logo was moved from the cowling to the tail fin. The identification markings on the rudder are in white.

Poland Belgian Air Force

Morane-Saulnier A.1 MoS 30 E1 Polish Air Force 1921

In 1921 France sent several A.1 to Poland to help fill the ranks of the fledgling Polish Air Force. I have seen other profiles but the only one I have found which is verified is this example. Nearly the entire aircraft is painted in a uniform olive drab with silver or gray under surfaces. Once again national insignias are displayed on both the top and lower wing surfaces. The markings are a simple version of the tail insignia except there is no border on them. The white 21 is an aircraft identifier and not a unit designator. The Morane-Saulnier logo has been over-painted.

France - 1917 Morane-Saulnier A.1

2011-10-17T01:16:00.002-05:00

Three French Morane-Saulnier Type A.1 Parasols

Sometimes you see an airplane that just looks "right", and the Morane-Saulnier Type A.1 is one of them. Sleek, and elegant lines make it pleasing to the eye. The prospect of bringing them to life had me impatient to get going on the project. I have had the new master file for this plane finished for a week or so before I found enough reference material for a good start. It seems that for the number built there is precious little reference material out there. Today I chose to post some of the Morane-Saulnier Type A.1 flown by French units. I will be posting examples for Belgium and Poland soon.

Escadrille MSP 160

Morane-Saulnier A.1 MoS 29 C1 Escadrille MSP 160 sn 1567

This example of the twin gun version is painted in a five color camouflage varient. The red devil flying on a broom is the unit insignia for .Escadrille 160. The lacing which is used to stitch together the fabric sections are visible. The wing has roundels on both top and bottom surfaces. The top wing surface has a five color scheme and thee under side is painted gray, as is the lower fuselage.

Escadrille MSP 156

Morane-Saulnier A.1 MoS 27 Ca Sgt. Walter J. Shaffer Escadrille 156 sn MS1591

This is a single machine gun model sporting a common French five color pattern. The unit insignia for Escadrille MSP 156 is a pair of blue swallows on a deep yellow parallelogram. The white circular marking on the cowling is the logo for Morane-Saulnier. THe wings conform to the standard French camouflage scheme. The bright blue wheel covers are a nice touch.

Escadrille MSP 158

Morane-Saulnier A.1 MoS 29 C1 Sgt. Rufus R. Rand Jr. Escadrille MSP 158 sn MS1724

This is another twin machine gun model with the standard French paint scheme. It has the black silhouette of an eagle grasping a snake in it's beak. This is the unit insignia for Escadrille MSP 158. The wheel covers are painted blue-gray.

The Morane-Saulnier Type AI was a French parasol-wing fighter aircraft produced by Morane-Saulnier during World War I, to replace the obsolete Morane-Saulnier Type N. Its engine was mounted in a circular open-front cowling. The parasol wing was swept back. The spars and ribs of the circular section fuselage were wood, wire-braced and covered in fabric. The production aircraft were given service designations based on whether they had 1 gun (designated MoS 27) or 2 guns (designated MoS 29).

For a World War One aircraft, the Morane-Saulnier A-1 had very modern lines and was very streamlined. Even though 1,210 were produced, and a number of escadrilles were created to operated the Type A1, it never made a big impact at the front. Shortly after entering service, most of the aircraft were replaced by the SPAD XIII. By mid-May 1918 it was withdrawn to serve as an advanced trainer, designated MoS 30. The reason for withdrawl was a suspicion of structural weakness.
Fifty-one MoS 30s were purchased by the American Expeditionary Force as pursuit trainers. Many Type A1s were used by the Belgian air corps

References
Donald, David, ed (1997)."The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Prospero Books. pp. pg 659. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.

Holmes, Tony (2005). "Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide". London: Harper Collins. pp. 36. ISBN 0 0071 9292 4.

Lamberton, W.M. (1960). "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War". Herts: Harleyford Publications Ltd.. pp. 84-85.

Belgium Italy - 1916 Hanriot HD-1

2011-10-15T17:49:00.000-05:00

Belgian and Italian Hanriot HD-1

I made a new master file for the Hanriot HD-1 this week. While I had it opened I decided it was time to work up some new profiles. I had previously posted on the Hanriot HD-1 in Italy - 1916 Hanriot HD.1 and again in Painted Warbirds 1915-1918. Those examples were done using my old and now lost master file. I have reference for round 25 more Hanriot so more to come soon. Since the aircraft was mainly used by Belgium and Italy it gives me an opportunity to fill the ranks of their gallery pages.

This aircraft type was first designed in France. The French considered it to be inferior to the newly designed SPAD VII and exported the aircraft to countries including Belgium and Italy. Both of those nations loved the design and had great success flying them in combat. Due to occupation by German forces Belgium had to rely on French manufactures to provide their needs. Italy was so impressed they sought a license for Macchi to produce this fighter in large quantities. The design was much loved by Italian pilots who preferred the agile HD-1 over the fighters produced by SPAD.

Hanriot HD-1 1me Escadrille de Chasse Willy Coppens

This example was one of many aircraft types flown by the famed Belgian pilot Willy Coppens. The basic scheme is a French five color camouflage pattern.The white thistle flower is the insignia of the 1^st Escadrille de Chasse. The green and white decorative markings on the cowling, rudder and wheel covers make the aircraft a fun project to do.

Hanriot HD-1 11me Escadrille de Chasse

This aircraft is painted in the five color French camouflage pattern.The white stylized oragami bird on the fuselage is the insignia of the 11^th Escadrille de Chasse. The markings for aircraft and serial number are white on the black, yellow and red rudder.

Hanriot H-D 1 (Macchi) 178º Squadriglia Caccia VI Gruppo78 sn HD 6234

The Italian aircraft company Macchi was licensed to produce their own version of the Hanriot HD-1. This example has a bare metal forward section and the rear section is finished in yellow varnish. The scheme featured black stripes and a circular black insignia with a question mark in white. Italy was not consistent in how their roundels were painted. In this example it is painted (outer to inner circle) green, white red.

Hanriot H-D 1 (Macchi) 81º Squadriglia Caccia VI Gruppo 9

The paint scheme on this Macchi built HD-1 consists of a green and brown two color scheme painted over with white stripes. In this example the roundel is painted (outer to inner circle) red, white green. The identification markings on the rudder are absent.

France - 1916 SPAD VII

2011-10-12T06:17:00.000-05:00

SPAD S.VII

I have recently started my new series of SPAD VII using my new master file. The SPAD VII was used by many countries and produced under license in Britain, Italy, and Russia. The SPAD VII was designed as a replacement of the aging Nieuport 17. Here is a sampling of my latest profiles.

France 1916

SPAD S.VII C1 Lt. Frederic Loiseau SPA 561 sn S1068 1916

This French SPAD sports an unusual paint scheme in that it is not the simple yellow varnish or a multiple color camouflage scheme. The black elephant was the Lt. Frederic Loiseau's personal insignia. As with almost all French aircraft it does not carry a roundel.

Italy 1917

Spad S.VII Carlos Francis Lombardi 77º Squadriglia 1917

The Italians mainly used a simple paint scheme with national roundels and the pilot's personel insignia. The identification numbers on the rudder were painted over.

Great Britain 1917

SPAD S.VII 19 Squadron RAF sn B3508 1917

This British SPAD is the standard yellow varnish and a darker paint on the forward section. The fuselage bears the British Roundel as was standard practice. The red stripe and black C were probably flight markings. The red wheel covers are unusual. The serial numbers are painted in black on the tail fin and identification markings on the rudder are painted over.

United States 1918

Spad S.VII 103rd Areo-Squadron sn 3198 1918

The 103rd Aero Squadron was composed of pilots who served in the French Escadrille SPA 124 (Lafayette Escadrille). Unlike many American piloted SPAD VII which kept the yellow varnish finish which came from the factory, this example is painted in a five color camouflage pattern. The Indian head is the unit insignia and the red diamond with the white S is the pilots' personal marking.

Russian Empire

Blériot-SPAD VII Reinholds Celmins sn S1443 1917

Russia used both SPAD aircraft produced in France and under license in the DUX factory, The paint is simple and the only markings are the Russian roundel and serial number on the rudder.

Spad VII: Overview

The French Air Service replaced the Nieuport 17 with the SPAD S.VII. Although disadvantaged by poor forward and downward visibility from the cockpit, the SPAD S.VII was fast, durable and difficult to shoot down. It was a good performer, flown by nearly all the French aces. However it proved to be less successful in the hands of British, possibly due to the combat tactics employed by the pilots of the Royal Flying Corps. With 18 victories, Irish ace William Cochran-Patrick scored more victories with the SPAD S.VII and SPAD S.XIII than any other ace.

References

From Wikipedia SPAD S.VII, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPAD_S.VII"

Bordes, Gerard. "SPAD." Mach 1, L'encyclopédie de l'Aviation, Volume 8. Paris: Atlas, 1981, pp. 2173-2187.

Bruce, J.M. "The First Fighting SPADs". Air Enthusiast, Issue 26, April - July 1981. Bromley, Kent: Pilot Press, p. 59, p. 61-62. ISSN 0143-5450.

Connors, John F., Don Greer and Perry Manley. "SPAD Fighters in Action" (Aircraft in Action No. 93). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron-Signal Publications, 1989. ISBN 0-89747-217-9.

Crosby, Francis. "A Handbook of Fighter Aircraft". London: Hermes House, 2003. ISBN 1-84309-444-4.

Sharpe, Michael. "Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes". London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000, p. 270. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

"United States Air Force Museum Guidebook". Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975, p. 9.

United States - 1918 SPAD S.XIII

2011-10-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

The SPAD S.XIII In American Service.

Before the United States declared war in 1918, Americans had served unofficially in both French and British service. When America entered the war the pilots who had been in combat helped create a capable fighting force. Although these pilots flew many types of planes, most of them had flown the SPAD S.XIII. When they were inducted into the United States Air Service they took their aircraft to use in A.E.F.C. Aero Squadrons.

SPAD S-XIII 22nd Aero Squadron s.n. 20 1918

This is a fairly representative example of a SPAD serving in the 22 Aero Squadron. It is painted in a fairy standard 5 color scheme. The insignia is the iconic shooting stars design. The nose color varied according to the pilot's preference. Most examples have red block style numbers bordered in white.

