As mentioned in another thread, I just finished reading a 1933 biography on Albert Ball. Most accounts of his combats were based on or transcribed from his mission reports, letters (in possession of the Ball family), and his diary, so barring out-and-out misrepresentation of these documents by the author, they speak truth.

Ball pulled the Lewis down on its Foster mount and fired into the belly of not only two seaters, but used this tactic often on fighters as well --both with surprise and while in dogfights! He was not the only one to use the Lewis/Foster in this manner on Nieuports and SE5/SE5a. Someone else in another thread poo-pooed Bishop's staged photograph session (bottom), but given strong evidence of others, I'll take the photo for what it conveys.

Albert Ball in SE5
(note original 'greenhouse' canopy, reviled and removed before service)


Love this one; a great reload image--ah, if only...


And people love to hate him, but can't deny his bravery...


Why have sights if they weren't used???

For the same reason that a whale has a pelvis.

Still, I didn't know it was controversial that the Lewis was fired upward during combat. Plenty of reports mention doing so.

Some research has suggested that the Whale Pelvis may actually be important when a would-be daddy whale and mommy whale collide, as it were.

German ace Fieseler mentioned he mounted a Lewis to his D.VII, to be able to use it at an angle to either shoot at observers from below, or in tight, circling dogfights where he did not nee to bring rhe nose of his plane to aim on the enemy, but the (angled) Lewis.
Angled Lewis gunswere also used against Zeppelins, to shoot at from below, but then often in a double configuration.
The gunsight was left in place for a reason -

... - so he wouldn't collide with whales?

Are you trying to say "form does not follow function". I suppose I could reply that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, but that is just a theory...

Those are some great photo's, I have been reading some WWI aviation books myself and I also wish that we could crank the gun back on the N.11 and the S.E.Va to attack overhead targets.

I suppose if we ask nicely, 777 will give it to us.

It's a request that's been around since 2009. I don't think it's going to happen.

Hey, they might surprise us, one day. It would be a first in any WWI sim, and 777 likes that sort of thing.
He!!, we all like that sort of thing!!! It would be d@mn fine and justified bragging rights.

The two sepia toned pics are from the Wingnuts website Photo Gallery Here, the others just picked up trolling around. That reloading Lewis is a new favorite of mine, should make a nice avatar...

And here is an SE5a from DoA II: