USA - 1917 Lewis Vought VE-7

Hello and welcome to all the new followers and a heartfelt thanks to Paul and Fran for their all their support. Some have spoken loud and clear for some top views, so I am experimenting with some format changes.

The United States' Aviation Industry Grows

Lewis Vought VE-7 - 1917

 

Lewis Vought VE-7 Upper and Lower Wing Paint Scheme

The Vought VE-7 Bluebird was an early biplane of the United States. first flying in 1917, it was designed as a 2-seat trainer for the United States Army, then adopted by the United States Navy as its very first fighter aircraft. In 1922, a VE-7 became the first plane to take off from an American aircraft carrier.

The Lewis & Vought Corporation was formed just months after the US entered World War I, with the intention of servicing war needs. The company's trainer was patterned after successful European designs; for instance, the engine was a Wright Hispano Suiza of the type used by the French SPAD. In practice, the VE-7's performance was much better than usual for a trainer, and comparable to the best fighters, and the Army ordered 1,000 of an improved design called the VE-8. However, the contract was cancelled due to the end of the war.

However, the Navy was very interested in the VE-7, and received a 1st machine in May 1920. Production orders soon followed, in fact beyond what the fledgling Vought organization could handle, and the Naval Aircraft Factory was pressed into service. In all, 128 VE-7s were built.

The fighter version of the VE-7 was designated VE-7S. It was a single-seater, the front cockpit being faired over and a Vickers .30 cal. machine gun mounted over it, on the left side and synchronized to fire through the propeller. Some planes, designated VE-7SF, had flotation gear consisting of inflatable bags stowed away, available to help keep the plane afloat when ditching at sea.

The Bluebird won the 1918 Army competition for advanced training machines.

The VE-8 variant completed in July 1919, had a 340hp Wright-Hispano H engine, reduced overall dimensions, increased wing area, a shorter faired cabane, and 2 Vickers guns. 2 were completed. Flight test results were disappointing, the aircraft was overweight, with heavy controls, inadequate stability and sluggish performance.

The VE-9 variant, 1st delivered to the Navy on 24 June 1922, was essentially an improved VE-7, with most of the improvements in the fuel system area. 4 of the 21 ordered by the U.S. Navy were unarmed observation float seaplanes for battleship catapult use.

The VE-7s equipped the Navy's 1st 2 fighter squadrons VF-1 and VF-2. A VE-7 flown by Lieutenant Virgil C. Griffin made history on 17 October 1922 when it took off from the deck of the newly-commissioned Langley. The VE-7s were the Navy's front line fighters for several years, with 3 still assigned to the Langley in 1927; all were retired the following year.

References

1. Vought VE-7. (2010, December 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:09, January 16, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vought_VE-7&oldid=403979659
2. Vought VE-7 The-Blueprints.com Retrieved from http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/ww1planes/ww1-usa/36133/view/lewis_amp%3B_vought_ve-7_%28usa%29_%281918%29/
3. Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Naval Fighters. (Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, ISBN 0-8168-9254-7)
4. Taylor, Michael John Haddrick "Janes Fighting Aircraft of World War I Random House Group Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, 2001. ISBN 1-85170-347-0.
5. Green, William & Swanborough, Gordon (Editors). The Complete Book of Fighters. Barnes & Noble Books New York, 1998, ISBN 0760709041.

Germany - 1917 Albatros D.V

Five Albatros D.Va In a Day

Albatros D.Va - 1917

I have been updating my master aircraft files. It means creating new shaded monochrome profiles with elements isolated on layers which can be turned into finished work with minimal time and effort. Today I tackled a new master for the Albatros D.V and D.Va. Once I was finished with the master I began working up a series of new color profiles I was surprised that I ws able to turn out 5 different color profiles in an afternoon. I thought I would share them here today.

Albatros D.V - 1917

The Albatros D.V was a fighter aircraft used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family, and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service. Despite its well-known structural shortcomings and general obsolescence, approximately 900 D.V and 1,612 D.Va aircraft were built before production halted in early 1918. The D.Va continued in operational service until the end of the war.

In April 1917, Albatros received an order from the Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen) for an improved version of the D.III. The prototype flew later that month.

The resulting D.V closely resembled the D.III and used the same 127 kW (170 hp) Mercedes D.IIIa engine. The most notable difference was a new fuselage which was 32 kg (70 lb) lighter than that of the D.III. The elliptical cross-section required an additional longeron on each side of the fuselage. The prototype D.V retained the standard rudder of the Johannisthal-built D.III, but production examples used the enlarged rudder featured on D.IIIs built by Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW). The D.V also featured a larger spinner and ventral fin.

Albatros D.V - 1917

The upper wing of the D.V was repositioned 4.75 inches closer to the fuselage, while the lower wings attached to the fuselage without a fairing. The wings themselves were almost identical to those of the standard D.III, except for a revised linkage of the aileron cables. For this reason, Idflieg conducted structural tests on the fuselage but not the wings of the new aircraft.

Early examples of the D.V featured a large headrest, which was usually removed in service because it interfered with the pilot's field of view. The headrest was eventually deleted from production. Aircraft deployed in Palestine used two wing radiators to cope with the warmer climate.

