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Post by fyl on Nov 4, 2011 8:08:22 GMT 12
Brief Spiel from the local weekly rag...nice to see it was on the front page too!!  German WWI secret weapon takes to the air. A German secret weapon has been going through acceptance tests at Masterton's Hood aerodrome and will be ready for the Vintage Aviator's Remembrance Day WWI Air Show at Hood Aerodrome next Saturday. Dubbed the "Flying Razor", the parasol-winged Fokker monoplane has always been something of a mystery. Reputedly Germany's fastest fighter during the war, few top pilots had a chance to try one, since examples only arrived at the front during the final weeks of 1918. The Fokker D.VIII has met an old enemy, also new to the Vintage Aviator's collection. The Sopwith Snipe was designed to sort some of the tricky flying manners of the renowned Sopwith Camel. The Fokker D.VIII and the Sopwith Snipe are the only flying examples of these planes in the world. These aircraft will make their first public debut at The Vintage Aviator's WWI "Remembrance Day" Air Show at Hood Aerodrome on Saturday, November 12. The air show, commemorating the signing of the Armistice, will be held from 1pm till 6pm. Gates open at noon. Vintage vehicle rides 2pm till 3.30pm; airshow from 3.30pm till 6pm. Entry: adults $20, under-17s $10, family pass (2 adults plus children) $50, under-5s and returned servicepeople free. |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 4, 2011 14:29:35 GMT 12
Lovely aeroplane, looks similar to the 'experimental' one on Blue Max in which the ace is intentionally killed at the end of the film?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 4, 2011 17:28:59 GMT 12
Ah damn you Joe, I haven't sen that movie and now you gave away the ending. Doh
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Post by Brett on Nov 5, 2011 16:28:05 GMT 12
The Avro 504 is unlikely to fly next weekend. It is currently engine-less (don't worry, nothing serious).
Cheers,
Brett
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Post by Poohbah on Nov 5, 2011 16:48:15 GMT 12
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Post by Brett on Nov 5, 2011 16:54:08 GMT 12
And it looks glorious on the ground as well.   Although the D.VIII is all dirty now...  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 5, 2011 17:13:27 GMT 12
Wow, wonderful to see. Well done Paul and the team!
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Nov 5, 2011 19:52:21 GMT 12
Was that venturi tube a feature of the original Snipe, or is that a modern addition?
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Post by Officer Crabtree on Nov 6, 2011 17:38:30 GMT 12
I wish I could be up there, if the DVIII is anything in real life like it is in Rise of Flight it's a real bugger to fly.
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Post by Poohbah on Nov 7, 2011 16:54:27 GMT 12
Yes it was a feature of the original Snipe design.  |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Nov 7, 2011 17:58:26 GMT 12
Interesting, it must surely have been one of the earliest aircraft to have been fitted with one of those.
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Post by Poohbah on Nov 7, 2011 19:09:01 GMT 12
Its for the fuel system rather than to provide a negative pressure for instruments. Here is a diagram of the snipes fuel system from the Rise of Flight forum which is a picture taken at the Shuttleworth collection. Its known as an "exhauster".  |
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Post by John L on Nov 7, 2011 19:23:20 GMT 12
Is the Snipe running a rotary?
