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Post by ErrolC on Mar 21, 2019 21:05:00 GMT 12
I wouldn't have thought they would actually fly it with the rockets?
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 21, 2019 22:20:24 GMT 12
I wouldn't have thought they would actually fly it with the rockets? Here is a graphic first hand description of a rocket-firing Nieuport in action by a New Zealander, as recounted in my Swift to the Sky: On 26 June 1916, his squadron received orders to attack a line of enemy observation balloons. The machines to be used were three French Nieuport fghters equipped with Le Prieur rockets. Four 1.5-metre-long rocket tubes were attached to each set of outboard wing struts. The rockets themselves, unguided and in appearance like oversized skyrockets, were attached to sticks, which sat in the tubes, and fired off electrically from the cockpit. The squadron had only two pilots qualifed to fly the Nieuport at the time, but Balcombe Brown volunteered to take the third machine on the mission. Starting at dawn, he learned to fly the new machine and practised firing rockets. That same evening he successfully destroyed a hostile balloon. Seven days later he attacked another, suspended at 1300 feet at Grevilliers, only in this instance the Germans had come up with a new tactic and were apparently using a balloon with ballast instead of an observer – as a trap. On his return to the airfeld he wrote the following vivid report, which conveys well the dangers associated with attacking balloons, considered to be a far more dangerous activity than air-to-air combat: I crossed the lines at 10-29 a.m. at 8,000 ft. and began diving on the balloon when at 6,000 ft. When at about 4,000 ft. suddenly about 50
shells burst around the balloon I was aiming for, forming around it a white halo about 200 yds. in diameter. This white cloud was on exactly
the same level as the kite balloon. Then a few seconds later I noticed two streams of balls of fire coming in a continuous stream as though from a hose, one at each end of a wood 300 yds. to the side of the balloon. The fire balls were about five yards distant from each other. One of these streams was some distance away from me, but the other exactly crossed my line of flight down towards the balloon. I carried on the same course for a few more seconds, then seeing that I was going to go straight through the spray, pulled the elevators back [sic] and passed over it. This caused me to lose sight of the balloon & on putting the nose down practically vertical again, I found I was very close to the balloon and slightly to one side of it. I tried to twist round & fired my torpedoes [rockets] which passed just to the side. My height was 1,200 ft. when my engine finally picked up. At first the engine would not pick up as soon as it usually does. After passing the balloon I was in the surrounding halo for about 2 seconds. On emerging from that another spray of fire started at me, and as I turned it followed the machine round in a semi-circle about 40 yards behind the tail. Each spray seemed to last about 15-20 seconds. On the way back to the lines A.A. guns were very active.
On examining the machine I found that all the shiny dope on the wing had apparently disappeared, leaving the fabric soft and flabby,
and about 2 ft. of the fabric beneath the fuselage had torn itself away. Soon after missing the balloon & going through the smoke of the
shells I noticed that the wings were covered with moisture as though it had been raining. Prior to this, the fabric was in perfectly good
condition. One of the torpedoes did not get clear immediately I pressed the switch, and the left hand struts were scorched and also the fabric of the top left hand plane.
While diving on the balloon no attempt was made to haul it down, because it did not swing round at all as they usually do when being wound
in, and no parachute descent was made from the basket of the balloon.Sadly, Major Balcombe Brown’s luck finally ran out on 2 May 1918, when, as CO of No. 56 Squadron, he was shot down and killed near Martinpuich, France. ------------------------------ Dont suppose we'll ever see the event replicated at a future WOW show! Errol |
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Post by Mustang51 on Mar 22, 2019 7:13:22 GMT 12
Folks, Can someone take a pic for me of the "fuselage art"?
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 22, 2019 7:20:47 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2019 9:13:03 GMT 12
Folks, Can someone take a pic for me of the "fuselage art"?  |
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Post by Mustang51 on Mar 22, 2019 9:51:00 GMT 12
Is that original to the aircraft being represented? One of my great areas of interest is "Noseart" or wherever it appears on the aircraft.
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 22, 2019 10:04:38 GMT 12
Is that original to the aircraft being represented? One of my great areas of interest is "Noseart" or wherever it appears on the aircraft. See the placard in my Flickr Album (a bit wonky as the sign was rather convex). Actual examples from two different aircraft I think. |
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 22, 2019 16:53:30 GMT 12
So the rockets on the Nieport where used air to air or air to ground, the way they are pointing looks like air to air?
Almost looks like they could be fired and kept attached JATO style to increase rate of climb!?
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Post by Bruce on Mar 22, 2019 18:38:24 GMT 12
So the rockets on the Nieport where used air to air or air to ground, the way they are pointing looks like air to air? Almost looks like they could be fired and kept attached JATO style to increase rate of climb!? Air to Air -Le Prieur rockets were for attacking airships and observation balloons. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Prieur_rocket |
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Post by Brett on Mar 26, 2019 11:47:49 GMT 12
I see that Stratford's Pioneer Village has postponed it's War Years Day event due to concerns around the re-enactors and gunfire in the wake of the Christchurch attack.
I wonder to what extent Classic Fighters will scale back their ground theatre plans?
The New Zealand Government is likely to still be under a "high" threat alert in mid-April.
The recent and proposed changes to the Firearm Act are also likely to severely impact the type of weapons the re-enactors can use.
There have been no updates on the website or Facebook page, but it must be something the organisers are worrying about.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 26, 2019 11:54:35 GMT 12
Less "ground theatre" and more aeroplanes suits me fine.
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Post by l29 on Mar 26, 2019 12:17:24 GMT 12
Lol I get embarrassed just walking past them.
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Post by vultee43 on Mar 26, 2019 13:30:58 GMT 12
Despite the immense tradegy let's hope common sense prevails. After all this event is recognition of the sacrifices made by men and women to prevent this mindless violence.
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 26, 2019 14:12:50 GMT 12
Despite the immense tradegy let's hope common sense prevails. After all this event is recognition of the sacrifices made by men and women to prevent this mindless violence. If re-enactors are not able to present a realistic portrayal (if they can't carry a blanked MG as part of the unit, for instance), I understand if they do not wish to take part. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 26, 2019 15:17:54 GMT 12
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Post by TS on Mar 26, 2019 15:26:18 GMT 12
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Post by vultee43 on Mar 26, 2019 20:28:55 GMT 12
Goering did escape!
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Post by camtech on Mar 27, 2019 15:20:55 GMT 12
Didn't realise that MSAS's had been around since the American Civil War. (3rd picture above)
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Mar 27, 2019 18:23:52 GMT 12
Didn't realise that MSAS's had been around since the American Civil War. (3rd picture above) They probably teach that in the US of A...  |
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Post by typerated on Mar 27, 2019 19:08:20 GMT 12
Less "ground theatre" and more aeroplanes suits me fine. I think the first time they did it some people thought it was a bit different. But I haven't met anyone who enjoys them!! |
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