SPAD S-XIII 27nd Aero Squadron s.n. 15 1918

The swooping eagle identifies the SPAD XIII as plane flown by the 27th Aero Squadron. Most examples have black block style numbers bordered in white. The camouflage is a variant of the 5 color scheme. The black and white checkered nose and red white and blue stripe is unusual. The wheel cover is seen on several different aircraft.

SPAD S-XIII 103rd Aero Squadron s.n. 5 1918

When America entered the war most American aviators served in the the French Escadrille SPA 124 also known as the Lafayette Escadrille. They were reassigned into the 103rd Aero Squadron. The unit insignia of an Indian in a head dress became the official insignia of the 103rd. The unit used the number forms favored by the French and not the new block style used by many U.S.A.S. Aero Squadrons. The circle Tee is most likely a pilot's personal marking. As usual the 5 color scheme is used and the nose is not given an accent color.

France - 1917 SPAD XIII Aces

2011-10-08T04:45:00.000-05:00

Three Aces

I am still busy working on filling the ranks in my profile collection for the SPAD S.XII C-1. Today's offering is a trio of SPAD XIII flown by the top three French Aces of The Great War. They offer a studry of contrasts. Their differences in temperment and life experience could not be greater. However they did share one common trait, each was a superb pilot and deadly marksman.

René Paul Fonck March 27, 1894 - June 1953

SPAD S-XIII 1917 René Paul Fonck Spa103 75 Victories

René Paul Fonck was the highest scoring ace for France and the Allies. As a boy growing up in the foothills of the Vosges, he was fascinated by stories of men and their flying machines. Yet when he was conscripted in August of 1914, he refused to serve in the French Air Service, choosing instead to go to the trenches. By early 1915, he had changed his mind and began his flight training in a Penguin at Saint-Cyr. Displaying an inherent talent for flying, he was soon serving with Escadrille C47, flying an unarmed Caudron on reconnaissance missions over the lines.

In April of 1917, after more than 500 hours of flight time, Fonck was assigned to Spa103. Flying the SPAD S.VII, he developed a reputation for studying the tactics of his opponents and conserving ammunition during a dogfight. On two separate occasions, he shot down six enemy aircraft in one day.

As his fame grew, so did his ego and Fonck never achieved the admiration and popularity of Georges Guynemer. Even French ace Claude Haegelen, one of Fonck's few friends, felt he boasted too much and too often; but no one could deny that Fonck was an excellent pilot and superb marksman.

Georges Marie Ludovic Jules Guynemer December 24, 1894 - September 11, 1917

SPAD S-XIII Capitaine Georges Guynemer Spa3 53 Victories

Georges Guynemer was France's most popular ace. He entered the French Air Service in November of 1914 and served as a mechanic before receiving a Pilot's Brevet in April of 1915. Despite his frail physical appearance, he took part in more than 600 aerial combats and was shot down seven times and survived. An excellent marksman and highly skilled pilot, he was hailed as the French Ace of Aces. Guynemer received letters from women proposing marriage, requests from school children for his autograph and was often followed through the streets.

One of the first pilots to receive a SPAD S.VII, he called his plane Vieux Charles (Old Charles). On May 25, 1917, he engaged and shot down four enemy aircraft with Old Charles in one day. Looking for ways to improve the performance of his aircraft, Guynemer armed a SPAD S.VII with a single-shot 37 mm canon that fired through a hollowed out propeller shaft. He called this impractical aircraft his Magic Machine. Despite the fumes that filled the cockpit and the recoil of the canon, during the summer of 1917 he shot down at least two enemy aircraft with his Magic Machine.

On September 11, 1917, Guynemer was last seen attacking a two-seater Aviatik near Poelcapelle, northwest of Ypres. Almost a week later, it was publicly announced in a London paper that he was missing in action. Shortly thereafter, a German newspaper reported Guynemer had been shot down by Kurt Wissemann of Jasta 3. For many months, the French population refused to believe he was dead. Guynemer's body was never found.

Charles Eugene Jules Marie Nungesser March 15, 1892 - May 8, 1927

SPAD S-XIII Lieutenant Charles Nungesser Spa65 43 Victories

Charles Nungesser was a French ace pilot and adventurer, best remembered as a rival of Charles Lindbergh. Nungesser was a renowned ace in France, rating third highest in the country for air combat victories during World War I.

Charles Nungesser was born on 15 March 1892 in Paris, and as a child was very interested in competitive sports. After attending the École des Arts et Métiers, where he was a mediocre student who nonetheless excelled in sports such as boxing, he went to South America; first to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to search for an uncle who could not be located and then onto Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked as an auto mechanic before becoming a professional racer. His interest in racing soon led him to flying airplanes; Nungesser learned to fly by using a Bleriot plane owned by a friend. After he eventually found his missing uncle, he worked on his sugar plantation in the Buenos Aires province.

When World War I broke out, Nungesser returned to France where he enlisted with the 2e Régiment de Hussards. During one patrol, he and several soldiers commandeered a German Mors patrol car after killing its occupants. This impressed his superiors, and he was subsequently awarded the Medaille Militaire and granted his request to be transferred to the Service Aéronautique.

As a military pilot, he was transferred to Escadrille VB106. While there, in July 1915 he shot down his first plane, a German Albatros and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. This action initiated the Nungesser legend. On 31 July 1915, Nungesser and his mechanic Roger Pochon were on standby duty. The two took off in a Voisin 3LAS despite Nungesser's assignment to non-flying duties. In an encounter with five Albatros two-seaters, the French duo shot one down near Nancy, France. Returning to their airfield, Nungesser was placed under house arrest for eight days for his insubordination. He was then decorated and forwarded to training in Nieuport fighters.

By the time Nungesser left VB106, he had flown 53 bombing missions. He had also emblazoned at least one of the escadrille's planes with his elaborate gruesome personal insignia: the freebooter's skull and crossbones and a coffin with two candles.

After retraining, in November 1915 he was transferred to Escadrille N.65 (the 65th Squadron) and was later attached to the famous Lafayette Escadrille, composed of American volunteers. While visiting the Escadrille on one of his convalescent periods recuperating from his wounds, he borrowed a plane and shot down another German while he was there. By the end of 1916, he had claimed 21 air kills.

Despite being a decorated pilot, Nungesser was placed under house arrest on more than one occasion for flying without permission. He disliked strict military discipline and went to Paris to enjoy its many pleasures (such as alcohol and women) as often as possible. He was a leading fighter pilot, whose combat exploits against the Germans were widely publicized in France. Nungesser's rugged good looks, flamboyant personality, and appetite for danger, beautiful women, wine and fast cars made him the embodiment of the stereotypical flying ace. In contrast to the unsociable but nonetheless top French ace René Fonck, Nungesser was well liked by his comrades. Yet Nungesser suffered a very bad crash on 6 February 1916 that broke both his legs, and he would be injured again many times. He was often so hobbled by wounds and injuries that he had to be helped into his cockpit.

Notwithstanding these early setbacks, Nungesser became an ace in April 1916. He was wounded on 19 May 1916 but continued to score and would be wounded again in June. Nevertheless, he finished the year with 21 victories. It was during this time he downed two German aces, Hans Schilling on 4 December, and Kurt Haber on the 20th. The Nieuport Ni 17 "The Knight of Death" flown by C. Nungesser

His silver Nieuport 17 plane was decorated with a black heart-shaped field, a macabre Jolly Roger, and a coffin and candles painted inside. He had adopted the title "The Knight of Death," paraphrasing the French word mort "death", a play on words for the German Mors vehicle, like the one he had earlier captured while as a cavalryman.

In early 1917, Nungesser had to return to hospital for treatment of injuries but managed to avoid being grounded. He had pushed his score to 30 by 17 August 1917, when he downed his second Gotha bomber. Injuries from a car crash in December got him a month's respite as an instructor before he returned to flying combat with Escadrille 65. He still flew a Nieuport, even though the squadron had re-equipped with Spads. By May 1918, he had 35 victories, including a shared victory each with Jacques Gérard and Eugéne Camplan, and was raised to Officer of the Legion d'Honneur.

By August 1918, he finally made a radical upgrade to the most recent Spad, the Spad XIII, and began to win again. On 14 August, he shot down four observation balloons for wins 39 through 42. The following day, he shared a win with Marcel Henriot and another pilot and finished the war with 43 official victories.

In his flying career, Nungesser received dozens of military decorations from France, Belgium, Montenegro, United States of America, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia.

By the end of the war, a succinct summary of Nungesser's wounds and injuries read: "Skull fracture, brain concussion, internal injuries (multiple), five fractures of the upper jaw, two fractures of lower jaw, piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel imbedded [sic] in right arm, dislocation of knees (left and right), re-dislocation of left knee, bullet wound in mouth, bullet wound in ear, atrophy of tendons in left leg, atrophy of muscles in calf, dislocated clavicle, dislocated wrist, dislocated right ankle, loss of teeth, contusions too numerous to mention."

France - 1917 SPAD S-XIII part 2

2011-10-06T00:21:00.002-05:00

Life as a Busy Bee

Once again I am on a roll. Today I have been busy working on SPAD profiles. I finished 6 profiles and have been working on drawing up insignias and ID numbers for the next batch in the works. During breaks from drawing I have been fleshing out new sections and tweaking navigation on my site. I wish I had a clone or two but they would be just as stubborn as I am so ordering them around would be like herding cats.

SPAD S-XIII C1 Second Ltn. Frank Luke Jr. 27th Aero Squadron

This is another new profile of a SPAD flown by the famed balloon buster Second Ltn. Frank Luke Jr. The eagle insignia was used by the 27th Aero Squadron. The side access panel is removed. The camouflage is another variation of the basic five color scheme.

SPAD S-XIII C1 Captain Eddie Richenbacker 94th Aero Squadron

This is the new profile of the SPAD X.III flown by Captain Eddie Richenbacker. The white circles are patched bullet holes. Prominent is the hat and ring insignia of the 94 Aero Squadron which was one of the original American units serving in France. It would become part of the 1st pursuit Group.

