WWI Aero pictures

[daveT]

WWI pictures related to airplanes, aircraft weapons, pilots etc anything WWI aero related.
Greek airmen stand with a Voisin plane, armed with a cannon Photo Hulton Archive

 

[daveT]

Royal Flying Corps personnel are given a lesson in rigging, 1917

at Vert Galand France, armourers issuing Lewis guns to observers and pilots of 22 Squadron RAF

riggers workshop

Lewis Gun mounted on a Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2d aircraft

Aircraft Repair Depot at Rand-du-Fliers, 12 July 1918.

 

[Barrett]

Thanks for posting these, mostly new to me. (That's semi-remarkable because I've been on Theaerodrome.com forum since the late 80s.) Occasionally I send FE2b pix to my naval flight officer friends, mostly F-4 and F-14 RIOs. The notation: in WW I it stood for Ride In the Open.

Probably more bunk & hokum has been written about Great War aviation than any other era, partly because the trend began with pulp magazines in the 30s with articles written by GW survivors like Archie whitehouse, who modestly claimed to have invented the dogfight one day when he and his pilot had nothing better to do. He always dissed The Baron for "picking on two-seaters" when of course the fighter's job description was Picking On Two-Seaters.

We still see references to "canvas falcons" when of course canvas was too heavy for GW airframes/engines. Cotton/linen were almost universally used.

One of the WW I pilots I got to know when working with the aces assn was a crusty old balloon shooter who was asked about the Chivalry of the Air. He said, "Son, if you ever found yourself in a fair fight, it meant you'd fouled up." But he didn't say Fouled....

I've flown 5-600 hrs in open cockpits, and folks, it ain't glamorous most of the year, wherever you take off & land. Hotter in summer and WAY colder in winter. Those 1920-30s airmail pilots were hardy souls.

Just FWIW.

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[vikingBerserker]

I love the heavy German bombers of this period, great pics.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Glider]

what on earth is that five engine monster

 

[Milosh]

zeppelin-staaken-

 

[Milosh]

what on earth is that five engine monster

According to Wiki,
Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV
The R.XIV closely resembled previous Zeppelin-Staaken Riesenflugzeug differing only in engine installation and details. The five Maybach MbIV engines were arranged as push-pull pairs in the nacelles, with the engineer accommodated between the engines, and a single tractor engine in the nose.
Three R.XIVs were built, serialled R 43/16 to R 45/16, of which R 43/16 was shot down by Capt. Archibald Buchanan Yuille of No. 151 Squadron RAF.[1]

Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV
The R.XV also carried on the five engine layout of the R.XIV but introduced a large central fin in the tail unit. Three R.XVs were built, serialled R 46/16 to R 48/16 but there is no evidence that they carried out operational flights

 

[Graeme]

 

[Glider]

According to Wiki,
Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV
The R.XIV closely resembled previous Zeppelin-Staaken Riesenflugzeug differing only in engine installation and details. The five Maybach MbIV engines were arranged as push-pull pairs in the nacelles, with the engineer accommodated between the engines, and a single tractor engine in the nose.
Three R.XIVs were built, serialled R 43/16 to R 45/16, of which R 43/16 was shot down by Capt. Archibald Buchanan Yuille of No. 151 Squadron RAF.[1]

Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV
The R.XV also carried on the five engine layout of the R.XIV but introduced a large central fin in the tail unit. Three R.XVs were built, serialled R 46/16 to R 48/16 but there is no evidence that they carried out operational flights

Many thanks

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[Wurger]

 

[flypaper2222]

 

[Wurger]

 

[vikingBerserker]

#12 - Isn't that a model diorama? Still very cool