Favourite WW1 airplane

[Michi]

What´s your favourite WW1 airplane?

Mine is, without doubt, the beautiful Albatros D.V

That one - exactly!

[WillieB]

Almost agree, but I feel the Albatross CX twoseater is the most elegant plane ever built.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/imgs/albatros-cx.jpg

[Seagull]

Ever since I say one flying as a kid it's been the SE5a. And before anyone comments it was at an air show, not at the front ! 

Very close second is the Fokker DVII (Berthold colour scheme).

[sukhe_bator]

I have a soft spot for Halberstadt ground attack a/c. Elegant but deadly - I particularly like the sharkfin-like tail

[sukhe_bator]

I agree the SPAD A2 is like a cross between a blender and one of those Florida fan powered swamp boats with wings. One of unlikeliest designs I've ever seen. All for the sake of front gun visibility without gun-synchronisation.
Some of these early a/c designs had very un H&S features. Fuel tanks by the pilot's seat, radiators directly over the head of the pilot to scald the pilots eyes when it leaks/gets shot at... Some design flaws were simply unthought of scenarios - like Fokker DVIIs not having enough ventilation louvres in the engine compartment so it overheated and cooked the incendiary ammo...

Along side this poll we should see if we can come up with the a/c design that combined the most stupid design flaws, bar not flying at all that is

[General Roos]

Where did you get those Halberstadt planes?

[moif]

Bristol 'Brisfit' F2b

[Hammers]

Bristol 'Brisfit' F2b

My second choice.

[MerlintheMad]

My first REAL post on LAF:

I have a bunch of favorites, based on different criteria:

Most aesthetically beautiful, to me, has always been the series of Nieuport sesquiplanes, especially the N. 17 with a Lewis on the top wing (best illo of one is the box art on the old Milton Bradley "Dogfight" game - Bishop shooting the starboard wings off an Albatros D3 http://www.darwinsgamecloset.com/images/Dogfight1963.jpg This is another nice angle http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/files/images/classic-fighters-2005/preview/cf05_nieuport.preview.jpg (the Nieuport is one of those planes that doesn't have any bad angle: every side is its "good side"  ) So naturally I like the SS D1*, "pigdog" though it is in most respects compared to a genuine N.11 or 16.

Next consideration is based on pure function. My favorite German design is the Pfalz D3(a) (another plane that doesn't have a bad angle). I recognize that most other frontline aircraft were better (some faster, some more nimble, some better climbers); but all-around the Pflaz D3(a) is very good at what it does, which is dive and give a pilot unexcelled vision all around. My favorite functional design on the Allied side is the SE5(a) (it also doesn't have a bad angle!) If I can separate single-seaters and two-seaters, then my fav two-seater is the Bristol F2B (nice looking as well).

Finally, if I was to own a real airplane to fly about in (stooging required) it would have to be the Albatros D5(a). I think that it is the perfect "canvas" on which to indulge one's artistic sensibilities. And my fav paint scheme has to be von Hipple's "Blitz" http://wwi-cookup.com/albatros/dv/j5blitz01.jpg (the only thing I don't like about Albatrosen is that "spade" horizontal stab - so the link is a "good angle" imho)

Thank you....

"(Edit: Ach! I mean SS D1, of course, the Nieuport knockoff - not the D3)

[Calimero]

I don’t know the kind of plane(s) it was but I just like the name Vieux Charles… that’s the name of my grandfather

[MerlintheMad]

I don’t know the kind of plane(s) it was but I just like the name Vieux Charles… that’s the name of my grandfather

"Old Charlie". He put that on the side of his Nieuport and Spad scouts....

[archangel1]

@MerlintheMad

While the Pfalz is a sleek aircraft, I don't particularly like the faired-in guns and the vertical tail looks like an afterthought.

I agree with you about von Hippel's bird - it's very attractive (I particularly like the green tail) - but I think I prefer Baumer's, still with a green tail, but with the lilac and green wings, rather than lozenge.  I don't think the Albatros looks right with lozenge camo.  It detracts from the nice lines.

[MerlintheMad]

I totally agree on the lozenge: looks good on Hanover CL3's and Halberstadts and Fokker D7s but not on Albatrosen. Interestingly, the DR1 blue with green streaks cammo looks good on DR1s but not on D7s (like the early D7s had)....

[Tacgnol]

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. Large and in charge.

[Hammers]

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. Large and in charge.

Nice illustration to.