Russia - 1923 Fokker C.I

Who's Got Fokker Fever? He's Got Fokker Fever!

I have been sitting on references for today's post for a while. Why has it taken so long? It was partly a matter of sloth, and a matter of dropping the ball in the 24/7 world of chaos I call my life.There has always been something calling for my immediate attention. It was time to not accept any more excuses and get it done.

Meet The Fokker D.VII's Big Brother.

The Fokker C.I was a two seat German reconnaissance aircraft based on the formidable Fokker D.VII. The C.I entered production soon after the flight test in the final days of World War I. None entered service and the finished examples and parts were smuggled into the Netherlands when Anthony Fokker fled a sinking ship of state. After setting p production in the Netherlands Fokker produced over 250 C.I for use by the Dutch, Danes, and Soviets.

The C.I was 1 inch (.03m) longer and 2 inches (.07m) taller than the D.VII. It had a wingspan 4 foot 6 inches (1.57m) longer. It weighed in at 345 pounds (157kg) heavier empty and 890 lb (405kg) more when fully loaded. The total load weight for the C.I was 882 pounds (400kg). The Speed and service ceiling were the main differences. The C.I was slightly slower but the service ceiling was much lower.

The Fokker C.I in Soviet Service

Fokker C.I, Unit and Crew Unknown, s/n H 08, 1923

I have found several examples of C.I bearing the "H" (Cyrilic character for "N") on the fuselage and exact same paint scheme. All the examples have uncovered wire wheels and fuel tanks.

Fokker C.I, A. T. Kozhevnikov, s/n unknown, 1923

This profile is based on a coupe photos I saw. It has the Sphinx insignia of the squadron leader of № 1 OIAE, A.T.Kozhevnikov. The colors are conjectural. I used the same scheme as his Fokker D.VII.

Fokker C.I, Unit and Crew Unknown, Winter 1923

This example is painted in winter colors and is fitted with pontoon like skis. The lack of a wheel allows viewing of an ael mounted secondary fuel tank. Also notable is the change to the observer cockpit which is outfitted with ring mount for the trainable gun.The box below the observer's position carry grenades. The C.I could carry up to 110 lb (50 kg) of disposable stores.

A Short Overview of the Fokker C.I

The Fokker C.I was a German reconnaissance biplane under development at the end of World War I. The design was essentially an enlarged Fokker D.VII fighter with two seats and a 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa engine. The C.I was originally developed to sell to the German Army. It never saw service in World War I, but Anthony Fokker managed to smuggle parts out of Germany at the time of the Armistice.

The prototype, V.38, was tested at Schwerin, and put into immediate production. After the armistice, production continued in the Netherlands.

The C.I went into Dutch service after 16 were ordered in February 1919. The USSR bought 42 C.Is. The C.Is served in the reconnaissance and trainer roles. The last C.I left service in 1936.

Variants

• V 38: Prototype.
• C.I: Two-seat reconnaissance aircraft, powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa piston engine.
• C.Ia: Improved version.
• C.IW: Experimental float plane version.
• C.II: Three-seat passenger transport version, powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa piston engine.
• C.III: Two-seat advanced trainer version of the C.I, powered by a 220 hp (164 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine.

References

1. Fokker C.I. (2011, December 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:28, March 7, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fokker_C.I&oldid=467155072
2. Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Prospero Books. pp. pg 427. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
3. Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 402.
4. World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 894 sheet 33.

Russia - 1915 Sikorsky S-16

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

1. From Wikipedia Sikorsky S-16, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-16"
2. Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Complete Book of Fighters". Colour Library Direct, Godalming, UK: 1994. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.

Russia - 1915 Morane-Saulnier Type N

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.

Russia - 1916 Mosca MB 2bis

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.

Russia - 1913 Grigorovich M-1

From Humble Beginnings

Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich was a Russian pioneer in flying boat design. His designs were used sucessfully during World War One and both sides during the Russian Civil War. His designs served into the 1920's.

