The Red Baron

[ozbear]

Death of The Red Baron (Video)

 

What a terrific job someone did at putting this video clip with great animation and period footage/photos together. Listen to the radial engine sounds and the background music. Very entertaining.

 

 

 

Rise of Flight "The Death of the Red Baron" - YouTube

 

 

[onetrack]

That's a good effort - but personally, I prefer original film footage of WW1 - of which, an amazing amount was shot - and of which, a surprising amount has survived.

 

The AWM is the repository of nearly all of this footage, and they have both Allied and German footage. Here's some of it, it provides a lot of interesting viewing, despite being all silent. The incredible devastation of the countryside is very clear to see from the air. What is surprising, is the amount of actual in-air film footage.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

They appear to have self starters. I have no information they were fitted to the Rotary engines used then. Anyone know for sure? Nev

 

 

[onetrack]

Nev, are you talking about seeing self-starters in the OP's video? - or the AWM WW1 film clips?

 

In the AWM film clips, I see one bloke pulling on one Rotary to start it - but I see no self starters anywhere.

 

The Gnomes were never fitted with self starters, but they could be hand cranked. They apparently started very easily - much more easily than a radial.

 

The following article explains why.

 

Rotary Engine Theory - 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape

 

Here's a great (and lengthy) article on the Hucks starter.

 

The Moment - First Hucks Start in 70 Years > Vintage Wings of Canada