Some pictures of the F2B (with a 300HP Hispano-Suiza) at La Ferté-Alais aerodrome,





With its Strutter, Fokker DVII, SPAD XIII, LVG, MS AI, Dr1 and Albatros C1 (from Memorial Flight and Les Casques de Cuir associations) this aerodrome started to have a really interesting WW1 collection (althought LVG and the upcoming Be2f are sadly to be sent to New-Zealand). Next meeting 23/24 May 2015.















And I was about to forget their Caudron G3 (but I think he didn't fly since a couple of years)

Is this a real WWI bird, or a modern home-built? (I suspect the latter.)

No, it is a real WW1 bird (its restoration was done in the 90's), 1500 Morane Saulniers AI were built, but most of them were used as trainers. 4 French squadrons were fully epuipped with it in early 1918, before switching to SPADs in May.
It was praised for its high manoeuverability*, but it wasn't as powerful as the SPAD and suffered some wing structure troubles.

*It was used as an acrobatic plane during and after the war by pilot such as Alfred Fronval. Nungesser also flew one of them during meetings in the USA.

http://memorial.flight.free.fr/MoraneAI.html

I certainly hope Nicolas Cage doesn't get into that LVG. He doesn't do well with vehicles named Eleanor.

And he sounds good too!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=106...e=2&theater

Some pictures from this WE meeting,











Some (better) pics from PatCartier (Check Six forum):
http://www.checksix-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=279&t=189031&start=50







One engine from perfection

Thanks for posting that!

Indeed!
Nice shots. Old Jackson (forget his first name) is getting quite the collection in NZ.
Sounds like a nice place for my 2nd retirement home. Hell of a drive though...

drullllll

Peter. And yes there is quite a collection over there, the LVG will go there (but they don't know when), however on contrary of what I've said above, the Be2f will stay in France. Memorial Flight is also working on two Albatros DVa, one for them, another one for an American, who, I was said, insisted to fly it over France. The only downside to the TVAL collection (with of course the fact that it is to the other side of the world), IMHO, is that the landscape doesn't really fit for WW1.

Excellent photos. I love the Caudron. Thanks for posting them.

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing them!