Grigorovich M-1 - 1913

The Grigorovich M-1 was a single-engine flying boat, designed by Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich and manufactured in Russia in 1913.

After repairing a crashed Donnet-Lévêque flying boat, D.P.Grigorovich built his first original flying boat . It differed from the prototype by shorter fuselage of modified shape and wing airfoil similar to one used on Farman-16.

The Grigorovich M-1 is a copy of the French Donnet-Lévêque. The two-seater aircraft was configured so the pilots sat side by side. The M-1 was powered by a Gnome engine and a wooden pusher propeller. There were pontoons mounted at the end of the lower wing to stabilize the aircraft in the water. The M-1 could take off and land in the water. There were lashing points on the fuselage for a dolly allowing land based take-offs..

General performance was satisfactory, but it was obvious that the design needed improvement.

References

1. From Wikipedia Grigorovich M-1, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigorovich_M-1"
2. Gunston, Bill. "The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875-1995". London:Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1 85532 405 9.
3. Shavrov, V.B. "History of aircraft construction in the USSR (Istoriya Konstruktsij Samoletov v SSSR.)" Vol 1-2. Moskva, Mashinostroenie, 1994. ISBN 5-217-02528-X

Russia - 1916 Saveljev Quadruplane

Russian Experimental Quadruplane

Saveljev Quadruplane -1916

This profile started with a description and a photograph. I worked off a line drawing for a Morane Saulnier type G to get the fuselage proportions and used the photo to establish the wing and struts and the landing gear. I was not completely happy with the first draft, but the next version was good enough for the moment until my skills grew and I got time to get back to it. Which will be soon I hope.

In 1916 V.F.Saveljev and Vladislav Zalevskij built this experimental 2-seat reconnaisence aircraft. It used fuselage from the “Morane-G” and single strut Quadruplane wing box tilted forward. The Quadruplane was powered by an 80hp engine when it was flown on April 15, 1916. According to the test pilot Ungmejster, “The aircraft is very responsive and may compete with the 165hp Albatros, But it needs a 100hp Monosaupape engine.” Later this engine was fitted with minor modifications, and aircraft performed numerous flights.

Assorted Flying Boats

Wings Over the Water

Naval aviation required unique solutions to the problem of launching and landing. Carrier launched aircraft were in their infancy. Most of the ships used to deploy aircraft were tenders which winched float planes and flying boats into and out of the water. Flying boats allowed aircraft to operate away from the tender and move on the water as if it was a boat.

Flying boats were some of the largest aircraft of the first half of the 20th century, dwarfed in size only by bombers developed during World War II. Their advantage lay in using water for take-offs and landings instead of expensive land-based runways. Several examples of flying boats could be transported and launched by the usage of specially designed separate wheeled carriages.

American Flying Boat - 1918

Curtiss NC - 1918

The Curtiss NC (Navy Curtiss, nicknamed "Nancy boat" or "Nancy") was a flying boat built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and used by the United States Navy from 1918 through the early 1920s. Ten of these aircraft were built, the most famous of which is the NC-4, the first airplane to make a transatlantic flight. The NC-4 is preserved in the National Museum of Naval Aviation, at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

Austrian Flying Boat - 1918

Hansa-Brandenburg CC - 1915

The first Brandenburg flying-boat was the 3-seat flying boat developed by Ernst Heinkel from a Lohner design and built in small numbers for the German and Austro-Hungarian Navies in 1915. In 1916 Heinkel produced an original design for a single-seat wooden-hulled fighter flying-boat, which he named CC after Camillo Castiglioni, financial controller of the Brandenburg company. The CC was characterized by 'starstrut' interplane bracing like that used for the D.II.

British Flying Boat - 1918

Felixstowe F.5 - 1918

The Felixstowe F.5 was a British First World War flying boat designed by Lieutenant Commander John Cyril Porte RN of the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe.

