Starlight Posted 14 January , 2019 Share Posted 14 January , 2019 I'm fairly certain that this 'Brisfit' served with 6 Squadron when it moved to Iraq after the Armistice but I don't know for how long or its eventual fate. Can anyone provide more details? Also, what is the reason for the man riding on the rear of the fuselage. Could it be that the aircraft was brought down by gunfire (looks like damage to the fabric on the side of the fuselage) and emergency repairs were effected to the vertical stabiliser that required a man to make sure it didn't come apart mid-air. I must say the handling would have been rather unusual, with the CofG moved aft and air around the rudder spoiled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 14 January , 2019 Share Posted 14 January , 2019 Dear Starlight, I would say a photo of the aircraft taken on the ground, was cut out (note the wheels' irregularities and the fin and rudder, too) and superimposed on a sky background. Or, put another way, early Photoshop! Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlight Posted 15 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2019 You could be right, but I lightened the photo as much as I could (and sharpened the edges) to see what it would reveal. The depth of shade beneath his arms is different too. I have attached the 'original' photo below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierssc Posted 15 January , 2019 Share Posted 15 January , 2019 I’m with Kim on this one. If it was flying you would expect the chap on the tail’s clothes and hair (not to mention posture) to show some signs of a 100-odd mph slipstream! And as you say, it would have done the aircrafts CofG no good at all - yet the elevators are pretty level. No, I think some joker saw a rigger making some adjustments to the tail and couldn’t resist. I imagine the tail was on trestles so the aircraft was already in flying attitude. The rest was done in the darkroom! Going back to your first question, airhistory has this machine with 6 Squadron in January 1920 citing a source at the RAF museum but that’s all. Piers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nieuport11 Posted 15 January , 2019 Share Posted 15 January , 2019 'RAF Serials J1-J9999' includes this photo, but without the clouds, annotated 'BF F4790 of 6Sq re-enacting an episode, possibly on this machine, at Hillah when LAC Viggars was carried aloft on the tail' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Open Bolt Posted 15 January , 2019 Share Posted 15 January , 2019 Reminds me of Margaret Horton's circuit on the tail of a Spitfire in 1945. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils d Posted 18 January , 2019 Share Posted 18 January , 2019 So it did happen ,tale unknown to me at least. Jolly cold in just shirt sleeves and shorts! I feel a caption competition coming on ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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