Idflieg issued production contracts for 200 D.V aircraft in April 1917, followed by additional orders of 400 in May and 300 in July. Initial production of the D.V was exclusively undertaken by the Johannisthal factory, while the Schneidemühl factory produced the D.III through the remainder of 1917.

Albatros D.Va - 1917

The D.V entered service in May 1917 and, like the D.III before it, immediately began experiencing structural failures of the lower wing. Indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests that the D.V was even more prone to wing failures than the D.III. The outboard sections of the upper wing also suffered failures, requiring additional wire bracing. Furthermore, the D.V offered very little improvement in performance. This caused considerable dismay among frontline pilots, many of whom preferred the older D.III. Manfred von Richthofen was particularly critical of the new aircraft. In a July 1917 letter, he described the D.V as "so obsolete and so ridiculously inferior to the English that one can't do anything with this aircraft." British tests of a captured D.V revealed that the aircraft was slow to maneuver, heavy on the controls, and tiring to fly.

Albatros responded with the D.Va, which featured stronger wing spars, heavier wing ribs, and a reinforced fuselage. The D.Va also reverted to the D.III's aileron cable linkage to provide a more positive control response. The wings of the D.III and D.Va were in fact interchangeable. The D.Va was also fitted with a small brace connecting the interplane struts to the leading edge of the lower wing. These modifications made the D.Va 23 kg (50 lb) heavier than the D.III, while failing to entirely cure the structural problems of the type. Use of the high-compression 130 kW (180 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü engine offset the increased weight of the D.Va.

Albatros D.Va - 1917

Idflieg placed orders for 262 D.Va aircraft in August 1917, followed by additional orders for 250 in September and 550 in October. Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke, which had been engaged in production of the D.III, received orders for 600 D.Va aircraft in October.

Deliveries of the D.Va commenced in October 1917. The structural problems of the Fokker Dr.I and the mediocre performance of the Pfalz D.III left the Luftstreitkräfte with no viable alternative to the D.Va until the Fokker D.VII entered service in the summer of 1918. Production ceased in April 1918. As of May 1918, 131 D.V and 928 D.Va aircraft were in service on the Western Front. Numbers declined as production ended, but the D.Va remained in use until the Armistice (11 November 1918).

References

1. From Wikipedia Albatros D.V, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.V"
2. Bennett, Leon. "Gunning for the Red Baron". College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X.
3. Connors, John F. "Albatros Fighters in Action" (Aircraft No. 46). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc. 1981. ISBN 0-89747-115-6.
4. Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Complete Book of Fighters". London: Salamander Books, 1994. ISBN 0-83173-939-8.
5. Grosz, Peter M. "Albatros D.III (Windsock Datafile Special)". Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 2003. ISBN 1-90220-762-9.
6. Mikesh, Robert C. "Albatros D.Va. : German Fighter of World War I". Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980. ISBN 0-87474-633-7
7. Van Wyngarden, Greg. "Albatros Aces of World War I Part 2" (Aircraft of the Aces No. 77). Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84603-179-6.

Britian - 1917 Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin

An Undeservedly Unpopular Fighter

Some aircraft are popular and good flyers. Some are good aircraft but served well despite the lack of trust of pilots. The Dolphin proved it's self in combat in spite of the distrust of many of the unusual wing design. Personally, I have always liked the look of the plane. I have done a few profiles of thi aircraft and plan on doing more in the future. Here are a couple examples of this misunderstood and largely unappreciated British fighter.

Sopwith Dolphin - 1917

The Dolphin was an unorthodox design with a reverse stagger to it's upper wing that was not received well in spite of it's performance in the field. Many pilots did not trust the design. With 20 victories, American Frederick Gillet scored more victories with the Sopwith Dolphin than any other ace

The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on the Western Front in early 1918 and proved to be a formidable fighter. The aircraft was not retained in the postwar inventory, however, and was retired shortly after the war.

Sopwith Dolphin - 1917

In early 1917, Sopwith's chief engineer Herbert Smith began designing a new fighter (internal Sopwith designation 5F.1) powered by the 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8B. The resulting Dolphin was a two-bay, single-seat biplane. The upper wings were attached to an open steel cabane frame above the cockpit. To maintain the correct center of gravity, the lower wings were positioned 13 inches forward of the upper wings, creating the Dolphin’s distinctive negative wing stagger. The pilot sat with his head raised through the frame, where he had an excellent field of view. This configuration sometimes caused difficulty for novice pilots, who found it difficult to keep the aircraft pointed at the horizon because the nose was not visible from the cockpit. The cockpit was nevertheless warm and comfortable, in part because the radiator pipes ran alongside the cockpit walls.

References

1. From Wikipedia Sopwith Snipe, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Snipe"
2. Franks, Norman. "Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)". London: Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-317-9.