The Felixstowe F5 was intended to combine the good qualities of the F2 and F3, with the prototype first flying in May 1918. The prototype showed superior qualities to its predecessors but the production version was modified to make extensive use of components from the F.3, in order to ease production, giving lower performance than either the F.2a or F.3.

German Flying Boat - 1918

Hansa-Brandenburg W.20 - 1918

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.20 was a German submarine-launched reconnaissance flying boat of the World War I era, Ernst Heinkel designed and Hansa-Brandenburg began construction sometime late 1917, early 1918.Only three W.20s were built.

Due to the need to be stored in a water tight container which could be mounted on the deck of a submarine the W.20 was a small single-seat biplane flying boat that was designed to be assembled and dismantled quickly. It had a slender hull on which was mounted a biplane wing and a conventional braced tailplane.

Italian Flying Boat - 1917

Macchi M.5 - 1917

The Macchi M.5 was an Italian single-seat fighter flying boat designed and built by Macchi-Nieuport at Varese. It was extremely manoeuvrable and agile and matched the land-based aircraft it had to fight.

The production aircraft was designated the M.5 and like the prototypes were powered by a single Isotta-Fraschini V.4B engine in pusher configuration. Deliveries soon commenced in the summer of 1917 to the Aviazone per la Regia Marina (Italian Navy Aviation). Late production aircraft had a more powerful Isotta-Fraschini V.6 engine and redesigned wingtip floats, they were designated M.5 mod. Macchi produced 200 aircraft and another 44 were built by Societa Aeronautica Italiana.

Russian Flying Boat - 1915

Grigorovich M-5 - 1915

Grigorovich M-5 (alternative designation Shch M-5, sometimes also Shchetinin M-5) was a successful Russian World War I-era two-bay unequal-span biplane flying boat with a single step hull, designed by Grigorovich. It was the first mass production flying boat built in Russia.

The aircraft designer Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich completed his first flying boat (the model M-1) in late 1913, and produced a series of prototypes, gradually improving the design, until the M-5 appeared in the spring of 1915, which was to be his first aircraft to enter series production, with at least 100 being produced, primarily to replace foreign built aircraft, including Curtiss Model K and FBA flying boats.

France - 1916 Nieuport 17

A Nimble Answer to the Albatros Threat

French Nieuport 17 1916

Most examples of Charles Nungesser show his silver Ni-17 serial number N1895. There are several of another Nieuport-17 which he had piloted serial number N1490. The plane is depicted in a brown and green camouflage pattern and cone de penetration mounted forward of the prop.

British Nieuport 17 - 1916

The British also flew the Nieuport-17. This example is painted in standard British colors. This plane also sports a red cone de penetration mounted forward of the prop. This was not used on many Nieuports.

Estonian Nieuport 17 - DUK - 1917

The Estonian Air Force used this Russian Nieuport 17 which was built by DUKS.

Many of the French and British aces began their careers flying the Nieuport 17. The highly maneuverable "Superbébé" was a larger, improved version of the Nieuport 11. Like its predecessor, it was initially equipped with a Lewis gun but was upgraded to a synchronized Vickers machine gun. Helping end Germany's domination of the air war, the Nieuport 17 easily out-climbed and outperformed the Fokker E.III. The superior design was so successful that German high command ordered it copied.

Mid War Monoplanes of Entente Powers

More Monoplane of the Great War

My post today focuses on mid late war development in the nations which formed the Entente Powers. As I said in my last post – the development of the monoplane as a military aircraft was one of the important steps in the evolution of aviation technology. During the middle period of the Great War, Britain and France produced the more monoplane designs than any other nation.

I'll write more on monoplane research and Development during the pre-war and early war soon.

French Monoplane Fighters

Morane-Saulnier Type AI - 1917

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)

British Monoplane Fighter

Bristol M1C - 1916

The Bristol M1C was a well designed and effective aircraft that was not given a real chance to show it's true potential. The M1C had a maximum speed approximately 30-50 mph (50-80 km/h) faster than any of the contemporary German Fokker Eindecker monoplanes.

