Fighting the red baron
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Herts.
I don't fancy landing the Avro 504 (no brakes!) 
I thought the programme was interesting to see how aerial combat began quite chivalrous, at first, to become a developed form of warfare. Its quite difficult to imagine professional soldiers waving at the enemy!
I thought the programme was interesting to see how aerial combat began quite chivalrous, at first, to become a developed form of warfare. Its quite difficult to imagine professional soldiers waving at the enemy!
Joined: Dec 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: West Sussex, England
One at least of the two WWI a/c looked suspiciously like a replica, certainly it had a flat 4 engine (possibly a Continental ?) up front.
And I can't imagine the Shuttleworth trustees being too keen to let film making folk play around for hours with the genuine article.
mike
And I can't imagine the Shuttleworth trustees being too keen to let film making folk play around for hours with the genuine article.
mike
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From: UK
But on the brakes issue - those of us with lots of quality time in older microlights are very used to this. I can claim about 300 hrs on low performance aeroplanes without brakes. On grass, it's a non-issue, on a downslope on tarmac it can be quite exciting, but hard runways didn't exist during WW1 so that's a non-issue also.
G
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: uk
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 187
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From: Ireland
Originally Posted by Genghis the Engineer
I'm sorry to say I missed it, but doubtless it'll get repeated sometime soon.
But on the brakes issue - those of us with lots of quality time in older microlights are very used to this. I can claim about 300 hrs on low performance aeroplanes without brakes. On grass, it's a non-issue, on a downslope on tarmac it can be quite exciting, but hard runways didn't exist during WW1 so that's a non-issue also.
But on the brakes issue - those of us with lots of quality time in older microlights are very used to this. I can claim about 300 hrs on low performance aeroplanes without brakes. On grass, it's a non-issue, on a downslope on tarmac it can be quite exciting, but hard runways didn't exist during WW1 so that's a non-issue also.
Good programme, have it on disk if anyone wants it.
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Just South of the last ice sheet
The "Junkers" is a modified Bowers Fly Baby and I think the "SE5a" is a 3/4 scale replica based on a modified Currie Wot. How they handle in comparison to the real things I have no idea and as there are no flying Junkers CL1's any more I don't think there is anybody alive who does know. According to the replica's owners the Red Airforce operated captured examples until the early 1930's as they were very good aeroplanes. I'm reasonably sure that the Fly Baby is non-aerobatic whereas the Wot is at least semi-aerobatic so it's no surprise that the Se5a won the dogfighting!
An entertaining program but the only flying that accurately reflected reality was the photography from the genuine Bristol F2b from Shuttleworth.
An entertaining program but the only flying that accurately reflected reality was the photography from the genuine Bristol F2b from Shuttleworth.
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 246
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From: Hampshire
They could have done the whole thing so much more accurately had they got the Old Rhienbeck folks to provide the aircraft and do the flying. There are accurate replicas out there that can be reasonably flown to 3-4G that could be flown by their normal pilots in a way that is safe and much more representative of the real thing.
I guess that would be much harder to put together though, when there is the option of a pair of cheap to insure ex-service pilots and two very replaceable 1930's lookalike planes. I personally don't give a damn what a Harrier pilot thinks of a Currie Wot.
I guess that would be much harder to put together though, when there is the option of a pair of cheap to insure ex-service pilots and two very replaceable 1930's lookalike planes. I personally don't give a damn what a Harrier pilot thinks of a Currie Wot.
