any ideas for a university dissertation?

hello all, i need to write my dissertation this year, and can't decide what to write. i know i want to do something linked to the first world war and air power. can anyone throw up some ideas or suggest some books for me to look at. plus, can someone produce a list of biographies on great war pilots for me?
thanks for any help.
phil.

[NeilE]

How about "Fact, Mythology, and Memory In The Study Of World War One Fighter Aces"

Actually what subject is this for?

That may help define your dissertation.

All the Best

Neil

(As for sources see Dr Vin...)

[greenknight]

Philip,

Is this an undergraduate or graduate thesis, and in what more specific areas do your interests lie? i.e. the men or the machines? strategic military use of aircraft, or their technical development?, etc.

One thing that comes to mind is a paper on the evolution of aircraft structures during WWI, published by Dr. Peter Jakab a historian and Curator of (Early) Aviation at the Smithsonian. This article was published in the "Journal of Aircraft", a publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics a few years ago. An article like this, and the references cited therein may be a good starting point if your interests lean toward the "machines" side of things.

I can provide the specific journal issue citation if interested.

[Barrett]

There's still room for some original research in GW aviation, especially from the industrial end. Of course, that means delving into foreign sources but that should be welcomed by most academics.

[Amy]

Originally Posted by Philip_Hawes

plus, can someone produce a list of biographies on great war pilots for me?

Hi Phil: Are you looking for Allied or German pilot bios? Or perhaps both?

thanks for all the replies. i'm studing history in an undergraduate degree course. i'm more interested in man and myths rather than the technical side of aviation. i thought something to do with the 21st april 1918, but that has been researched so much i would find it hard to be orginal. i'd like to write about the many great men in various airforces in the great war, but to find one title is differcult. perhaps if someone can point me in the right direction i could perhaps come up with a particular topic or title. what are some of the most popular aiviation related myths of ww1. i know of MvR's last flight, and those of of georges guynemer and albert ball. i'd love to research something that is less well known to me. i have a good 6 months to do it, so i'm sure i'll be consulting the forum throughout.
thanks, phil

[EricGoedkoop]

I can't remember the specifics, but there's a story of a "ghost" RE8 that continued to fly after it's crew was killed until the fuel ran out, then landed intact. I'm sure somebody can fill in the details on it. I think it might be interesting to explore stories like that one and Guynemer's disappearance in terms of psychology and mythology: ace pilots being cast into the hero role and the exaggeration or distortion of events in wartime both as propaganda and as a way for the common soldier to escape or offset the horrors of the trenches. I'm sure there are dozens of stories that could be used as examples; MvR's death is one if you look at in terms of how Brown was made into the hero, and why it was important for the morale of BOTH sides to do so.

Might be more a psychology topic than a history one, but it'd be a fascinating piece. The paper would depend on you relating the stories of many different pilots, so you'd neatly avoid being "stuck" on just one personality or event.

thanks Eric, thats a brilliant idea. does anyone know of any good books or papers that link into this subject. everyone always thinks that pilots were better off then the poor bloody infantryman, so why was that?

phil

[EricGoedkoop]

Originally Posted by Philip_Hawes

thanks Eric, thats a brilliant idea. does anyone know of any good books or papers that link into this subject. everyone always thinks that pilots were better off then the poor bloody infantryman, so why was that?

Aw, shucks.

A lot of it was the perceived image of the aviator, the romance and the adventure, and the fact that they were in some ways detached from the grisliest aspects of war. It's not unique to WWI - I'm reminded of the episode of M*A*S*H* where the dashing pilot gets wounded and ends up at the 4077th: "If I couldn't fly, man, I wouldn't touch this war." Obviously, WWI is where this notion was formed. And a lot of it was that powered flight was still brand new and had an air of mystery about it.

You could find a lot by combing back through this Forum. Last week there was a discussion about the mysterious "Double V-Strutter" reported by McCudden and other British pilots that was supposedly flown by MvR - a good example of creative mythology. The plane probably existed, whatever it was, but the idea that it was MvR's illustrates the power of the hero character. Another example is the once-current rumor that "Le Petite Rouge" was in fact a woman.

Have fun with it!

[Vin]

Originally Posted by EricGoedkoop

I can't remember the specifics, but there's a story of a "ghost" RE8 that continued to fly after it's crew was killed until the fuel ran out, then landed intact. I'm sure somebody can fill in the details on it. I

The “Ghost” RE8 was aircraft A3816 flown by Lt James Sandy and Sgt. Henry Hughes of 3 squadron Australian Flying Corps. It flew in wide circles after a fight with Albatrosse aircraft, including the Albatros of Lt Claus which is currently stored at the Australian War Memorial, before landing intact, both its occupants dead. A testament to the stability of the RE 8.

The contribution of the AFC in France might be worth looking at. There were 3 squadrons active for the last year of the war. From the point of view of the researcher, it has the advantage of compactness.