SPAD S-XIII C1 Robert Soubiran 103rd Fighter Squadron S7714

This SPAD was flown by Robert Soubrian 103rd Fighter Squadron AEFC USAS. It is painted in a five color paint job and bears a variant of the Lafayette Escadrille SPA 124 insignia featuring an Indian wearing an ornate head dress which was adopted as the 103rd's unit marking. The red white and blue diagonal stripe bears the colors shard by the French, Americans and the British allies. The rudder has many markings including one which reads SPAD Hispano-Suiza.

France - 1917 SPAD S.XIII C1

2011-10-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

Rebuilding an Archive.

First off I apologize for not posting or commenting on the blogs I read. I have not forgotten you all, I have been forced to deal with medical and financial issues which reared their heads. My time has been taken up with seeking donations to keep the lights on, hosting fees paid, food on the table, and have the ability to continue creating reference sources which help others learn about History. Fighting a series of personal fires which needed to be put. The struggle has not been completely successful. The frustration left me drained and in need of a strategic retreat.

As I have posted recently I had a serious hardware malfunction and lost over a year's work. Slowly I am doing a new library of master drawings which I can use to create finished profiles. One of my newest was a new master for the SPAD S.XIII C1. I was never satisfied with my old master so it gave me a compelling reason to bring it up to a new standard that I can live with. While trying to figure out what I have and have not posted on this blog I discovered I had neglected one of the more important aircraft of WWI. I figure I can show my old profiles and the new ones to correct this omission and show the process of revision and refinement which goes with the territory.

SPAD S-XIII C1 "Eddie" Rickenbacker 94th Aero Squadron 1918

I may be jumping the gun but I wanted to post this as a comparison between the old and new.This profile of the iconic SPAD XIII flown by Rickenbacker during the late war was done from my old master file. I went too heavy on the lines and it calls out for a new reworked version which I will do soon and post here.

SPAD S-XIII C1 Adj. Marcel Villar Escadrille SPA23 - 1917

This is one of the new series of profiles using my new master. I liked the colors and how the color scheme harkens back to the simple varnished surfaces used on many of the SPAD VII flown in 1916. Like many SPAD XIII the side access covers are removed to improve airflow. The source I used did not show the iconic large drum ammunition magazines which fed the machine guns.

SPAD S-XIII C1 "Lulu" su. Lt. Martin Trepp SPA12 sn-S2285

This is another example of the new master file. Working up Lulu was fun. Working with one variant of french camouflage and the side markings was pleasing to the eye. This example has the standard louvered side access panels. When drawing French aircraft you have to learn to love making louvers. They take time to do properly but the end result either makes or breaks a drawing. I find making a single master louver, shading it and adding shadows, then duplicating and aligning them into a single layer makes it a manageable task. Then it is a matter of using them as a luminance layer drops them into the drawing fairly seamlessly.

SPAD S.XIII C1: Overview

Equipped with twin machine guns and a larger engine, the SPAD S.XIII was based upon the smaller SPAD S.VII. Built in large numbers, it was fast and powerful but difficult to fly. The SPAD S.XIII was flown by many of the famous aces including Georges Guynemer, Rene Fonck, and also by Italian ace Francesco Baracca. Aces of the United States Army Air Service who flew the Spad XIII include and Eddie Rickenbacker, (America's leading ace with 26 confirmed victories) and Frank Luke (18 victories). Irish ace William Cochran-Patrick scored more victories with the SPAD S.VII and SPAD S.XIII than any other ace.

The SPAD S.XIII was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, developed by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) from the earlier highly successful SPAD S.VII. It was one of the most capable fighters of the war, and one of the most-produced, with 8,472 built and orders for around 10,000 more cancelled at the Armistice.

The S.VII had entered service in September of 1916, but by early 1917 it had been surpassed by the latest German fighters, leading French flying ace, Georges Guynemer to lobby for an improved version. SPAD designer Louis Béchereau initially produced the cannon-armed S.XII, which had limited success, and finally the S.XIII.

The S.XIII differed from its predecessor by incorporating a number of aerodynamic and other refinements, including larger wings and rudder, a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 8B engine fitted with reduction gearing, driving a larger "right-hand" propeller, and a second 0.303 Vickers machine gun for added firepower. The sum of these improvements was a notable improvement in flight and combat performance. It was faster than its main contemporaries, the British Sopwith Camel and the German Fokker D.VII, and was renowned for its ruggedness and strength in a dive. The maneuverability of the type was however relatively poor, especially at low speeds. A steep gliding angle and a very sharp stall made it a difficult aircraft for novice pilots to land safely.

It first flew on April 4, 1917, and the following month was already being delivered to the French Air Service. Other Allied forces were quick to adopt the new fighter as well, and nearly half of the 893 purchased for the United States Army Air Service were still in service in 1920. It was also exported to Japan, Poland, and Czechoslovakia after the war.

References

From Wikipedia SPAD S-XIII, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPAD_S.XIII"

Sharpe, Michael (2000). "Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes". London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, p 272. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

Bruce, J.M. (1982). "The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps" (Military Wing). London: Putnam, pp. 561-564. ISBN 0 370 30084 x.

Winchester, Jim (2006). "Fighter - The World's Finest Combat Aircraft - 1913 to the Present Day". Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc. and Parragon Publishing, p.18, p. 23. ISBN 0-7607-7957-0.

Austria - 1917 New Profiles

2011-09-28T06:27:00.000-05:00

Recent Profile Update

I have been concentrating on Austria at the moment. Here are just a few of the current crop of profiles. I hope you enjoy them.

Albatros D-III (Oeffag) Series 153 Flik 2-D sn 153.95 - 1917

This Oeffag D.III has the propeller spinner removed and no engine cover. The natural wood finish covers most of the fuselage. The turtle-deck and rudder and tail plane upper surfaces is a brown mottled scheme. The black and white stripes with angular points on the top edge makes for a memorable appearance.

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) D-I Ba 138 Adolf Vizinge Flik 74-J - 1918

This is another example of the Austrian hexagonal camouflage pattern. The engine compartment is bare metal. The white stripe on the fuselage with black stars is a nice touch. The lower wings are varnished cloth.

Phönix D-I Feldwebel Malz Flik 14-J sn-328.26I - 1917

This example of a Phönix D-I sports a bright mottled paint scheme and distinctive skull and cross bone insignia. The iron cross wheel covers add visual interest. Note the head rest on this version.

Austria - 1918 Phönix C.I

2011-09-27T05:25:00.000-05:00

The Mystery of the Elusive C.I

As I have said Austrian aviation during the Great War can be filled with twists and turns. It has driven many to despair trying to establish what company made which plane. Slowly but semi-surely I have tried to make sense of a bewildering amount of contradictory and down-right erroneous information.

Phönix C.I series 121

Phönix C-1 sn 121.72 - 1918

This example is painted in a two color scheme with rounded edges between colors. The tail plane is red with a white stripe. The aircraft shows both an Iron and a Maltese cross.

Phönix C-1 sn 121.17 - 1918

This example is painted in a speckled multiple color scheme The lower wing and tailplane surfaces are doped cloth. The distinctive scalloped rudder still has the old style Iron cross.

UFAG C.I series 161

UFAG C-1 sn 161.67 - 1918

The two color scheme employs the later Austrian two color saw-tooth edged camouflage. The differences between the UFAG and Phönix designs are very easy to see.

UFAG C-1 Flik 66 K sn 161.92 - 1918

This is another flavor of the later Austrian two color saw-tooth edged camouflage. The differences the rudder construction between these UFAG examples might make you think they had different manufacturers. When in doubt look for the serial number.

The Phönix C.I was an Austro-Hungarian First World War reconnaissance and general-purpose Biplane built by the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke.

There is much confusion surrounding Austrian aircraft identification. Part of the problem stems from the fact Camillo Castiglione owned Phönix, Hansa-Brandenburg, and UFAG as part of a monopoly. Each of these three companies built versions ot the Hansa-Brandenburg C.I. There was a certain amount of sharing of design directions. Design features used in one company's aircraft would be incorporated into the other companie's designs.

To identify the company who actually produced a particular version of the C.I you need to examin the serial number. The first part of the number is the code for the manufacturer.

(UFAG) Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik A.G. / Budapest: Series 161

(Phönix) Phönix – Flugzeugwerke Wien-Stadlau: Series 123

(Lloyd) Ungarische Lloyd- Flugzeugfabrik – Budapest: Series 49

The Phönix C.I was the first original design developed by the Phönix Flugzeug-Werke It was based on the Hansa-Brandenburg C.II that Phönix were building under license. A conventional biplane with a rear fuselage/tailplane similar to aircraft designed by Ernst Heinkel. The C.I had a fixed trail skid landing gear and was powered by a Hiero 6-cylinder inline piston engine, it had two tandem open cockpits for the pilot and observer/gunner. The company built 110 C.Is and then entered service with the KuKLFT in early 1918.

After the First World War 30 aircraft were built by the Swedish Army engineering department but they were fitted with a 220 hp (164 kW) Benz inline engine.

References

Phönix C.I. (2010, September 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:40, March 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ph%C3%B6nix_C.I&oldid=385776342

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.

Grosz, Peter M., George Haddow and Peter Schiemer. "Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War I". Boulder, CO: Flying Machines Press, 2002. ISBN 1-89126-805-8.

Britain - 1911 S.E.1

2011-09-23T08:06:00.000-05:00

Another One from the Odd Duck File

The early days of aviation design was fertile ground for strange planes. The S.E.1 was another example of the "Dancing Bear Syndrome", It did not matter how poorly the bear danced. The fact that it did dance was the miracle. Unfortunately, like a bear it can turn on the hapless handler and kill him.

RAF SE.1 - 1911

At first glance trying to establish which end was the nose of the S.E.1 may seem confusing. Since it was a pusher aircraft, the pointed end is the nose sporting a canard stabilizer. The pilot sat in the fuselage section which had radiators mounted on either side for cooling the engine.

The S.E.1 (Santos Experimental) was an experimental aircraft built at the Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough (later the Royal Aircraft Factory) in 1911. Its place in aviation history is mainly that it was the first in the series of Royal Aircraft Factory designs - several of which played an important role in World War I.

