WW1 enthusiasts..and now a flying FE.2b !!

[Mossie]

Shows how vunerable the front gunner must have been.

http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects ... -masterton

[Elroy13]

Thats a nice airplane! Wow looking at the pics at the front gunner, that must have been a scary position!! I wonder if they had some sort of safety line attached to the gunner?

[Hawkeye]

I don't know if they had safety lines in WW1, but we use a modified climbing harness in the rear gunners position of our Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter to be able to stand up in flight. And buddy in the front tub of the FE2b would be crazy not to have one where he's standing...Awesome aircraft though, first I heard someone had built one.

[old iron]

This is a reproduction, not an original (no originals survive).

[daveymac82c]

Great video, thank you for posting.

It's awesome to see the old WWII airplanes in flight. It really gives you an appreciation for their efforts and struggles.

It also gave a cringing demonstration of the gunners "out there" position when operating the machine guns.

Cheers,

David

[lestweforget]

Awesome!! Did Peter Jackson have anything to do with this project? The warbird scene seems to be bloomong in NZ at the moment.

[jet1]

...however I tip my hat to them! what a crazy thing to build and fly! well done lads

[Mossie]

To be a gunner in one of those without a chute.....what a nightmare

[barnbstormer]

I'm fairly certain the New Zealand gunner is FIRMLY attached to the aircraft! I would want triple harnesses! but, during WWI, they seemed unconcerned..

This quote taken fom the aircraft index to be found on theaerodrome.com website:

"When you stood up to shoot [in the F.E.2b], all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity. Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the F.E.2b's upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming [sic]. You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts. No wonder they needed observers." Frederick Libby, first American ace of WWI

Last edited by barnbstormer on Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Glyn]

[quote="lestweforget"]Awesome!! Did Peter Jackson have anything to do with this project?

Oh yes. He was the prime mover on this project. Full details are in Aeroplane Monthly.

[airnutz]

The Beardmore engine which powers it is a work of art in its own right. One sweet low time barn find!