The War in the Air

Tom Mouat:

Introduction or "Cliché's of the Air War"

The War in the Air 1914 to 1918

• Introduction.

• Observation.

• Parachutes.

• Weapons.

• Zeppelins.

• The Aces

• Four Planes.

• Strange Stuff.

Observation

• Kites and Cameras

• Manned Kites

• Manned Balloons

• Telephones

• Cameras

• Planes

• Radio

• Rufijii River Delta

Observation

Observation

Observation

Observation

Photographs of Verdun

Parachutes

• Rigid Frame Parachutes

• Oscillation Problems and the "hole"

• Bourget in 1804

• Kaethe Paulus in 1915

• Austrian Escape in 1916

• Morale

• Von Richtofen

Parachutes

Weapons

• How to Kill?

• The Propeller.

• Avoid.

• Detour.

• Deflect.

• Interrupt.

• Bomb.

Avoid

Detour

Louis Strange

• Louis Strange on 10 May 1915

Deflect

• Saulnier Interruptor.

• Garros Deflector

• Roland Garros - 01 Apr 1915

• Roland Garros - 19 Apr 1915

• Fokker Eindekker

Interrupter

Bomb

Bomb

Bombing Casualties

• Bombing Casualties (557)

• Flack Effects

Zeppelins

• Navy and Army Rivalry (6:1)

• Antwerp and Liege

• Korvettenkapitan Peter Strasser

• 19 Jan 1915 (2:16) & 31 May 1915 (7:35)

• 06 Jun 1915 LZ 37 and Lt Rex Warneford

• 1916 SL11 and Lt Leefe Robinson

• Strasser's "Height Climbers"

• 1918 Strasser and Cadbury

Zeppelins

Zeppelins

• The Babington Raid

• L59 "The Africa Ship"

• OA (40% and 5:1)

The Horror…

The Aces

• The Horror of the Trenches• The Knights of the Sky• The "Ace" System:

• French required 5 in 1914• Germans required 8 (then 16)• British required 8 for the DFC• Eventually 21 required…

• Rene Fonck - 75 Kills• Mickey Mannock - 61 Kills

Rene Fonck

Rene Fonck

• Paul Rene Fonck

• Conscripted in 1914

• 1st Kill 06 Aug 1916

• Expert shot

• 6 aircraft in a single day

• Highest scoring survivor

• 75 kills (but claimed "at least" 127).

• Post War Inspector of Aviation

Four Planes

• Fokker Eindeker

• HD-2

• SS D-111

• Sopwith Snipe

Fokker EindekerHorsepower: 80

Wingspan: 8.5 m

Length: 6.70 m

Top Speed: 137 km/hr

Ceiling: 3,000m

Climb: 30min

De Havilland D.H.2Horsepower: 100

Wingspan: 8.61 m

Length: 7.68 m

Top Speed: 150 km/hr

Gross Weight: 645 kg

Ceiling: 4,270m

Sopwith SnipeHorsepower: 160

Wingspan: 9.47 m

Length: 5.84 m

Top Speed: 195 km/hr

Gross Weight: 955 kg

Ceiling: 6,100m

Climb: 38min

Siemens-Schuckert D.IIIHorsepower: 160

Wingspan: 8.43 m

Length: 5.70 m

Top Speed: 180 km/hr

Gross Weight: 725 kg

Ceiling: 8,100m

Climb: 35min

Strange Stuff - Lozenges..

Questions?