In 1911 the Army Balloon Factory was not actually authorized to construct aircraft, but only to repair them. When the remains of a crashed Blériot XI monoplane belonging to the army were sent from Larkhill to Farnborough for repair, authorization for a complete reconstruction was sought, and granted.

The result was a completely new design. A tractor monoplane became a pusher biplane with large balanced fore-elevators, similar in basic layout to the Wright Flyer, but with a fully covered fuselage. Ailerons were fitted to the top wing, and twin balanced rudders were mounted behind the propeller, but out of its immediate slipstream. The only obvious component of the Blériot that found its way into the new design was its 60 hp (45 kW) E.N.V. "F" engine.

The S.E.1 made its first flight, a straight mile in the hands of its designer Geoffrey de Havilland on 11 June 1911. Further fight testing revealed control problems and the area of the front wing/elevator was adjusted to try to bring together the center of pressure and the hinge line and make the S.E.1 stable in pitch. By the beginning of August the front surface was fixed and carried a conventional trailing edge elevator. An attempt to improve the turning characteristics was made by stripping the side covering of the nacelle to reduce side area. de Havilland continued to fly the S.E.1 until 16 August. On the 18 August the aircraft was flown by someone else for the first time; the rather inexperienced pilot Lt. Theodore J. Ridge, Assistant Superintendent at the factory (who had only been awarded his Pilot's certificate the day before, and was described as "an absolutely indifferent flyer". The combination of the inexperienced pilot and the marginally controllable aircraft proved fatal - the S.E.1 stalled in a turn and spun in, killing Ridge.

No attempt to rebuild the S.E.1 was made, and the design was apparently abandoned, with no attempt to develop it. The S.E.2 of 1913 was a completely different kind of airplane - a development of the B.S.1.

References

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.1. (2010, May 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:35, January 12, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.1&oldid=363588932

Jackson, A.J. (1978). de Havilland Aircraft since 1909 1978, pp. 38-9. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0 370 30022 X.

Jarrett, Philip (2002). "Making Flying Safer". In Jarrett, Philip. Pioneer Aircraft:Early Aviation before 1914 2002. London: Putnam. pp. 202-215. ISBN 0 85177 869 0.

Austria - 1916 Hansa-Brandenburg D.I

2011-09-20T06:25:00.003-05:00

Another Grand Obsession

I am still picking up the pieces after an accident smashed a flash drive with all my master files and archives. While working on fleshing out the section on my main site dealing with Austrian aviation development and the Eastern Front and I discovered that I needed a new master for the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Type KD). My old profiles were showing their age and yesterday was the day to tackle the project. I managed to finish three masters for the major types of the aircraft and churned out ten new profiles which I like better than the old drawings I had done. I concentrated on the large tailed version today. The two other variants will have to wait till tomorrow. I am still puzzling out what the number scheme. Like all things Austrian it is seldom straight forward or simple. One battle at a time I am content with today'ss results. The sun is rising, and it is almost time for some well earned rest.

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I Flick 12 Frank Linke-Crawford SN 28.02 - 1916

The example above is an aircraft flown by Frank Linke-Crawford when he served in Flik 12 during 1916. The red nose is a distinctive feature. The Iron Cross on the fuselage is not typical for Austrian aircraft, however it is not rare.

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I Flick 41J FP. Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford SN 28.40 - 1917

After a promotion Frank Linke-Crawford was transferred to Flik 41J. The pennant insignia on the fuselage is bearing the Austrian colors of red and white. Unlike many Austrian aircraft there are no serial numbers displayed records show it as being number 28.40.

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Flick 41J FP. Oblt Frank Linke-Crawford SN Unknown - 1917

This is another Hansa Brandenburg D-I flown by Frank Linke-Crawford while serving with Flik 41J. The Black and White double sun insignia is representative of the markings used on many of the aircraft serving in Flik 41J.

The Hansa Brandenburg D-I was a German fighter aircraft of World War I. It was built for Austria-Hungary, some aircraft serving to the end of the war. The D-I was a single seat, single engined biplane, of wooden construction, with plywood fuselage skinning and fabric wing skins. The wings featured an unusual “Star-Strutter” arrangement of interplane struts, where four Vee struts joined in the center of the wing bay to result in a complicated "star" arrangement. The interplane struts themselves were fabricated from steel tubes.

The Hansa Brandenburg D-I was a very unusual looking aircraft, it had a deep fuselage, which combined with the wing configuration and large engine compartment gave a poor forward view for the pilot and tended to blanket the undersized rudder, giving poor lateral stability and making recovery from spins extremely difficult.

References

Hansa-Brandenburg D.I. (2009, December 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:06, July 2, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hansa-Brandenburg_D.I&oldid=332619883

Angelucci, Enzo (ed.). "World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's, 1981, p. 43, p.54. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.

Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962, p.64.

Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994, p.83. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

Hooton, E.R. Phoenix Triumphant: "The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe". London: Arms & Armour Press, 1994, p.25-26. ISBN 1 85409 181 6.

Williams, Anthony G. and Gustin, Emmanuel. "Flying Guns World War I". Ramsbury, Wiltshire: Airlife, 2003, p.62. ISBN 1 84037 396 2.

Germany - 1916 Aviatik D.II

2011-09-19T03:10:00.000-05:00

Aviatik AG Experimental Fighter

Automobil und Aviatik AG made their reputation designing and building effective two seat reconnaissance aircraft. Experiments on building single seat fighters began in 1916, which yielded mixed results. Unlike the fighter aircraft produced in Austria by Aviatik-Berg (Österreichische-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik), the German Aviatik designs never went beyond the experimental stage and entered production.

Aviatik Type D II - 1916

It was a fun project involving an interesting and rarely drawn aircraft. Since I have only seen black and white photos and line drawings of the aircraft the colors are conjectural. Now I can get on completing a drawing of the Aviatik D.III for future display.

The Automobil und Aviatik AG of Leipzig-Heiterblick licence-built the Halberstadt D.II as the Aviatik D.I - later known as the Halberstadt D.II(Av)in late 1916. The experience helped in developing and building first original Aviatik single-seat fighter design, designated as the D.II . The D.II was an orthodox staggered single-bay biplane with wood and fabric-covered wings. The airframe construction featured a steel tube forward section covered in a metal skin. The aft fuselage was largely skinned in plywood.

Power was generated by the 160hp Daimler D III six-cylinder water-cooled engine. The armament consisted of the standard twin forward-firing synchronized 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine guns firing through the air-screw disc.

Construction of the prototype and the initial test flight took place in 1916. Unfortunately the results were not very promising when compared with other competing designs. The D.II fighter did not find favor with the Idflieg. It was not accepted for production, and further development of the design was discontinued, only the one prototype was built.

References

Aviatik D.II 1916 The Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved Sept. 16, 9:07 from http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/aviatik_d-2.php

Aviatik D II Flying Machines Russia Retrieved Sept. 16, 9:17 from http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25476.htm

Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London:Putnam, 1962.

Austria - 1918 Aviatik-Berg 30.27 and 30.29

2011-09-18T03:50:00.001-05:00

Innovative But Not Effective

Once again I am back on fleshing out the aircraft built by Österreichische-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik. Today's post fills in the gap between earlier designs and the 30.40 monoplane which was built in the last days of the Great War.

Aviatik-Berg 30.27- 1918

This Avitik is prototype 30.27 This is the same type aircraft which was used as a basis for the type 30.40 monoplane. Note the colors are conjectural. I have not found a written description of this plane. My intention was to use the least outrageous color scheme possible.

When the Aviatik-Berg type 30.27 and 30.29 appeared early in 1918 it marked a radical change in design philosophy for Julius von Berg. The design was a lighter weight aircraft with a compact profile featuring a rounded cowling and forward fuselage. Although it was not successful it pointed toward more the form which would lead to future designs.

The design of both types was wooden construction with plywood fuselage skinning. The forward section of the aircraft was covered by light metal panels, and fabric-covered wings rounded out the design. Both the Aviatik 30.27 and 30.29 were fitted with the standard Austrian armament of twin synchronized fixed forward-firing 0.315 in (8 mm) Schwarzlose machine guns.

Previously all of the single-seat fighters designed by Julius von Berg were fitted with Austro-Daimler inline engines.The Aviatik 30.27 and the similar 30.29, marked a departure from earlier designs. In an attempt to produce a lighter weight fighter both designs were powered by the Steyr Le Rhone 11 cylinder air cooled rotary engine producing a power rating of 160 hp (119 kW). The 30.27 and 30.29 were both initially flown with two-bladed propellers. The original engine cowling left the lowest three cylinders exposed. Later versions of both types were fitted with a four-bladed Jaray propeller and a full ring cowling.

Both prototypes participated in the D-Contest held in July of 1918. Unfortunately the 30.29 crashed when the leading-edge of the wing upper collapsed as its pilot initiated a loop. The project was canceled and the remaining airframe became the basis of the type 30.40 monoplane.

References

Aviatik (Berg) 30.27 & 30.29 1918 The Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved Sept 3. 08:55 from http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_30-27.php

Germany - 1915 Aviatik C.I

2011-09-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Germany's Aviatik

Germany produced a wide variety of C-class Reconnaissance aircraft. They differed from the B-class in the fact they were armed with machine guns for the observer to defend the plane from attackers The C-class was used in a variety of roles from photo reconnaissance, artillery spotting and ad hoc bombers.The C-class served throughout the remaining war and evolved into different mission specific aircraft, such as ground attack planes and night bombers.

Aviatik C.I a - 1915

This is an example of the C.Ia which switched the position of pilot and observer to what we consider the normal arrangement. It was powered by a Mercedes D III 6 cylinder water cooled in-line engine, producing 160 hp (119 kW).

Aviatik C.II - 1915

The C.II was not produced in great numbers. It was an interem design which became the C.III which was built in larger numbers. Both the C.III and C.III were powered by a Benz Bz. IV 6 cylinder water cooled in-line engine generating 200 hp (149 kW).

