217 replies to this topic

[Ianander]

Hello All ,

     I just finished reading this book.  http://www.archive.o...great00bondgoog  Inventions for land,sea and air , My favourite is the use of Camouflage . At sea they camouflaged ships,on land they hid Artillery,roads and railway tracks. the best being the scottish gillies. In scotland they used rag camouflage by anti-poaching wardens, Gillies in gillie suits, there many diferent uses to camouflage . I.e  British 8 inch Howitzer painted in dazzle camouflage.
    I would like to hear , which invention from the great war you like and why???

Cheer's
Ian

[Tom W.]

Ianander, on 27 February 2011 - 09:39 PM, said:

I would like to hear , which invention from the great war you like and why???

The Russian Lebedenko or Tsar tank, because it's so improbable.

http://www.gizmowatc...ank-ever-built/

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•  Lebedenko.jpg   74.07K   1 downloads

[Ianander]

Hello Tom , Yes that's a Great picture and great invention but it ended on the scrapyard. Tom thank you for the input,  that tank certainly put a smile on my face.
  I hope we get some great or more silly inventions

Cheer's Tom        

[Tom W.]

Here's another invention I like: The P.B.31E Nighthawk, an experimental British quadruplane meant to be an anti-Zeppelin fighter. It had an endurance of 18 hours! I'm fascinated by night fighters and night bombers. This is one of my favorites.

http://en.wikipedia....arine_Nighthawk

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•  Nighthawk.jpg   33.77K   0 downloads

[Tom W.]

Finally, the Linke-Hoffmann RII, a four-engined bomber. All four engines were in the fuselage and linked to one giant 23-ft propeller on the nose. It had a wingspan of 135 ft and a length of 76 ft. It was the largest single-propeller aircraft ever built, and I like it because it's demented.

http://en.wikipedia....ke-Hofmann_R.II

Each of the wheels was more than five ft in diameter...

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•  LinkeHof.jpg   22.49K   0 downloads

[Ianander]

Tom W., on 28 February 2011 - 06:30 AM, said:

Here's another invention I like: The P.B.31E Nighthawk, an experimental British quadruplane meant to be an anti-Zeppelin fighter. It had an endurance of 18 hours! I'm fascinated by night fighters and night bombers. This is one of my favorites.

http://en.wikipedia....arine_Nighthawk

Hi Tom , I haven't seen this plane before !!!! ,is this company who made the famous spitfire??

cheer's Tom
Ian

[Ianander]

Tom W., on 28 February 2011 - 06:47 AM, said:

Finally, the Linke-Hoffmann RII, a four-engined bomber. All four engines were in the fuselage and linked to one giant 23-ft propeller on the nose. It had a wingspan of 135 ft and a length of 76 ft. It was the largest single-propeller aircraft ever built, and I like it because it's demented.

http://en.wikipedia....ke-Hofmann_R.II

Each of the wheels was more than five ft in diameter...

Hi Tom ,   another great picture, where did they park this plane in a zepplin hanger ??? and that propeller is longer than a narrow boat  I was looking at the weekend.
Cheer's Tom

Ian

[Tom W.]

Ianander, on 28 February 2011 - 07:27 AM, said:

Hi Tom , I haven't seen this plane before !!!! ,is this company who made the famous spitfire??

cheer's Tom
Ian

Yes. Before it became Supermarine it was Pemberton-Billing Ltd., hence the "P.B." in the name of the P.B.31E Nighthawk.

[Will O'Brien]

Staying with Tom's aero theme, my favourite (sensible choice I'm afraid) was the interrupter gear for the forward mounted machine gun. It was cutting edge technology in the newest of battlefields (the sky)

[geraint]

The Bangalore Torpedo used as an aboveground weapon seemed to me to be almost Chaplinesque as described by Richards in Old Soldiers Never Die. Pages 144-153 N&M Press. He describes how 2RWF attempts to clear wire with it, fails, then attempt to retrieve it. Good laugh!

[brucehubbard]

I look forward to seeing someone extolling the virtues of the invention of mustard gas!

Bruce

[Ianander]

Will O, on 28 February 2011 - 10:29 AM, said:

Staying with Tom's aero theme, my favourite (sensible choice I'm afraid) was the interrupter gear for the forward mounted machine gun. It was cutting edge technology in the newest of battlefields (the sky)

Hello Will ,  thank you for the input, I take the interrupter gear was used to stop shooting the propeller !!! I hope that's correct

Cheer's Will

Ian

[Ianander]

geraint, on 28 February 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

The Bangalore Torpedo used as an aboveground weapon seemed to me to be almost Chaplinesque as described by Richards in Old Soldiers Never Die. Pages 144-153 N&M Press. He describes how 2RWF attempts to clear wire with it, fails, then attempt to retrieve it. Good laugh!

