Who has flown a WWI aircraft and can compare?

[Gman]

Here the development of the thread “http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/re...aerobatic.html" into further aircraft comparisons.

Who has flown a WWI aircraft and can say something about the handling and how it compares to a more modern day airplane? Forget the aerobatic aspect; we are looking for a similar flight experience or a good modern training airplane that could prepare someone for a WWI fighter.
Please state the type of aircraft, whether original (how many can say this) or modern replica, original or modern engine, full size or reduced scale, type of previous experience (total & tail wheel) and feedback if this was a fun or more frightful experience.
Which more modern airplane could serve as a trainer – e.g. it was suggested that a Pitts or a Moth or even a Helicopter could be a good Fok.Dr.I trainer?

Will a 1920 to 1930 design like a Moth or Buecker be more closely related to a 1918 fighter, or could a modern homebuilt design like the Hatz, Starduster, Pitts or Skybolt just happen to act like a SE5a, Spad or Fokker?

Add performance data if you can but we are looking more for the pilot experience, especially from those few who have flown the ‘real thing’.
Thanks in advance to those lucky few...

[RobW]

Looks like a question for Baldeagle...

[baldeagle]

OK.
If I ran the world, everybody learning to fly would have to solo in a glider before anything else. Then a Piper Cub. With no radio. Then you'd have the basic stick-and-rudder down, and could move on to other stuff.

When asked the above question I usually suggest that the best preparation for flying a WW1 aircraft is a variety of flying experience. No one airplane will prepare you for a Fokker Triplane or SPAD. Tiger Moths are good experience, the controls aren't that well harmonised and the light wing loading is similar to some of the WW1 types. Time in any of the bigger biplanes helps, Wacos, Travel Airs, even the PT-17 Stearman. Front seat time in a Stearman can help, since some of the WW1 types have very short noses and there's less in front of you to indicate heading changes on take-off and landing, and it's a different feel in flight to sit close to the nose in a biplane. A Pitts flies nothing like a WW1 airplane, but Pitts time is helpful with any kind of flying, it teaches you to be precise, and probably even helps your IFR flying. For that matter, an Instrument rating probably helps your other flying also, multiple experiences all contribute to each other. Go get a glider rating, and maybe a gyroplane rating, or seaplane rating.

That's my brief answer

As for flying qualities, any good Cub pilot should be able to fly a Fokker D.VII or SE-5a. The Nieuports are also pretty good fliers as far as WW1 aircraft go, both the 17 and the 28. The D.VIII or E.V is a good flier also, a little bit higher wing loading than the others, so lands a little faster. The Fokker Triplane is the most challenging, mostly because you just can't see much on landing, although it is also unstable in flight and takes some work to fly properly.

On the other hand I'm sure that there are Citabria pilots who have checked out in Fokker Triplanes and done OK, but more varied experience is certainly a good idea. And some people just have more of a knack for it, while others don't.

Keep in mind that modern replicas can vary from airplane to airplane even if they're supposed to be the same type, some guys build heavier and end up with a more aft CG, rigging changes can make them fly differently, and there are other variables as well.



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[RobW]

for those who don't know Baldeagle... just to put his comments into context...

He is blessed with tons of experience in early aircraft.

He has flown replicas with both Rotary engines and substitute engines (can't really call most of them "modern" anymore)

He grew up around Old Rhinebeck... his father and Uncle were heavily involved there... so he has experience in a lot of those aircraft.

He regularly flys the Lafayette Foundation's aircraft (Dr.I, D.VII, D.VII).

Kermit Weeks trusted him with his original Nieuport 17 for the making of the Flyboy's movie.

He rebuilt a Ryan Mailplane.

He is the go to guy for doing first flights on lots of vintage type replicas and rebuilt aircraft (recently a Pitcarin Autogyro and an Ancient Cessna).

He is the other half of the 1911 Navy Curtiss pusher team that is flying all over the country.

And countless other things that I've certainly overlooked in this summary.

[Gman]

Wow,
Love it when one single post answers all questions.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Gman

[ONEALM]

GMAN -

Ask the same question in the replica section - The Fokker Triplane recently completed by Paul Dougherty with an 80 LeRhone has been flown fairly regularly since June and I'm sure Paul's sense of the differences are still very fresh.

He's also restored/flown their original Jenny with an OX-5 and I'm sure has some insight into that. In addition to everything rob mentioned, Baledagle has flown around a half dozen different Jennies as well..... We'd need another thread to list all the neat types he's flown.

-Mike