Overview

The Aviatik C.I was a German World War I observation aircraft built by Automobil und Aviatikwerke AG, which first came into service in September 1915 . It was the successor to the Aviatik B.I and B.II models. It was powered by a Mercedes D III 6 cylinder water cooled in-line engine, producing 160 hp (119 kW). Armament consisted of a single flexible mounted 0.312 in (7.92 mm) Parabellum MG14 machine gun,. The observer sat in front of the pilot in this model which limited the gunner's field of fire. However, the opportunity was presented for more aggressive aircrews to take an increased offensive approach in engaging enemy aircraft. The positions of the pilot and gunner were reversed in the C.Ia version. Later models, the C.II and C.III were produced in large numbers and were fitted with the more powerful Benz Bz. IV 6 cylinder water cooled in-line engine generating 200 hp (149 kW).

References

van Wyngarden, G. "Early German Aces of World War 1". Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2006, p.6. ISBN 1-84176-997-5

Taylor, Michael J H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". Portland House, 1989, p.88. ISBN 0-517-69186-8

Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962, pp.62—63.

Austria - 1917 Aviatik-Berg C.I

2011-09-15T07:01:00.001-05:00

Several times I have fallen for a case of mistaken identity. Both Germany and Austria have completely different companies named Hansa-Brandenberg and Aviatik. During one of those two day site reconstruction binge I made a mistake. Luckily I have now fixed a long overdue and overlooked problem. Finding the correct information was work, but now all is well and I can move on. Now I just need to finish up more profiles of this bird.

Fragile but Nimble

Aviatik-Berg (Lohner) C.I - 1917

In early 1917 the chief designer of this company, Julius von Berg designed the original multi-purpose airplane Aviatik-Berg CI. The C.I or "double Berg" was based on the D.I fighter. It used the same wings with a thin flexible profile, which varied depending on the speed of flight. Power was provided by either a 185 hp (138 kW) or 200 hp (149 kW) Austro-Daimler 6-cylinder water cooled in-line engine.

The test flights were generally successful. The top-notch pilots appreciated the speed and maneuverability of these machines. However, less skilled pilots preferred the more manageable, but less nimble, Hansa-Brandenburg C.I. One issue was the large wing loads putting stress on the aircraft and the C.I had a relatively high landing speed making landing on the short front-line runways difficult.

The C.I had a very reasonable performance and was built in considerable numbers by five several factories: Aviatik (Series 37 and 137), Lloyd (Series 47), Lohner (Series 114 and 214), WKF (Series 83 and 183) and MAG (Series 91) . In total more than 500 copies of the machine were built. Only its inherent structural weakness prevented it from receiving the acclamation that might otherwise have come its way. Nevertheless, it remained operational until the end of the war on the Italian-Austrian front.

Several schemes were used for armament on the C.I. Due to the urgent need for aircraft the first series were armed with one 0.315 in (8 mm) Schwarzlose machine gun fired by the pilot attached to a pivoting mount, fastened to the fuselage which allowed firing over the wing. There were versions which used a wing mounted "baby coffin" style gun pod. Some had a synchronized forward gun mounted in the fuselage, close to the engine. The observer fired into the rear arc with a ring mounted 0.315 in (8 mm) Schwarzlose machine gun.

The serial number scheme for Austro-Hungarian aircraft follows a format where the first numbers indicates the manufacturing company and production batch, while the numbers after the decimal point refers to the individual aircraft's place within the batch. Unlike the German system, there is no indication of the year in which construction took place

Aviatik (Berg) C.I 1917 The Virtual Aircraft Museum http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_c-1.php

Aviatik (Berg) C I Their Flying Machines http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25598.htm

Green, William. Great Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown Zenith Press (November 14, 2001) ISBN-10: 0760311943, ISBN-13: 978-0760311943

Cowin, Hugh. German and Austrian Aviation of World War I: A Pictorial Chronicle of the Airmen and Aircraft that Forged German Airpower (Osprey Aviation Pioneers 3). Osprey 2000 ISBN 10: 1841760692 / 1-84176-069-2 ISBN 13: 9781841760698

Austria - 1918 Aviatik-Berg 30.40

2011-09-13T23:20:00.000-05:00

A Late War Austrian Monoplane

It is always good when you learn something new. The one thing I love about the history of Austrian aviation is finding rare aircraft which are not well known or documented. Sometimes things appear deceptively simple on the surface but as you dig deeper you find a complicated story of variations of a basic type which were built by other companies who were licensed to manufacture them. Each company left their own mark on the design. There are times when a single aircraft is produced which you only know the serial number and not the story to be told.

Today I am writing about an example of one of a kind designs. Julius von Berg shifted away fom the heavier in line engine powered designs and began experimenting on more compact light weight aircraft powered with rotary engines to reduce the overall weight. After a failed attempt at creating light weight biplane fighters von Berg took elements from the 30.27 and 30.29 and built a modrn looking parasol type monoplane. It arrived too late in the war to be more than a footnote.

Aviatik-Berg 30.40- 1918

The paint scheme was basically monochrome. The sharp edged sawtooth camouflage pattern was used in several late war Austrian designs. The metal forward section sports circular tooling marks over the whole surface. Even though the design was late war it carried the Iron Cross on the wings and rudder.

A parasol monoplane derivative of the Aviatik 30.27, the Aviatik 30.40 was powered by a similar 160hp Steyr Le Rhone 11-cylinder rotary engine, and only one prototype was built and flown during the summer of 1918. The Aviatik 30.40 was of wooden construction. The forward fuselage was covered by light metal panels and the remainder of the fuselage was ply covered. The wing had fabric skinning, and steel-tube bracing struts were employed
.
References

Aviatik (Berg) 30.40 1918 Retreived Sept 3. 08:45 from http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25508.htm

Aviatik (Berg) 30.40 1918 Virtual Aircraft Museum Retreived Sept 3. 09:05 from http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_30-40.php

Aviatik Berg Scout The Aerodrome Forum Retreived Sept 3. 09:15 from http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/1997-aviatik-berg-scout.html

Grosz,Peter M. Haddow, George. Schiemer, Peter. Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One p.156-157. Flying Machines Press, 1993. ISBN 0963711008,

Britain - 1913 Avro 501

2011-09-12T00:44:00.000-05:00

Early British Military Seaplanes

By 1913 The idea of aircraft designed for military use had firmly taken hold. The needs of different branches of nation's military service were being identified. These needs were reflected in requests for specific operational capability requirements to design firms. In Britain the Naval Admiralty saw the need for a way to project air power into service as the eyes of the fleet far from land. A.V. Roe & Company was eager to help fill the void with their company's designs.

The Avro Type H, Type 501, and Type 503 were a family of early British military seaplanes. They were a development of the Avro 500 design and were originally conceived of as amphibious; the prototype being fitted with a single large main float (equipped with wheels) under the fuselage, and two outrigger floats under the wings. Tests were conducted on Lake Windermere in January 1913. It was later converted to twin-float configuration and bought by the British Admiralty. It now, however, proved too heavy and was converted again - this time to a land plane.

An improved version, designated the 503 was demonstrated for the Inspector of Naval Aircraft, who placed an order for three machines. The prototype itself was demonstrated for the German Navy in its seaplane trials in June 1913 and was purchased by the government of Imperial Germany for evaluation purposes. This machine subsequently became the first aircraft to fly across the North Sea, from Wilhelmshaven to Heligoland, in September 1913. Gotha purchased a licence from Avro and produced the type as the WD.1 (Wasser Doppeldecker - "Water Biplane"). Unlicenced copies were also built by Albatros, AGO, Friedrichshafen. Some WD.1s were provided to the Ottoman Empire following their withdrawal from German Navy service.

References

"Avro 501". (2011, January 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:57, January 31, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avro_501&oldid=409396299

Jackson, A.J. (1990)." Avro Aircraft since 1908" (Second ed.), p. 51. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 -85177-834-8.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions. pp. 91.

"World Aircraft Information Files". London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 93.

Austria - 1917 Aviatik-Berg D.II

2011-09-11T03:02:00.000-05:00

A Victim of Circumstance

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) D.II series 39 - 1917

The serial number indicates this was the first production aircraft fitted with the Series 39 Austro-Daimler engine. Notable is the change in the wing strut layout versus the D.I. The forward strut attaches to the fuselage and not the lowet wing. The forward metal section of the fuselage is left unfinished. The finish is a 3 color spatter scheme covering everything except lower wing and tail plane surfaces.

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) D.II series 39 - 1917

The fuselage of this type 39 sports the iconic Austrian variegated three color camouflage pattern. Unfortunately I do not know what unit it served in or who flew it. I have found few examples of the D.II and not as much detailed information on individual aircraft. Hopefully this will change in the future.I have done a few conjectural paint schemes in the past however I retired them in favor of schemes which have been verified.

The Aviatik (Berg) D.II, also known as the Aviatik 30.22, was an Austro-Hungarian fighter prototype towards the end of the First World War. The prototype was first flown in the summer of 1917. The D.II was not built in large numbers, only 19 aircraft were completed.

The D.II's fuselage was virtually identical to that of the D.I. It was characterized, however, by its short-span cantilever lower wing. Through 1917, 19 D.IIs were built for front-line evaluation. They were either powered by the 200 hp (149 kW) Series 39 engine or the 225 hp (168 kW) Series 339 engine, both made by Austro-Daimler. The propeller was a four-bladed Jaray, and armament consisted of the usual paired 0.315 in (8 mm) Schwarzlose machine guns.

The first three series aircraft were tested in November 1917, and seven were evaluated at the front later in that year, showing good promise. but the decision that O-UF Aviatik should license-manufacture the Fokker D.VII terminated any plans to build the D.II in quantity. One D.II airframe was experimentally fitted with a 200hp Hiero engine as the Aviatik 30.38, and participated in the July 1918 D-Contest. With the 225hp Austro-Daimler engine the D.II attained 220km/h.

References

Aviatik (Berg) D.II. (2010, May 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:19, July 2, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aviatik_(Berg)_D.II&oldid=361799043

Aviatik (Berg) D.II. Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved 03:00, July 2, 2010, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_d-2.php

Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books.

Britain - 1912 Avro Type F

2011-09-10T00:06:00.001-05:00

The First Enclosed Cockpit

Even before the war the idea of an enclosed cockpit was seen as an advantage. The cold of high altitudes made flying uncomfortable. Add the spray of oil off early engines and exhaust fumes did nothing to make flight a pleasant experience. Although most fighters would use open cockpits, the research on shielding the pilot from the environment would lead to later advances.

Avro Type F - 1912

The Avro Type F was an early single seat British aircraft from Avro and the first aircraft in the world to feature a completely enclosed cabin.

It was a wire-braced mid-wing monoplane of conventional configuration with a tailskid undercarriage. The fuselage itself was teardrop-shaped with flat sides and "glazed" with celluloid windows around the cabin. Two circular windows at the pilot's head level could be opened for the pilot's head to protrude when flying under poor visibility. Ingress and egress was via a trapdoor in the fuselage top. The cabin was quite cramped - at its widest point only 2 ft (60 cm) across.

The Type F made a few test flights in mid 1912 until damaged beyond repair in a hard landing on 13 September after which it was not repaired. Its Viale 35 hp engine is on display at the Science Museum in London.

References

Avro Type F. (2010, May 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:17, December 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avro_Type_F&oldid=360032450

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 91.

World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 92-93.

Britain - 1912 Avro Type E & 500

2011-09-09T02:33:00.001-05:00

Early Successes in Design

The evolution of AVRO aircraft continued during 1912. The first difference we note was an enclosed fuselage which is becoming more recognizable as what we would we have come to believe an aircraft should look like. The ability to carry payloads for longer periods of flight became a concern which had to be addressed to meet specifications requested by eager military planners. Military aviation was soon to be possible.

Avro Type E - 1912

Avro 500 - 1912

The Avro Type E, Type 500, and Type 502 made up a family of early British military aircraft, regarded by Alliott Verdon Roe as his firm's first truly successful design.

The Type E biplane was designed in response to a War Office specification for a two-seat aircraft capable (amongst other things) of carrying a 350 lb (160 kg) payload with a total endurance of 4.5 hours. The Avro submission was based on the Avro Duigan design and was originally named "Military Biplane 1". It was a two-bay biplane with equal-span, unstaggered wings, and a boxy, rectangular-section fuselage. Lateral control was by wing warping.

During initial trials, it soon became apparent that while top speed and rate-of-climb were below the War Office specification, the aircraft excelled in every other way. The second prototype, however, first flew on 3 May 1912 and sufficiently impressed the War Office for them to buy the prototype and place an order for two more examples, which Roe now renamed the 500. The type proved an immediate success, and orders for another four machines plus five single-seat derivatives (designated 502 by Avro) soon followed. Other examples produced included six for the British Admiralty's Air Department, one presented to the government of Portugal (paid for by public subscription), one kept by Avro as a company demonstrator, and one bought by a private individual, J. Laurence Hall (commandeered by the War Office at the outbreak of World War I). The first prototype was destroyed in a crash on 29 June 1913 that killed its student pilot.

Avro 500s were flown by the British armed forces during the first years of the war, mostly as trainers. In service, most were fitted with ailerons and a revised rudder.

References

Avro 500. (2010, May 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:27, December 9, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avro_500&oldid=360032279

Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane''s Encyclopedia of Aviation. (1989). London: Studio Editions. pp. 91.

World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 92.

Britain - 1911 AVRO Type D

2011-09-08T00:35:00.002-05:00

Avro: In The Beginning

Before the Great War designers were busy building the forerunners of what would become military aircraft. In Britain one of the primary innovators was A.V. Roe and Company. produced the first plane to strafe troops on the ground, it was also the first British plane to be shot down by enemy ground fire. Better aircraft soon replaced the Avro 504 in combat, but it remained the standard British trainer for the duration of the war.In the next few posts I will cover the evolution of AVRO designs through the early war.

Avro Type D - 1911

The Type D was a two-bay biplane of conventional configuration, with equal-span, unstaggered wings. The fuselage was triangular in cross-section, and lateral control was provided by wing warping. The first of seven aircraft flew at Brooklands on 1 April 1911.

The Type D aircraft were used in a variety of roles by the Avro, mostly concerned with exploring the limits of what an airplane could do. In its first few weeks of existence, the prototype was used to make a number of attempts on aerial endurance records, as well as demonstrations for the Parliamentary Aerial Defense Committee.

One Type D was purchased by the Royal Navy and fitted with floats for trials from HMS Hermione. This aircraft became the first British seaplane when it took off on 18 November 1911. Type D was also used for air racing, the prototype participating in one such event very early in its career. Another example was specially built and modified to compete in the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Race, but crashed before the event. Other Type D aircraft remained in service until 1914.

The Type D is notable in two respects. First, the prototype was at one point fitted with floats to make the first British take-off from water on November 18, 1911. Secondly, it was a biplane rather than A.V. Roe's previous triplane wing designs. It is believed that six examples of the Type D, with its triangular shape fuselage, were manufactured. They were all different, including one example with a 60hp engine that was intended to compete in the Daily Mail Air Race, but suffered a prior accident. The Avro Type D was the company's first successful and semi-production standard design.

References

Avro Type D. (2010, May 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:52, December 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avro_Type_D&oldid=360032443

Avro Type D 1911 Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved 01:50, December 14, 2010, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/avro_d.php

Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes, pg.56. London, England: Friedman/Fairfax Books , 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane''s Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.

World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 92.

britishaircraft.co.uk

Austria - 1917 Aviatik-Berg Dr.I

2011-09-05T18:31:00.000-05:00

Julius von Berg's Triplane Attempt

I have been busy working on profiles and decided to tackle an Aviatik of different type. I think by now my readers know my opinion on triplanes. I think they look great, but for the most part were a waste of time and material. I know there were exceptions to the rule, however when it comes to the number of wings on an airplane I believe less is more. Very few triplane designs were equal to the designer's initial expectations. All in all chasing the dream of ab effective triplane was a fool's errand. However drawing them is too much fun to pass up an opportunity to bring them to life.

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) Dr.I sn-30.24- 1917

The Aviatik 30.24 (this designation indicating that it was the 24th experimental aircraft produced by O-UF Aviatik) single-seat fighter triplane designed by von Berg in May 1917. The Aviatik 30.24 employed a similar structure to that of the D.I and the fuselage similar. Based on a contract with Aviatik for four experimental fighter planes powered by 185/200 hp Daimler engines in Sept 1917. Flight testing of 30.24 on Oct 1917, the 185 hp powered 30.24 had inferior performance compared with a similar engined Aviatik D.I. The 200 hp Daimler also shows little improvement. The Triplane was referred to FLEK (FLiegerErsatzKompanie) 6 in Wiener Neustadt, where a variety of experimental radiators were installed to improve the pilots forward view on Aviatik fighters. 30.24 was accepted by LFT inspectors in Sep 1918. The remaining three prototypes (designations unknown), completed but disassembled, were accepted at the end of Oct 1918. The 30.24 was offered for sale to the Czechoslovakian government in April 1920.

References

Aviatik (Berg) 30.24 The Virtual Aircraft Museum retrieved from http://www.aviastar.org/air/austria/aviatik_30-24.php

Austria - 1917 Aviatik-Berg D-I part 2

2011-09-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

More Aviatik D-I Scouts

Once again I am back to my obsessive self. the Albatros Project is on hold while I work on several different types of Aviatik aircraft and camouflage sheets for the camouflage corner page. These are the latest profiles in the series. I am still working on a new master file for the Aviatik C-I. I have started work on profiles for the Aviatik 30.24 triplane and the Aviatik 30.40 monoplane. Today's selection has an Aviatik built series 138 and two Lohner built series 115 aircraft.

Aviatik-Berg (Aviatik) D-I Ba 138 - 1918

This example has louvers along the engine compartment and a modified cockpit combing. The unpainted forward section is longer, extending close to the midpoint of the cockpit.The rudder has a mix of stripes and hexagonal camouflage.

Aviatik-Berg (Lohner) D-I Ba 115 Ltn. Otto Stelli Flik 60J sn. 115.38 - 1917

Aviatik aircraft produced by Lohner left the factory with a distinctive camouflage scheme. The black stripe on the fuselage was a common element on aircraft serving in Flik 60J. The stylized S is the personal marking of Lt. Otto Stelli. One notable feature is the lack of wheel covers.

Aviatik-Berg (Lohner) D-I Ba 115 Flik 60J sn. 115.20- 1917

This is another example of a Lohner built D-I serving in Flik 60J. Basically the paint scheme is very similar to the previous example. The pilot for this plane is unknown.

Austria - 1917 Aviatik (Berg) D-I

2011-09-03T23:39:00.001-05:00

The First Totally Austrian Fighter

My schedule has recently been thrown out of kilter. One reason is I have been busy researching Austrian aircraft. There are lots of different variants of their aircraft types, it comes down to knowing what the serial number indicates. Once I had that sorted out I could begin putting together my master aircraft files.

One thing which makes the process more time consuming is the hexagonal scheme used varies in color for each aircraft. It makes the process slower and more labor intensive than other aircraft types. The good thing is once I see the results it is very satisfying.

Aviatik (Berg) D-I Ba 38 Flik 63J sn. 38.37 - 1917

This is an Aviatik series 38 fighter which served in Flik 63J. The paint scheme is a streaked pattern which covered the fuselage, tail plane, part of he rudder and upper wing surfaces. The striped forward rudder adds a nice contrast to the finish.

Aviatik (Berg) D-I Ba 138 Korporal Josef Kunze Flik 74J sn. 138.55 - 1918

This is an Aviatik series 138 from Flik 74J. The camouflage is the a hexagonal pattern which changes color in bands. The white section of the fuselage is marked with the name Mizzi, This was the personal marking for Korporal Josef Kunze. This example was from early 1918 before the change to the Maltese Cross.

Aviatik (Berg) D-I Ba. 338 Oblt. Bela Macourek Flik 1 sn. 338.02 - 1918

The Aviatik series 338 served in Flik 1J and was flown by Oblt. Bela Macourek. The fuselage is the later model which has a more streamlined nose section. The power plant was more powerful than hose used in the earlier series. Once again the camouflage is a hexagonal pattern however the colors are different. The Maltese cross marks it as a late war aircraft i use after the spring of 1918. The side flash was a diagonal red, white and green stripe.

The Aviatik D.I, was a single-engine, single-seater fighter biplane. The Aviatik D.I represented the first wholly Austro-Hungarian designed fighter in the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). It was also known as the Berg D.I or the Berg Fighter after its designer, Julius von Berg.

The D.I was a good combat aircraft. It was reasonably fast, had excellent flying characteristics and maneuverability, and could reach higher altitudes than most of its adversaries. In addition, it was provided with a roomy and comfortable cockpit which gave a good field of view.

Despite those desirable features, the new Aviatik fighter wasn't greeted with enthusiasm when it entered service in autumn 1917, as the type also had some serious defects which didn't endear it to its pilots. The early aircraft had structural deficiencies and their machine guns were installed beyond the reach of the pilot; if the gun(s) jammed, there was nothing he could do about it. These problems were later rectified with the strengthening of the airframe and the repositioning of the guns, but the main cause of complaints was the engine's tendency to overheat far too easily. To alleviate the cooling problems, operational units tended to fly their aircraft without the engine's top panels and sometimes also the side panels were left off.

The Aviatik D.I was manufactured under license by a numbers of subcontractors.

Austrian Aviatik built the 38, 138, 238 and 338 Series

Lohner built the 115 and 315 Series

Lloyd manufactured the 48, 248 and 348 Series.

MAG (Magyar Általános Gépgyár - General Hungarian Machine Works) built the 84 and 92 Series

Thöne und Fiala manufactured the 101 Series

WKF (Wiener Karosserie Fabrik - Vienna (Car)Body Factory built the 184, 284 and 384 Series.

Ordered but not build were the 215 and 201 Series from Lohner and ThÖne und Fiala respectively.

Work on the prototype began in August 1916, the first flight of the Aviatik D.I prototype, 30.14, took place on October 16, 1916 at Aspern, killing the test pilot.

Further modifications were made, and three more prototypes of the Aviatik D.I were manufactured, labeled 30.19 (for tests on the ground), 30.20 (for tests in flight) and 30.21 (as a reserve airframe). These prototypes differed from the production aircraft in having a single unsynchronized Schwarzlose machine gun above the top wing, firing over the propeller.

Tests of the modified aircraft were positive and the first unit to receive the first serial batch (with two synchronized Schwarzloses, one on each side of the cylinder block) of the Aviatik D.I was Fluggeschwader I (FLG I, later to be renamed to Flik 101G) on the Divac(a airfield in Slovenia.

The Austro-Hungarian aviation units used the D.I widely until the end of World War I on Eastern, Italian and Balkan fronts, mainly as an escort fighter for the 2-seater reconnaissance aircraft, as the most fighter units preferred the Albatros D.III in air superiority role.

The D.II was a version of the D.I with a cantilever lower wing. The model went into production in late 1918 in two Series (39 and 339), but the production aircraft were too late for operational service. The D.III high-altitude version with a 230 hp Hiero engine and the Dr.I triplane development remained as prototypes only.

The main differences between the Series were in the power of Austro-Daimler engines used (185 hp in the early production aircraft, 200 or 210 hp in the mid-production, and 225 hp in the last ones), in exact positioning of the machine guns, and in structural and radiator modifications.

Until the 31st October 1918 a number of 677 Aviatik D.I airframes of all batches were handed over to the Austro-Hungarian Air Force.

References

Aviatik D.I. (2011, April 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:37, September 3, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aviatik_D.I&oldid=425950351

Aviatik Berg D.I photos from the Vienna technical Museum http://www.idflieg.com/aviatik-berg-di.htm</li>
The Aerodrome page regarding the Aviatik D.I http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/austrhun/aviatik_di.html

Holmes, Tony (2005). Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0 0071 9292 4.

Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914-19 ISBN 0-7537-0916-3

Albatros D.III Oeffag Part 3

2011-09-01T03:46:00.002-05:00

More Colorful Albatros Oeffag Profiles

Once again my obsessive nature is showing. I promise to post some other aircraft types on the next go around. I have started preparations for several new Austrian aircraft types. I hope to have some masters finished this week and get stuck in doing lots of hexagonal paint schemes soon.

Albatros D-III Oeffag Series 153 Flik 41J Hpt. Godwin Brumowki sn153.10 - 1917

The dark wood finish and green camouflage of this series 153 sets off the large pilot insignia which painted over the serial number. The small printed under the Oeffag logo is Alb.III-Oeffag-153 bd the serial number is duplicated below the aircraft type. In this case it reads 153.10. The upper wing surfaces are done in the same green camouflage pattern.

Albatros D-III (Oeffag) Series 153 Feldwebel Eugen Boentsch sn-153.40 - 1917

The paint scheme on this series 153 is very distinctive. The streaked finish and the wishbone arrow flash was fun to do. The engine cover gives the aircraft a pleasing streamlined appearance.

Albatros D-III Oeffag Series 253 Zgsf. Rudolf Nemetz Flik 63J sn-253.32 - 1918

This colorful example of a late war series 253 from Flik 63J served in 1918. The placement of the Maltese cross on the rudder was very unusual. The wheel cover scheme was used on several aircraft.

Albatros Oeffag D.III part 2

2011-08-30T01:56:00.000-05:00

Oeffag D.III Gallery 2

Today I am back with more examples of the Albatros Oeffag D.III. My examples yesterday dealt with only one configuration of this excellent fighter. I wanted to give you a sample of the three main types which were produced between 1917 and 1918. As time allows I will be giving you a peak at the collection I am building. I have enough reference material for for perhaps 50 profiles. Between my other Albatros and Pfalz types I can see me hitting the 1000 profile mark before Halloween.

Oeffag D.III Series 53 Pilot and Unit Unknown serial number 53.27 - 1917

This is an Oeffag D.III Series 53 powered by an Austro-Daimler, 185 hp (138 kW) 6 cylinder liquid cooled inline engine. The upper wing surfaces are covered in the same camouflage as on the upper fuselage and tail section. The lower wing is varnished cloth. Superficially it is very similar to early series 153, the main difference is in the power plants.

Oeffag D.III Series 153 Flik 41J Stfw Kaszala and Hauptman Brumowski serial number 153.12 - 1917

This is an Oeffag D.III Series 153 powered by an Austro-Daimler, 200 hp (149 kW) 6 cylinder liquid cooled inline engine. The aircraft served in Flik 41J and was flown by Stfw Kaszala and Hauptman Brumowski. The paint scheme is very similar to the previous example except for the color and the nose section is a solid color. Note there is no engine cover being used at that time.

Oeffag D.III Series 253 Pilot and Unit Unknown serial number 253.64 - 1917

This is an Oeffag D.III Series 253 powered by an Austro-Daimler, 225 hp (168 kW) 6 cylinder liquid cooled inline engine. The rounded nose section is bare metal and the top surfaces tailplane and rudder are covered in a camouflage pattern only seen in Austrian and Polish aircraft. It consisted in two different spiral elements. Common opinion is that the pattern was printed on fabric since painting such an elaborate scheme would be so labor intensive and time consuming that if hand painted it would be impractical. The Maltese Cross would place it after May of 1918. The two tone wheel cover adds some flash to the scheme. Also of note is the large number instead of a pilot identification design. Once again this aircraft is in shown in its warm weather configuration as there is no engine cover present.

Austria - 1917 Albatros D-III Oeffag

2011-08-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Unforeseen Complications

Due to a series of events I have not posted or followed my blog list for a few days. Between some medical issues and new lines of research I have not been able to participate in the daily routine.

One of the new lines I have been researching is a deeper look at Austrian aircraft, and Oeffag's version of the Albatros D.III in particular. It has turned into an embarrassment of wealth on the subject. I have been setting up a series of master drawings, but there are a lot of major variations to nail down. Eventually I will have things running smoothly again. My post today is a taste of things to come.

A Taste of the Other Flavor of Albatros Goodness

The Austro-Hungarian version of the Albatros D-III was produced under license by the firm Oeffag. It had several minor external differences identifying it from the German made fighters. In the autumn of 1916, Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik AG (Oeffag) obtained a license to build the D.III at Wiener-Neustadt. Deliveries commenced in May 1917.

The Oeffag aircraft were built in three main versions (series 53, 153, 253) using the 185, 200, or 225 hp (138, 149, or 168 kW) Austro-Daimler engines respectively. The Austro-Daimlers provided improved performance over the Mercedes D.IIIa engine. For cold weather operations, Oeffag aircraft featured a winter cowling which fully enclosed the cylinder heads.

Austrian pilots often removed the propeller spinner from early production aircraft, since it was prone to falling off in flight. Beginning with aircraft 112 of the series 153 production run, Oeffag introduced a new rounded nose that eliminated the spinner. Remarkably, German wind-tunnel tests showed that the simple rounded nose improved propeller efficiency and raised the top speed by 14 km/h (9 mph).

All Oeffag variants were armed with two .315 in (8 mm) Schwarzlose machine guns. In most aircraft, the guns were buried in the fuselage, where they were inaccessible to the pilot. In service, the Schwarzlose proved to be somewhat less reliable than the 0.312 in (7.92 mm) LMG 08/15, mainly due to problems with the synchronization gear. The Schwarzlose also had a poor rate of fire. At the request of pilots, the guns were relocated to the upper fuselage decking late in the series 253 production run.

Oeffag engineers noted the wing failures of the D.III and modified the lower wing to use thicker ribs and spar flanges. These changes, as well as other detail improvements, largely resolved the structural problems that had plagued German versions of the D.III. In service, the Oeffag aircraft proved to be popular, robust, and effective. Oeffag built approximately 526 D.III aircraft between May 1917 and the Armistice

Albatros D-III Oeffag Ba. 153 Flik 55J Oblt. Georg Kenzian serial number153.27 - 1917

The type 153 from Flik 55 was flown by Oblt. Georg Kenzian and several other pilots. The plane feartures the winter engine cover and lack of a propeller spinner. The color scheme has been in dispute, several other drawings show a red and white pennant design.Consensus now favors the blue design as in this drawing.

