Your favorite historical pilot / event?

T

Todt Von Oben

Guest
Hey guys,

Only found OFF/BHAH a couple days ago. Going through the business of assembling my MCFS3 and other components. Supply here in Hawaii is not good: one of the drawbacks of living in "paradise". I'm having to buy my stuff online. Should be flying within a couple weeks, though.

In the meantime, I was watching something on Youtube last night that (if you haven't already seen it) you'll probably enjoy. It's from the TV series Dogfights and it's the episode entitled The First Dogfighters.

The link below starts off in section #2 of the program which gets into the famous dogfight between Werner Voss and six Allied aces. I think the whole story goes into sections #3 and #4 at Youtube, which are right there alongside section #2.

Voss remains one of my favorite pilots of the Great War; and this event must be one of the most incredible dogfights of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr0S0pTVMlU

Which leads me to ask: what aviators and events do you guys consider your favorites?

Prost!

TVO
 
Definitely Voss' epic dogfight with 56 Squadron. I think there has never been such an event in aerial combat. Werner Voss is one of my favourites.
 
Agreed.

Is there any information as to whom was flying the red-nosed Albatros DIII that came to Voss' aid, but was shot down?

TVO
 
William G. Barker's story is definitely most touching for me with Voss following close second, although any of those guys are a bravery example
 
The pilot: Fonck :)

The dogfight: Guynemer vs Udet, for chivalry. And well, Voss vs 56 sqd for skill.

Todt Von Oben said:
Agreed.

Is there any information as to whom was flying the red-nosed Albatros DIII that came to Voss' aid, but was shot down?

TVO
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Could be Ltn Hugo Jons, Jasta 20, credited with 2 victories, killed in action over Dixmuiden which is about 20km north of Frezenberg where Rhys Davids claimed to have shot-down Voss.

Just guessing cuz I cannot find any other loss that day.
 
Voss' epic battle with 56 is definitely up there, but I'm more moved by Lanoe Hawker's desperate dogfight with, and eventual death at the hands of, MvR.

I'm intrigued too, by the thought of what might have been had their aircraft been better matched.

I might also be biased, as Hawker was a 'local boy', born a few miles down the road from me, in Longparish, Hampshire where the parish church has a stained glass window in memory of him.

The Hawkers were prominent local celebrities, Lanoe's father, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hawker, having written the definitive treatise 'Instructions to Young Sportsmen in All that Relates to Guns and Shooting', still considered one of the best guides to young people taking up the sport.
 
The name Raymond Barker is familiar, but the details of his story I'm a blank on. Will check it out tonight online.

Guynemer vs. Udet. Oh yeah. Now THAT was chivalry. After trying to flame each other, Ernst's guns jam. He's pounding away on them. George must have seen it and known Udet was helpless. He does an inverted fly by, waves, and splits. Too cool!!! :applause:

Hey! I just placed my order for OFF/BHAH online! Now I'm flying off toward the no-man's-land known as eBay to buy a copy of MCFS3.

Hope to see you gentlemen in the air in the next few weeks. :wave:

Prost! :ernae:

TVO
 
before said:
The pilot: Fonck :)
The dogfight: Guynemer vs Udet, for chivalry. And well, Voss vs 56 sqd for skill.



Could be Ltn Hugo Jons, Jasta 20, credited with 2 victories, killed in action over Dixmuiden which is about 20km north of Frezenberg where Rhys Davids claimed to have shot-down Voss.

Just guessing cuz I cannot find any other loss that day.
Click to expand...


Vielen Danke! :wave:
 
Dej said:
Voss' epic battle with 56 is definitely up there, but I'm more moved by Lanoe Hawker's desperate dogfight with, and eventual death at the hands of, MvR.

I'm intrigued too, by the thought of what might have been had their aircraft been better matched.

I might also be biased, as Hawker was a 'local boy', born a few miles down the road from me, in Longparish, Hampshire where the parish church has a stained glass window in memory of him.

The Hawkers were prominent local celebrities, Lanoe's father, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hawker, having written the definitive treatise 'Instructions to Young Sportsmen in All that Relates to Guns and Shooting', still considered one of the best guides to young people taking up the sport.
Click to expand...

Hawker was in the pusher and MvR was in the DIII? I tend to think the DIII was a superior plane: y/n?

I haven't read the account of that battle for some time. IIRC, they both gave good accounts of themselves. It turned into a descending spiral, and when they got low, Lanoe for some reason (fuel?) had to make a break for his lines, which put him in the unlucky position of being lined up for a skillful headshot by Manfred. Was it something like that?

They were both great pilots, IMOHO.

Prost! :ernae:

TVO
 
The red-nosed Albatros in Voss' final stand was probably Carl Menkhoff of Jasta 3 who survived and ended up with 39 victories. Source: Franks & Giblin, Under the guns of the German aces.

And MvR flew an Albatros DII when he shot down Hawker.
 
Geier said:
The red-nosed Albatros in Voss' final stand was probably Carl Menkhoff of Jasta 3 who survived and ended up with 39 victories. Source: Franks & Giblin, Under the guns of the German aces.

And MvR flew an Albatros DII when he shot down Hawker.
Click to expand...

Hey! Thanks for the info! I was almost out of here to eBay but thought I'd check the thread one more time. Thanks!

While I'm here; and speaking of MvR: in 2008 a movie debuted in Germany called Der Rote Baron; and I understand there's an English version entitled The Red Baron.

I'm in the USA trying to find it but no luck. Anybody know a place where I can buy an English version of that movie?

Thanks!

TVO
 
French ace Guiguet (the first balloon buster) had a fierce fight with a skilled Fokker in 1 July 1916. The Frenchman was attacking for the third time a balloon in the Barleux-Eterpigny sector (south of Péronne) while he was engaged by a Fokker (probably from KEK Bertincourt) and shot in the arm. He continued the fight until he got a motor failure even if he hasn't been hit there. The German airman came wing to wing and made a hand sight before disengaging. Guiguet guessed that the German pilot ran out of ammo... Could be chivalry has well.
 
For me, has to be Billy Bishop VC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop
Most of his kills were accomplished on lone wolf missions; he did not have umpteen fellows watching his six... That is courage, perhaps foolish, but still courage. While there is controversy surrounding him (mostly drummed up by attention grabbing media), it has largely been dismissed by anyone who takes an objective look at the evidence, and has a brain I might add. It is too bad his memory was briefly besmirched.

Bishop quickly became frustrated with the mud of the trenches and the lack of action. In July 1915, after watching an RFC aircraft return from a mission, Bishop said "...it's clean up there! I'll bet you don't get any mud or horse**** on you up there. If you die, at least it would be a clean death."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop#cite_note-12
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Propeller-Crossesw-flags7small.jpg
 
The Red Baron

TVO

The last I heard about "The Red Baron" is not available in the states, yet. Somewhere I read that it might be released in the States in April 2009; but, who knows. I am waiting for it too

PRang
 
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