A puzzling photo of 2 aircraft that collided

This photo is really puzzling me.



As you see, it is written on it that is shows the collision of a French and German aircraft. However, the cockade on the lower wing really doesn't look like a French one, more like a Rumanian one!

Is there a record of a mid-air collision between a Rumanian and German aircraft?
Can anyone identify the two airplane types?

A real challenge for the WW1 aviation experts...

Gen. Dénes

Hallo Gen. Denes,

Just a small point but in Black and White pictures the colour Yellow shows up as a dark one, so if the central roundel was yellow, I would expect to see it as black.

Kevin in Deva.

The central roundel was blue, not yellow.
Here, yellow (middle ring) does look darker than the blue (centre).

Gen. Dénes

Sopwit Strutter?

Thanks, seems I had my coloured circles misalined
Kevin in Deva

it seems to be an American plane collision with a German one.

A bristol / fokker collision



Anyway, the roundel of the "french" aircraft, look's more like an American WW1 roundel. Red(on the exterior circle) Blue(middle one) white (centre).

source of the picture http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showt...-War-One/page12


Good Day

This post has been edited by claudiu_ne2000 on March 25, 2010 09:43 am

There is not that much to go by in this photo.
The German aircraft is almost definitely a Fokker DVII.
The "French" aircraft is Russian and the aircraft may be a Sopwith Strutter (but it is hard to say...).
The Russian roundel in WW1 was red-blue-white with the white in the center.
HTH
Radu

This post has been edited by Radub on March 25, 2010 10:45 am

I don't thing so because at the Russian planes the circles of the roundels are uneven. I mean blue and red are thicker than white circle in the middle.

Even circles are on the American planes see Eddie Rickenbacker's plane

Watching the Denes picture, especially the down-left side of the picture and comparing with this bristol F2B plane pictures. There are some matches.

Good day to everyone

This post has been edited by claudiu_ne2000 on March 25, 2010 10:42 am

That is a Russian roundel. There were many variations of this roundel.
See more here http://www.wio.ru/ww1a.htm

There are many features indicating that the Russian aircraft is actually a DeHavilland DH4.

At first I thought it was a Brisfit too, judging by the shape of the wingtip, but the skid is not correct for a F2B, so I am not entirely sure.

We need an elargement of the engine area.

HTH
Radu

Yes Radu...is true what you say.

Anyway it could be this kind of plane "Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a" like this one

The aileron from the background of the wing (see denes picture) is very similar with the SE 5a aileron
see picture
or this picture

This post has been edited by claudiu_ne2000 on March 25, 2010 12:04 pm

NOT A CHANCE!
That is definitely not a SE5!
Radu

Radu...watch the other picture

Anyway...about the plane..or is russian (camel) or american (bristol) there is no chance to be romanian.

This post has been edited by claudiu_ne2000 on March 25, 2010 12:18 pm

Claudiu,
No, you look at the picture. Hints:
The SE5 had a short aileron. The crashed aircraft has a long aileron.
The SE5 was never fitted with wingtip skids. The crashed aircraft has wingtip skids. The crashed aircraft in that picture is not a SE5.

DeHavilland D.H.4

Source: http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/havilland_dh-4.php

RAF S.E.5

Source: http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/raf_se-5a.php


That aircraft is Russian, the roundel is Russian. That aircraft shows some features typical for a DeHavilland D.H.4. The Russiand used the D.H.4.

I am quite certain that the photo shows a German Fokker DVII and a Russian D.H.4

HTH
Radu

why is not any chance to be romanian? As i already said, i think is a Sopwith Strutter! Romanian use to operate 52 Sopwith Strutter planes, and about russian Strutters, i don't think theywere faced any german planes.

This post has been edited by horia on March 25, 2010 05:10 pm

It does not look like a Strutter. This aircraft has a wingtip skid - you can see it bent on top of the roundel.
The Strutter did not have a skid there.
Radu