JohnnyS

New clue:

1. Biplane.

2. Torpedo bomber.

3. Fixed landing gear.

4. Two man crew.

5. This aircraft won its design competition.

6. When used for a testing program, part of the lower wing was removed to increase landing speeds.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Has to be the Fieseler Fi 167. Thanks; Ernie P.


The Fieseler Fi 167 was a 1930s German biplane torpedo and reconnaissance bomber designed for use from the Graf Zeppelin class aircraft carriers under construction in the late 1930s.

In early 1937, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (German Ministry of Aviation) issued a specification for a carrier-based torpedo bomber to operate from Germany's first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin construction of which had started at the end of 1936. The specification was issued to two aircraft producers, Fieseler and Arado, and demanded an all-metal biplane with a maximum speed of at least 300 km/h (186 mph), a range of at least 1,000 km and capable both of torpedo and dive-bombing. By the summer of 1938 the Fiesler design proved to be superior to the Arado design, the Ar 195.

After two prototypes (Fi 167 V1 and V2), twelve pre-production models (Fi 167 A-0) were built. These had only slight modifications from the prototypes. The aircraft exceeded by far all requirements, had excellent handling capabilities and could carry about twice the required weapons payload. Like the company's better known Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, the Fi 167 had surprising slow-speed capabilities; the plane would be able to land almost vertically on a moving aircraft carrier.

For emergency landings at sea the Fi 167 could jettison its landing gear, and airtight compartments in the lower wing would help the aircraft stay afloat at least long enough for the two-man crew to evacuate.

Since the Graf Zeppelin was not expected to be completed before the end of 1940, construction of the Fi 167 had a low priority. When construction of the Graf Zeppelin was stopped in 1940, the completion of further aircraft was stopped and the completed examples were taken into Luftwaffe service in the Erprobungsgruppe 167 evaluation/test unit.

When construction of the Graf Zeppelin was resumed in 1942 the Ju 87C took over the role as a reconnaissance bomber, and torpedo bombers were no longer seen to be needed. Nine of the existing Fi 167 were sent to a coastal naval squadron in the Netherlands and then returned to Germany in the summer of 1943. After that they were sold to Croatia, where their short-field and load-carrying abilities (under the right conditions, the aircraft could descend almost vertically) made it ideal for transporting ammunition and other supplies to besieged Croatian Army garrisons between their arrival in September 1944 and the end of the War. During one such mission, near Sisak on 10 October 1944, an Fi 167 of the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia was attacked by five North American Mustang Mk IIIs of No. 213 Squadron RAF. The crew of the Fieseler had the distinction of shooting down one of the Mustangs before itself being shot down—possibly one of the last biplane "kills" of the war.

The remaining planes were used in the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (German Aircraft Experimental Institute) in Budweis, Czechoslovakia, for testing different landing gear configurations. The large wing area and low landing speeds made it difficult for the Fi 167 to properly carry out the tests so the two test aircraft had their lower wings removed just outboard of the landing gear.

No examples of this aircraft survive.

JohnnyS

Ernie,

Yup, that's the one!!! What a weird aircraft: Looked like the unholy love child of a Stringbag and a Storch.

Over to you...

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Yeah, it was a bit strange looking. It had some interesting fetures, though. Okay; new question. I'll make this an easy one. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Its initial service began in perilous circumstances, and being rushed into production proven nearly as perilous.

(2) A new type of enemy aircraft clearly outclassed existing friendly aircraft. A new type of friendly aircraft was rushed into service, perhaps prematurely, with disasterous results. A number of aircraft were lost to unknown causes, and withdrawing the new aircraft from service was actively considered.

JohnnyS

Hawker Typhoon?

jescardin

My Feedback: (1)

Messerschmitt BF 109F perhaps?

Best Regards,

Jesus Cardin

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Right on the mark, JohnnyS; and back to you for the next question. I intended to make this one easy, but you nailed it before we could even get going good. Yep; the Hawker Typhoon, rushed into production to counter the FW-190; which was giving the Spitfires a rough time of it in late 1941 and 1942. Take it away, Sir. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Its initial service began in perilous circumstances, and being rushed into production proven nearly as perilous.

(2) A new type of enemy aircraft clearly outclassed existing friendly aircraft. A new type of friendly aircraft was rushed into service, perhaps prematurely, with disasterous results. A number of aircraft were lost to unknown causes, and withdrawing the new aircraft from service was actively considered.

(3) Fortunately, the design team found and partially corrected the problem; although some failures continued to occur until the end of its service life.

(4) It was more than 1-1/2 years before the new aircraft really began to live up to its potential.