Hello geraint ,  thanks for the Bangalore Torpedo post,
I only  thought that would a good read !!!!
my apologies            

Ian

[Ianander]

brucehubbard, on 28 February 2011 - 11:09 AM, said:

I look forward to seeing someone extolling the virtues of the invention of mustard gas!

Bruce

Hello Bruce , I think that good question has a easy answer , more likely a chemist would answer that !!! , you know what they were like, always trying to out do each other!!!      

Many thank's Bruce

Ian

[seany]

or, of course, the charcoal activated gas mask.

brucehubbard, on 28 February 2011 - 11:09 AM, said:

I look forward to seeing someone extolling the virtues of the invention of mustard gas!

Bruce

[GRUMPY]

Ianander, on 28 February 2011 - 11:46 AM, said:

Hello geraint , Many thanks for the Bangalore Torpedo post, I would like to read that story any chance you could send me that link !!!

Cheer's Geraint              

Ian

You could have your own copy ..... I do a special deal for the forum. PM if interested.

[Ianander]

seany, on 28 February 2011 - 12:21 PM, said:

or, of course, the charcoal activated gas mask.

Hello Seany,      I will agree with you another great example!!! or a life saver  

Cheer's Seany

Ian

[geraint]

Hi Ian
I'm a technical idiot. Words like "can you send me that link?" turn my blood into acid, I get cold, goosebumpy, and fall apart into a gibbering buffoon.  (What's "a link"? How do you "send it" when you've worked out what a link is?) I can't scan correctly - it takes me hours, and I can sometimes do a photocopy - if I'm in good health, sober and with a strong breeze blowing softly behind me.

Go with Grumpy's suggestion - in fact Frank Richards should be in every Great War researcher's library!

[IPT]

Only a disappointingly short-sighted approach prevented the helmet gun from widespread use.

I mean, it was a cooking pan as well. What more could you want?

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•  panhatgun (2).jpg   86.75K   2 downloads

[Ianander]

Hello IPT, Great picture , But you wouldn't get me wearing that!!

Thank you for the input  IPT

cheer's  
Ian

[centurion]

Tom W., on 28 February 2011 - 07:46 AM, said:

Yes. Before it became Supermarine it was Pemberton-Billing Ltd., hence the "P.B." in the name of the P.B.31E Nighthawk.

And Mitchell who designed the Spitfire was a Junior member of the design team. Pemberton Billing sold the company because of a conflict of interest arising because of his position as an MP.

[Ianander]

centurion, on 28 February 2011 - 03:48 PM, said:

And Mitchell who designed the Spitfire was a Junior member of the design team. Pemberton Billing sold the company because of a conflict of interest arising because of his position as an MP.

Hello Centurion ,  Thank you for the information I didn't know Mitchell was a junior member of the design team.

many thanks again Centurion

Ian

[centurion]

Tom W., on 28 February 2011 - 06:47 AM, said:

Finally, the Linke-Hoffmann RII, a four-engined bomber. All four engines were in the fuselage and linked to one giant 23-ft propeller on the nose. It had a wingspan of 135 ft and a length of 76 ft. It was the largest single-propeller aircraft ever built, and I like it because it's demented.



Each of the wheels was more than five ft in diameter...

But not as weird as :
 Linke Hoffeman.jpg   92.36K   6 downloads

From the same stable - this RI actually flew during WW1 wereas the RII did not fly until after the armistice

[GRUMPY]

not so much an invention, as a new use of an old one:

M A R M A L A D E !

Used for attaching notices and bumf to dugout walls.

[truthergw]

Tom W., on 28 February 2011 - 06:47 AM, said:

Finally, the Linke-Hoffmann RII, a four-engined bomber. All four engines were in the fuselage and linked to one giant 23-ft propeller on the nose. It had a wingspan of 135 ft and a length of 76 ft. It was the largest single-propeller aircraft ever built, and I like it because it's demented.

http://en.wikipedia....ke-Hofmann_R.II

Each of the wheels was more than five ft in diameter...

4 wing mounted 6" guns on that and you'd have a Tsar tank buster.