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Seaplanes and Naval Aviation
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| British Fairey Campania Floatplane |
 Rendered by Bob Pearson. |
Sopwith Baby, N1019, "Phyllis", arrived at the Seaplane Defence Flight, Dunkerque on 8 April 1917. Flt. Lt. R. Graham forced a seaplane down 10 miles northeast of Dunkerque on 19 June 1917 while flying this aircraft. N1019 was equipped with a 130 h.p. Clerget engine by December 1917. Note the Lewis gun fixed alongside the cockpit, as well as another mounted on the top wing center section. |
| Hanriot HD-1, a U.S. Navy version on floats. |
 Felixstowe F.3 N4258 Based at Felixstowe NAS in the Autumn of 1918. The painting of the Felixstowes was entirely an affair of the summer and autumn 1918. Rendered by Bob Pearson. |
Felixstowe F.3 They were painted with dazzle schemes, not as an attempt at camouflage, but the exact opposite - to make them recognizable at a glance in the air and to be able to see a downed boat at sea. The first example of the benefit of this practice took place on June 4 1918, when three Felixstowe based boats and two from Great Yarmouth were involved in a fight with German seaplanes. One of the Yarmouth boats (either N4298 or N4289) was painted in red/yellow stripes and was the only one easily recognized of the five boats concerned. After this the others crews were allowed to paint their boats in similarly garish colours and patterns. |
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Original material copyright © 7/8/99 W. Ira Boucher. All Rights Reserved. | |