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#2207659 - 05/10/07 01:45 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Kupper]  
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Originally Posted By: Kupper
First is "War Birds-Diary of an Unknown Aviator", published in 1926. It is reportedly written by (or about) Cecil Lewis, author of "Sagittarius Rising".


Sorry. War Birds was written by Elliot White-Springs a 16 victory Ace with the USAS. The book is based upon a collection of letters written by his friend, John McGavock Grider, who was killed in action while serving with 85 Squadron.


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#2207917 - 05/10/07 12:00 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Smosh]  
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I listened to a book called The 17th Day, its a short but good WWI story.


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#2207935 - 05/10/07 12:21 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Omphalos]  
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Smosh...thanks...of course you're right! My copy shows no author or editor at all! Springs edited the collection of letters by Grider and published it after the war. Good stuff...

#2210562 - 05/13/07 08:42 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Kupper]  
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Someone told me a while ago that War Birds-Diary of an Unknown Aviator was relatively rare. I don't know how true this statement is as I found two copies of it in a small second hand store where I live. Bought them both just in case \:\)

BTW has anyone read Echoes of Eagles? Just wondering if it's worth buying?

Last edited by Smosh; 05/13/07 08:47 PM.

Rabbits, break right and climb.
#2210650 - 05/13/07 11:15 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Smosh]  
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Smosh,

I've read "Echoes Of Eagles" and liked it very much!

#2210677 - 05/14/07 12:29 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: FlyRetired]  
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Originally Posted By: FlyRetired
Smosh,

I've read "Echoes Of Eagles" and liked it very much!


I'll add it to my wish list.


Rabbits, break right and climb.
#2215369 - 05/20/07 11:41 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Smosh]  
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Just finished 'Winged Victory' - an outstanding book that I would reccommend to everyone. Thanks for the initial pointers Eddie, Colt.
I think that WV will get a second read fairly soon.



Once upon a time there was dunkelgrun...
#2221858 - 05/28/07 05:25 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Freycinet]  
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Two excellent WW1 air combat books I have read are:

Winged Victory which is in the same vein as Sagittarius Rising,and just as good if not better,
and The First Air War 1914 - 1918 by Lee Kennett, which is an over view of just about every aspect of this new form of warfare. Very well done, quite entertaining and hugely informative. Best book I have read on the topic of the WW1 air war, tactics, squadrons, and the aircraft in general as opposed to an individual account of his experiences flying over the front.

#2222460 - 05/28/07 09:40 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Toadvine]  
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I ordered and just finished reading "No Parachute: A Fighter Pilot in World War I"; Letters Written in 1917 by Arthur Stanley Gould Lee (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060125489/104-0310694-5122337

(I bought a used copy in very good condition, originating from the Public Library in Princeton, New Jersey!)

I can highly recommend it. - Very frank and detailed letters and diary extracts about flying Sopwith Pups and Camels in 1917. As a historian I know that accounts written contemporarily with events are of a much higher historical value than later writings, and this collection of letters bears witness to that. The writing is brutally frank and even reveals that the author ended up being posted to the home front due to exhaustion and nerves, something quite unheard of in other accounts. He did his part - and more - before that though! - The book abounds in lots of exciting dogfight tales.

Some observations in the book that I'd like to hear your comments on:

- The section leader streamers hanging from the wing struts were longer for the Germans than for the Brits. Heard that before?

- When archie bursts went off, a flash of light could be seen in the middle of the burst. Would be nice to see in KotS.

- A particular type of German archie was "flaming onions", described as "a string of greenish phospherous fireballs, linked together (p. 124)". Heard of that?

- Sometimes friendly A.A. would make large white arrows with their bursts, to indicate the direction of E.A. (enemy aircraft) (p. 131). Wauw, if true!

Finally, it is clear from this book how important songs, and particularly drinking songs, were, as entertainment to the pilots. No radio, no television, just a piano in the mess hut... It would be fine if this could be reflected in the game interface one way or the other. Let's have songs, English, French and German!


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#2222704 - 05/29/07 05:26 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Freycinet]  
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Flaming Onions - both Yeates in 'Winged Victory' and Hart in 'Bloody April' mention them. Definitely a string of things, i.e. tied together.
Archie indicators - neither Yeates or any of the first-hand accounts in 'Bloody April' mention the 'arrow', but all talk about it firing to attract the pilots' attention to enemy a/c, including successive bursts in the direction required.

Definitely think it a good idea to have some period music in the sim. We could then get together, have a few drinks, and re-record it as the officers' mess version! \:\)



Once upon a time there was dunkelgrun...
#2222756 - 05/29/07 09:22 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Dunkers]  
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maybe by "arrows" he did indeed mean successive bursts moving towards the E.A.