Britain - 1917 RAF SE.5a

Britain's Other Great Fighter of 1917

Time for a change of pace today's topic is one of the best fighters used by Great Britain. It may have been a bit boxy but it was a forgiving aircraft that had a good service record.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

Shortly after the development of the Scout Experimental 5, the improved S.E.5a was introduced. When it entered the war in 1917, it was superior to all its German opponents. Many pilots preferred it to the Sopwith Camel. It was easier to fly, it performed better at high altitude and its in-line engine produced less noise. It was also faster than the Sopwith Camel, allowing a pilot to break off combat at will. Disdained by Albert Ball, in the hands of airmen like William Bishop and Edward Mannock, the S.E.5a developed a reputation as a formidable fighter. With 54 victories, South African Anthony Beauchamp Proctor downed more enemy aircraft with this plane than any other ace.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine meant that there was a chronic shortage of S.E.5s until well into 1918 and fewer squadrons were equipped with the type than with the Sopwith fighter. Together with the Camel, the S.E.5 was instrumental in regaining allied air superiority in mid-1917 and maintaining this for the rest of the war, ensuring there was no repetition of "Bloody April" 1917 when losses in the Royal Flying Corps were much heavier than in the Luftstreitkräfte.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

The S.E.5 (Scout Experimental 5) was designed by Henry P. Folland, J. Kenworthy and Major Frank W. Goodden of the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough. It was built around the new 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8a V8 engine which while it provided excellent performance, was initially under-developed and unreliable. The first of three prototypes flew on 22 November 1916. The first two prototypes were lost in crashes (the first killing one of its designers, Major F. W. Goodden on 28 January 1917) due to a weakness in their wing design. The third prototype underwent modification before production commenced; the S.E.5 was known in service as an exceptionally strong aircraft which could be dived at very high speed so these changes were certainly effective.

Like the other significant Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft of the war (B.E.2, F.E.2 and R.E.8) the S.E.5 was inherently stable, making it an excellent gunnery platform but it was also quite manoeverable. It was one of the fastest aircraft of the war at 138 mph (222 km/h), equal at least in speed to the SPAD S.XIII and faster than any standard German type of the period. The S.E.5 was not as effective in a dog fight as the Camel as it was less agile but it was easier and safer to fly, particularly for novice pilots.

The S.E.5 had one synchronized .303-in Vickers machine gun to the Camel's two. It also had a wing-mounted Lewis gun on a Foster mounting, which enabled the pilot to fire at an enemy aircraft from below as well as forward. This was much appreciated by the pilots of the first S.E.5 squadrons as the new "C.C." synchronizing gear for the Vickers was unreliable at first. The Vickers gun was mounted on the left side of the fuselage with the breech inside the cockpit. The cockpit was set amidships, making it difficult to see over the long front fuselage, but otherwise visibility was good. Perhaps its greatest advantage over the Camel was its superior performance at altitude - so that (unlike most Allied fighters) it was not outclassed by the Fokker D.VII when that fighter arrived at the front.

References

1. From Wikipedia Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5"
2. Bruce, J.M. "The S.E.5: Historic Military Aircraft No. 5". Flight, 17 July 1953. pp. 85–89, 93.
3. Bruce, J.M. "The S.E.5A". Aircraft in Profile", Volume 1/Part1. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965 (Revised 4th edition 1975). ISBN 0-85383-410-5.
4. Franks, Norman L.R. "SE 5/5a Aces of World War 1". Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publications, 2007. ISBN 1-846031-80-X.
5. Kopan'ski, Tomasz Jan. "Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918-1930" (British Aircraft in the Polish Air Force 1918-1930)(in Polish). Warsaw: Bellona, 2001. ISBN 83-11-09315-6.
6. Sturtivant, Ray ISO and Gordon Page. "The SE5 File". Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1996. ISBN 0-85130-246-7.

Germany - 1917 J Class Aircraft

German Armored Ground Attack Craft Revisited Part 2

Germany lead the way in development of armored ground attack aircraft. My last post covered the Albatros J.I. Today I decided to some of the other J class aircraft flown by Germany during World War One.

Albatros Ground Attack Planes

Albatros J.I - 1917

Albatros J.II - 1917

The Albatros J.II was a German single-engine, single-seat, biplane ground-attack aircraft of World War I.

The J.2 armored reconnaissance biplane was an improvement on the J.1 with the armor plate extending to the nose to protect the more powerful 220 hp Benz IVa engine. The J.II dispensed with the propeller spinner of the earlier aircraft. Per A. Imrie, twenty machines were at the front in August 1918. The plane originally had two downward firing machine guns exiting through the fuselage floor between the undercarriage legs. This arrangement was abandoned since low altitude operations made sighting very difficult.

Junkers Ground Attack Planes

Junkers J.I - 1917

In late 1916, the demand for a durable observation aircraft capable of performing ground attack missions led to the introduction of the Junkers J.I. Developed in early 1917, it was the world's first all-metal aircraft produced in quantity. Eliminating the need for external bracing wires, the fuselage, wings and tail were constructed of Duralumin while the engine and two-man crew were protected by a nose-capsule of 5-mm chrome-nickel sheet-steel. Although this unique design resulted in a strong and durable aircraft capable of surviving the effects of enemy ground fire, the Junkers J.I was heavy, cumbersome and took forever to get off the ground.

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Cleaning Up After the Crash

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