Air-collision of two United States planes

[Malte Znaniecki]

Hi,

I found a peace of paper in a book, it's a part of an illustrated serial.

Could anyone tell me more?

thankful for some help

Malte

[Dolphin]

Malte

I'm not too good at identifying post-War aircraft types, but from the style of the markings, they look like US aeroplanes of the late 1920s-early 1930s.

Sorry I can't help more.

Gareth

[Doc2]

Definitely post-1920 from the markings. Unfortunately, photo is not clear enough to let me identify the aircraft involved (I'm not an expert on this era either). However, there is something about this photo which bothers me-- I think it's a fake of some kind. That parachute and parachutist don't look realistic-- he's above the aircraft, but the chute hasn't yet deployed fully, and the proportions somehow seem a bit off. Also the focus on the aircraft and the parachutist seem different, which shouldn't be with standard cameras in daylight of the period. Could you post the caption to the photo-- that might help, but unfortunately I can't read it off my screen. Doc2

[Bruce Dennis]

It is a fake. It was examined in detail, along with a few others, in an article I read sometime in the 1960's (possibly in Air Classics or True?) The author even found the source of the original image of the 'chute from a daredevil jumping from a tethered balloon.

Regards,

Bruce

[Doc2]

It is a fake.  It was examined in detail, along with a few others, in an article I read sometime in the 1960's (possibly in Air Classics or True?)  The author even found the source of the original image of the 'chute from a daredevil jumping from a tethered balloon. 

Regards,

Bruce

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the confirmation. Just didn't look right to me. Doc2

[Adrian Roberts]

For what its worth, I think the aircraft are Boeing P12s (Army designation) or Boeing F4Bs (Navy).

But as everyone says, a fake picture. For a start, if it was a real incident, the cameraman would have to be very lucky and very quick off the mark to get such a shot.

Adrian

[stan]

Definitely not F4B's - these are two seaters.

[PFF]

Another Case of Cockburn -Lange photos EH?

[zooloo]

The lighting looks too strong - especially the shadow from the upright fin at the back of the left hand aeroplane. (Sorry to get technical, lol)

It's far more like studio lighting than natural light.

But I could be wrong.

zoo

[Adrian Roberts]

Definitely not F4B's - these are two seaters

I'm not sure that we can see enough to be sure that they are two-seaters. I'm more worried by the fact that the F4B had a prominent headrest, which I'm not sure I can see in the photo. But the planform of the wings and tailplane, and what can be seen of the interplane struts, look right for the F4B/P12. I don't claim to have info on all US two-seaters of the period, but the shape doesn't match what I do have. E.g, they don't seem to be Vought Corsairs which were the commonest US two-seaters of the period.

But if it was all done in a studio they may not have been real types anyway.

Adrian

[Guest R Pope]

They are (models of) Curtiss F8C's , known as helldivers. They date from 1929 or so. Definitely not WWI!! And yes, the photo is a fake.