Modeling 1914

[rhallinger]

I've been thinking about the centennial of the start of WWI, and what it might look like this year if we shifted our modeling to the aircraft used in early aerial tasks during the first five months of the war.  I've scoured the reference materials and identified the following aircraft that seem to have played important roles in the early months:

UK:  Sopwith Tabloid/Schneider
        Avro 504
        FE2b
        M-S Parasol Type La

FRA:  Bleriot XI
           Voisin III
           Caudron GIII
           Farman

GER:  Albatros B.I
          Aviatik B.I
          Rumpler Taube

This is just a preliminary Western Front list.  For those of us in 1/32, looks like scratchbuilding is required.  Des, you're way ahead of us!  Anyone have other aircraft to add to the list?

I'm thinking about scratchbuilding a Sopwitn Tabloid later this year, in honor of 1914.

Regards,

Bob

[Mark]

Great idea, Bob. Not sure if my scratch-building skills are up to snuff, but I might decide to give it a go 

Mark G.

[uncletony]

R.A.F. B.E.2

[rhallinger]

Thanks Bo.  I typed "FE2" but meant Bleriot Experimental 2 (BE2).  The Farman Experimental a/k/a "Fee" came after 1914, IIRC.

I'm reading an interesting short book from Osprey, "The Zeppelin Base Raids, Germany 1914," by Ian Castle, which covers the first bombing raids of the war by early British aircraft on Zeppelin sheds and factories in Cologne, Dusseldorf, Friedrichshafen and Cuxhaven.  Fascinating story of early bombing by small contingents of rudimentary aircraft. 

The Cologne and Dusseldorf raids were carried out by pairs of Sopwith Tabloids, along with a Sopwith "Sociable", a 2-seater I had never heard of before.  Lt. Marix successfully destroyed a Zeppelin in a shed with a 20 lb. bomb.

The Friedrichshafen raid used four Avro 504 aircraft, three of which were ordered from A.V. Roe & Co. specifically for this mission.  Although damage from the raid was minimal, it was quite a feat of distance flying over unmapped enemy territory.  One aircraft was brought down by ground fire at the factory, but the pilot, Lt. Briggs, managed to land and was taken prisoner. The other three aircraft returned.

The Cuxhaven raid was carried out by three types of Short seaplanes: the Folder, the Type 135 and the Type 74.  Nine aircraft were used, embarked in three Royal Navy vessels. Launched from the North Sea, the aircraft could not locate the Zeppelin sheds due to fog, and failed to destroy anything.  During the course of the raids, the naval task force came under unsuccessful bombing attacks by both Zeppelins and Friedrichshafen FF.19 and FF. 29 seaplanes.

Ahhh . . . several more modeling possibilities!

Regards,

Bob

[IFF1418]

Breguet U2 ?   Used by France, UK and Italy in the beginning of the War for reconnaissance and optional bombing.

Kind regards
Patrick

[lone modeller]

Germany: Etrich Taube, DFW B 1, AEG B 1.

UK: S E 2, B E 8, Bristol Scout, R E 5, Sopwith Gunbus (RNAS), Vickers FB5 Gunbus (RFC), Farman MF 7 and 11, (the French flew a variety of Farman types, including HF as well as MF), Bleriot XI.

There is a little information about the Friederichshafen raid in the Albatross Datafile No 156 Early Avro 504 Biplanes, together with some scale drawings.

Seems like a good deal of scratch building may be in order here, especially if you want 1/32 scale models. Some of the above are available in 1/72 as vacuforms or limited run kits but I have not seen most of them.

[IanB]

Let's not forget the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets! (maybe I have a slight bias here....)

Ian

[xmald]

I`ve already built Etrich Taube (not Rumpler) and Avro 504 so I might try Morane Saulnier L