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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0368.PDF
APRIL 19, 1917. IDENTIFICATION OF GERMAN AEROPLANES. (COPYRIGHT.) IT would appear from the number of letters we have received during the last few weeks, from both officers and men of various units of the British forces in France, asking us to publish diagrams of the latest German machines, that considerable difficulty is still experienced in identifying the various makes and types. When it is remembered that the two-seater tractors being used by the enemy are really sur- prisingly alike it will be realised that it must, indeed, be a perplexing task to identify them when they are cruising about at anything above 12,000 ft., even if the best of field glasses are taken into service. Once the particular type of machine has been identified, its speed will, in most cases, be known to our gunners and pilots, and the question of getting the range will thus be, at any rate to some small extent, simplified. With regard to the identification of aeroplanes— quite apart, of course, from the question of nationality, which is indicated by the various distinction marks— it has been our experience, gained during eight years of watching machines in the air, that the only way of learning to do this with any degree of certainty is to observe at every opportunity the evolution of the machine in the air, seeing it in every conceivable attitude and from all sorts of different points of view. For instance, two machines may look exactly alike from one point of view, but as soon as one of them makes a turn so as to present itself to the observer in a different aspect he will no longer be in doubt as to which is which. In teaching, therefore, anyone how to identify a certain aeroplane by means of pictures it can, it appears to us, only be done by showing them the machines from a variety of points of view. When one desires in this manner to illustrate more than one machine there are two possible courses open. One consists in showing the same machine in different attitudes so as to make the observer familiar with every aspect of it; the other alternative is to illustrate the various machines all in one attitude in order to facilitate comparison between the different types. Of these two methods we have decided on the latter for a start, which forms the basis of the illustrations of German aeroplanes that we propose to publish in the present and subsequent issues of " FLIGHT." The accompanying sketches of German aeroplanes have been plotted by a special method devised by the staff of " FLIGHT," and are chiefly characteristic and, it is hoped, useful, in two respects. In the first, place all the machines are shown in one position, and any difference in shape or peculiarity of any structural member is at once apparent by comparing the machines. Secondly, the machines are drawn as near as possible to a uniform scale—in a perspective drawing it is scarcely possible to do so absolutely— so that the relative sizes one to another of the various machines are clearly indicated. In later issues of " FLIGHT " we propose to publish other views of the same aeroplanes, upon exactly the same principles, in order to familiarise our readers with their appear- ance from different points of view. Taking first the two small biplanes—the Albatros chaser (Bii) and the Halberstadt—it will be noticed that these two do not differ very greatly as regards their dimensions, which, together with the dimensions of the other machines, are given at the end of this article. In detail, however, each has its character- istic features. For instance, the Halberstadt has two pairs of struts on each side, whereas the Albatros Bii follows British practice in that only one pair of inter-plane struts separate the wings on each side. This difference will, however, scarcely be noticeable at any great distance, and so does not form a very good means of identification. A peculiarity more likely to prove useful is that in the Halberstadt the planes are comparatively close together and heavily staggered, whereas in the Albatros Bii the gap is greater and the planes far less staggered. The result of this wing spacing is to give the Halberstadt a decidedly " squatty " appearance. This has been con- firmed by pilots who have seen this machine at close quarters during aerial fights. The bodies of the two ; machines, if a sufficiently close view of them can be obtained, are also quite distinct, that of the Albatros Bfl being made of 3-ply wood and of elliptical sec- tion, while that of the Halberstadt resembles the body of a Morane. At a great distance the part that will probably form the most easily recognised dis- tinguishing feature is the tail. Whereas that of the Halberstadt consists of a small divided elevator, the Albatros has a large fixed tail plane, to which is hinged an elevator running right across from side to side. As the tail, in the particular view shown this week, forms one of the best means of identification, the remaining four machines may be divided into two main groups, according to the shape of the fixed tail plane. The one group has a triangular, or nearly triangular, tail plane, whereas the tail of the other is approximately of semi-circular plan form. In the Rumpler biplane the fixed tail plane is absolutely triangular, with straight sides. In the L.V.G. only the trailing edge of the tail is straight, the two sides being slightly curved. This curve, however, is so slight that at a distance it would probably not be noticeable. The Albatros C.III and th*e Aviatik both have semi- circular tail planes, but that of the former is mounted approximately half-way down the sides of the body and in the latter rests on top of the body. Also the body of the Albatros tapers to a horizontal knife-edge at the back, whilst the Aviatik terminates in a vertical stern post. Individual parts such as ailerons can only serve as guides when a fairly close-up view can be obtained, when they may be useful. It will be noticed that in the Aviatik and L.V.G. the ailerons are straight in plan form, while in the Albatros C. Ill and Rumpler they are wider at the tip than at the root. Those of the L.V.G. are further peculiar in that they are stepped, that is to say the outer half is at a smaller angle of incidence than is the inner half. The space between the two portions is covered with fabric. In the Aviatik the lower wing, it will be noticed, has its trailing edge sloping forward for the last few feet from the tip. The following table gives the approximate dimen- sions of the various machines :— Name of Machine. Albatros C. Ill Albatros Bu. Aviatik Halberstadt L.V.G. Rumpler Span. Length. Top. Bot. Gap. Chord. O.A. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. 39 2 37 3 28 4 26 9 41 ° 35 428 6 26 o 42 10 37 10 4° 3 36 1 5 3 3 36 4 4 6 6 3 5 9 6 I 5 9 6 1 5 o 5 10 26 4 24 o 26 3 24 o 27 o 5 5 . 25 10 368
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