British Experimental Monoplane

Sopwith Swallow - 1918

The Sopwith Swallow single-seat fighter monoplane was basically an F.1 Camel fuselage built by Boulton & Paul, which Harry Hawker mated with a parasol wing. The Swallow was powered by a 110hp (82 kW) Le Rhone 9J air-cooled nine-cylinder rotary engine and carried the standard armament of twin 0.303 in (7.7 mm) fixed forward-firing, synchronized Vickers machine guns.

Russian Fighter Monoplane

Torpedo, Olkhovskij - 1917

The Torpedo was a two-seat fighter with a wooden monocoque fuselage. It was the first such aircraft built in Russia. The aircraft had very clean lines, it's engine was completely covered with a cowling and the propeller was fitted with a large spinner. The design proved to be unsuccessful because the split wing resulted in increased drag and a loss of lift. One plane was built at the Anatra factory in February 1917, and was flown on March 6-20 in Odessa. The aircraft flew well, but it was underpowered. This aircraft was used later as a trainer.

Russia - 1916 Anadwa VKh

Having Another Go at an Odd Duck

Anadwa VKh - 1916

Sometimes you look at an old profile and you know it just will not do. This was the case when I decided to redraw one of my early profiles of an old rare aircraft. Unfortunately I only had a couple photographs of marginal quality and a line drawing that left much to be desired. Documentation of this plane is minimal and difficult to find. The new profile is a best guess until I can find more solid information.

The construction of the Anadwa VKh used two Anatra D fuselages, joined by a new wing that was still using elements of the Anatra wing. The left fuselage was occupied by the pilot, and the right by an observer. The aircraft's gunner was located in a nacelle attached to the center of the upper wing providing an excellent defense capability. Early models were powered by a pair of 100hp Gnome-Monosoupape engines. Test flights started on July 9, 1916. The tests results were very favorable, but aircraft did not go into production. The reason for this might have been due to its weird design.

Russia - 1916 Grigorovich M-9

Flying Russian Amphibians

Grigorovich M-9 - 1916

I have a soft spot for flying boats. Even the when the design seemed a bit outlandish they still possess a fluid graceful shape that is pleasing. Russian boats are well documented and many photos, blueprints and colored drawings exist. It makes my life easier when here is such a wealth of source material to draw from.

The Grigorovich M-9 (alternative designation ShCh M-9, sometimes also Shchetinin M-9) was a Russian World War I-era biplane flying boat, developed from the M-5 by Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich.

M-9 was a very successful flying boat, similar to the M-5. It was reliable, was operational on waves over half a meter high, and had above average handling characteristics. The M-9 could be craned to and from the water and ship. The M-9 was also capable of landing on snow without special skis.

References

1. Russian Aviation:Grigorovich/ S.S.Schetinin M-9 "http://ram-home.com/ram-old/m-9.html"
2. Rusjet http://www.rusjet.ru
3. "http://airwar.ru/enc/other1/m9.html (Russian Text)"
4. Virtual Aircraft Museum "http://www.aviastar.org/air/russia/a_grigorovich.php"
5. War is Over: Russian aviation in WW1: Flying boats "http://www.wio.ru/ww1a/fboat.htm"
6. From Wikipedia Grigorovich M-9, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigorovich_M-9"
7. Heinonen, Timo:Thulinista Hornetiin - Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseon julkaisuja 3, Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo, (Finnish) 1992, ISBN 951-95688-2-4
8. Tucker, Spencer (Editor) "World War I: encyclopedia". M - R, Volume 3 ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 1851094202, 9781851094202
9. Shavrov, V.B. "History of aircraft construction in the USSR (Istoriya Konstruktsij Samoletov v SSSR.)" Vol 1-2. Moskva, Mashinostroenie, 1994. ISBN 5-217-02528-X