Albatros D-III Oeffag Ba. 153 Flik 55J Lt. Jozsef Kiss serial number 153.47 - 1917

This is another type 153 from Flik 55J The pilot was the Austrian ace Lt. Jozsef Kiss. As with the previous example it is in winter gear. The small black and white triangle near the nose is the logo for Oeffag.

References

From Wikipedia Albatros D.III, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.III"
Grosz, Peter M., George Haddow and Peter Schiemer. "Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War I". Boulder, CO: Flying Machines Press, 2002. ISBN 1-89126-805-8.

Russia - 1916 Mosca MB 2bis

2011-08-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

Russia's Folding Fighter

Mosca MB 2bis - 1916

The Mosca MB 2bis is a smaller version of MB. It was fitted with a more powerful engine, and armed with single machine gun. One feature of the MB bis 2 was a folding wing that functioned in the same way as on its predecessor. The Mosca MB 2bis performed well in combat, despite the fact it was not equipped with synchronizer gear. On some Mosca MB-bis the gun was installed to fire above propeller arc.On other variants the propeller blades were protected by bullet-reflectors similar to the ones used on the Morane Saulnier N.

The success of MB-bis helped F.E.Mosca to obtain 50k rubles subsidy. The aircraft was in production for more than two years and 50 planes were built until 1918. A small number of Mosca MB 2bis were built after the Russian Revolution.

Germany 1916 Albatros D.III OAW

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-05:00

It is All in the Details

When looking at Albatros aircraft pictures you may come across what appears to be a mislabeled example. You may think you are looking at a D.V but the caption reads D.III. What you are looking at is an Albatros D.III OAW. The rudder is larger and has the rounded look of the D.V. Look closer at the fuselage and you will notice the blockier form of the D.III and the difference in access doors and louvers. The D.III OAW was a late development of the original type. The changes made for a much better aircraft.

Albatros D.III OAW Jasta 10 - 1916

This OAW has the typical chrome nose which is the hallmark of Jasta 10. The wings and tail plane is standard mauve and green pattern with blue under surfaces.

Albatros D.III OAW Jasta 32b Vzfw Kurt Petzina - 1917

The colors for Jasta 32b are difficult to identify. There is a wide variation in the examples available. In some of the examples the rudder is black, some white. The reddish letters are the initials of the pilot Kurt Petzina. The wings and tail plane are five color lozenge patterns dark on the top and lighter on the lower surfaces. The wheel cover in this example is the lower surface type.

Albatros D.III OAW Jasta 50 Vfw. Wittenfeld serial number D.2377/17 - 1917

Unlike the previous example Jasta 50 used a fairly consistent unit color scheme. The red and blue striped tail plane is well documented as a unit identifier. Many examples use an upper surface lozenge camouflage pattern on the rudder. Black and white personal markings were common.

In the spring of 1917, D.III production shifted to Albatros' subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), to permit Albatros to concentrate on development and production of the D.V. Between April and August 1917, Idflieg issued five separate orders for a total of 840 D.IIIs. The OAW variant underwent its Typenprüfung in June 1916. Production commenced at the Schneidemühl factory in June and continued through December 1917. OAW aircraft were distinguishable by their larger, rounded rudders.

Germany - 1916 Friedrichshafen FF.43

2011-08-21T20:04:00.001-05:00

Friedrichshafen FF.43 - 1916

The Friedrichshafen FF.43 was a German single-seat floatplane fighter of the 1910s produced by Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen.

Designed for defence of the floatplane bases, the FF.43 was a biplane powered by a Mercedes D.III inline piston engine driving a tractor propeller. It was armed with two 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 forward-firing machine guns. Only one aircraft was built.

References

Friedrichshafen FF.43. (2010, September 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:47, February 12, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Friedrichshafen_FF.43&oldid=385843959

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.

Borzutzki, Siegfried (1993). Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH: Diplom-Ingenieur Theodor Kober. Berlin: KÖnigswinter.

Germany - 1917 Euler D.II

2011-08-20T00:47:00.001-05:00

Another Rare Bird

One of the great things about researching a subject when you find something new. I had been gathering pieces of information on this rare aircraft for a while. The project has been on the back burner for a very long time. Other aircraft have had my attention, and my collection has grown fat with many examples of a few types. It was time for a refreshing change.

Euler D.II - 1917

The Euler D.II was a German single-seat fighter, the successor to the earlier Euler D.I. The D.II was essentially a re-engined Euler D.I, the air-frame being virtually unchanged and the power plant being a 100 hp (75 kW) Oberusel U I seven cylinder air cooled rotary engine.

Thirty D.II fighters were ordered by the German air force in March 1917, however due to slow production these were not delivered until December 1917. As a result the D.II was relegated to the role of a trainer aircraft for the rest of the war.

References

Euler D.II. (2010, September 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:17, August 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Euler_D.II&oldid=385551219

William Green and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Colour Library Direct, Godalming, UK: 1994. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.

Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1

Germany Jasta 10 Pfalz D.III

2011-08-18T00:29:00.001-05:00

Jasta 10 and the Pfalz D.III

Pfalz Flugzeugwerke was established by the three Everbusch brothers to build French designed aircraft under license for the Bavarian government. Prior to the Great War Pfalz Flugzeugwerke acquired the rights to build to various Morane-Saulnier designs and later designs from Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft G.m.b.H. (Roland). Using the knowledge gained from building aircraft designed by other companies they began to build aircraft from their own designs in late 1916.

Pfalz was introduced to the construction of wooden fuselages building Roland D.IIs under license. This sturdy but heavy construction signature feature on all their subsequent designs. Their first attempt at building an original design resulted in the Pfalz D.III. Many people consider it to be one of the most beautiful aircraft flown during the First World War.

The presence of German states which had been independent before the empire led to competition between the states. Since Pfalz was a Bavarian enterprise most of their production output went to Jasta with a high percentage of Bavarian pilots. This is one of the reasons you see them concentrated in several Jastas. One of the most notable was Jasta 10.

Pfalz D.III Jasta 10 Ltn. Hans Klein - 1917

The distinctive chrome yellow nose sections mark this as an aircraft from Jasta 10 before the spring of 1918. The main fuselage is painted with a varnish containing aluminum powder, giving it a silvery shine. The wing surfaces were all covered in the aluminum varnish with white bordered iron crosses on the upper wing top, and borderless iron crosses on the bottom surface of the lower wing.The wing struts landing gear struts, wheel cover and tail section are painted in chrome yellow. The yellow stripe was used by Ltn. Hans Klein.

Pfalz D.III Jasta10 Vzfw. Adam Barth - 1917

The Pfalz D.III flown by Vzfw. Adam Barth once again has the basic theme for the Jasta combined with his distinctive "Dumbell" design he used on several aircraft. The tail section is different than the first example the aft fuselage and rudder is divided into two yellow stripes.

Pfalz D.III Jasta 10 Pilot and serial number unknown - 1917

Unfortunately we do not know what the serial numbers or pilot were for this pre 1918 Pfalz D.III. This example shows some of the variations used in the basic paint scheme. The nose section has a larger yellow area and the tail section is done so it terminates at an angle. The struts and wheel covers are painted in the aluminum. varnish mix.

WWI Aviation Illustration

Russia - 1915 Sikorsky S-16

One Of The Best Russian Designed Fighters of WWI

Russian Empire

Bolshevik Forces

A Brief History Of The Sikorsky S-16

References

France - 1917 Nieuport 24

The First Round Body Nieuport

Nieuport 24

Nieuport 24bis

A Short History of the Nieuport 24

References

Russia - 1920 Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe

Red Stars and a very Red Nose.

The Mysterious Bolshevik Sopwith Snipes

The Two Faces of Nelly

Germany - 1916-1918 Assorted Aircraft

Some New German Profiles

Germany - 1918 Junkers CL.I

A Life of Controlled Chaos

Junkers's Dream Machine

Overview of the Junkers CL.I

References

Poland 1920-1293 Morane-Saulnier A-1 MoS-30

Polish Advanced Trainers

Poland - 1919 Fokker D.VII Part 1

Three Polish Fokker D.VII

A Short Incomplete History of the 15.Eskadra Myśliwska

References

Poland - 1920 Ground Attack Aircraft

German Ground Attack Airplanes in the Polish Air Force

Poland - 1919 Oeffag D-III BA.253

Project Poland: Take Two

The Kościuszko Squadron

Tadeusz Kościuszko

Oeffag D-III of the Kościuszko Squadron

History of the Kościuszko Squadron

Excerpt From Wikipedia Polish 7th Air Escadrille

References

Poland 1918-1921 Breguet Br.14 A2

Breguet Br.14 A2 of the Polish-Soviet War

The Birth of Polish Air Power

Breguet Br.14 A2 in Polish Service Overview

References

Germany - 1918 Jasta 26 Fokker Dr.I

Fokker Triplanes of Jasta 26 - 1918

References

Belgium - 1917 Nieuport 11

Three Belgian Aces and The "Bébé"

1ere Escadrille Belgian Air Service

2me Escadrille Belgian Air Service

5me Escadrille Belgian Air Service

France - 1916 - 1917 More Nieuport-17

Three French Nieuport-17

Escadrille N3 Les Cigognes

Escadrille N15 Casque de Bayard

Escadrille N31 Les Archer Grec

References

Greece-Turkey 1918-1922 Airco DH.9

Airco D.H.9 of the Second Greco-Turkish War

Royal Hellenic Naval Air Service

Turkish Air Force

References

A Side Note:

Breguet Br.14A2 1919-1922

Breguet Br.14A2 of the Second Greco-Turkish War

Turkey

Greece

Germany - Jasta 6 Fokker D.VII

Three Fokker D.VII Jagdgeschwader Nr.I Jasta 6

History of Jagdstaffel 6

References

Germany - 1916 LFG Roland C.II pt.2

Early C Class Aircraft and Kagohl Units

Three Roland LFG From Kagohl 2/Kasta 8

France - 1917 Salmson 2a

Three French Salmson 2a

Escadrille SAL.1

Escadrille SAL.28

1^ere Escadrille Belgian Air Service

2^me Escadrille Belgian Air Service

5^me Escadrille Belgian Air Service