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#2222758 - 05/29/07 09:25 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Dunkers]  
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Ah, dunkelgrun, it seems they were not tied together, at least acc. to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_onions

"Flaming onions were the rounds launched by a revolving-barrel anti-aircraft gun used by the German army during World War I.This gun had five barrels and could launch a 37mm artillery shell about five thousand feet up. Because most other rounds were fired slowly due to the nature of anti-aircraft artillery at the time, this guns rapid rate of fire left many fliers thinking that the rounds were attached to a string and they feared being shredded by it."


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#2222784 - 05/29/07 10:55 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Freycinet]  
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Originally Posted By: Freycinet
Ah, dunkelgrun, it seems they were not tied together, at least acc. to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_onions

"Flaming onions were the rounds launched by a revolving-barrel anti-aircraft gun used by the German army during World War I.This gun had five barrels and could launch a 37mm artillery shell about five thousand feet up. Because most other rounds were fired slowly due to the nature of anti-aircraft artillery at the time, this guns rapid rate of fire left many fliers thinking that the rounds were attached to a string and they feared being shredded by it."



That seems to be confirmed by a post on the Aerodrome forum. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-9836.html
The revolving gun launched about 20 of these things in one go.



Once upon a time there was dunkelgrun...
#2229127 - 06/06/07 06:48 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Dunkers]  
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More historical but still excellent works are the 2 Ralph Barker books: The Royal Flying Corps in France - From Mons to the Somme and From Bloody April 1917 to Final Victory

Well researched and written, very enjoyable reads \:\)


Hell, I'm going to say it: as much as they're maligned and unfashionable, the Biggles books are terrific fun and Johns flew DH4s 1917-18. Read between the lines slightly; this is written by a British Officer of the time about the way in which the RFC would ostensibly comment on the air war with sang froid and a stiff upper lip. Personally I feel it is an interesting comment, supported by some historical accounts written at the time, about the RFC/RAF's tendency toward flippancy and dismissing fear while looking at it all as a 'bit of a game'. An interesting juxtapostion when set against other works.

Last edited by Blue 5; 06/06/07 06:55 PM.


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#2230675 - 06/08/07 03:54 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Kupper]  
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Three Wings For The Red Baron finally got here from Amazon FR.

It's the motherlode alright thanks!

'MIT and the Triplane'

Ming


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#2231009 - 06/08/07 11:41 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Ming_EAF19]  
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Glad it arrived Ming!

It's such a great general study, while being an in-depth study of the war's aerial fighting developments too, by describing how aerodynamic interpretations modified and molified during the war years.

I'm glad you like it Ming (that means a lot in fact, and thanks).

#2231081 - 06/09/07 01:07 AM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: FlyRetired]  
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Yep it's immediately taken over from Alan Bennett for the Tube and Bloody April for home

MIT I thought was modern-day MIT but this MIT's wind tunnel is about six feet wide. They must have been studying elements of the wing not the Space Shuttle as I'd imagined "Ok fetch in that triplane next"

It's like the bumblebee thing. Triplanes are hopeless allegedly. Lucky the 80-kill Red Baron didn't know that. Not that he flew the triplane all the time

Really good finding out that my suspicion that a pancake is a stalled-out drop to the runway is true and that a pancake is not just a rough and ready landing. I mean we all know the major feature of the pancake's flight model. Splattage

Ming


'You are either a hater or you are not' Roman Halter
#2231332 - 06/09/07 01:09 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Ming_EAF19]  
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Yep, and despite the Fokker Dr.I's superb maneuverability, the most useful tactic for engaging the enemy was still the dive from superior height, which allowed closing upon the enemy (where the Triplane's maneuverability could then be used to gain/remain on the six o'clock position).

Richthofen would continue to employed the dive when flying the Dr.I, and taught to his new charges the essentials of hunting for advantage, and to only attempt to engage when that advantage was secured, which he learned from Oswald Boelcke while flying the Albatros (and long before he threw in his support behind a three-winged fighter).

#2231348 - 06/09/07 01:36 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: FlyRetired]  
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I just got the book on Amazon.de, looking forward to reading it.

Do any of you have any comments on my posting about the "No parachute" book (a few postings back)?


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#2231356 - 06/09/07 01:44 PM Re: Recommended Reading List - War in the Air 1914-18 [Re: Freycinet]  
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It's been a while since I've seen the movie but don't they have the "flaming onions" in Aces High (with Malcolm McDowell)?


Rabbits, break right and climb.
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