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Post by Poohbah on Nov 7, 2011 19:47:55 GMT 12
Yes its an original Bentley BR2 as in the diagram.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Nov 7, 2011 20:16:04 GMT 12
Its for the fuel system rather than to provide a negative pressure for instruments. Here is a diagram of the snipes fuel system from the Rise of Flight forum which is a picture taken at the Shuttleworth collection. Its known as an "exhauster". Is that Rise of Flight forum one where you need to be registered and signed-in to view it? Because I notice the source of that image is the forum in question, yet my browser refuses to download and display the image. Almost like when you need a particular cookie on your hard-drive (as when signed-in) to access the URL in question. |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Nov 9, 2011 18:56:24 GMT 12
Its for the fuel system rather than to provide a negative pressure for instruments. Ah that makes a lot more sense, thanks for the info! |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Nov 10, 2011 11:04:55 GMT 12
Unique WWI fighter to buzz MastertonBy NATHAN CROMBIE - Wairarapa Times-Age | Thursday, 10 November 2011 WAR ACE: The world's only airworthy Sopwith Snipe,
powered by the only operational Bentley Rotary
engine in existence, completes flight tests above
Hood Aerodrome in Masterton ahead of its addition
to the world-class Vintage Aviator Collection and
Remembrance Day Airshow flypast over the
town tomorrow. — Photo: TVAL.THE ROAR of WWI fighter planes flying over Masterton on Armistice Day will include a sound heard nowhere else in the world.
The unique growl will belong to the latest addition to Hood Aerodrome's Vintage Aviator collection, a Bentley BR 2 Rotary engine that powers the only airworthy Sopwith Snipe still flying, said Vintage Aviator spokeswoman Sara Randle.
An operational Bentley BR 2 Rotary was the last rotary engine used by the RAF when the Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was brought into active service in the summer of 1918.
"What's really remarkable about this latest aircraft to the collection is the original BR 2 Bentley Rotary engine. Ours is the only operational Bentley Rotary anywhere and the aircraft is the only airworthy Snipe flying in the world today," Ms Randle said.
When Masterton residents hear the engines and look skyward on Armistice Day tomorrow, it won't be the familiar Tiger Moth overhead.
"The airframe is a reproduction but the Bentley Rotary is original — there haven't been any in operational condition for 50 years and this is truly one-of-a-kind.
"Not to put down the good old Tiger Moth but these aircraft are in a different league — they're much older, rarer and far more valuable — not to mention they are fighters from WWI."
The Snipe was intended to supersede the Sopwith camel and, designed around the 230 h.p. Bentley Rotary B.R.2 engine, was arguably the best fighter scout produced by any nation during WWI.
Standard armament was a pair of forward-firing Vickers machine-guns and four 25lb bombs could be carried on racks under the fuselage. About 200 Snipe aircraft had been built by the time of the Armistice. Fewer than 100 had reached France although the Snipe still established itself as the best Allied fighter.
It was in a Snipe that Canadian Major W.G Barker of No.201 Squadron fought his outstanding single-handed engagement against 15 Fokker D.VIIs.
He was wounded three times but shot down four enemy fighters and his actions earned him the Victoria Cross.
Ms Randle said the WWI fighters that will make a flypast above the Cenotaph in Masterton tomorrow would include the Snipe, three RAF Se5a fighters — reproduction aircraft with original WWI Hispano Suiza engines — and "most importantly if the weather permits, our original BE2f, the only one in the world either static or flying".
"To see an original WWI aeroplane in a static display is impressive enough but to see one flying is an incredible rarity."
The Remembrance Day flypast will be held at 11am tomorrow.
The Snipe will also fly the next day alongside the Fokker DVIII, which will also debut at the Remembrance Day airshow held at Hood Aerodrome on Saturday from 1pm to 6pm.www.times-age.co.nz/news/rare-fighter-creates-buzz/1168598
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Post by kiwitone on Nov 10, 2011 13:25:49 GMT 12
Hey kiwithrottlejockey, going to take a picture tomorrow? I reckon they will be quite low
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Nov 10, 2011 15:51:07 GMT 12
Hey kiwithrottlejockey, going to take a picture tomorrow? I reckon they will be quite low That depends upon whether I get home from work early enough. I start work at 4:30am and with a bit of luck should be out the gate at the end of my shift sometime between 10:45am and 11:00am, but it depends on a whole lot of stuff largely beyond my control. |
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Post by Officer Crabtree on Nov 10, 2011 16:07:56 GMT 12
(low grumbles about not being able to see Sinpe)
Also, Kiwithrottle, I go on the RoF forums as much (if not more than) as these, so it must be something wrong with the link.
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