The interruptor gears for the MG's are modelled. If you take the spad on the ground, put the mix to full lean (so it won't start), then keep trying to start until you get the prop to stop in front of one of the MG's, it won't fire!

Shouldn't they be synchronisers though?
One bullet fired after the passage of the propellor, once the gun has chambered the next round?
If the prop is not turning, then you should have no firing at all.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought there was more than one way to control firing from behind that twirling disc. Lieste, I know you are correct, but there was more than one way to achieve not turning the prop into swiss cheese, right?

Yep - the Morane Bullet had deflector plates on the prop. Bullets whizzed off to the side if they struck.

Not the most elegant of solutions, and it was abandoned after the first Eindecker was captured and the interrupter gear was discovered.

Other way round Dart. It was a captured Morane that had the interrupter gear.

The story goes that Roland Garros designed deflector plates to go on the propeller of a Morane-Saulnier N, it worked and the Germans were shocked at this development.

They then captured one and copied the idea on one of their own planes, it was a failure for them because their bullets were made of a harder metal than the french copper based bullets.

And as we know Tony Fokker solved the problem with the his interrupter.

Well, maybe not his... There were some interruptor gear ideas earler. But Fokker was very good at putting his name on things.

Garros was using deflector plates as were the Germans. However Garros had the first interupter gear fitted to his Morane. He went flying one day, shot down 3 aircraft before being forced down himself.
Unfortunately he and his aircraft were captured before he could torch it. His aircraft was then sent to Germany where Fokker got a good look at the gear and put it in his Eindeckers.

EDIT: I might be wrong I got confused with interrupter and firing through prop solutions. Garros was the first to fire through a prop, but he didn't use synchronisation.
After doing a little reading on Raymond Saulnier (who provided Garros with his solution) it looks like the Morane may not have had the gear, only an armoured prop. Garros developed the deflector plate as an addition to the prop to avoid dangerous ricochets.

But none of it matters, us Brits didn't trust the interupter gear and held off using it for quite some time. We prefer wing mounted Lewis guns.

From what I read about synch gear, it should be that the turning of the propeller shaft transmits the trigger impulse to the gun.
So no turning propeller, no firing, not like it's currently implemented in ROF.
The interrupter gear (block the gun when the propeller blade is in the way) was also tried, but apparently had timing problems.

Some reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrupter_gear


Dobby

And pusher planes, and you all drive on the wrong side of the road too, always a bit ass-backwards.

(that's why us Yanks had to give you the boot)

Happy Independence Day to all my American friends here!