observer Posted 21 February Share Posted 21 February SE5 Sopwith Cammel spad Neuport F.E2B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 21 February Share Posted 21 February It rather depends on when and in what role(s). Also, I suspect pilots would instinctively advocate for the type that they flew so I'm not sure there would be reliable evidence for what the "RAF preferred." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Forge Posted 22 February Share Posted 22 February (edited) Victor Yeates (or his alter ego, Tom Cundall in Winged Victory) loved and hated the Sopwith Camels he flew with 46 Squadron. He was envious of both the SE5a and the Sopwith Dolphin. Cheers, Richard Edit - I don't know much about Sopwith Dolphins, but since writing the above I've had a skim through Cecil Lewis's Sagittarius Rising. He mentions testing the up-engined SE5 (newly arrived with the 200 hp engine). He met a Sopwith Dolphin over St Omer and '...plunged down on to its tail as a challenge for a scrap. This new SE I was flying would be more than a match for anything in the sky ... [I had] the intention of showing him just how an aeroplane should be flown in a fight ... But it didn't work out a bit like that. The Dolphin had a better performance than I realized. He was up in a climbing turn and on my tail in a flash. I half rolled out of the way, he was still there. I sat in a tight climbing spiral, he sat in a tighter one. I tried to climb above him, he climbed faster. Every dodge I had ever learnt I tried on him; but he just sat there on my tail, for all the world as if I had been towing him behind me.' (Warner Books, pp182-3) Edited 22 February by Old Forge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils d Posted 23 February Share Posted 23 February How can you make a straight comparison between a Camel and a FE2?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Open Bolt Posted 23 February Share Posted 23 February We know they preferred the B.E.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted 23 February Share Posted 23 February I think the RFC quite often preferred whatever the RNAS were equipped with What exactly do you mean by RFC/RAF? What did the pilots prefer or what did the War Office prefer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaBam Posted 24 February Share Posted 24 February On 23/02/2024 at 16:15, MikeW said: think the RFC quite often preferred whatever the RNAS were equipped with I bet they liked the DH 4s that the RNAS had . Its certainly my favourite 1st WW plane ☺️ Or did the RFC get them before the amalgamation into the RAF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmelling1979 Posted 24 February Share Posted 24 February (edited) I've come across times when It was personal choice for many of the men what they wanted! Considering certain planes were used for certain tasks One of the chaps I'm researching, "a man with a certain destiny", was quite tall so he needed a plane he could actually "fit in" Some new men to the squadron getting the best and newest planes, much to the annoyance of the seasoned members John Edited 24 February by johnmelling1979 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now