Markings of Voss' famous opponents

tcrean7828 · 17 December 2008, 11:15 AM

Mate,
If you get a chance check out ‘High in the Empty Blue: The History of 56 Squadron, RFC/RAF 1916-1920’ by Alex Revel. It has a lot of the info you are looking for.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

R Gannon · 17 December 2008, 07:22 PM

Tom

Re post #6 - can't help feeling I've seen that info before

.

Merry Christmas

Russ - not a Voss fan;.

Oh that's not true I've still got my Revell 1/48th Tripe painted in Voss colours loving packed in cotton wool in the back shed - made it in 1968.

Tim West · 17 December 2008, 08:27 PM

Hi there...

I chose to simply leave the markings off. I knew they werent white bars but I seem to remember there being another issue...like who had what color and or flight markings. Lol, Then I ran out of time and had to just go with it.

Anyhow,

Ahnab · 17 December 2008, 10:00 PM

Just want to thank everybody for their input, its been really great learning from you guys. I just hope I end up doing everything right and proper in my film!

Just a couple of more questions, if you please:-

1) In the movies "Blue Max" and "Brown vs Richthofen", they show the Spandaus being fired by pulling a lever just in front of the pilot. Apparently, the lever was hooked up to the triggers of the guns. Now, in the films "The Flyboys" and "The Red Baron", you don't see those levers. Infact, they show a trigger button on the control stick used to shoot their weapons. So which of these firing mechanisms is factual?

2) I've read in some accounts (McCudden's, for example) that tracers were also used. I understand the need to carry/shoot tracers in order to get a visual guide to where exactly you're shooting. Can anyone please clarify what they looked like? The film "The Flyboys" is the only movie I know that shows those tracers, so I was wondering if anyone could give me a graphical or visual representation of what tracers back then looked like? Did they look like smokey vapor trails like in "The Flyboys", or did they look like the squiggly glowing streaks we see in WW2 footages?

3) Are there any vintage WW1-era pics out there of any aircraft-mounted Spandaus, Vickers or Lewis' being fired? I just want to get the muzzle-flashes of the guns right for my film. I know I'm sounding nit-picky, but wouldn't hurt to go the extra mile to get the feel of the film right!

Thanx!

Tim West · 17 December 2008, 10:23 PM

I couldnt find much on what the Spandaus flashes would have looked like....So I just guessed based on actual small caliber muzzle flashes. They come in a few common shapes. I dont know about the use of traces durning this fight. I bet someone here does.

The "trigger" as seen the blue max was only done so as to give the movie goer a visual que that they were firing their guns. It's not accurate.

hth

SCMc · 17 December 2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

3) Are there any vintage WW1-era pics out there of any aircraft-mounted Spandaus, Vickers or Lewis' being fired? I just want to get the muzzle-flashes of the guns right for my film. I know I'm sounding nit-picky, but wouldn't hurt to go the extra mile to get the feel of the film right!

Dave Watts or Tony Williams would probably be the ones to ask. Tony has written quite a bit about guns. Dave has a special interest in LMG 08/15's (Spandaus). I believe he has fired one, so he might know what the flashes look like (at least from the back side).

Steve

Ahnab · 18 December 2008, 07:11 PM

Thanx for the input guys, please throw any info you might come across regarding the muzzle flashes and tracers, would really appreciate it!

tcrean7828 · 18 December 2008, 08:41 PM

Mate,
For a quick run through of the Voss dogfight check out:

Werner Voss: Hero or Super Hero

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

Ahnab · 18 December 2008, 10:36 PM

tcrean7828, that was the very FIRST article I read regarding Voss' fight, and it blew me away with its detail, depth, and human perspective which is usually missing from the other descriptions of the dogfight. It was after reading it that I decided I wanted to tell a story about it.

tcrean7828 · 18 December 2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ahnab

tcrean7828, that was the very FIRST article I read regarding Voss' fight, and it blew me away with its detail, depth, and human perspective which is usually missing from the other descriptions of the dogfight. It was after reading it that I decided I wanted to tell a story about it.

Mate,
I'm flattered - what can I say but thanks for taking the time to read it.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom