Le Prieur Rockets

Hello all. I'm looking for inormation on Le Prieur Rockets; specifically:

dimensions
how they were mounted
what color they were
how they were fired

Any help is appreciated!

[William]

PJ,
I've always found these things intriguing but have never run across dimensioned drawings for them. Do we have any members interested in looking for them at PRO Kew or the armory in Leeds? I've long had a fantasy to build one and test it.
Best,
William
www.canvasfalcon.com

[cameldriver]

In anything that I have seen or read on the subject, the rockets were mounted on the struts and fired by means of an electric wire running from the cockpit. No idea of exact size or color.

[Zif]

I don''t know colours, maybe some image can help about measures

[Rob_Owens]

I had similar questions a while back, and some Esteemed Forumite responded that the rockets' colo(u)r would have been a semi-glossy grey-brown as they were varnished paste-board. As for their mounting, I have my own theory: The Pup drawings (and the balancing sticks in the Eduard Nie. 11/16 kit are too small in diameter, because they're actually launch tubes, not the rocket's balancing stick itself. Photos of captured N959 in The Nieuport Fighters Datafile clearly show the top starboard rocket missing. The body/warhead wasn't removed, but the rocket/stick itself, leaving the launch tubes remaining on the strut after firing.

[Vigilant]

Was there any sort of aiming device fitted? Aiming off must have been a dickens of a job.

Vig.

Interesting subject. What I'd like to know is whether there is any evidence that the rockets were of any value. Did anybody actually shoot down a balloon or another plane with a Le Prieur rocket? Everything I ever read about them says they were junk and that pilots hated them.

papermache

[MikeW]

papermache,

I believe you will find that FSL EW Norton took out a kite ballon with Le Prieur rockets on the 20th October 1916 near Ostende whilst flying a Nieuport scout with No.1 Wing RNAS.


Mike

in the Windsock International May/June 1994 there is an article about the le Prieur rockets. The lengths of the tubes was 1.5 metres. Aircrafts equipted with the rockets used special sights for the different purposes of the rockets. There was a special "Drachen"sight and one for the use of the rockets versus Zeppelins. The first usage was at the Battle of Verdun. On May 22 six rocket equipted Nieuport 11 destroyed six Drachen in a single flight.

This is all helpful, thanks.

Riodoro: this article sounds interesting, does it mention anything else noteworthy?