Worst aircraft of the war

[EdStevens]

When I think about which aeroplanes I really, really would not wanted to have been assigned to during the war, a few come to mind (mostly British):

The B.E.12 as a fighter.
The R.E.7 as a bomber.
The SPAD A2 as a fighter (as the gunner).
The D.H.5 in ground attack.

Any other candidates for the absolute worst active aircraft? (The Christmas Bullet doesn't count, then, although it probably frightens me more than any other airplane I've ever seen.)

Wouldn't care to go against an Albatros in some of the Farmans or Voisins. Too slow and steady to win that race!

[Breguet]

The Royal Aircraft Factory had their own version of the SPAD A2 - can you imagine a combination of a BE airframe and a pulpit fighter ? Shudder........

i think we should do this year by year,
obviously early on it was use whats available.

[Ginger.]

Albatri and Fokker triplanes. Both of them were junk and the wings kept falling off.

[StephenLawson]

Hey Ginger: I heard that the Sopwith Camel killed twice as many allied pilots in training than it killed German crews at the front?

[Ginger.]

This is very true. It sorted the men out from the boys before the lead started flying. The Hun had nothing like it and consequently lost the war.

This is very true. It sorted the men out from the boys before the lead started flying. The Hun had nothing like it and consequently lost the war.

You don't really think that Germany lost the war because they didn't have an equivalent to the Camel, do you?

And I agree with Tecumseh, you almost have to look at it year by year. *Early on I think that the B.E.2 didn't stand much of a chance, although it wasn't a fighter. *The R.E.8 was used throughout the war and steady in flight, but very vulnerable combat-wise...I'd would have been scared to hop in one of those and take off across the front. *As far as fighters, I know the Nieuports had a mixed reputation and, while favored by some pilots, including American, I think I would have preferred going up against the Germans in something else. *And among common German ships, I think the Halberstadts were one of the poorer mounts. *But again, I'm thinking more along the lines of combat. *I'm sure there were many ships that were very stable and sure flying machines, but not good for fighting. *And then there are ones like the Camel that had a great fighting reputation, but not always stable in flight.

[Scimitar]

The worst aircraft was the Ponnier M1. Only used by Belgians, but very quickly withdrawn at the ask of the pilots. There were transferred at the flight school of Etampes and then used as "Penguins" (the student pilot had just the authorization to run on the runway; forbidden to take off!!!)

[Vigilant]

The R.E.8 was used throughout the war and steady in flight, but very vulnerable combat-wise...

Well here's some actions from the Ypres area for the second half of 1917:

16Aug17 - 7 Sqn RE8 attacked by two Albatros. One destroyed, other broke off.

16Aug17 - Another 7 Sqn RE8 attacked by 8 Albatros. One destroyed, others broke off.

7Aug17 - 21 Sqn RE8 attacked by 9 EA. One OOC, others broke off.

12Aug17 - 5 Sqn RE8 attacked by 4 EA. One OOC, reached lines, then resumed art. obs.

21Aug17 - 21 Sqn RE8 attacked by Albatros. Commander of Jasta 6 (and ace) Eduard von Dostler shot down and killed.

9Jan18 - 21 Sqn RE8 attacked by several EA. Acting commander of Jasta 28 (and ace) Max Müller shot down and killed.

No.5 Sqn even took to calling themselves a 'circus' after one incident when 5 RE8s successfully beat off 12 Albatros in the summer of '17. The RE8 has had a bad press - with a good crew it was as deadly as any other two-seater.

Vig.