Rickenbacker Nieuport's

[JohnFitz]

Hi guys, I have been reading, "Fighting The Flying Circus" by Arch Whitehouse and would like to know what type Nieuport Rickenbacker was flying just as the 94th Pursuit Squadron was formed. I know he flew the Nieuport 28 but it seems he had others as well? Would also appreciate color schemes and sources for photo's, color drawings, etc. Thanks for your consideration.

[Lufbery]

John,

Actually, Fighting the Flying Circus was ghost-written by an aviation writer named Driggs, based on Rickenbacker's diary. Driggs took a little bit of license with it, but overall it's a great read.

I have the edition of the book that you're talking about. The preface is by Arch Whitehouse, and I think his photos is on the dust cover. There's an edition of the book by Lakeside Press that is edited to more closely match Rickenbacker's diary. It's also annotated with footnotes that really do a lot to add context to the book.

Anyway, as far as I know, the 94th only had Nieuport 28s. Rickenbacker may have flown other Nieuports in training, but he only flew Nieuport 28s and Spad 13s in combat.

A quick Google search for Nieuport 28 will turn up a lot of information and images, but you may want to get a Windsock Datafile (if one is available) for the plane if you want to get the French 5-color camo looking good.

Regards,

[TomVrille]

There is a color profile of Nieuport 28 N6169, flown by Rickenbacker, in the Osprey publication Nieuport Aces of World War 1. This aircraft has the squadron number "1" because it had previously been the aircraft of the 94th's first CO, Maj John Huffer. At other times, Rickenbacker also flew aircraft (all Nieuport 28s) with squadron numbers "12" and "16".

[JohnFitz]

Thanks guy's. I remembered I had the Osprey, SPA 124 Lafayette Escadrille, book and found some info. on the 94th and 95th squadrons whcih pretty much said what you are saying. All 28's. No good pictures of Rickenbacker's bus however. Cheers!

[Gregvan]

JohnFitz,

I know you probably don't have these, but these publications all have photos of Rickenbacker's various Nieuport 28s. The subject has been well covered. Besides those publications already mentioned:

"Windsock Datafile 36, Nieuport 28," 1992, by Jon Guttman.

"Medal of Honor Aviators of World War One", by Alan Durkota, 1998, Flying Machines Press.

"94th Aero Squadron, Hats in the Ring,", by Jon Guttman, Alan D. Toelle, Howard Fisher, and Some Dork, "Over the Front,Volume 6, No.2, 1991.

I'm no authority on models, but I'm sure that some model kits and decal manufacturers offer replications of Rickenbacker's markings. I'm pretty sure the old Glencoe 1/48 reissue of the Aurora kit did, 'cause I helped with those decals myself.

I imagine a good google search might turn some things up.

Greg

[JohnFitz]

Thanks Greg, Guess I have to add some more books to my collection and Christmas list.
VBR, John

[JohnFitz]

Well, I am confused. Got to chapter IX, and "the 94th squadron had been at the front about one month" and then "We were still flying the well-known Baby Nieuport single-seater "chasse" or fighting machine equipped with a Gnome Monosoupape motor". Was he talking about a Nieuport 28 here? I thought the Nieuport II was the "Baby". Is this just a mistake in the book?

[Gregvan]

Hi John Fitz,

I knew this would come up. Yes, it's a mistake by Rickenbacker's ghostwriter Driggs. For some reason Driggs refers to the N. 28 as the "baby", when we all know that this more accurately refers to the N. 11 (which did not have the Gnome Monosoupape). The only Nieuports the 94th or any First Pursuit Group pilots flew in combat was the 28. If they had been flying the Nieuport 11 in this period, very few would have survived...Of course, most of the pilots had flown Nieuport 11s, 17s, and other types in training, and this may be where Driggs picked up the Bebe name and simply applied it to all single-seater Nieuports.

I have a 1997 edition of "Fighting the Flying Circus", published by R.R. Donnelly & Sons, Chicago, part of the Lakeside Classics series and edited by the eminent Auburn University Professor David W. Lewis. Lewis had access to the diary and original text prepared by Rickenbacker in 1918, and he "eliminated many passages that were not based on the original manuscript". In this edition, the first sentence in Chapter 9 reads: "Squadron 94 had been at the front for about one month...(then on page 104) "We were still flying the well-known Nieuport single-seater chasse or fighting machine, equipped with a Gnome monosoupape motor. It was then the best machine of its kind in service, though undeniably it had its faults."

Trust me, the only Nieuport flown by the 94th in combat was the 28.

Greg

[JohnFitz]

Thanks Greg, I figured you could clear that up for me. At this point in the book 11's just didn't make sense. Cheers!