(5) The engine was always difficult to start, especially in cold weather.

(6) This new aircraft was very fast at low altitudes; which was the main feature that allowed it to counter the new enemy aircraft.

(7) The problem mentioned in (3) involved the mass balances.

(8) Originally intended to be a medium to high altitude interceptor, a role in which it bever really suceeded, this new aircraft instead proved to be a valuable low altitude interceptor.

(9) It was then found the bomb load of the new aircraft, which had not been even a consideration in its design, was prodigious. The bomb load used was doubled; then doubled again; and this lead the new aircraft into its final role.

(10) With a bomb load exceeding that of light and medium bombers of a few years previous, this fighter made its real mark as an attack aircraft.

(11) Ironically enough, the new fighter being pressed into service as a low altitude interceptor, was very similar in appearance to the very fighter it was intended to counter.

(12) And that lead to some problems with “friendly” anti-aircraft fire. In a round about fashion, the means used to correct the friendly fire problem lead to some of the most recognizeable and iconic aircraft photographs of the second world war.

Answer: The Hawker Typhoon



It was also the first aircraft to use black and white stripes on the bottom of the wings, to distinguish friendly aircraft from hostile.



In 1941 the Spitfire Vs which equipped the bulk of Fighter Command squadrons were outclassed in combat with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and were suffering heavy losses. The Typhoon was rushed into squadron service (with Nos. 56 and 609 Squadrons) in summer 1941 in an attempt to counter the Fw 190. This decision proved to be a disaster, and several Typhoons were lost to unknown causes. Subsequently, the Air Ministry began to consider halting production of the Typhoon.

In August 1942, Hawker’s second test pilot, Ken Seth-Smith, while deputising for Chief Test Pilot Philip Lucas, was carrying out a straight and level speed test from Langley, Hawker’s test centre. The aircraft broke up over Thorpe, killing the pilot. Sydney Camm and the design team immediately ruled out pilot error which had been suspected in earlier crashes. Intensive investigations revealed that the elevator mass-balance had torn away from the fuselage structure allowing intense flutter to develop, failing the structure and causing the tail to break away. Immediate modifications to the structure, and the control runs, effectively solved the structural problem. (Much earlier Philip Lucas had landed a prototype aircraft with structural failure but this had been due to other failings.) Mod 286 was a partial remedy, although there were still failures right up to the end of the Typhoon's service life. The Sabre engine was also a constant source of problems, notably in colder weather, where it was very difficult to start.

The Typhoon did not begin to mature as a reliable aircraft until the end of 1942, when its good qualities—seen from the start by S/L Roland Beamont of 609 Squadron—became apparent. (He had worked as a Hawker production test pilot while resting from operations, and had stayed with Seth-Smith, having his first flight in the aircraft at that time.) It was extremely fast, tough and capable, and its unplanned bomb load was doubled and then doubled again. During late 1942 and early 1943, the Typhoon Squadrons on the South Coast were finally effective in countering the Luftwaffe's "tip and run" low-level nuisance raids, shooting down a score or more fighter-bomber Fw 190s.

To counter such attacks, Typhoon squadrons kept at least one pair of aircraft flying continuously on standing patrols over the South coast, with another pair kept at "readiness"; ready to take off within two minutes, throughout daylight hours. These sections of Typhoons flew at 500 feet or lower, with enough height to spot and then intercept the incoming enemy fighter-bombers. These tactics were successful during early 1943. For example, while flying patrols against these "nuisance" raids, No. 486 (NZ) Squadron claimed 11 fighter-bombers shot down during two months.

The first two Messerschmitt Me 210 fighter-bombers to be destroyed over the British Isles fell to the guns of Typhoons in late 1942, and during a daylight raid by the Luftwaffe on London on 20 January 1943, five Fw 190s were destroyed by Typhoons.

As soon as the aircraft entered service it was immediately apparent the profile of the Typhoon resembled a Fw 190 from some angles, and this similarity caused more than one "friendly fire" incident with Allied anti-aircraft units and other fighters. This led to Typhoons being marked up with high visibility black and white stripes under the wings, a precursor of the markings applied to all Allied aircraft on D-Day.

The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied this requirement. Other external events in 1940 prolonged the gestation of the Typhoon.

Nicknamed the Tiffy in RAF slang, the Typhoon's service introduction in mid-1941 was also plagued with problems, and for several months the aircraft faced a doubtful future. However, in 1941 the Luftwaffe brought the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190 into service: the Typhoon was the only fighter in the RAF inventory capable of catching the Fw 190 at low altitudes and, as a result, secured a new role as a low-altitude interceptor. Through the support of pilots such as Roland Beamont the Typhoon also established itself in roles such as night-time intruder and a long-range fighter. From late 1942 the Typhoon was equipped with bombs; from late 1943 ground attack rockets were added to the Typhoon's armoury. Using these two weapons, the Typhoon became one of the Second World War's most successful ground-attack aircraft.

By 1943 the RAF needed a dedicated ground attack fighter more than a "pure" fighter, and the Typhoon was suited to the role. The powerful engine allowed the aircraft to carry a load of up to two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, equal to the light bombers of only a few years earlier. The bomb-equipped aircraft were nicknamed "Bombphoons" and entered service with No. 181 Squadron, formed in September 1942.

From September 1943 Typhoons could also be armed with four "60 lb" RP-3 rockets under each wing. In October 1943, No. 181 Squadron made the first Typhoon rocket strikes. Although the rocket projectiles were inaccurate and took some considerable skill to aim properly and allow for the drop after firing, "the sheer firepower of just one Typhoon was equivalent to a destroyer's broadside." By the end of 1943, 18 rocket-equipped Typhoon squadrons formed the basis of the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF) ground attack arm in Europe. In theory, the rocket rails and bomb-racks were interchangeable; in practice, to simplify ordnance supply-lines, some 2nd TAF Typhoon squadrons (such as 198 Squadron) used the rockets only, while other squadrons were armed exclusively with bombs.

By D-Day in June 1944, 2 TAF had 18 operational squadrons of Typhoon IBs, while ADGB had a further nine. The aircraft proved itself to be the most effective RAF tactical strike aircraft, both on interdiction raids against communications and transport targets deep in North Western Europe prior to the invasion, and in direct support of the Allied ground forces after D-Day. A system of close liaison with the ground troops was set up by the RAF and army: RAF radio operators in vehicles equipped with VHF R/T travelled with the troops, often close to the front line. In situations where air support was needed they were able to call up Typhoons operating in a "Cab Rank", which then continuously attacked the targets marked for them (usually with smoke shells fired by mortar or artillery) until they were destroyed.

JohnnyS

Ernie,

May I please ask you to take over for me? I need to fly out on a trip in a few hours and I will be out of touch until mid next week, so I won't be able to participate in the thread. Thanks!!

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Not a problem, JohnnyS; I have lots of questions. Not so many answers, but.... Let's see if this floats anyone's boat. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Another clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

perttime

Muhammad Mahmood Alam of Pakistan shot down five Indian Hawker Hunter's in less than a minute — the first four within 30 seconds - in 1965.

Mein Duff

Nishizawa?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

A couple of very good, though incorrect, answers. This may help. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

A morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

An evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not a Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

zippome

Otto Kittel?

Thanks,
Zip

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Sorry. Good thinking, but no. Maybe this will help. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

And an afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

(7) He was recalled to service during WWII, and became a squadron leader.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

An evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

(7) He was recalled to service during WWII, and became a squadron leader.

(8) He continued to serve until the mid 1950s.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

A morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

(7) He was recalled to service during WWII, and became a squadron leader.

(8) He continued to serve until the mid 1950s.

(9) Although an officer, he received far fewer awards and recognition than pilots with lesser scores.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Followed by an afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

(7) He was recalled to service during WWII, and became a squadron leader.

(8) He continued to serve until the mid 1950s.

(9) Although an officer, he received far fewer awards and recognition than pilots with lesser scores.

(10) His first victory came in April of 1918.

psb667

I have got to start reading the clues

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Well, I wonder what that was about. (-: Don't worry, psb667; you get your share and more. Maybe this will help. Oh... his name is right there on the list. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aviator ace do I describe?

Clues:

(1) Despite being “right up there” on the victory list in his war, his is hardly a household name.

(2) Yet he scored a string of rapid fire victories not matched by anyone in his time; and probably by no one in any time.

(3) It took him less than a month of combat flying to score his first victory.

(4) For the next month, his score rate was almost one a day.

(5) No one; not Richthofen, not Voss, not Fonck, Mannock, Bishop, Ball, et.al., matched his record.

(6) After WWI, he served as a post office clerk.

(7) He was recalled to service during WWII, and became a squadron leader.

(8) He continued to serve until the mid 1950s.

(9) Although an officer, he received far fewer awards and recognition than pilots with lesser scores.

(10) His first victory came in April of 1918.

(11) On two separate occasions, two days apart, he was credited with destroying five enemy aircraft.

psb667

Willy Coppens?

Mein Duff

Barker the Canadian?